Bhutanese bow? Bamboo?

[Limbit]

Like I mentioned before, I doubt the boo they are using is much better or worse than Tonkin and this could be the best solution to the problem of what type of boo to use.

[PatM]

Tonkin doesn't handle a backward bend well.

[mikekeswick]

Tonkins walls are generally relatively thin. The diameter of the poles wouldn't be big enough to get flat enough strips either, the backs edges would likely fail.
Tonkin is a wonderful material and if you weren't set on a particular style then as mentioned above using a heat treated belly lam and a backing lam both with the boos outer surface as the working surface is a good way to go.

[Limbit]

Yes, Tonkin is very thin walled, that is why I mentioned before to take the boo from the lowest part of the stalk where the walls are thickest, split it and lap-splice it at the handle allowing a natural taper and enough thickness. Of course you would need to harvest it yourself since I doubt companies sell poles with the base. I guess you could potentially use a sort of HLD design as well and use a goose-neck scrapper to tiller it following the natural curve in the boo. I am still curious what bamboo they use. Bhutan has such drastic changes in climate since it is a mountainous country. It could be the boo is coming from higher elevations and is some sort of large slow-growing variety. From pictures I've seen, the boo is a thick-walled variety so I am guessing it is a large diameter.

[mikekeswick]

Yes large diameter and very thick walls are prerequisite for this style of bow.

[bobnewboy]

I managed to make one that stayed together rather well, a few years back.

Bob, Great looking bow. How wide at widest and tips?



https://flic.kr/p/qSNG7D
https://flic.kr/p/ra7BqK

Cheers, Bob

Ok, i have made a few photos of the bow to give you some clues   sorry the details are in metric but that was the only ruler i could find quickly. The bow is 176 cm from nock to nock. Here are links to the pics:













The resting bow has the nocks in front of the handle - i heat treated the bamboo over a form and the change has remained well over the years of being shot.  As usual for these bows, the outside of the bamboo is on the belly of the bow. The two pieces of bamboo are located by japanese style pegs, and then the ends of the pieces were wrapped in rawhide soaked in glue. As the glue dried the pieces were pulled together very tightly.

Cheers, Bob

[Limbit]

Looks good Bob! Do you know which species of boo you used? Looks like Moso. I've used it laminated several times and heat treated and it seems to hold its form well after heat treatment.

[bobnewboy]

Looks good Bob! Do you know which species of boo you used? Looks like Moso. I've used it laminated several times and heat treated and it seems to hold its form well after heat treatment.

I'm afraid i couldnt say for sure, asi made the bow a few years back now but it would be a commonly available type. This bow was a bit of an experiment but it worked well, and is quite simple to try out.  If i could get my hands on some thicker, denser boo then i would make a higher draw weight bow, as this design shoots extremely well, with zero handshock.

Cheers, Bob