Egyptian composite build a-long

[welch2]

Just before I glue the horns on ,I  thought I should take a few measurements of the core .

It is 50" long ,1" wide X 5/8" thick at the center and 3/4" wide X 1/4" thick just below the nocks .Without the horn , and the horn will be pretty thin.

 I did check tiller as well as reverse tiller , but only at a couple of inches ,to check the shape . I have no idea how heavy it will be. Do you guys think I may need to thin the core some more ? I trying for 60# @ 28" or there abouts.

Ralph

[D. Tiller]

Ralph, may want to try soaking it horizontaly next time. I think this might help in the curdling problem sinc they either sink or float. Can never remember which!

David T

[welch2]

I did soak them horizontally ,laying down in a window flower planter . The horns sank to the bottom where the became coated in the milk solids .

    I also have a 6' long ,1' deep and 6" wide metal tank that my Dad welded up for me .When done soaking I put the horns and milk or hide glue in there and heat them up a bit.      I also use it for boiling or steaming self bows .I sit it on a few hot plates.


Ralph

[D. Tiller]

Prety cool! Do you have an idea about which part of the milk makes the horn flexible?

[welch2]

I think the water makes them flexible .The solids in the milk (or hide glue if you use it instead) saturate the water and keep the water from leaching things out of the horn. And might add a few protean strings to the horn instead of removing or breaking protean strings. That's my theory anyway ,I'm not a biologist nor a chemist.

Ralph

[welch2]

Today I put the first horn strip on. I got both core and horn sized with a good coat of glue .Then I mixed up some new glue 50/50 hide glue ,fish bladder glue. Got the kitchen good and warm and also started a tea pot boiling. I softened the glue on the core over the tea pot ,and added a coat of the new glue .Then I did the same to the horn.

Next I placed the 2 together ,and start wrapping them tight with a rope , as I walked the rope up the limb ,I put the next section over the steam to soften it. Wrap - Steam ,,Wrap - Steam. Paying extra attention to the added handle junction.

Sorry for the steamy lens ,in this photo.



I went over the thing a time or two checking steaming tying



Then when I was happy with it ,it went outside to be tied into reflex against a front porch post.







It was a hot and sticky process , fun too.

Ralph

[welch2]

I glued the first horn strip on Friday ,It is Sunday now.It rained last night and this morning , I was afraid the glue would not dry .It was tacky early this morning. But around noon I checked again and the glue that had oozed out was very hard . So I untied it ,and trimmed the edges .I also roughed in the thickness a bit. Here it is now .





Now on to the other limb's horn strip.

Ralph

[radius]

Dude, you are patient and very cool.   Like the way you reflexed against the pillar.  Do you think, since this next go around the top limb is thicker, that one limb might be reflexed more than the other?  Or have you thought of that and already made allowances for it?

[welch2]

Radius ,I tried to allow for that ,and the fact that this limb is reflexed now .Where as the limb I pulled against to reflex it wasn't.  I will use the extra space ,between the limb and the post ,  in the pictures above, to try to get the reflex as even in the two limbs as possible.  I have the photos as a reference ,should help some.


Ralph

[welch2]

Here is the second horn ,put on the same way as the first . I keep trying to take pictures ,but glue and steam are playing havoc with the cameras. I did get one ok picture of softening the glue on the core this time.



Here it is all tied up in reflex







I hope I'm not going to far overboard with the pictures.

Ralph

[Papa Matt]

$#@! No! Keep 'em commin'!

[radius]

Welch...

(what is "welch" anyway?"



Next time, do you think you'll horn both limbs at once?  Or is there some reason why you didn't?  Other than maybe time?

Scott

("Scott" doesn't mean anything, btw)!!!

[welch2]

    It's my last name and the 2 is because I'm a Jr.

You could do both limbs at the same time ,if you made a form for reflexing them .And you have a helper or two .Even working in a hot steamy room ,it's race against time ,to get the horn tied on and reflexed before the glue sets. As it is I steamed the horn - core junction three or four inches at a time , Then wrap and align ,,, repeat.

Ralph

[The Burnt Hill Archer]

man its comming together nice. and there is a WHOLE lot to it. kudos my friend! and no the more pictures the better.

Phil

[koan]

Just found this...now I gotta have more .....Brian