Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: servicebeary on December 15, 2008, 02:40:22 pm
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Here's a question for all you most helpful experts out there. I wasn't paying attention to the twist in the limb on my flawless osage stave and I managed to cut near the tip down to 1/4" thick:( Fortunately it was to be a 69 nock to nock, so I could reduce it, but I had really nice pin nocks already cut and was hoping to start tillering. The tips are just a hair over 1/2" wide, but would 1/4" x 1/4" pin nocks hold up, and would this be too small of dimensions for a 55 lb. bow? The limbs are 1 1/2" wide to mid limb and taper strait down to the tips, and the handle is 1" wide and 4" long.
thanks, servicebear-y
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How far down the limb does that 1/4" thickness extend, can you put your nock groove right in front of it? Steve
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dang, I had been trying not to look at it but it appears worse than when I walked away from the saw last night in tears (well almost)anyhow, the 1/4 extends back 4" from the tips and it gets worse, because there's a gouge down to 3/8" that's 8 3/4" from the tip.
:( But the good news is, is that its twisted there so I would get into deeper wood if I reduce length and get away from the thin edge:) Where it's 3/8 it's also 1 1/16" wide, so I guess if you all think it would be "whipless" @ 50 lb I guess I'd give it a shot, and if it is too weak I could always shorten it then. Anyone have thickness dimensions at the tips of a 1/2"ish long osage flat bow? If I know it's hopeless then I can redesign it now and learn less:) -nick
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Pictures would help, but if you can narrow the limb width near the tips to get some thickness back...meaning if only one edge was thinned down by narrowing the limbs you might could correct the problem??? ???
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could be a kids bow in the making
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servicebeary, are you using power tools? Jawge
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They'll hold up just fine. My friend makes osage bows with nocks that small, maybe even smaller. They are the size of a pencil. He always uses Fastflight strings too.
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hmm, yah only one side narrowed, wonder how good this bow would be with one limb 3 inches shorter than the other? Well George, yah, I was using a band saw, but I was supposed to only get it down to 1/2" :( aww well, I've got the other limb floor tillered and am thinking it might make a nice half for the takedown I want to make. I'm traveling for work all over so a takedown would be a lot nicer than a 70"er. hmm, or maybe I should just shorten it? Could probably still make it 64" no problem, I think. So, from the sounds of it 1/4" 3 inches from the end is pretty hopeless?
-thankyou for the advice fellas, next time I'll shoot for 1" tips with the band saw:)
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Tom, you just made my evening! thanks! Could you please tell me what length bows he makes like that and do they bend in the handle? Maybe I should think of making it bend in the handle to make the pressure on the tips even less?
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Band saws will do that to you,always keep the side you can't see away from the blade,I learned
that the hard way ,several times.I don't know what you are looking for but 62/64 is plenty long
for Osage say 50/55 @26/27 or even 28 if you want.I would just cut it off 2 or 3 inches on each end and redo the tapper and tips. :)
Pappy
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His name is Tony, he and his wife used to check this site as Bowfolks. I have one of his bows, its 56" long, a mild reflex/deflex shape and bends through the handle.
At 69" you don't need to do a bendy handle design, your tips are under little stress way out there. I think they'll hold up just fine.
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Like Pappy said...with a band saw rotate your wood so that the edge laying on the table is thicker. This process requires cutting down one edge, then rotate to the opposite edge same limb and cutting down the limbs length again. Of course both edges need to be marked with pencil and we try and leave the line when making the cut. This technique leaves a crown on the belly...with a little practice a third swipe down the limb with the bandsaw can remove the bulk of the crown. Then rasp and scrappers to the lines...
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thanks everyone for the advice, I got both limbs floor tillered and I'm just gonna see how much weight I can get out of em, then shorten if it's crazy low. I'm 76 inches tall so 70" isn't too long for me, and it's actually my first bow, I've got some others in progress, but haven't gotten them to the tillering stage just yet for one reason or another. The little bit of snake and twist in this is making it a tough first bow, but hopefully my patience will prevail.
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Tom is right that 1/4" nocks will hold. It is the fact that you have 3" before the nock that scares me. If you choose to try it I would suggest you draw a straight line on the edge of the bow so you can tell if that area is bending. If you can see the bend, I would cut it off. I am about your height and one of my favorite bows is an osage flatbow of similar width but mine is only 62" nock to nock. 60# at 29" You can cut 3" off of each limb and have plenty of length.
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Justin, well, while floor tillering it I could definately see the tips bend. But the limbs are too strong yet so it's really hard to gauge if they are tough enough for 50+ If I go back 3" I'll still proably only have 3/8 if I'm lucky because of the 3/8 gouge I made about 9" from the tip. I guess I could be 3/4" wide there, but how bad would that kill the performance? many thanks for the advice -nick
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You don't really want to put that much pressure on the limbs right now. Try to never go beyond what the final draw weight will be. If you want 50# you never draw over 50 while tillering. It is real tough to tell how much pressure you are putting on while floor tillering. That is why most guys get a long string on as quick as possible. The area that is gouged to 3/8" is probably strong enough for a 50# bow at least. Tiller is slow and easy, but make sure it isn't bending too far in that spot. Work on the limbs until they are bending everywhere as easily as they are in that spot. If that spot is weaker than the rest you will wind up with a hinge and a lot of set in that spot. Justin
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roger that, and thanks, I'll draw that line on the side and make sure it doesn't bend.
thanks again Justin, -nick
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I had trouble with the tip of a bbo that I did recently. I got the tips too thin and they were bending too much. As a fix, I glued a belly "underlay" on both tips and it worked just fine. Here's a pic of the belly of the bow. The belly is osage and the tips are purpleheart.
Jason
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Here's the pic that I was talking about:
[attachment deleted by admin]
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Nice save Jason,good idea. I have done that on a hindge but never thought of it on the tips.
Looks good also. :)
Pappy
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that is a beautiful bow, thanks for the idea. When they say the tips shouldn't bend the last 6" or so, should that be 8" for a 69" ntn? or does it really matter?
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6" is plenty. I like Jason's idea also. I have designed bows like that but never used it as a patch.
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thanks again, I'll let you all know when I finally make or brake it. works crazy so might be a month or so.
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Hey all, figured I'd put an update since I hope to get the bow to full draw tomorrow. With a string I've got it pulled back about a foot and on a scale at about 8 inches it was pulling 35lbs and the maimed tip bends maybe 1/4" at that 35lb draw. I'm thinking that the 62" is a good plan, but it will only get me about 5/16ths in thickness. So if I change my 1/2" wide tips to 5/8" or 3/4" would that dramatically reduce performance? and how wide should I go at 62" to hold up for 50-55# ? and oh yah! I got yet another question if I haven't ran everyone off yet >:D Could I change this to a band through the handle design to lessen the load? And now for a crazy question! Can I make a bend through the handle into a take down?? would be difficult to keep structural integrity wouldn't it?
man I love this site, can't wait til I work less and can build bows more, -nick
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I would say no,the sleeves I used are ridged. Someone may come up with a better idea. ???
Pappy