Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: radius on September 25, 2009, 06:30:48 pm
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(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/ylb5/Picture002.jpg)
(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/ylb5/Picture003.jpg)
(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/ylb5/Picture006.jpg)
(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/ylb5/Picture011.jpg)
here's the beginnings of this one...
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And what a start. Keep the photo's coming...................
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this one has crazy reflex...it was 7 feet long, but i cut it down to 66...
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That camera don't take close ups? >:D
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Beautiful RADIUS I keep telling u but u must hear that alot as u never respond back!! U must have quite the stock ur always making bows with alot of good and different material...ALL I can say is keep up the good work BRO.!!! :o
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Nice looking stave...looks tighter grained than mine >:(. My sapwood is a bit diffuse, not such a crisp even transition.
Wanna swap? O:)
Del
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That looks like a nice bit of yew. Keep the photos coming.
Nat
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Beautiful RADIUS I keep telling u but u must hear that alot as u never respond back!! U must have quite the stock ur always making bows with alot of good and different material...ALL I can say is keep up the good work BRO.!!! :o
VB i really appreciate your support, man! I do! I get into big fits where i make 12 or 18 bows, then i move on to other stuff...i've still got about 6 yew staves waiting to go, some long, some short, soon as i get some cash i'll be buying more of this white oak...might start trying hickory backing on these, but thin, like 1/16+...i've got a hickory-backed osage shortbow waiting for me the last year or more...
and yes! i've got too many bows for my bow rack!
but i'm gonna make more, here they come!
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kept slaving at the thing yesterday...floor tillering these yew staves is FUN!!!!!! You can really push on em..."low bend resistance, high elasticity" is how tim baker describes this wood...so i just kept pushing it...and it just kept bending and springing back...
(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/ylb5/Picture018.jpg)
(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/ylb5/Picture017.jpg)
(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/ylb5/Picture015.jpg)
(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/ylb5/Picture013.jpg)
i can get a string on it which is about an inch or two shorter than the NTN distance...but it still just goes back to reflex...i think this sucker's gonna end up being no wider than my thumb!
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(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/ylb5/Picture025.jpg)
(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/ylb5/Picture026.jpg)
(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/ylb5/Picture027.jpg)
(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/ylb5/Picture028.jpg)
this one is a hell of a lot thinner than it was yesterday, and this is what it does! i think this wood is amazing, i've only made a few of these yew bows, and i just don't know what to do?
I thought that by reducing it a whole bunch it would come around but no.
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Nice looking stave...looks tighter grained than mine >:(. My sapwood is a bit diffuse, not such a crisp even transition.
Wanna swap? O:)
Del
i might...
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Looks like "reaction" wood from a highly stressed tree. I'd get it braced before it turns into a kids bow.
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well no kidding
i shouldn't be so sarcastic
actually last night i talked to one of my friends who is a tattoo artist and she offered me 6 hours tattooing in exchange for a longbow for her son. He's a wimp. I've got this one in mind for him anyway...i just would like to get it to bend the other way before i hand it over, or god knows what she'll draw on me!
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I try not to state the obvious to you so much, but most of the time I believe you need it.
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Steam it and clamp it to a board. Should take out the reflex and the tendency to twist on ya..... Maybe!
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radius first i gotta ask you in ur very last pic do you have that sucker strung ?? books like it is haha and it s ass backwards if it is haha never seen one with the sap on the belly ok kiddin i think u got the string sittin just for for us to see am i right or wrong ? if it was me i wouldnt take another shave off till i stemed it and strightend it out maybe clamp it to a board while it rehydrates hope that d take some twist out otherwise i dunno this one ass bacwards haha but looks good brock
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last time I have made elm longbow from similar stave and I a little reduce reflex in handle area by hot steam. It is always shame for me reduce reflex but if wood is not perfect ( knots etc) it is reasonably. You can also make deflex in handle and make deflex reflex style longbow . You can ofcourse just try make bow from this stave and if will be success we will see great bow , good luck 8)
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It needs rubbing with some of my patent 'String follow' oil O:).
I have 'anti-slice' pills for golfers too.
But seriously... just keep teasing that sucker back, hopefully it'll realise what it's supposed to do eventually.
If twisting is the prob, then working it at partial draw on the tiller can help.
Jeez...why am I offering you advice????...you prob have more bows under your belt than me.
Forgive any advice which sounds patronising/stupid etc.
Errr. btw, can I retract my offer of a stave swap ::).
Oddly my stave has a fair bit of deflex...so on average the 2 of 'em are perfect :)
Del
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Radius,
This has happened to me a bunch of times with highly reflexed bows. You need to twist up your string a little bit so the bow's resilience doesn't stretch it out and flip backwards like that. This could be a good bow, and not necessarily for a kid either. I like bows like this, you just have to teach them to bend and get that string tighter.
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Radius,
This has happened to me a bunch of times with highly reflexed bows. You need to twist up your string a little bit so the bow's resilience doesn't stretch it out and flip backwards like that. This could be a good bow, and not necessarily for a kid either. I like bows like this, you just have to teach them to bend and get that string tighter.
My friend, are you saying that a shorter string would do the trick? Right now it's so short that the brace height is almost perfect, and the arc is good, it's just backwards. I don't mind turning this into a kid's bow: as i said, it's worth 6 hours of tattoo to me. It seems like if i shorten the string more, and manage to brace it so that it looks like it's supposed to, the brace height will be 9 or 10 inches!
On the other hand, maybe if i get to that high brace height (facing the right way) it will come around, and then i can lower it as the stave becomes a bow?
This wood is awesome and i'd hate to lose it...thanks for the advice you guys.
Hey Del! You sure you don't wanna trade?
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"On the other hand, maybe if i get to that high brace height (facing the right way) it will come around, and then i can lower it as the stave becomes a bow?"
Duh!! That's what I was saying.
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"On the other hand, maybe if i get to that high brace height (facing the right way) it will come around, and then i can lower it as the stave becomes a bow?"
Duh!! That's what I was saying.
haha
Dano, do we know each other? I am not used to taking a bow to extreme brace height, though, that's all. Why did you say you think i need the obvious pointed out? I must seem like a dumb ass to you...hm, maybe you've been talking to my landlord?
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If it was me, I'd just start tillering as is. Doesn't look like there's any major whoopdydoo's besides a lot of reflex, and just getting it to brace height will probably take care of a pile of reflex. If it was me.
Gabe
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If it was me, I'd just start tillering as is. Doesn't look like there's any major whoopdydoo's besides a lot of reflex, and just getting it to brace height will probably take care of a pile of reflex. If it was me.
Gabe
I guess i might as well. What's the worst that could happen? You're right, no real whoopdedoos, a few knots which i'm used to by now...i really thought this one would fkn rock!!!! Didn't expect it to bend backwards like that! Maybe next time, concentrate more on the tips first, rather than tapering the whole limb? I've got a few good pieces of yew left and this one was "supposed" to be a treat for me, an easy one. God.
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Radius,
Not really. The brace height will ultimately be as you want it, no where near 9 inches. Basically, the bow is so resilient that it is resisting its brace height down to 0 and re-assuming it's unstrug profile. When you put on the string at what appears to be the desired brace height like you said, it is strong enough to stretch the string just enough that it is able to invert and flip itself backwards. If you twist the string, it will make the string a little shorter (and stronger), but when it is finally braced and doesn't flip, it will stretch out a tad bit and the brace height will be where you want it. Does that make any sense? It's hard to explain without doing it in person. Basically, twist the string a couple rounds, maybe 3 or 4, and string the bow - the brace height at first will appear way high, but you will be able to string the bow. The limbs will learn to bend in this process and the string will stretch back down to where the brace height is where you want it. If it doesn't, and it's still too high, leave it strung for a couple minutes (assuming the tiller still looks good), tug on the string an inch or two, then unstring, and take a twist or two back off.
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Scott, I don't think your a dumb ass.
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Radius,
Not really. The brace height will ultimately be as you want it, no where near 9 inches. Basically, the bow is so resilient that it is resisting its brace height down to 0 and re-assuming it's unstrug profile. When you put on the string at what appears to be the desired brace height like you said, it is strong enough to stretch the string just enough that it is able to invert and flip itself backwards. If you twist the string, it will make the string a little shorter (and stronger), but when it is finally braced and doesn't flip, it will stretch out a tad bit and the brace height will be where you want it. Does that make any sense? It's hard to explain without doing it in person. Basically, twist the string a couple rounds, maybe 3 or 4, and string the bow - the brace height at first will appear way high, but you will be able to string the bow. The limbs will learn to bend in this process and the string will stretch back down to where the brace height is where you want it. If it doesn't, and it's still too high, leave it strung for a couple minutes (assuming the tiller still looks good), tug on the string an inch or two, then unstring, and take a twist or two back off.
hmm... pretty sure i did that already, but i guess i can do it again!
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My advice would be to give it a few more twists, but if it doesn't work, or if you feel like you've already twisted it enough, then I would say 2 things: 1. The string won't be quite strong enough for this bow at its current strength, and could stand to be a couple strands stronger and/or 2. Do like previously said and steam it to take a little relfex out of it. Neither option is bad.
The advice I'm giving you is based on my experiences with black locust, osage, and hickory. So I ain't pretending to know anything about yew because I don't. But it is what has always worked for me on my Indiana woods.
Let me also say I admire your work and your enthusiasm to jump right in and knock 'em out. I WISH I could get ahold of yew wood here. I know a while back a guy made a kids bow out of shrub yew or something, so I got my eye out for one of them.
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CP...thanks for your encouragement and support. Once i get back home i'll try this sucker out again.
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okay, CP...i went home and shortened that string and something weird happened. It still bent backwards, but not as far! I guess that's progress????
think about it:
with a short string, the brace height was lower!
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Radius, Ive worked quite a bit of yew with seriuos reflex and it can be a pain, However what I have found works fairly well is to clap it in tight on a tillering tree and just work the limbs real ggod with a long string so the settle in a little if it's real tight grained you might need to put it on a cull and tame it a little with some heat then go with a normal string length for the bow as soon a you can gett it bending to just past normal brace on the long string.
Looks like some yew.
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Maybe it's just slipping the bowyers knot too, I always make up continuous loop strings, no chance of slippage.
Ok, I know string making is a pain.... but you just gotta tame that sucker. It should have a great cast once you get it pointing the right way!
Del
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steamed it. After it was in the steamer for awhile, i tried just kinking it by hand and it went, no problem. But i tied it into shape while it cooled, just to be safe.
(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/ylb5/Picture029.jpg)
(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/ylb5/Picture030.jpg)
(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/ylb5/Picture031.jpg)
in this pic, it's at the top
(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/ylb5/Picture034.jpg)
So...it's pretty much straight now...a week or two and i'll get back to it.
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I've not steamed Yew, sounds like it takes it well.
My stave is a bit deflexed and it will be for a guy who only draws 27", maybe I'll steam it straight to help keep the cast/bracing weight up.
It's still not fully seasoned (I've just roughed it out) so maybe now is a good time to tweak it.
Look forward to seeing that bad boy of yours at full draw (35"? ::) ;))
Del
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This looks like a right battle, man vrs yew >:D
I have only made one yew longbow which was from an awfull looking branch. It lasted over a year with a bad tiller and only blew due to my stupidity. Still have pics somewhere..
I had to steam out several big kinks and problems but it just loved the steam, almost became like rubber :)
I miss that bow :(
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Boy am I confused. LOL. Bow strung backwards, 9 inch brace height. Oh well. Reflexed bows twisting is pretty common and can be fixed w/o heat. :) Jawge
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...steaming out a reflex. That's ok don't even try to explain. :) Jawge
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If it still went backwards after shortening the string, it sounds like the string was stretching or a knot was slipping. But at least it's fixed now that the steam took some of the sass out of it.
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today i strung it. Now it comes even to the back of the bow, but twists to the side. Argh. So i steamed it again and bent it another way. We'll see...this could be a great bow...just gotta bring it into line.
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finished it back then, never posted full draw...
here's one with Mar pulling it.
(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/ylb5/Picture052.jpg)
Another one with Mar pulling a little hickory/osage bow i made last year.
(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/ylb5/Picture054.jpg)
me and Mar
(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/ylb5/Picture053.jpg)
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Good times. That little guy is pretty snappy.
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Good Stuff guys...lol
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hmm... I was wondering whatever fate had befallen this bow... Nice tiller Scott! Glad you finally got that reflex problem cured. :) -josh
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hmm... I was wondering whatever fate had befallen this bow... Nice tiller Scott! Glad you finally got that reflex problem cured. :) -josh
well thanks Josh! Nice to know people care! haha
the center of this bow is a big lump where the hand sits very comfortably but which was the center of the kink. Steaming it and kinking it is easy to do, and solved the problem easily.
let's see if i can't put up a couple more pics of this one...
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(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/ylb5/Picture045.jpg)
(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/ylb5/Picture047.jpg)
(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/ylb5/Picture048.jpg)
(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/ylb5/Picture049.jpg)
(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/ylb5/Picture050.jpg)
(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk314/NomadArchery/ylb5/Picture051.jpg)
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...steaming out a reflex. That's ok don't even try to explain. :) Jawge
Jawge, what can i say? I'm new.