Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Del the cat on October 18, 2009, 05:01:16 am
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I have this nice Maple stave taken from a fallen tree (a tiny bit of blueing in the outer wood), but I know it will make a bow as I made a little one out of it earlier in the year).
The stave has perfectly symetrical slightly recurved tips :).
The interesting factor is it's 89" long :o.
I figure that with that length and the recurce tips I should be able to get a nice high initial draw weight and that the weight will increase very smooth and slow.
So, in theory this should give a lot of stored energy, of course, this will be offset by increased limb mass and inertia.
I'll try to tiller it to give 75# at 28" the same as my Yew long bow, that way I'll be able to compare like with like.
It will probably be ponderous and cumbersome, but of course I can reduce the length and re-tiller.
With the extreme length it should take a classic longbow D cross section.
So guys, whadda ya think it will shoot like?
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp195/Del_the_Cat/100_0271.jpg)
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp195/Del_the_Cat/100_0273.jpg)
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp195/Del_the_Cat/100_0270.jpg)
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp195/Del_the_Cat/100_0277.jpg)
The draw weight is dissapointingly low, there's that whole geometry thing going on whereby it takes 60# to get it back to bracing height on a long string, but the angles change with the shorter string and it's only 48# at 28" I took it right back to 32", slight string follow. It shoots ok, but the darned thing is so cumbersome it's a pig to get the damn string on it!
It's a bit of fun, I shall take it to the field shoot tomorrow. The wood isn't good enough to take being much shorter, the moral is use Maple for flat bows or cores.
I plotted the draw weight graph, it's not much different to the flat bow designs, perhaps a tad flatter, I'd have learned more if the draw weight had been higher, but I think I'd have needed Yew or Ash for that.
Maybe I'll tinker with it sometime when I havn't got a project on the go.
Del
(PS, I'm sure this will have been done before, but it's always instructive to have a play...)
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well first ting i am thinking is
damn that definatly a "long" bow
with that length the wood probably wont be doing all that much bending by time it hits a 28" draw
what the hey,go for it.like ya said you can always reduce length and retiller
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If it weren't for people like Marc St Louis and belly tempering or Steve Gardner and his mass theory or Tim Baker and his studies with different woods and different designs and their combination we wouldn't be where we are today with natural archery. Experimentation is the key.
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i agree with Pat on that one. Experimentation is crucial. So, show us what you get! If it's a little long for a man to shoot, maybe you could mount it on a chassis and make you a ballista!
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just think of the ligament tearing poundage you could get from and 89" bow :o
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I'm hoping that it will be smooth enough to draw right back to 32 inches plus (once I've played with it at 28")
Maybe Peter Crouch wants a bow? (for you guys in the US, he's V tall English soccer player)
I've taken some pics of it roughed out, but it's not on the tiller yet I'll wait till I've got some more pics before I post 'em
Del
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I'm with Pat,,,Experimentation is the key to furthering the craft of the boweyer. My best bow yet, is due to experimenting.
Good Luck!!
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While most of us try our luck with shorter bows, it's nice to see someone going back to the looong bow. ;D Good luck with it.
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Go for it, Del! ;D
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dont give it to crouchy ,keep it for yourself
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PHOTOS!!!!!....... ???
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PHOTOS!!!!!....... ???
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp195/Del_the_Cat/looongbow.jpg)
Patience grasshopper, I havn't built it yet, It's just begining to flex on the tiller.
That's my 75# Yew longbow alongside it.
Del
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Photos in the first post...
Del