Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: snag on July 13, 2010, 06:48:28 pm

Title: Layout question for bow
Post by: snag on July 13, 2010, 06:48:28 pm

I started marking a stave for the handle and the limbs.  Because of the bow in the stave the string will not go directly down through the handle.  Is this stave worthless?  Is it a candidate for heat?  It is a hazelnut stave.

Title: Re: Layout question for bow
Post by: Josh on July 13, 2010, 06:59:42 pm

hazelnut responds pretty good to dry heat I think.  Go ahead and get the bow drawn out and reduce the wood to the floor tillered stage.  When you get it that far it will be ready for the heat gun.  lining the limbs up to bring the string through the handle is usually a pretty easy fix.  Good luck!   :)

If you haven't seen it yet, go look at Gordon's Hazelnut Buildalong in the how to section of the board.  Here's a link:

http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,3895.0.html

totally worth the time it takes to read it. I learn something every time I look at it.  :)

Title: Re: Layout question for bow
Post by: Hillbilly on July 13, 2010, 08:10:12 pm

If a bow is going to require major side-to side bending, I usually cut out the back profile and leave the limbs as thick as I can and straighten it out before I start reducing the limbs. If the limb is thicker than it is wide, it's easy to bend sideways. If it's wider than thick, it bends easily front to back but is hard to bend sideways. Hope that makes sense. If it's a non bending handle, you can cheat it over a bit to one side also.

Title: Re: Layout question for bow
Post by: snag on July 14, 2010, 02:41:38 pm

Thanks guys!

Title: Re: Layout question for bow
Post by: George Tsoukalas on July 14, 2010, 03:28:08 pm

I always leave the handle wide and the nocks wide initially. Leaving the handle wide allows me to shape the handle so that the string tracks better. Leaving the nocks wide allows me to cut the both nocks deeper on the offending side to track the string. To answer your question --the string does not have to perfectly bisect the handle. How far off is it? Jawge

Title: Re: Layout question for bow
Post by: JW_Halverson on July 15, 2010, 12:26:18 am

George makes a great point.  Shaping the handle and the nocks towards the very end of the process allows you to "cheat" a little and save the bow.  If the mid-line is more than an inch from the string drawn between the tips you may have to get the handle close to finished and then use a heat gun to warm it up for bending. 

Good Luck!