Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Carson (CMB) on October 20, 2011, 02:50:51 am
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Started as a 69" ntn long and narrow VM bow (first pic), but I shot past my target weight (~50 @ 28) when trying to tiller unbalanced limbs. One had some reflex while the other a little deflex both had some twist, but they offset each other in twist quite well. So I cut the tips down and ended up with a 56" ntn bow. It has some string follow. The picture is immediately unstring from tiller rack, so it does end up relaxing a bit off of what is pictured. The limb that was naturally reflexed seems a little worse on string follow. It is about 45-50 at 27" and I don't think I will be drawing it any further than that for now. Looking forward to the next one. Thanks in advance for comments, advice, etc. Did I mention I am hooked big time?
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Ther are worse things to be hooked on :D Nice job on your first now make many more.
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Congratulations!!! And welcome >:D now you can never leave Ha Ha ha
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Nice job on your first bow! And you are risking serious addiction now! Gotta Love that vine maple. Are you in the NW? Oregon-Washington? If so, you have lots of woods in addition to VM that will make a good bow. Stuff to feed that new addiction you got brewing. >:D
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Your brace profile looks right on. Nice job.
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Very nicely done! congratulations. The tiller is right on. Jawge
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I think your brace profile is really well done and the full draw looks equally good. Very well done for your first bow or any bow for that matter. Your allready lookin at the second one aint ya? 8)
rich
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Wow, if that's your first you did a tremendous job with the tiller. Enjoy the journey and congratulations.
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Nice first bow! Tiller looks great to me
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Great job! I love VM and you did it justice. really nice full draw.
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I wish my first bow was that good! Nice job!
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Aww schucks guys. This kind of positive feedback is only going to feed the addiction. I am already looking ahead to the second, third, ....Right now, I have full length VM stave clamped to the wall in garage right now, as well as a couple of super straight VM billets that I am really excited about. Some fresh cut black locust log in the garage. Also, I picked up a little craftsman bandsaw off of craigslist. And last night, I had a dream I visited an amazing self-bow production shop in Texas with staves of all woods everywhere, and bows in various stages of development littering the place. Large caldrens of steaming bows, and forms of all shapes and sizes. I am not sure if it was Ron Hardcastles or Jim Hamm's, but it was inspiring. Ok, I have been bitten by the bow bug bad.
Randman: Yes, PNW here...Portland, OR to be specific. I have a lot of potential bow trees in mind around our neighborhood, but I will save the wood quality inquiries for another thread topic. Need to head to the hills for some yew soon too.
Question: I was thinking of trying to take out the string follow with some backing...any suggestions?
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Now that you got it to this stage, heat treat a little reflex into it with a heat gun and that will do more for the string follow than any backing except sinew or a lamination of some other wood. Might give you some extra draw weight too. Vine Maple loves to be heat tempered.
I've gotten most of my staves and branches by keeping an eye out for the tree service guys in the neighborhood pruning and takin out trees. Get a great variety of woods that way and it's plenty more than I can store or rough out fast enough. I've gotten yew, maple, oak, dogwood, camellia japonica, hawthorn, calicedro (incense cedar), juniper, hazel, walnut, American Hornbeam and more that way. Vine Maple and ocean spray I just go to the woods.
Then there is Scotch Broom (one of my favorites). It makes awesome bows. Tough and almost unbreakable. It's plentiful and the city rips it out of the parks and piles it up for the chipper and I come along and pull out the choice stuff.
Careful with the yew (always use a mask) as I think I am developing an allergy to the dust where I have never had an allergy to wood in 40 years as a woodworker. May have to trade some of my yew staves for some Osage since it is THE WOOD we can't get around here (Seattle).
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Was going to bring up the heat treating. I think it's best used early in the tiller process - at 1st brace maybe repeated before final tiller.
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CB, Cool Bow, for your first!
As for the dream in Texas, Dude, you live in Dream Selfbow Land! Some of the finest woods, craftsmen, and beautiful country around! :)
Look foward to your future bows.
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Good job on your first... I really like the simpleness of it.
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that is a great looking bow...you where talking alot of vm so i figured you lived in the north west and portland has a butt load of vm...good work...cant wait to see some more...john
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Love the bow, great tiller! :)
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CMB,you did good. Nice first bow.Welcome to the addiction. God Bless
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Super first bow... great tiller!!
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Thanks everyone for the support! I am getting excited about my next couple of bows. Her is a pic of the upcoming two staves roughed out and clamped to the garage wall. I am attempting to dry them straight. After taking the photo, I added an emergency foil blanket stapled to the studs, to keep some heat in. Doesn't get to warm in the "chamber", but it should speed up the drying a bit. I need to get a moisture meter. These are both VM and are going to be very different bows. I am thinking of some working recurve in the long one, and sinew backing on the shorty.
Also picked up some hazlenut today, and have my eye on some hawthorn around the neighborhood. I am so excited about making bows and learning the way...this forum is great!