Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Bitterguy on October 25, 2011, 12:59:20 pm
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So as some of you know my dad finally brought me to home depot and got me a red oak board. Last sunday I went into my garage and started workin'. Right now I have to rough shape filled out and I'm waiting for the riser on the handle to dry. The riser is just an old piece of wood, because I figured that since it would be a stiff handled bow it wouldn't really matter what type of wood i used for the handle (I'm really hoping i wasn't wrong). I plan to rasp and sand it to look good on the bow sometime this week and then start tillering by this weekend. I'm wanting to make it a 50# (or 45# haven't decided yet) at 29".
P.S.: Planning to post pictures this weekend.
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Can't wait to see the progress. :) Slow and easy,that's te ticket. :)
Pappy
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im looking forward to seeing it, i agree with pappy take it slow if you find yourself in a rush stop and take a break. I have messed up bows by going far to fast.
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I agree take it slow and have fun... cant wait to see the finished bow!
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So i have a problem and before i go and fix it i want to ask questions about it. The picture I attached is my bow with 50lb fishing line with some slack in it for rough tillering, pulled as far as i can pull it as of now (16"), and it is barely bending, my guess is that i need to take off more wood, but i want to verify this so i don't end up doing something stupid like making a #25 bow. Thanks in advance
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Scrape long easy pulls from the handle section out toward the tips. Keep a rough count and do the same number of scrapes on the other limb.
Softly, softly, catchee monkey
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bitterguy, what layout did you go with, pyramid, afb, it will help us help you out, Bub
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fishing line may not be the best to tiller with, it may make it seem stronger than it is when tillering
noel
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Noel is right, fishing line probably isn't gonna do your tiller justice. Heavy cord would make things easier and tillering is hard enough to learn
without a handicap.
Lane
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I agree, fishing line stretches to much. Get some mason line, paracord, or build an extra long bowstring. Goof luck.
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Bitterguy, learn to make a string straight off the bat - don't wait, it's easier than you think. Find the dimensions for a string jig - all you need is a board and some finish nails, order some B50 Dacron and get on with it! Don't waste your money on buying them individually!
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Bitterguy, learn to make a string straight off the bat - don't wait, it's easier than you think. Find the dimensions for a string jig - all you need is a board and some finish nails, order some B50 Dacron and get on with it! Don't waste your money on buying them individually!
Well I plan on seeing if i can get a .25lb of white and a .25lb of black. Can you recommend any really good tutorials for string making?
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Search how to make a flemish string on youtube. Youll get some funny results but some are very good. After a little practice you should be able to make serve and put a nocking point on a string in under an hour...
Jon
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Go with youtube, I recall that I found the link for the "bow building for poor people or apartment dwellers" thing by that Sam guy before I found PA. He does have the dimensions for the board on there somewhere.
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Sorry bout not updating this in forever but here is my string jig (sorry about the quality, its a phone picture)
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Alright, dad ordered me a spool of black B-50 dacron and a stick of wax, once it gets in it will be time to get workin on a string and tillering
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Also, when you do get an appropriate tillerig string, it needs to be much shorter. About the same length as your stave is about right. A tillering string which is too long is a common first mistake.
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adb, I plan on making the string longer than it needs to be and use one of del's tillering devices.
And just to take the edge off of some of the boredem while I wait I thought I might discuss and get some comments or suggestions on my plans as far as archery and hunting go:
1. Finish this bow and make arrows
2. Get my hunting license
3. Go hunting with my friends next season
4. Use the supplies from the hunting trip to make more bows
5. Go hunting again
6. Repeat 3 -5
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Alright, my string got here and I made my tillering string
But I have no idea where my rat tail went to make nocks in my bow, and i don't have a 45 degree file? has anyone else been in that situation
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You could make pin mocks quickly using a hacksaw and a rasp or even just a rasp. I make them by cutting a 45 degree cut with the hacksaw about an eighth of an inch deep on both sides then snapping it off on each side to form a rough nock. neaten this up with a rasp and some sandpaper and you got a pin nock.... Takes about 5 minutes a side.... You find many pictures of what they should look like on this sight... Good luck!
Jon
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Poorfolkbows is the name of the website for the "Sam Guy". Lots of good info there.
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I thought you were some grumpy old dude! Ha ha ha.
You're moving in the right direction - got any neighbors with a chain saw or friends? They'll probably have a chain saw file you might borrow. They're much thinner than the rat tail usually and make a better groove.
You'll find a way, somehow. Don't rule out pin nocks, either, I actually prefer them, but that's just me.
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Well I made nocks like I was supposed to, because as normal when I can't find something, In 2 seconds my dad does and rubs my face in it hahaha. I'm still working on del's tillering jig thing though. I also made a proper tillering tree, planning on putting pictures up sometime this week
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Looks like you are getting there. Be patient.
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Looks like you are getting there. Be patient.
Great advice.
One question, am I tillering right?
As far as I know:
1. floor tiller until it looks and feels right
2."loose string" tiller until it can draw to the wanted draw height (29")
3. "normal string" tiller until I reach the required draw weight at the required height
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When you tiller, only use the long string until you have about 10" of tip movement. Then go to the short string or you will risk coming in underweight. Good luck.
Jon
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Yup, I second that.
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When you tiller, only use the long string until you have about 10" of tip movement. Then go to the short string or you will risk coming in underweight. Good luck.
Jon
Haha thanks, turns out my long string was to long so I went to make another one and I learned an important lesson, eve though I made the string right this time (last string was loose and very poorly wound) you can cut off part of a string to make it shorter but you can't stretch it if it turned out short (like it did)
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Got some tillering done, and I finally feel as if I am making some progress
Pics are with a loose string. It was hard to get on but once I got it on and pulled my bow down to 10" on my tree the string, strechted?, i guess and I could get to 20" in the effort it took for me to get to 10" before and it hangs about 5" down.
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You have a couple major problems you need to fix ASAP before bending that bow any farther or it will break. You have a major hing developing in the left limb about a third of the way down the limb. This needs to be fixed if possible by removing wood from the very stiff and flat outer two-thirds of the limb. The right limb is slightly better but the bend need to be evened up and it needs to be weakened to match the other limb. Also, get those fades transitioning smoother in to the limbs or your will risk the handle popping off. If they are faded correctly, you should not be able to tell were the fad ends and the bow begins. Good luck, take your time, and hopefully you can get a bow. Good luck!.
JON
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I was taking wood off of the very inner limb (near the handle) because I thought it was to stiff there (guess i took to much off?). how would I go about making the handle fade into the bow more?
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Well I worked on the fades, tillered it abit, and the string slipped again! Now it hangs at 9"(I put of picture of how tightly i wound it, did I do it wrong?
)