Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Walkingbird on February 29, 2012, 11:14:44 pm
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Hi all,
Well, this is my first attempt at making a bow and I would appreciate your advice.
I am embarrassed to say how much time I have into this project.
I thought it started out ok, then things looked bad, then I thought it could be saved, and now I am thinking I am wasting my time and it may make a couple of nice atlatls and or maybe a back scratcher.
What bothers me is the string from tip to tip.
The picture is from my cell phone and I hope the picture shows the string, but you should be able to see what I mean even if the string does not show.
Presently it is at 69" T to T, limbs are 1/2" thick, tips are 1/2 square, brace is rough and I have a lot of scraping to do to get it down to tillering weight.
Is there anything that can be done to save this bow or should I just scrap it now?
Walkingbird
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i dont know if i see it right or not but you could try steaming one of the limbs then bending it in a vice
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Dont give up yet, I probably had 20 hrs or more into my first bow.
first advice is shoot for 30-40#, make it easy on yourself and build your confidence...
Someone on here did a how to on this issue..I think prop twist or something... took a pine slat and sanded one side of the belly so it twisted really bad...I'll look when I have time..
O more pics always help...
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Hard to tell from the pic, it looks kinda nice from where I sit. Not sure if it is the angle that the photo was taken from or if this is the problem you are referring to, but is the string off to one side of the handle? If that's the case, no biggie. Read up in here about making heat corrections and bend your handle a little to bring it back in line.
I still spend up to 40 hours on a single bow*. I don't have many leave my shop and blow up either. I won't say anything about the pile of tomato stakes in the corner if you don't. >:D
*part of that is spent with 400 grit sandpaper, a soft lead pencil, a strong lightsource, and a cuppa coffee. Toolmarks are my enemy.
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Thank you.
Was my centerline wrong or has the bow twisted?
Should I steam both ends and twist in oposite directions?
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Many Thanks JW,
I would hate to scrap this one but I think it is gonna need some serious twisting to straighten out.
I'll read up on heat and steam.
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If your string stretches too far and you have enough recurve to the stave, the string will slide down the side of one handle or the other. Go down to one end of the bow and sight along the string. Is the string straight?
If you have natural recurve to the stave, flip it over in the vice and run a chalkline type string from the middle of one tip to the other.
If you have to steam and bend, it's best (and often easiest) to do it in the handle. A small correction in the handle yeilds great correction out on the tips. Kinda like when you used to stand on the center of a teeter-totter. Your feet make small movements, but the seats way out on the end of the boards make great movements.
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Have you gotten the bow to low brace yet? If not you can't tell if the string lines up or not. So get her tillered out and brace her at about 3" then see how the string tracks. There are a few different things you can do to get the string to line up if necessary. Keep your handle area thick and your tips wide for some possible adjustment later.
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I think you are concerned about the center tracking of the string. I check early on with my bows by pulling a string on the back side so it can get past the raised handle area. After bracing it you can see on the belly side. Heat or steam is your friend. Just add clamps and blocking. It will surprise you how much wood bends with the heat. Just take your time and get it hot all the way thru, not just on the surface..You get more movement in the middle/handle area than trying to work the ends. Sometimes you need to do some straightening in the handle, mid limb and tips. A $10 heat gun does wonders.
Pete
PS: That looks like Osage, It bends great, or you can give up and send it to Alberta. :laugh:
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Proper string tracking is largely a mind over mater thing. If you dont mind, it dont mater. I have built and shot bows where the string was 2 inches to the left of the handle, completely off it. Bow shot fine. What happens is as you draw the bow, it will turn and align itself in your hand to sit as it watnts to. Loosen your grip and that bow will tell you how it wants to be held. Then cave your handle to suite that. You handle may actually face 30 degrees off the belly of the limbs, but if the bow dont mind, it dont mater. The bow will shoot fine, you just make sure you get an even tiller. Thats whats important here.
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Like Pat said you need to get it floor tillered and then to low brace to see what you have, Lot of options on lining it up, with dry heat or steam you can make it do almost anything you want. :)What kind of wood is it ?
Pappy
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Alls been said, keep going with it!
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Many Thanks for all of you suggestions!
I guess there is still and chance for this bow.
This is my first attempt and it is what I believe to be a really nice piece of Osage.
I bought two staves from osage outlaw figuring I would probablt scrap the first one.
I and have been working on the longest figuring it might have to get shorter and shorter but I may be able to come up with a bow.
I've been reading your posts and working a bit and then reading some more and following along but really do not know what the heck I am doing.
I am trying to go slow enough that I don't ruin the bow by making one big mistake.
So far I am happy with the back and I think I have it down to one ring with no serious knot issues.
The dimensions seem ok at this point in that I have pretty much wood left to work with.
I hesitate to go any further until I read up on heat and steam, tillering, low brace etc and make some type of jig for tillering.
Thanks again for your advice!
Walkingbird
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Cool,floor tiller would be the next step,then you can steam or heat to line everything up.Remember age/seasoned or green/dry or wet wood has a lot to do with weather you steam first or dry heat. :)Keep us updated. :) :)
Pappy
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I certainly agree with everyone. Here is another option--if I can get the pic from photobucket inthis post...
My 2nd and 4th bows failed---the 2nd bow was Osage with a twisted limb I could not straighten--arrrrrgh--I saved the "bow"
My 4th both was hickory--4th bow--first explosive failure------I saved the "bow"
I decided years later to try to do my first fish-tail splice---I salvaged the good limbs from each did a fish-tail--I even made a peg from osage to really be certain everything stayed together. The resulting bow is 54" ntn, 55# @ 23". sinew backed and covered with snakeskin. I sinew backed it and pegged the splice because I did not want another failure---It is one of those point-draw -shoot- bows and great at short distances. Any just an option to garden stakes. Here is my first attempt to post a pic..
(http://i1073.photobucket.com/albums/w384/Archer78/hickory-osagecombow.jpg)
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OK it worked---and I made the combow ~8 years after the hickory bow blew up due to hurrying to get it strung--probably a good reason to never clean the shop......
I needed to add---I probably learn more from my mistakes. I think the reasons bows sometimes fail is to give us an excuse to be creative and just make another---
But really--you think you've tried everything...but there is always one more last thing to do.
(And there are options to just making garden stakes ;) )
Good luck!
RDK
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That is the finest example of the rare hicksage bow that I have ever seen. Osackory?
???
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Many Thanks to all of you for your advice and encoragement!
Shot the bow about 20 time today at 10 and 20 yards with a temporary string.
I hope to make my own permananet string and am woking on getting a jig together now.
This one is not perfect but with your advice I have been able to chase a ring, get somewhat close to even tiller, remove some helicopter and most of some serious dogleging.
It looks like it could be a good shooter.
Time will tell!
I have one stave left Osage Outlaw and hopefully my next bow will be even better! ;-)
Walkingbird
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Only pic I have been able to get so far.
I made my string, took me three tries and then I made a forth that I like even better, it is shorter and the string to riser length is better, about 7". I have put about 60 arrows through her but now my serving has to be re-done. She is pulling 45# at 28" and my draw is shorter, probably 27".
I hope to hunt with her but I need to practice a bunch.
I still have to level the arrow and mark a nock point, figure how I am going to draw, I seem to be better with thre finger under right now but maybe with a nock I will like two under one over.
Thanks again for all of your help and enchouragement!
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NIce! I wish I had all this help when I made my first. I would not have needed 15 tries. For the future, if you leave the handle full width and the nocks 3/4" width until full draw you can track the string better. I could go through that but I have a feeling you are overloaded. I will say this - the string does not have to bisect he handle.
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/
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Thanks George,
This was a challange for me as I am not much of a craftsman.
Clint provided me with two nice staves and urged me to go ahead and try it.
From beginning to end I reviewed your posts and your site and relied on advice and input from every source I could but still I almost gave up on it twice.
The propeller and dogleg issues were finally almost overcome but not quite 100%.
The string is not centered on the bow but it still shoots pretty well as far as I can tell.
It is much different than my compound so I have a lot to learn.
I will keep your advice in mind as I consider what to do with stave number two. :-)
Thank you!