Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: DQ on August 28, 2012, 10:35:51 pm
-
This ugly carp skinned bow is American elm, 66" ntn, 1 3/4" wide at the fades tapering to 5/8" nocks, 47# @ 28". I toasted it into reflex and recurved it, but I lost the reflex and a lot of my recurves during tillering. The backing is common carp skins. I put them on green, (freshly fleshed) using TBIII glue. The bow was shooting quite nicely at 50# @ 28" before I put the skins on. It lost 3# because of the thick, heavy skins and too much glue. Oops! Guess I should have stretched and dried the skins and sanded them thinner. This bow is pretty slow and not exactly a joy to shoot, but I learned a lot about tillering recurves and fish skin backing from the experience. Maybe I can kill a carp with it next spring.
-
More photos
-
Interesting that you find this bow has low performance. The braced profile is very nice. It is amazing the effect of extra mass, especially on the tips, can have on bow performance. Just from the pics, the bow looks great! I sure don't think the carp skins are ugly. And while the tiller may be a bit flat off the upper fade, its sure not bad. Better than many of mine.
Gabe
-
That looks like a nice bow to me.
-
Hard to believe a bow that looks that good is not a great shooter. I guess you'll have to send it down to me! ;)
-
I don't mean that this bow is a complete dog. It does shoot an arrow. The limbs just feel too heavy and too overbuilt. Also, I'm used to shooting about 10# more weight, (and performance) I totaly missed my weight trying to learn how to tiller a bow with both reflex and recurves. :-[
-
Eh.....those are just minor things and a part of the learning curve. And your catching on real quick Daryl,and have a natural knack for bowmaking. Finish work looks sweeeeet.
-
I do love the carp skins...the bow looks great!
-
Nothing ugly about that. Great looking bow. How long did you let it dry after putting on the skins. If they were fresh fleshed they may have leached some oils in the wood.
-
Fine looking bow and great tiller, dont be too hard on her, or your self. Job well done. 8)
-
Yep DQ looks really nice to me,love the brace profile and full draw,looks like it is standing straight un braced also,always a good sign. Just looks I would think it would be a good shooter. Love the carp skins,I have only made one with carp and really like the looks of them, ??? don't know why I gave it away. :(
Pappy
-
I'm with Keenan, Daryl. Maybe with all of the "wetness", you introduced some moisture into the stave. With a bit of luck, it may dry up in time and gain a few lbs. Nevertheless, I think its a great looking bow. Sure like them skins. I have a couple of carp in the freezer, I've yet to use. Hmmmmmmmm...
-
Thanks for your comments everyone. I appreciate your input on this "experimental" carp skin backing.
Keenan - I didn't get the skins degreased well enough. They took about three weeks to completely dry and stop oozing yellow oil. It's possible that some leached into the wood. I hadn't thought of that. The bow seems slow to recover its profile after shooting...and that may be why. Next time I use carp skins I will take better care to prepare them properly.
I think I'll go shoot that bow hard today and see what happens.
-
Nice finish job Darryl. Nothing wrong with a 47# bow either Brutus!
-
Again Great looking bow and excellent profile. I will bet it will gain back some poundage after it fully cures. Many of the sturgeon skinned bows I have done have continued to increase in pounds over time from drying and the skins shrinking up.
-
I would give it a few days,maybe even a couple of weeks before I shot it much if you thing moisture may be the problem. Just noticed the picture at the out house,now that is funny I don't care who you are. ;) :laugh: :laugh:
Pappy
-
I shot the heck out of this bow today and I've changed my opinion of it. It had dried out and gained its weight back, as some of you experienced bowyers on this forum suggested it might. After finding the right arrow for it, (cane shaft arrows I got from PEARL DRUMS) and adjusting the brace height and nocking point, it shoots really well! I'm happy with this bow now!
I still feel that it has extra wood, and weight, in the limb tips and that it doesn't balance just right in the hand, but it is a GOOD bow. The important thing is...I now know that if I attempted this bow again I could make a better one.
Thanks everyone for the advice and taking part in the FUN of sharing our work and enjoying primitive bows.
Darryl
Pappy - Thanks for noticing the outhouse. Kind of a crapy bow isn't it?
-
Finally found a use for those shafts, thats cool. I was gonna take that bow with me next time I was up if you bad mouthed it again! She is a sweety.
-
"Pappy - Thanks for noticing the outhouse"
Funny how (bow porn) will keep us from noticing the obvious :o
-
.
..I now know that if I attempted this bow again I could make a better one.
>:D....that's a trap,and that kind of thinking is the beginning of the bowyers disease...and if you let those thoughts take hold of you,you then will be a full fledged bowmaking fool/junkie.
-
You're right, Blackhawk. I have to quit thinking like that and concentrate on something more productive. ;) (Yeah right!)
-
Great lookin bow DQ!!! cane shafts are the way to go!! My favorite for sure. I like those skins also. Glad it worked out for ya.
Tattoo Dave
-
Looks like a beaut to me! I'd be thrilled with it. :)
-
Looks too good to be left alone as good enough. I would bend the tips a little more tight and even cut off an inch. Then you would probably have to remove the skin from the tips. I say this only because you said your normal draw weight is higher.
-
Hmmmmm. ??? Hmmmmm. ??? Thinking.
I steamed the tips on this elm bow and they mostly pulled out. Some say to use dry heat on whitewood. Possibly shorten it, heat in some recurve and up the weight and performance?
Hmmmmm.
-
I don't like dry heat on Hickory,had some trouble with that bending tips ,but the last winged Elm I made I use dry heat and it worked fine and didn't pull out. Most white wood I have fooled with[and that's a lot] like to be dry,real dry and the Elm was no different,it spent a lot of time in between work sessions in the hot box or over an AC duct. :) Maybe you didn't give it long enough to dry out after you bent them.I will use dry heat on the after the bend and they have set for a few days if I steam or boil the tips. Kind of sets them I suppose. :-\ They seem to hold ok when I do that. :)
Pappy
-
SKINS LOOK GOOD
I'd say you did'nt give it time to rehrdrate before you started tillering.
DRY HEAT ON SEASONDED WOOD.
STEAM ON GREEN WOOD.
-
The bow looks good, a bit whip tillered on the upper limb.
The only way to bend sharp recurves is with wet heat, doesn't matter if the wood is green or seasoned. You can bend shallow recurves with dry heat on seasoned wood but if you go too far it will splinter. The best way is to steam bend the recurves and then set them with dry heat. I have written about this in PA magazine before.