Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: JW_Halverson on November 13, 2012, 10:46:11 pm
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I have had a couple of good successes in a row and got cocky. Consequently the Bow Gods decided to knock all that into a cocked hat and handed me my hat and showed me the door on my latest bow.
It's a hybrid between a ELB and a flatbow. It's Osage, 69" nock to nock, 1 1/4 wide at the handle tapering to a bit over 3/8 tips, but using a rectangular cross section and a stiff handle. The cockiness was putting on horn tip overlays before starting tillering. I underestimated how much thickness the limbs would need to make a decent weight bow. The bow hinges right outside of the grip area with stiff tips and is pulling waaaaaay too light.
Since it is a badly mucked job already, I have been tempted to "fix it to death". I'd like to not have to pike it, but may have to in the end. Could I sinew the inner 2/3 of the limbs to bring back some rigidity or am I tilting at another windmill?
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I had a similar problem with a long osage bow but it hinged about 10" below the tip. I sinewed it which fixed the problem. I did not sinew the tips but made sure I covered the hinge, of course. It worked on this bow. It is a takedown so it was worth the sinew work.
But I'm not sure about a hinge at the fade. I'd have to see the extent of damage.
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My bggest worry is that with this length, there will not be enough bend to actually cause the sinew to "load" up and actually do any real work.
I have a sneaking suspicion that piking is in my future......AGAIN!
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well, if it makes you feel better, i may have to pike mine as well, and by quite a bit too! i have to cut off 15 inches on either limb
i will wind up with a VERY short bow if i do. if i dont i will have to wrap with sinew(common solution to everything ::))
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Your post subject could be the title of a significant chapter in my memoirs! May I have permission to use that? :D
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jw put a belly lam on it, that will take care of the problem, Bub
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I agree with Bubby I've got a couple in the works I have to put belly lams on..and I feel your pain j dub :(
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I don't feel comfortable doing a belly lam, plus there is enough character to make that a bit dicey.
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Heat treating reflex would probably bring up the weight maybe a couple pounds. Adding some recurve too maybe? If that would be possible with horn nocks already on? I've piked bows with horn nocks glued on, and drilled out the wood out of the nocks with a knife, and just glued em back on. I don't do the nocks until I have the bow almost completed. I mean burnished and everything, everything except the finish. I use self nocks to tiller and sometimes shoot in the bow before that. When it is time to do the nocks, I use a tooth pick and a pencil, and mark with the pencil how deep each horn nock is. Than, I line up the self nocks and the horn nocks side by side, and mark where the horn nocks will begin when glued on the bow. After that, I take the tooth pick that I previously measured and marked the depth on, line it up with the mark of where the horn nocks will begin on the bow, and mark how deep the bow tips will go into the nocks using the tooth pick. So now I will know where to cut, and also where not to go past when shaping the bow tips.
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what kind of draw length we talking about jdub, Bub
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Heat treat it, make a bendy handle, recurve it and throw some of natures duct tape, sinew, on it. If you wanna try a belly lam, the lam doesnt have to extend the entire belly length of the bow, just maybe 6 inches past the hinge and feather it in...
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Rookie!!!! ..lol :laugh:
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When I read the title, I thought "Oh no I blew it again" LOL Just kidding, Looks like some good advice given
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JW, just throw it in the corner for awhile. I've got a special stave I'll send to keep you distracted. >:D
To answer your question, yes you can stiffen a bow up by adding sinew. When I've done it I sinewed the entire bow and then added extra layers where I wanted the extra stiffness. If you add enough you can tiller by rasping the sinew in that spot. However, lately if I mess up I throw the bow away and start over. It's just wood.
George
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Plus one for a short belly lamination.
Del
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Please forgive me for my ignorance...what does "piking" mean?
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Please forgive me for my ignorance...what does "piking" mean?
removeing an equal emount from the length on both limbs
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JW, just throw it in the corner for awhile. I've got a special stave I'll send to keep you distracted. >:D
George
NONONONONONONO!
As long as there is even pine 2x4's left in this world I am fine without having to ask you to send me one of your devil's corkscrews, Georgie!
It's just wood, eh? But every stick of that yellow "Just Wood" costs me a bunch of 2 1/2 inch by 6 inch sheets of linen fiber with green ink! That wood don't grow on trees up here, buddy!
It's going to the "Bowyer's Corner of Shame" for now. All else fails, I can warm up the epoxy and pop off the tip overlays to salvage them after piking. On a longer bow like this sinew really just isn't all that effective.
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Do not submit to failure!
You could try beefing it up with flax. Cheap as could be and indestructible.
I just flax backed a juniper bow. Then broke it, on purpose, it sound like a gun shot. The dogs even spooked!
More like a .223 than a .45, if ya know what I mean. I then promptly set it on fire so I wouldn't be tempted to fix it....
Flax is a pain to apply but is easy on resources. I was shocked how heavy the bow turned out.
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PM me your new address.
George
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Please, I promise I will be good! I will eat all my veggies and I won't even argue when it's bed time! Please don't send me none of that scary wood of yours!
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Lol, buck up jw, I asked him for the most un_Godly osage stave he has an he is sending me that one. So at least you know you aren't getting his worst.... now suck it up and take it. After that we can swing by the bank and get you a free lollypop.
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Keep your d**n lolly, I want bacon.
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Ok fine, once we are done with these devils corkscrews and turn em into bows, we can go on a hog hunt with em. Voila, bacon on a stick...
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You guys crack me up. ;D Glad it's your thread JW, that way I don't feel like I'm hijacking so badly. ;)
Sleek's right, he PM'd and asked for the worst wood I have. If he'd asked a month earlier I had some REALLY nasty stuff. It's firewood now. I'll post up a picture of what we're looking at for him if I have time to take one tonight.
I have something you'll like JW.
And, I'm always up for hogs, though I don't always have them coming in to where we can bowhunt them. I'm losing one spot and working on getting another.
George