Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Dauntless on March 11, 2013, 02:16:00 pm
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Here's my first bamboo backed bow. I've finished a couple over the years but this one stood in the corner because it was nothing but trouble.
Started off as a 64"+ long glue up with no reflex. Bamboo was thick but I was just happy it was flat. Tillered out to a good 45lbs at 28" when one of the overlays split and sheared the belly off the back. I then had to pry off the backing, sand off the glue and glue up again. I piked the bow a few inches but really violated the back near the tips with a belt sander, trying to flatten off an area for an overlay. Piked again, this time down to 56", the bow was way overweight and not nearly as wide as necessary. I trapped the bamboo and scraped scraped scraped till the weight came down to 40lbs. I've got loads of fish skin in the freezer so this pile of problems got a little Pacific salmon makeup.
Specs are 56" long, 1¼" wide, draws 40lbs at 23". With the delamination and the bamboo overpowering the red oak I got lucky with only 1¾" of set. Tiller isn't great either but with this short of a drawlength I won't be shooting it much anyways.
(http://i.imgur.com/Z2JCuaqh.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/dqI8Gush.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/TDRarW5h.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/Pzr7CNvh.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/MXMxLSdh.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/vIXyAvfh.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/3cNhevoh.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/UxxNZTt.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/voXrPuWh.jpg)
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I like it. Nice work!
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nice the unlikely combo holds,and is pretty. I like the skins but the nocks are my favorite, sweet design Dauntless
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Nice tips. I don't think I've ever seen tips like that .
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Nice tips, ive been wanting make some like that for a long time.
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They do make stringing the bow a little more difficult though.
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Like it! I really like the creativity in your tip overlays. I will have to try it.
Tracy
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Very cool looking bow! I like the idea of salomon skin. It makes me want to try and back my next bow with trout skin, since there are no salmon in my part of PA. How did you prep the skins? And nice tips, very unique!
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wow, i really like those tips, i love this bow. the tiller looks great, but those arms look a little skinny along the whole length:)
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nice work on that bow,
I'm wondering is a bamboo backing to strong for red oak?
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@Lefty: The skins are just peeled off the fish, scraped clean of flesh with a spoon and then brushed with dishsoap and rinsed a few times. Then I lay the skin flat on some wax paper, fold it up nice and freeze till use.
@Simson: In this case I think the bow took excessive set and might take more over the years. I did trap the back so the width of untouched bamboo was only half of the total. A wider belly would have been fine I think.
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Those nocks are sweet
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I love the skins. Quick question do you leave the scales on? Awesome idea for the nocks
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The scales tend to all fall out when I'm scrubbing with the soap. Some stragglers fall off when handling the bow.
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Cool thanks, I have a friend that is a fish monger so lots of fish skins coming my way. Lots of different species too. Have you just used salmon?
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Cool nocks, How do you string it?
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It's doable with the push-pull method, but the height of that spike makes getting the loop over it hard. It's easier with both hands working the nock and string if I step in the bow to string it even though this is supposed to stress the lower limb too much.
@IdahoMatt: I've used salmon so far but I have some rainbow trout and Atlantic cod skins in the freezer waiting for something cool.
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They do make stringing the bow a little more difficult though.
I was going to ask you how on earth you get the top string loop over that tip???!!
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Very creative and professional workmanship. Beautiful bow. Thanks for sharing.
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AWESOME!!!