Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: adb on February 04, 2008, 11:31:28 pm
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I think it's wonderful that we all post our bows, and share, with pride, what we have built. I do, however, believe we learn more from failure than from success. When we've built a beautiful functional bow, we sit back and grin, but don't always remember how we got there. OK, enough babbling.
The first ipe/hickory bow I ever built (about 4 years ago), turned out pretty well. 68" NTN, 54# @ 27". I wanted a hunting bow, and I did hunt with it that fall. During the winter, I decided (I still don't know why), that this bow needed tip overlays.
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It was a good bow. I was happy with the tiller. It was a hard shooter.
So... it needed tip overlays. Whitetail deer antler tip overlays. Sounded like a good idea.
Here's where I went wrong. I cut the hickory back down to the ipe belly wood, glued on some antler, and shaped it. Sounds good, yes?
HUGE MISTAKE. The belly was too thin at the tips, and the first time I braced it and pulled it to full draw... KA-BLOOOOEY!! Both tips... gone.
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It's my hope that you all can avoid my error. Something I have to constantly remind myself of: Perfection is the enemy of good.
Look at that crappy glue line, too!! It seems I've come a long way!! I still keep this bow in the corner bin of shame, just as a reminder.
OK, everybody... don't be shy. Share your blunders!
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Yikes....but you walked away with Both Eyes....right!!! Looks like you rounded the Hickory Backing...not necessarily a bad glue line....but I bet you learned not to invade the Backing like that again....I always either glue th Tip Overlays directly to the Backing....or maybe bevel it a bit and then glue on the Overlays...we all have made our share of Screw ups...I have my wall of shame to reflect on too!!
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adb, what you did was an inlay and not an overlay. Disaster was imimnent. Shame it was a beautiful bow, very nicely tillered as well. Steve
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I do, however, believe we learn more from failure than from success.
I must be the smartest guy around. ::)
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I've put horn nocks on backwards, :o cut string grooves the wrong direction :o and bent one recurve one way and the other tip the other way. ::) Anyone that says they haven't had a blunder is lying! ;D
Painfully honest, Pat ;D
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I had a very similar failure this year at the flight shoots, my nock overlay peeled a layer of wood and the nock was too skinny to cut side nocks so in a rush I just files a nock right into the back of the bow, first shot it did exactly what your did. It's just like cutting 1/2 way through the limb. Steve
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Hey, Badger
Tip inlay/overlay... I call it tip screw up!
Jutin,
You crack me up!
Pat,
Thanks for your honesty.
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Ya everyone gets it in the end :D I've had a few nocks which looked quite healthy , but the horn apparently wasn't, just get sawed off by the loop, and sent the bamboo backing flying off the bow..I picked it up. grabbed the arrow from the target, went home and glued it back on...a little shorter, but it still worked..
I like skinny strings on these skinny nocks, and sometimes it can be a little too skinny..
Adb, that was a sweet looking bow.
Rich
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yankee, that bow was sure pretty but your right it was doomed from the start, did you fix it? looks fixable. Steve
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Yankee, that bow was sure pretty but your right it was doomed from the start, did you fix it? looks fixable. Steve
Steve....When it blew...it took out a Window in my Garage Door and stuck splinters in the Ceiling....it went straight to the Dumpster...I didn't even want to look at it again!!
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Pat that sounds like me,I have done all of those things.As well as have had several blow
because of dumb thing I have done.The trouble is it will probably happen again. :)
Pappy
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Let me see, I've rounded the tips on the back instead of the belly. Screwed up on the bandsaw more times then I'd like to remember. Tried to get that last little bit of dip out of the limb by cranking the clamp another turn resulting in a crack. Made a mislick working down to a grain on osage forcing me to go down yet another grain...ouch! ;)
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I think the worst thing I've done to date is letting someone who knows nothing of selfbows pull my bow :o
I've made the bandsaw mistakes, cut nocks wrong, broke about a half dozen bows and superglued my finger to the bow :D
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Hey, Dana
I hear yah on the "someone else pulling your bow" problem. I made a bow for my Dad on Father's day a couple years back. He was not very tall, and his draw length was only 22". I made him a 40# @ 22" hickory selfbow, and some knucklehead, without asking, gave it a big yank, and Ka-Boom. He thought the bow was faulty. I wanted to flatten his nose.
Hey, Yankee
Dang it!! A lot of work went into that!! Live & learn.
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Never say die. You have a lot of wood left on that piece. Ipe will perform at 59" long for a 27" draw. I'd epoxy, glue, or super glue the piece back onto the belly. Cut about 4" off the broken end and 2" off the other. With that much piking, you'll have to thin it a lot anyway to get it down to manageable draw weight. Put the tip overlays ON TOP of the backing or at least make an angled transition. It will be easy, fun, and informative.
Dave
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Yes, I know now about tip overlays!! No, I think the bow will be more useful sitting in the corner, as a reminder of what not to do.
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.Blunders ! Hows about sinewin' the belly of the bow. Three courses over a months period. Then sayin' "hey this aint the back its the belly !" >:( :'( Thats when I "frigured " out I had ta wear my glasses and STOP drinkin' "firewater " when I do this ! Good mind huh ? DUH ! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D.........bob
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I like these kind of discussions. I have been watching this message board for awhile, and it comforts me to see that I am not the only one who blows up bows that I have been working on for weeks! If you learn more from your mistakes than your successes, I must be approaching genius level.
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One of my most confounding ones was when I glued the handle on an in-progress lam way WAY off center. Was chatting with neighborhood kids and not paying attention. Didn't notice until after I had shaped out handle area. Talk about asymetrical.
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Hey, we all like to show off our sucesses, not the failures! But, it's the failures which enlighten us.
Hey, Bob... sinewing the belly, over a months work, would truly SUCK!!