Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: grantmac on February 26, 2008, 09:21:21 pm
-
This is my first try. Started with a very nice straight grained Red Oak board.
It is really underweight, I think because I started with a fairly thin board and I was going for sort of an ELB shape. It's a bit flat in the middle but the tips are nice and thin.
I may back it with some maple or something to try and bring up the weight. It's also fairly long for my draw-length so I will probably shorten it to try for some weight as well.
Well here are the pics. Have only shot it with that crappy string which must have lots of stretch.
(http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j161/grantmac017/DSCN1936.jpg)
(http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j161/grantmac017/DSCN1939.jpg)
(http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j161/grantmac017/DSCN1943.jpg)
Cheers,
Grant
-
Great looking bow Grant. Justin
-
Welcome to PA Grant, it looks like you did a great job for yer first bow, ya should have seen mine :-[ :-[
You could cut her down some and gain a few pounds if ya want. But ya know its only your first and there will be
many more :)
-
Man that looks great to me (almost perfect tiller)! Is your string long? do you have a braced picture?
-
good job man i hope my first turns out as well as yours did.
-
Looked at it again grantmac - see your first pic is at brace :). Just didn't look to be bending enough, haven't done a bendy handle bow myself - not used to it.
-
I know there is going to be many more. I got two useful pieces from the 1.75x1.75 of Red Oak I got. The next one will have the thicker of the two (about 1" thick). This one started at .75" so it's not quite got enough wood for a proper ELB design. I'm hoping perhaps some backing will get me up to weight. Unfortunately I'm not able to get Hickory for a decent price around here, but I might just bite the bullet and get a board of it; it should last a long time are backing. I can get Maple fairly easily though, would a .25" piece of verticle grain stuff make a decent backing? I also have some drywall fibre tape, but thats getting a little too close to fiberglass for a primitive bow.
I'm hoping the next one ends-up around the 45# mark, this one is just over 20# which is much too light. Although maybe my stretchy string is causing the draw-weight to appear lighter than it is. I think I'll get some B-50 tomorrow and try my hand at my first flemish string. I'm going to try the one-loop and timber-hitch method because it seems much easier.
Thanks,
Grant
P.S. I also have a couple Osage staves I got sent to me years ago that I just never got around to trying my hand at. I think one might find it's way into a flatbow sometime soon. The other has some knots so I'll wait until I'm more confident before I start on it.
-
the board what were the demensions? i want to buy some oak to make a bow and any info would be awesome. thanks man
-
Fantastic job!!! The tiller looks perfect already!
-
the board what were the demensions? i want to buy some oak to make a bow and any info would be awesome. thanks man
Dimensions for this one was about 72x1.5x.75" to start, but in the end the handle ended-up at about 1.1" and the tips just under .5" which I think I should have kept a bit wider. I was going for a more ELB look and didn't realize how much weight I'd loose. If I can back and pike it up to the 35-40# range I'll be very, very happy. Of course I'll have to retiller but I really enjoyed the process and it's good practice.
Cheers,
Grant
-
I think that is pretty darn good for a first bow. Keep them coming!
-
very nice (not only) for a first bow!!!
frank
-
Grant if its 72" long I think you could easily cut it down to 68", you didn't say what your draw length is that will
also determine how short you can cut it. With a board I would keep the belly flat not rounded like in a elb.
As for backings maple will work fine as long as the grain is good ie no runoffs, but linen or silk is easier and will
hold a bow together just fine. Please no drywall tape :o its so ugly.
-
Welcome Grant, and great first bow!
Alan
-
Great looking bow Grant,wished my first turned out like that. :)
-
My draw is 28.5" and I probably overdraw up to 1" when I'm snap shooting, so I'd like to kepp things safe out to 29.5". I'm going to try bringing the length in 2" and if everything looks fine then I'll go another 2".
How thick can I go with the backing .25" tapered down at the knocks?
Thanks,
Grant
-
That is a great start, My first was a 2' long bundle bow that short about 20 feet, but that wasnt to bad for a ten y/o :). Keep it up, Ty
-
Brought it down to 69" and it's up to 28# which is a really nice yard-bow weight. I picked-up some Ash Veneer that is 1/32" thick and laminated on two layers of that. Lets see if it does anything other than decoration. I may also pike it another inch to 68" because it was bending very nicely today, we will just have to see what the backing does.
Cheers,
Grant