Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: hoppy on August 12, 2018, 08:34:21 pm
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Hi all,
I've read on this site for several years, but just joined because I wanted to post pictures of my bow and get people's thoughts on it. Hopefully, it's ok that it's a board bow and not a self bow.
I've made a few kids bows in the past for my son and his friends. Last fall I built a bow for myself.
It's a red oak board bow. Its backed with dynel cloth set in West System epoxy. The handle and tips are walnut. I put about 6 coats of tung oil on it and then a coat of spar urethane.
It's 72" long, 70" nock to nock. I originally though it was 47# at 28", but since then I've built a tillering tree and it measures 50# at 28". By the way, I'm measuring from the string side of the handle plus 1 3/4", that's correct, right?
It's taken a couple of inches of set. The lower limb is weaker than the upper. It also has what looks to be chrysals? but I'm only comparing to pictures I've seen on forums. That leads me to always have in the back of my mind that it could fail.
In addition to the bow, I made the string (14 strand continuous b50), a bow stringer, and a finger tab. I ordered a spline test set of wooden arrows from Three Rivers and have been shooting those.
To me, it shoots great. It's very smooth and easy to shoot. I love how light the bow is (just under 22 ozs).
I'm hoping to hunt with it this fall. I was a little surprised at the arrow speed, I had thought that it should be shooting about 150 fps. I recently got a chronograph and the fastest I've seen with my arrows (540 grain) is 138. Is this too slow for hunting? By the way, I would say I've shot a minimum of 800 arrows with it.
Thanks for looking and any thoughts you have on it that might go into a next bow.
And now some pics...
(https://s6.postimg.cc/d3pkw7j01/2_B5_C6567-2_FE3-496_C-8_B44-3_DD562_E38_A93.jpg)
(https://s6.postimg.cc/az57v2jxd/85_BF40_C8-_E414-4_A64-_B0_E0-_C28_F38_DE3748.jpg)
(https://s6.postimg.cc/scfi9x7ip/D12_F9551-_D219-4471-8_D1_E-5_CFB47_C3639_B.jpg)
(https://s6.postimg.cc/58o89111d/2_AB55_B67-82_E8-48_C7-_B8_A6-_CDD129813_E3_F.jpg)
(https://s6.postimg.cc/8htgnt7qp/B9_E5_E5_A3-_BC4_C-4747-_AED9-_F1_B5_E3_C14_EC2.jpg)
Chrysals?
(https://s6.postimg.cc/hcuayc48x/A569_C1_D5-_CF5_A-4_F8_D-_B795-_C789884_CEEAB.jpg)
(https://s6.postimg.cc/evijr2zs1/1_CCE14_DE-_A6_C4-4487-_BF02-1_EBFA47_B98_EE.jpg)
One of my better groups at 20 yards
(https://s6.postimg.cc/scfi9yhtd/D976_E1_AF-5_A76-48_B4-_BE08-_CFF0_CF805_BEC.jpg)
Today's best shooting at 11 yards
(https://s6.postimg.cc/sp6wg5fip/A815_A6_C0-0_DB3-4_EAD-_A455-_EC515234_A039.jpg)
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Welcome. This is a great place to learn and ask questions. Here are my thoughts.
First, those look like chrysalis lines. I got them a lot as I either went too short for a stave, or messed up tiller.
I am, as well, now not a fan of pushing boards into heavy draw, shorter bows. Why? The history of the board is not known to us; looking at the photos, you have good tiller. Making the stringer and the tab lead me to think you are a patient fellow, so possibly your board was not the best. Maybe we should considering ordering staves (Pine Hollow Bows?) or building below 50# when using boards.
Second, looks like you can hunt, presently keeping the shots at the famous 17.6 range. Good luck.
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A board bow is a selfbow unless it's backed. Sure it's OK.
I think your tiller looks good. You could get the inner part of the left limb bending a bit more and the outer part of the right limb.
Those look like chrysals to me.
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+1 on what Pat says...
Yup chrysals... I hate them with a passion >:( But being pragmatic, better to have chrysals or set than a smashed bow.
Del
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Looks like the tiller is pretty close. What is the cross section of the limb? If it has a rounded belly, that could also contribute to chrysals. Red oak likes to have a flat belly. As said earlier, the outer part of the right limb is just a tad stiff. Are the chrysals near the inner part of the right limb?
Boards are wood, we just don't know how they were handled. I've found 50# to be about the upper limit for safety in most boards. Sure, you can get heavier ones, but your success and performance may suffer some.
Kyle
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It looks pretty good but I think you could have gotten a bit more out of your inner limbs, that would have greatly reduced the stress in the mid limbs. Also the cross section as others have mentioned should have been flat or very close to flat.
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Welcome to PA, Hoppy! These folks have a wealth of knowledge, and are very helpful! Your own looks nice, and 800 arrows is good! I am a newbie at building bows, as well! Try to get to one of the bow meets in your area, and you will learn a lot first hand!
Hawkdancer
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Good advice already from the others.
Just were I wanna point to: Leaving a bow on a tiller stick in full draw for long time provoke tremendous stress, set and chrysals.
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That chrysals pic looks like the back of the bow. ??? Chrysals occur on the belly.
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That chrysals pic looks like the back of the bow. ??? Chrysals occur on the belly.
I think it's rounded like the belly..? definitely crysals...I've seen more than my share of them... :( Nice job though!
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Nice work!I like to call them self boards!lol!
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Guys,
Thank you for the feedback.
Stickmark, I don't know about patient, I'm sure I hurried the tillering or shot it too soon or something. What is the 17.6 range?
Pat B, I can see what your saying about the spots that could be tillered more. Should I do it and refinish the bow? or are you just saying it as those are places I missed?
Del, I like your approach! so far so good. If it ever blows up, I'll be bummed.
Ksnow, Good question on the profile, I was starting to wonder about if it was incorrect. It is a slightly rounded belly. Definitely not a flat profile. I'll have to look again and see exactly where all the chrysals are. I was shooting for high 40's for the poundage thinking it would be sanded or settle to mid 40's. I guess perhaps there's room for some additional tillering and still be in the 40's. (40 lbs minimum for hunting big game in PA).
Badger, I guess if I retiller, I will focus on those inner limbs as well as the right side outer.
Hawdancer, thanks for the welcome! A meet would be great to go to. I've actually thought it'd be great to have someone experienced shoot my bow just to give me an idea if it's any good or not as I have no reference point.
Simson, good advice, I was only trying to get one picture of it drawn and the tiller tree was it. I let it off right after.
Upstatenybowyer, it's actually the belly, I guess it's that rounded. The back has dynel cloth set in epoxy and it's opaque, you can't see the grain.
Bob Barnes, correct on the rounded belly. I hope it lives a long life with the chrysals.
bushboy, good name for them!
I appreciate the feedback from everyone. I have another bow under construction at the moment, a new kid's bow for my son. There's a hint to what it is in my last picture.
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17.6 yards, the average range on trad/primitive bow kills in the Eastern US, some study maintained
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Definitely more bend near the fades. The right limb is bending nicely but the left is bending too much in the outer
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I think you did a good job with all your equipment.good advice given already.
as said limit you strung tiller time to a minimum, lt does torture a piece of wood.
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17.6 yards, the average range on trad/primitive bow kills in the Eastern US, some study maintained
Aha, thanks. I couldn't figure that one out.
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I think the tiller looks pretty good. I agree about getting the inner limbs working more on your next one. Also, a flat belly is probably best. Congratulations on our first hunting bow.
Jawge
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Not bad for an early bow. 138 FPS is about right but can be better and chrysals need to be addressed immediately. I would scrape them off and heat treat the belly, even if the bow becomes a 40 pounder. Not sure your backing can handle the heat treating. You can probably just scrape off the chrysals and make the bow 68 inch long. Once your tillering is good enough, you might be able to avoid chrysals and make it a 45 pounder that way. You can always leave it alone and make another. Good luck.
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... chrysals need to be addressed immediately. I would scrape them off and heat treat the belly.... You can probably just scrape off the chrysals
IMO, scraping will do nothing... chrysals go surprisingly deep about 3/16"
If you go deep enough to take 'em right out, i will need a belly patch
Del
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Welcome to Pa hoppy. That's a pretty nice first bow. Or first adult bow.
I agree with Del. I wouldn't scrap off crystals. If it's still shooting good I'd leave it alone. If crystals are in one specific area, that would mean that area is bending to much already. Removing wood only from that spot would compound your problem. In that case you'd be better off to re tiller each side of spot taking some stress off spot. I would highly recommend you just keep right on building bows. I remember the terrible feeling of not having a bow after I broke my first one. Believe me that was worst than breaking the bow. No chance of that happening again. I've got piles of them now.
I think 138 fps is adequate with good sharp broadhead and good placement of it from close range. That's always more important than speed anyway.
Once again welcome to PA and Happy Hunting
Bjrogg
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Guys, thank you!
Very helpful comments. In fact, I'm working on another kid's bow and I need to get the fades bending. I do have trouble taking it slow though and have weakened a bunch of limbs. I just cut up one that exploded last winter. It was looking good on the tree right up until bam.
Thanks for the encouragement on the hunting part. I was looking through the bone points sticky and that looks like fun. I have knapped glass into arrowheads before and I may try that again.
I have a compound bow that a friend gave me. My arrows stick into my arrow target just as far as those do and they were doing 210 fps so that made me feel a little better too.
I think I'm going to leave this bow as is and enjoy it. I'll know in the back of my head that it may not last forever.
I do have plans for a new one, but not sure when I'll start it.
Thanks for the welcome, feedback, and encouragement!
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When I said "scrape off the chrysals," I meant that the cause of chrysals has to be addressed first and the whole bow has to be re-tillered. There is a good chance that the 50 pounder would become a 30 pounder in the process. That's why I would heat treat the belly first. Anyhow I would hesitate to use the bow for hunting. If one does not mind not being "primitive" enough, he can even try wood hardening epoxy on the weakened section after heat treating it. Still I usually end up making a youth bow out of hunting bow this way. Good luck.