Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: justlooking on February 04, 2021, 11:01:12 am
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I'm building a 55"Osage bow. The handle is about 1 1/4" thick with an arrow shelf. I have the bow narrowed down on the limbs to about 1/4"-3/8", and I can't get the poundage low enough that I like it (40 lbs). Do I need to take the handle down narrower? The handle is approximately 8" long including
fade.
Thanks.
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I assume you mean the limbs are 1/4" to 3/8" thick, not narrow. How wide are the limbs? When I find my limbs are getting too thin(thickness) I narrow(reduce width) then, a little at a time until I get near the desired weight then continue with the tillering.
Do you mean the handle is 1 1/4" thick or wide. I usually start with my handles at about 1 1/2" to 1 1/4" thick and as narrow at the arrow pass as 3/4" to 1" wide.
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A cut shelf will limit how much you can fool with the handle area.
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Leave the riser as is, and add limb extensions to the limbs. An arrow shelf can create a weak spot in the riser. I have had them crack at the arrow shelf cut out in the past. You need some mass in that area. JMO
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If your cutting arrow shelf in on a 55lb bow tiller to 28" you will need to have about an inch of wood in riser opposite of the shelf. Ensure you fade isout well past the shelf area.
I have never had one crack or break in riser with a shelf, ever.
Shawn~
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Mine cracked, because I got carried away with the depth of the cut with just a few, pushing the envelope. I have made well over 100, and more towards 200 hundred that didn't crack. Handles have to be the right thickness, and width, and in his case sounds like he needs to leave well enough alone, and thin the limbs ,or make them longer with add ons.
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Thanks, but how do you do a limb extension?
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Don't worry about limb extensions now. Just get your bow tillered out and go shoot it. Limb extensions is in the wood bow building 202 class
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Limb extensions are not THAT advanced.
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You can loose a lot of poundage in the fades quickly. When I have a bow that is tillered well but a little over poundage I start scraping the fades, always going up, not down or you will dish out the limbs.
If your fades are blunt and not a smooth transition this won't work for you.
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If I’m reading correctly you have 55” Osage and you are wanting a stiff handle with a arrow shelf and looking for 40 lbs. I don’t see what draw length you are looking for.
55” is a bit short for that design.
55” would probably be better suited for a bend in the handle. Or as Bassman suggested limb extensions.
Bjrogg
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Yeah, I think I blew by the 40lb part!
Yeah, it would have to be a mighty stiff very short handle if your working with 55" of wood even at 25" of draw. The back on 55" of wood at 28" of draw would be rough on it. Prolly get away with it with some type of elm but its gonna take some set. Like Brian said, bend in handle be better off and I concur.
Shawn~
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You can drop your poundage down to zilch in your limbs with wood removal, the problem is the lower you go the more critical every tiny scrape is going to be.
I have found that well tillered kids bows are the most difficult to make, when the limbs get really thin, one extra scrape can hinge a limb.
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I agree Eric. I made a quite a few kids bows. Really nice ones. They teach you a ton about tillering.
Bjrogg
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A good Kid selfbow is way toughter than making 60lb man selfbow without question.
Why I was tickled to see the cast of BOWNADO. Like I had said, "Pound for Pound its prolly the fastest bow I ever scraped out".
Long as you leave enough off side shelf wood you'll be fine.
Just finished a 54@27" almost center cut Hedge bow that's gonna make a really nice elk huntin bow. I think it has only .800" of offside shelf wood.
HH~
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American Elm reflex deflex. 50 inches knock to nock. 43 lbs at 25.5 inches of draw. Off side wood at shelf is .750. Wood front to back .750 at the thickest part of riser. Riser is one inch wide. The bow tapers from the middle of the riser to the tips on the belly side. Shelf cut out is .250. Works ,because the riser is working in the last couple inches of draw.Bow shoots a 420 gr. arrow at 151 fps with an 8 strand B55 string. 8 knots in the bow. One big one on the side of the top limb filled with Elm saw dust, and crazy glue. Tribute to Elm wood, and patching with Elm saw dust,and crazy glue. That is what can be done ,but I don't recommend to others for the safety factor.
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more pics
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Looks good. Got a FD photo?
Shawn
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Here is an American Hornbeam bow that failed with the same method as above. Other wise would have made a decent bow. I cut the arrow shelf out to deep, and in the pictures you will see the crack right at the deepest part of the shelf cut out. "Bow maker blunder." I have made my fair share of them.
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HH, full draw picture of the Elm bow coming. Wrap a grip, more finish, some wax ,and check for any flaws that need to be taken care of.
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The bow at past my full draw.
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The cracked hornbeam bow has been repaired ,and shooting. 47 inches long pulls 24 inches at 40 lbs.
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Bassman those short bows are nearly impossible to cut much of shelf in . Your short bows are impressive though. Mine are usually Roughed about 1-1/2 wide . Then the shelf is usually cut 1/8 shy of center. Then the handle is reduced from there. Most are 9-10” non bending handles that include a couple inches fade. Does that address your question? If not I’m not sure of your questions. Arvin
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I had no question Arvin. I was just illustrating with the bows I posted that you neither have to make a really stiff non working handle, or a bend through handle to cut a 1/4 inch deep shelf even on a 50 inch bow at 25.5 inches draw with ELM. By tapering the handle from the middle both ways it gives more working limb, and flexes the handle in the last couple inches of draw. Thanks for the compliment friend.
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Hey tillering was those short bows are critical. One little deeper scrape and there goes 5#. Not my style but respect those builds. Arvin
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Most of them that I make that way is because that is all the stave will give me.Lately if the stave is long enough I am making 62 to 70 inch bows.
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You can drop your poundage down to zilch in your limbs with wood removal, the problem is the lower you go the more critical every tiny scrape is going to be.
Far better to narrow the limbs at this point. (Assuming you have tillered to full draw.) If you want to reduce weight by 10%, narrow the limbs by that percentage. Width affects weight in a direct correspondence.
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I reduced the limbs both ways with the broken handled bow after I made the repair to the handle . The bow ended up 36 lbs at full draw. I know many on here won't cut arrow rests in their bows, and with these short bows is really more critical, but I prefer the arrow rest, and if I crack a handle once in a while I am willing to make the fix.
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I just try and leave enough wood so it won't bend in the handle, then I have no problem with the splitting into the shelf. If they don't bend where you violated the longitudinal grain with the handle and shelf cut in they usually won't give any trouble. :) sorry i think we high jacked this thread. opps :)
Pappy
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Mostly every one else does to pappy. That is my point. Fade the handle from the middle both ways to get more working limb, so that it will bend at the end of the draw to a degree. Not stiff, but not totally working handle either. I got carried away with the cut out as far depth. The off side shelf wood was .500. It is fixed now ,and all is well.