Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Selfbowman on September 19, 2024, 12:46:39 pm
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I was gifted this bow blank and I want to do it justice. It’s a 1-1/2 wide at fades . I will go parallel for 9” then 1-1/4 at 18” from fades the 3/8 at tips. The bowyers bible says 1-5/8 at fades. This is an exceptional growth ring ratio. It has reflex through out the bows length. With a bit of flipped tips. Getting it good and straight now.
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More straighten.
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Mulberry is an excellent bow wood. It lends itself well to heat treating. The rule of thumb I always hears is to make a bow 10% bigger (width and length)than osage.
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Pat that makes sense. The density is about ten percent less. Well I want to make this bow about 38@29” . Being lighter than fifty it might be just right. The bow will be 66” ntn.
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Floor tillered. To lazy to make another caul so I’ll just improvise.
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Tip overlays on . Osage to match the Osage handle add on.
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Looking good Arvin, they make a snappy little bow, That was a fine piece, seen it in person and should make a fine bow, as Pat said a little wider and will wind up a little thicker for the same weight as Osage but will be much lighter in the hand. :) Looking forward to seeing it finished. Now that I am back from CO. I still plan on making a flight arrows from your design and try out the one I showed you when you was visiting. ;) :)
Pappy
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Tip overlays finished and all straight. Now make a string and brace for final tiller.
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I had a couple mulberry staves from a tree cut in the very southeast corner of SD. Though riddled with pin knot clusters, I never had one fail. One was made into an English-ish longbow and all the pin knots were in pairs....they looked like little boobies. That was over 14 years ago and it is still shooting, according to the kid I gave it to.
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Cool no pin knots in this one.
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After floor tiller and long string pulled to brace bend.
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Good stuff Arvin. Can’t wait to see this finished up!
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Nice bow Arvin. Thanks for walking us through your build.
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I got it tillered to 40@28. Shoots great but took1-1/2 inch set throughout both limbs. Wished the blank would have been 2” wide at fades.
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Anybody fire hardened mulberry?
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Mulberry lends itself well to tempering(fire hardening).
I think the narrower width is why it took set. 1 3/4" to 2" at the fades would have been better.
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I have a 38@28 Osage bow I am going to test against the mulberry. These bows are within 1/2” in length and almost identical width measurements. The Osage weighed 24.4 oz. the mulberry weighed 20.2 oz. I have a arrow that will be shot as close as possible to 28” through a chrono . The Same arrow will be shot from both bows and average the shots. I’m curious. Coming soon . The arrow weighs 384 gr. Spines for 40# bow.
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Pic
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Eagerly waiting for test results.
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Ok I will test the bows later today. Any predictions? Will the extra mass in the Osage win or lose?
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I guess we’ll see if Osage is king (-P
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Ok I put both bows on tiller tree and weighed them at 12” draw, 20” draw , and 28” draw. The Osage 12” draw 6# , 20” draw 23#, 28”36# , 29”38#
The mulberry 12” draw 5.6#, 20”draw 23.6#, 28” draw 38.6#
That’s as close as I could get the two bows. Now for the speed check.
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Ok Osage shot 36# @28” 154fps , at 29” draw it shot 163 this was shooting the same arrow three times at each draw length.
The mulberry at 28” draw was 38.6 and it shot the same arrow an average of 159 fps
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Interesting the two are almost dead even for all practical purposes. The mulberry kicked in at the 20” draw point. This may be due to the extra mass in the Osage. So Dave this might interest you with the hickory.
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Was the Osage bow over built??? Maybe slightly on the outer limbs.
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My first shooter was from a mulberry stave, despite all the mistakes I made with it the result was a comfortable sweet shooter. Regrettably I moved on to white woods after the next 3 mulberry staves were riddled with borers. You're working a first class bow!
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Sorry can’t help you there Arvin. I have a mulberry with a ring chased but I never got at finishing it yet. Be interesting to see what you think of it.
Bjrogg
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Glad to hear the Mulberry preformed well Arvin, I have built a few and they were all snappy light in the hand bows. I don't really measure set but they didn't take much. Not many mulberry trees here , I think I have 3 on my farm but don't really want to cut them, the ones I built was gifted to me by and old friend from OK. Came out of his sons front yard. ;) :) Mine were all 1 1/2 at the fads to mid limb then tappers to the tips 62/64 N-N. with flipped tips.
Pappy