Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Tuomo on October 13, 2025, 10:51:49 am

Title: Bamboo-maple-horn, 98#@28"
Post by: Tuomo on October 13, 2025, 10:51:49 am

My newest bow, deflex-reflex bamboo (moso) backed, maple and ipe core, horn belly. It has osage powerlam, maple handle, white horn nocks and leather handle. Draw weight 98 pounds at 28 inch draw. Unfortunately, it is a bit too heavy for me...

Length is 156 cm (61,4") n/n, width 36 mm (about 1 3/8") and thickness after the power lam 15 mm (about 5/8"). Power lam length is 500 mm (about 20"). Weight is 695 grams. It took only about 20 mm (about 3/4") set.

I made the belly lam from five piece: in the middle is ipe (about 20 cm (8")), then horn and at the nock some osage. Belly lam and core are tapered before glueing, belly 0,002 and core 0,004. The taper was almost perfect, because the bow didn't need tillering, just width tapering and few strokes with a scraper.

I have not yet got any speed readings but watching a test shooter shooting with this bow, it seems to be quite fast..

Title: Re: Bamboo-maple-horn, 98#@28"
Post by: Tuomo on October 13, 2025, 10:53:23 am

More photos:

Title: Re: Bamboo-maple-horn, 98#@28"
Post by: Tuomo on October 13, 2025, 10:54:38 am

More:

Title: Re: Bamboo-maple-horn, 98#@28"
Post by: Pat B on October 13, 2025, 11:01:14 am

Incredibly beautiful bow with perfect tiller. Too bad you can't shoot it but I'm not surprised at 98#. Well done!   :OK

Title: Re: Bamboo-maple-horn, 98#@28"
Post by: Tuomo on October 13, 2025, 11:10:25 am

Thanks! I made two of these. First time I used horn as a belly material in this kind of deflex-reflex design (I have made some turkish sinew-horn-bows), so I made a tiny error estimating the correct thickness. The other one is almost identical but 70#@28". It is shootable and hopefully this one is also in some day!

Title: Re: Bamboo-maple-horn, 98#@28"
Post by: Del the cat on October 13, 2025, 11:15:31 am

Beautiful and interesting...
Del

Title: Re: Bamboo-maple-horn, 98#@28"
Post by: Pappy on October 13, 2025, 11:28:29 am

That is a beauty for sure in all aspects, about twice to much weight for me 😊😉 but beautiful work just the same. Pappy

Title: Re: Bamboo-maple-horn, 98#@28"
Post by: Badger on October 13, 2025, 11:38:46 am

  Ditto what the others have said, beautiful bow!

Title: Re: Bamboo-maple-horn, 98#@28"
Post by: RyanY on October 13, 2025, 12:24:37 pm

What a beautiful beast!

Title: Re: Bamboo-maple-horn, 98#@28"
Post by: willie on October 13, 2025, 01:58:31 pm

very nice

Quote from: Tuomo on Today at 11:10:25 am

First time I used horn as a belly material in this kind of deflex-reflex design.........

I can not recall ever seeing horn used in a R-D design before.   experimental?
Please let us know how it performs.

Title: Re: Bamboo-maple-horn, 98#@28"
Post by: Burnsie on October 13, 2025, 02:36:44 pm

Nice bend! Beautiful Bow
Just 55lbs lighter +- and you would be right in my wheelhouse.  :)