Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Threy Cameron on November 28, 2025, 06:36:38 am
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Hey everyone!
Finished up another bow the last one of a set of 4 adult bows from an American Red oak board. The board so far has yielded 4 bows with 4 additional kids bows in the works.
The bow is 68" long and is the first bow where I've incorporated the TBB mass principle the bow ended up being 19oz. right on the money. I learned from my previous heat treatments and managed to slowly and gently cook the limbs resulting in very little set so far. The bows limbs are 2 inches wide at the fades for a little over half the limb before tapering to 1/2" nocks. I shot for an elliptical tiller and believe I pulled it off.
The handle is brain tanned buckskin created by my brother with NZ possum fur string dampeners.
Cheers guys
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54951399914_e7f068ed9e_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2rHShHy)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54951142861_42fe5e757c_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2rHQYiB)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54951142826_4a38e349f5_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2rHQYi1)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54951399454_1b1238a523_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2rHShzC)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54950260757_64385e917c_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2rHLs5V)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54951399329_75be6731b4_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2rHShxt)
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Another lovely, well crafted bow. Great job on the tiller.
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Beautiful bow, very well done. ;)
Pappy
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Very nice tiller. Good looking bow
Bjrogg
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One of the best tillered bows I have seen lately, Amazing!
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Great job. Tiller looks as good as it can get.
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Great bow and tiller and the back profile is a good overall shape. Well done. :OK
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Threy, you flat nailed that one! Excellent craftsmanship and quality. 53lb out of Red Oat is quite an accomplishment. I’ve had some “less than stellar” results with Red Oak – too much string follow. Out of curiosity, how much reflex did you put in the limbs during the heat-treating process?
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Another lovely, well crafted bow. Great job on the tiller.
Cheers man I really appreciate it. That one board is turning out to be a gold mine of good bows haha.
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One of the best tillered bows I have seen lately, Amazing!
Thank you, I'm really happy with how the tiller turned out. Really appreciate the encouragement!
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Threy, you flat nailed that one! Excellent craftsmanship and quality. 53lb out of Red Oat is quite an accomplishment. I’ve had some “less than stellar” results with Red Oak – too much string follow. Out of curiosity, how much reflex did you put in the limbs during the heat-treating process?
Cheers man thanks for the encouragement! I'm not sure if my tillering is better than expected or whether this particular red oak is a very dense specimen but the bows are behaving themselves vey well so far.
I only heated in around 1.5 to 2 inches of reflex into the bows, just enough so that they don't take string follow or at least minimize it greatly but not enough to overstress the red oak. I find that my best change in how I heat treat is a transition from a heat gun to a slow cook over charcoal from around 1.5 to 3 hours depending on the temperature or amount of charcoal until the belly is a very dark brown and almost black on the handle riser. I also heat treat after floor tillering to 8 inches but before stringing so as not to preemptively crush the belly fibers. I've heard many experienced bowyers mention how its much easier to prevent set than correct it.
The photo shows one of my reflex cauls after a heat treatment which gives you an idea of the amount of reflex in the limbs. The caul is set to reflex around 3.5 inches so I've put small wooden blocks under the limb tips so as to have a solid surface to clamp to whilst not reflexing them as far.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54873333421_8f018c712d_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2rAYbgx)
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Excellent job, you used very good judgment in not overly reflexing the bow. That has always been my biggest mistake and I pay for it every time.
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Excellent job, you used very good judgment in not overly reflexing the bow. That has always been my biggest mistake and I pay for it every time.
Appreciate it man, I always try to err on the side of caution in most cases as good bow making timber is elusive or expensive here it seems. Plus I'd rather have a good performing bow rather than a great pile of firewood haha
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That bow looks awesome in every way. Nice job!
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Yup very nice bow. Agree with all the other comments on this one. Tiller looks great. Well done keep it up