Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: corbeau75 on September 28, 2008, 07:57:21 pm
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This is were I have gotten into trouble before, so I thought I would go really slow and ask for help!
The Bow I am trying to make is 66" overall. The grip is 8 inches and is static. The upper limb is 29.5" long and the lower is 28", so the bow is 1.5" asymmetrical. The limbs are 1.5" in width for about 8" then taper to .5" at the tips. The bow is made of hickory with a bamboo backing.
I am trying to end up with about 60# at 28" of draw. I will shoot off the hand so there is no window cut.
This is how much bend I get with 50# of draw.
Any advice or help would be much appreciated!
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The left limb seems to be bending a bit more. Watch out for that fade area and a bit out from it. Seems to be bending more than anywhere else. Pat
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What is that thing hanging in the back?? :o I've never seen a bow like that before! ;D
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that thing looks like its got training wheels on it ;D
yup id have to agree with pat, watch getting too weak in the fades. thats where you dont want to get set.
Phil
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Hey Badbill, I think it might be some kinda foreign bike...or maybe it's a pulley system for hanging the deer that cool boo-hick bow is gonna shoot!
Good luck with the tillering, corbeau! Keep us posted.
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Looks like you're on track to your target weight. Take it slow and check the tiller often. Good luck.
Tracy
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Sorry about the ol wheelie in the back ground, it's been doing just that for about 8-9 years now! I've forgotten about it! LOL
I will work the tip just a tinny bit a concentrate mid limb.
How much scrapping each time would you say and how much should I Flex/exercise it before checking the tiller?
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I usually go with 5 scrapes and 50 pulls on the rope. Nice and slow works really good. Don't want it to look like it is trying to take off.
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Once it starts bending you should be checking tiller! The sooner you get things bending together and evenly the better off you are. The whole process should flow along until the bow is completed. Pat
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I used to be so impatient to get a bow shooting that I hurried it along. WRONG.
Take it slow and absorb the knowlege you again. I now scape it then check tiller each time. I test for draw wt and if it's gonna take too long to get down to what I want, I rasp it with an old farriers rasp evenly to remove more wood then start with the finer scraping again, check it, level out the limbs so they bend evenly. Check it, take kinks, hinge out, check it. and so on 'til it's right. No rush - softly softly catchee monkey, and sometimes the good tiller on a selfbow is as elusive as a monkey.
Enjoy yourself, It's just another bit of wood and you can always get more of that.
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I did some scrapping tonight! This is how it looks now, the string on the left side is were I think there is the most bend and the black tape shows were the bow is the bending the least. Am I right?
The other pic is the bow unstrung, for comparion. The bow is pulling 60# at 17.5" of draw. I seem to still be on track. I see the right/upper limb being the stiffer of the two.
I have only braced the bow at about 1", how long until I start to raise it, and to what?
Thanks for your tips!! I don't quite trust my eye alone yet!! LOL
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If you are at 17.5" of draw, you should be bracing it with a regular string. I believe you will get inaccurate results at this point from a long tillering string. I think you are right that midlimb needs to bend more. I don't think the bow is perfectly on the tillering stick, but here is a drawing of where I would scrape (yellow area). I think the fades are bending the most and you should get midlimb doing this bending. What is your target weight? Remember to excercise the bow between wood removal and don't pull the bow past your intended final draw weight.
Jason
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I am trying to end up at about 60# at 28"
Thanks for the illustration, that's pretty clear
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I agree with jason your bow is a little off on your t stick I put a center mark on my t stick and one on my bow and on my string so everything is centered up. I think you can tell more about what you are looking at that way. Ronnie
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Here are some new pictures. I see the lower limb bending more still, I only scraped it on time after I scraped at the right/upper limb three times and thought they looked about equal. I have scraped at the upper limb another 2 or 3 times and it still looks stiff. I am still good for target weight with #60 at 19" of draw now.
Is it normal for one limb to bend easy with small amounts of wood removed and the other just wants to stay stiff even though you keep removing wood?
I have been going very slow, just a couple scrapes then flexing, then checking
Any advice would be great!!
Thanks!
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I almost always have one limb come right in and one that will give me trouble,just take it
slow on the right limb ,little by little and it will come around.It is easy to get frustrated and take to much off.Don't do it.It will come in if you just stay at it. :)
Pappy
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Listen to Pappy-I've flip-flopped more bows into 30-pounders than I want to remember by taking too much at once off the stiff limb, suddenly turning it into the weak limb. I think exercising it after you take wood off helps to avoid this too.
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"softly softly catchy money" I am working as slowly as I can! LOL
New question.
I have been unstring the bow to do the scraping. It seems to me sort of like cutting a rope with a load on it, you know? does it make any differance or is it just me imagination?
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I know people that don't.And sometimes I will leave it strung if I just want a little ,I mean little tweak but I usually unstring while scraping.Don't know that it makes any difference but I unstring anyway. :)
Pappy
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This spot is giving me a hard time, the scraper wants to stick and chatter over it.
I have been trying to be very smooth an even over this spot and hold my scraper at a bit of an angle. Any other tips?
The bow is now 60# at 20" and I thing the limbs are looking pretty good.
Thank guys for the advice.
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Still looks a little flat from8/10 inches out from the fad to 6/8 inches from the tip.On the right limb.
When ever they chatter I reverse the scraper and move it in the other direction will usually smooth it out.If it don't i use a very fine file and smooth the area and then scrap.Once they start chattering
sometimes it hard to get it to stop and if you just keep doing what you are doing it will usually get worse,so I try and stop it as early as I can.Looking very good. :)
Pappy
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I've found if a scraper chatters it is almost impossible to remove. Easiest way I think is to use fairly fine sandpaper wrapped around a bit of wood about 6" of 2"X1". From this stage in I sometimes just use sandpaper, but that's me. Don't rush it now. I was trying to make a 65lb Meare Heath, took a bit off this side, bit off that-bow ended up good but I scaped that beauty down to 30lb bow! Yours is coming on. Follow what Pappy said about where it's flat and savour the experience of making a bow. You'll be shooting it soon enough.
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Hey guys, did some more scraping and I think the curves are improving. What do you think?
My new guy question this time is, I've done the scrap, flex, check procedure about 7 or 8 time since the last photo, and the curve seems to be coming right along, but I am still 60# at 20.5". The draw length/weight does not seem to be moving back towards 28". Why?
Thanks as always!
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just keep going real slow and rechecking it frequently,you want to sneak up in it or next thing you know you will be under what you want.
a little wood removal can all of a suddenly meani big differance in weight and length.
patience patience patience ;)
tim
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That tiller's looking really good. Just scape off evenly now, and she'll come down. You've got more to come off yet. test regularly.
I can't stand the tension and am dying to see this bow go. I've got a good feeling about this one corbeau75, and when you finally give birth to it, it's gonna be a beaut
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This is a wonderful thread to those of us who have not mad many bows. I am waitin on my wood to dry, I can hardly wait until December!
Watching the tiller take shape is thrilling to me, because I will be doing it in no time! You guys are helping me as much as the guy makin the bow!
Good luck, and wish me luck. ;)
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I really do appreciate all your help and encouragement!
I am down to 22" at 60# and I think the curve is coming on. I am basically just taking long even sweeps with the scraper to bring the 60# to 28".
Thanks again!
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BTW the left limb is looking stiff still. Weird the way a photo can show up things you didn't see standing there.
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Now it is time to get out the belt sander with 60 grit, a hatchet, and a bandsaw!!! Oh yeah, forgot, softly softly catchey monkey.
This bow is gonna come in sweet, Corbeau. You're gonna have a find shooter on your hands very soon.
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Well fellas, It's a bow!! 28" and 60 pounds. I am very happy as this time I felt as though I was in some control over this process. I ended up with what I though was lot of set. Could someone explain what I could have done to minimize the set on the next one??
I will post a few pics of the bow with fit and finish, once I'm done there!!
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here she is unbraced.
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Well, I have finished it!! I things concidered I am pretty happy, this is the first bow to come out with a good tiller on target weight 60# at 28". Thanks for all your encouragement and advice!! ;D
I am allready started on the next one!!
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and here is a braced and unbraced.
what could I have done to reduce the set? and how do I get a better glue line?
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nothing wrong with that at all sir!
next time maybe a little less time on the tiller tree at high lbs will help the set....
nice bow.set happens.
jamie
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Looks like a shooter to me! Not bad for a "newbie." Many guys on this site (myself included) never ended up with a shootable bow our first couple attempts so you should be proud of your accomplishments. Here are a few things that might have helped reduce set:
1) glue in some reflex next time when glueing your bamboo to the hickory
2) your bow looks like it is bending too much in the outer 1/3 of the limbs. If you look at your set, most of it appears in the outer 1/3. Try to get more wood working on the inner 2/3 to reduce the strain on the outer limbs.
3) never draw the bow past your intended draw weight
4) exercise the bow 30 pulls in between wood removal to train the wood to recognize the wood you have just removed
Jason
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Turned out good,a little set but not to bad,Like others said a little less time on the tiller stick
might help. Nice job I know you are proud as you should be.Now on to the next. :) You ant a newbee anymore. ;) ;D
Pappy
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right on!! thanks!!
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What a cool thread. You could publish this as a build along. It would benifit all of us "Newbies"
Thanks for this site all of the expert advice!
Rob
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Very well done. Congratulations on your first shooter. As far as the set Jason and Jamie have given some great advice. A tillering tree vrs. a tiller stick is a worth while investment. You can make one easy. Just a mount on a pole or wall and a pulley at the bottom. Then a good stout cord with a hook on one end and a handle on the other.
This also helps because you can pull and watch from a distance to see what is moving. But the biggest help will be to not hold the bow for long durations at full draw.
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Congrats ya done fine on that one :)
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Hey nice job. Great looking bow. About the set. What others said. Adding a little reflex at glue up will help it come out flat. If you start out flat you will always have a little follow. most of the bend is happening in one section of the limbs so thats were the set is concentrated. Overall great job. Its night and day better than my first or second ect. ;D