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Author Topic: Weird elk antler bow tip idea, would it work?  (Read 6807 times)

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TurtleCreek

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Weird elk antler bow tip idea, would it work?
« on: September 21, 2011, 04:27:57 am »
I have been brain storming an idea for the use of elk antler tines on the tips of a future bow project and wanted to get your guys' opinions of this so here's what I have been thinking: taking the tines and mating them to the tips of the bow, similar to the way you would a siyhah but not at such a radical angle.  Making them more like an extension of the stave and the appearance of "flipped tips".  If I were to mate them perfectly flat to the bow tips, glue them, and wrap them with sinew where they mate to the wood and with the string nocks cut into the antler, do you think this would hold up on a bow in the 40 to 50 pound range?
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Offline M-P

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Re: Weird elk antler bow tip idea, would it work?
« Reply #1 on: September 21, 2011, 04:34:47 am »
Howdy,  I would say that it should work.   After all, it's not that much different than bone or horn reinforced siyahs.   The one sticking point is that antler can be heavy compared to wood, so you would be putting extra weight out at the tips.  That could degrade performance, or make for handshock.    Ron
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TurtleCreek

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Re: Weird elk antler bow tip idea, would it work?
« Reply #2 on: September 21, 2011, 04:47:58 am »
  The handshock you mentioned is one of the concerns I was thinking of.  Maybe I should make this project my first build-along on here and see what happens.  I have access to alot of elk and large mule deer antler and after looking at them so much i thought of giving it a try soon.  I will have to share the process with everyone once I get it going.  Thanks for the input.
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Offline Arrowind

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Re: Weird elk antler bow tip idea, would it work?
« Reply #3 on: September 22, 2011, 01:51:00 am »
I've been wanting to do the same thing for a while now.  I'd love to see how it turns out.  Please keep us posted.
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Offline M-P

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Re: Weird elk antler bow tip idea, would it work?
« Reply #4 on: September 22, 2011, 03:39:56 am »
Howdy,    Go for it and let us know how it works.   The negatives I mentioned are possible on any recurve.  Ron
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"A man should make his own arrows."   Omaha proverb   

"There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves."    Will Rogers

mikekeswick

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Re: Weird elk antler bow tip idea, would it work?
« Reply #5 on: September 22, 2011, 08:10:27 am »
If i'm picturing what you are describing right it would be better to use a v - splice. Make the antler the male part. This is much stronger than gluing flats like a normal overlay. Leave the tip as wide as the base of the splice and once glued you can mark out the tip width and get them perfectly straight. As mentioned antler is heavy but also very stiff so you could make the tips super narrow and they would still be stiff enough.
Good luck and i'm interested to see how it turns out.
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Offline tattoo dave

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Re: Weird elk antler bow tip idea, would it work?
« Reply #6 on: September 22, 2011, 08:38:27 am »
Hey Turtle, I tried that with whitetail antler some time ago. i kept having a problem with stringing the bow. The string always wanted to slide side to side on the antler just under the string nocks, maybe due to nock design???, i don't know. ??? Long story short, It was hard to keep it strung up. It was also on a short bow, about 50", maybe that contributed to the problem too.  And one end eventually broke off. I had it glued with modern epoxy and artificial sinew though. I'm not convinced it won't work, I just haven't had the chance to give it a second try. A build-a-long would be awesome. Good luck, and I hope it works out for you.

Tattoo Dave
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Offline GregB

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Re: Weird elk antler bow tip idea, would it work?
« Reply #7 on: September 22, 2011, 10:15:27 am »
I would also wonder about the diameter of the elk horn you're using...depending on how long this extension is, you may have to get out of the harder outter core of the horn and into more of the porus material. Deer horn might be more dense and of a better match size wise.
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Greg

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Offline Gus

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Re: Weird elk antler bow tip idea, would it work?
« Reply #8 on: September 22, 2011, 05:10:29 pm »
T.C.,

Very interesting idea.

Are you considering using a sting with long loops/string bridges or are you going to channel the string over the end of the limb and up the horn to the knock?
If you channel the string up the horn wouldn't your tiller be more critical to keep it from jumping?

Doing a lot of reading about composite bow and siyah design lately and still trying to get my head around it... :)

-gus
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Offline Bill Skinner

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Re: Weird elk antler bow tip idea, would it work?
« Reply #9 on: September 22, 2011, 11:45:15 pm »
I have seen it done with deer antler.  Lots of weight on the tips of the bow.  It looks really cool but it's a slow bow with a good deal of handshock.  Bill
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Offline MWirwicki

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Re: Weird elk antler bow tip idea, would it work?
« Reply #10 on: September 23, 2011, 12:12:48 am »
Like Mike, I too would have suggested the V-Splice.  Wrap with REAL back sinew and use hide glue on the sinew.

I'm torn whether to recommend TBII, TBIII or Hide Glue for the actual splice.  Any opinions on this?
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Matt Wirwicki
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mikekeswick

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Re: Weird elk antler bow tip idea, would it work?
« Reply #11 on: September 23, 2011, 05:35:51 am »
Hide glue! Warm it up and size it very well with multiple coats of very thin glue. Keeping sizing until the surface looks shiny. When finished just waterproof it well.
 As has been said horn is heavy but that only applies if it is made the same size as a wooden tip - make them super narrow as I described and the weight won't be an issue! V -splice v- splice v- splice! Thats how ALL hornbow syhias/tips are attached.
Good luck
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TurtleCreek

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Re: Weird elk antler bow tip idea, would it work?
« Reply #12 on: September 23, 2011, 10:49:52 am »
  V-splice?  Like adding a "wedge" into the bow tip?  Sorry if I sound dumb, but this will be something I never tried before.
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blackhawk

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Re: Weird elk antler bow tip idea, would it work?
« Reply #13 on: September 23, 2011, 12:31:44 pm »
Check this bow out and you will see what a v-splice is. Sweet bow too. He didn't reinforce it with any wrapping either. This splice is perfectly mated and glued for it to hold like that.

http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=print_topic;f=125;t=005974
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mikekeswick

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Re: Weird elk antler bow tip idea, would it work?
« Reply #14 on: September 23, 2011, 01:11:42 pm »
Good example blackhawk. They need to be 3 inches long.
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