Sample: Tech Bow Thread / suggestions welcomed

[Pat B]

Guys, when we get Rich's Tech Bow Thread up and running we would appreciate no comments directly on the thread. I think it would be a good idea to post the link to the bow as it was posted on PA so folks could ask their questions directly to the maker without cluttering up Tech Bow Thread.
  This Tech Bow Thread should be another great resourse for the PA members but it is up to the members to make it so. 

[half eye]

Like Pat said, it is not for comments and the posting member can not only list his name but also any direct link to the same bow.....any questions or comments could be put into a PM sent to the posting builder, or as a question/comment on the actual individual bow posting.

The whole idea here is to have a library of technical bow data, that anyone can access without having to read a bunch of comments....so we can get right to the "meat" on this sandwich. I'll be starting this thing tomorrow with this bow and a small NA "D" bow. I'm thinking to title the thread "Tech Bow Data Library" that way everybody knows what it is, what to put into it, and what to keep out of it.  hope that sounds OK but if not please post a comment here before too late tomorrow.

I hope a lot of PA bow builders will take the time to post some bows also.
rich

[Ifrit617]

I will try to get one of mine up tomorrow on the official thread...

Jon

[blackhawk]

i assume theres no good way to organize all the different categories like recurves,elbs,flatbows,sinewed,bendys,etc...and the list goes on. the only downside is if the thread gets really big it could be a big unorganized kinda mess and hard to search for a certain style of bow. would a moderator be able to move someones listing and keep all the styles on the same page,or in order?

[half eye]

That's a good point...but I thought if we cataloge it I'm thinkin that it would be by wood type.....sounds nuts but I believe most guys would have a certain kind of wood and want to know "what can I make from this". But you may be very well right that the correct way would be to organize by type.

To me it seems like a fella with a osage stave says hey what do I want to make, well if we have umpteen osage entries he could sort though those and pick what he liked and would have the info there just to get him started. I think it will have to "evolve" as a resource at least I hope so.
rich

[beetlebailey1977]

I like the grouping by wood, not style of bow.........looking forward to this.

[DarkSoul]

A forum/message board such as Primitive Archer is not well suited for such a library. It just isn't able to create the kind of indexation and lay-out you would be after. An external website would be much better suited, in my opinion. As a matter of fact, another member of this messageboard, Jorad, has made a start for such a library of technical bow data.

Take a look HERE!
It's just a start, but why don't we all contribute to this website, using the contact form?

[blackhawk]

For it to be organized right on this forum a whole new sub forum would have to be started. And then if you cataloged by wood type you would have to start a thread for each known bow wood type,a lentghy list indeed. And then whatever bow you post tech data for you would put it in the appropriate wood type thread. Yikes!!!!

Id really like to contribute,but only if we can get some organization to it. If you did it by style it would keep the number of threads down,or if you did do it by wood then do the wood type threads in alphabetical order.

Just my thoughts n two cents

[PatM]

Honestly after thinking about it more I think that flooding the forum with a whole bunch of how to's on the basic bow types isn't a good idea. We don't need more of them. It gets a bit like the fist issue of PA having a how to make your first wooden bow and repeating that every few issues.
 The basics are easily accessible with a little searching and a pile of easily accessible stuff just creates more confusion due to each bowyers individual take on a subject.
 Better to just have build-alongs of more advanced bow types as people wish to add them.

[Ifrit617]

I respectively disagree PatM. I feel like a seperate board in the index would be a very feasible option and that an archieve of information like this would not be a hinderance in any way and would not be "flooding the forum" . I think this will be a great resource but I do agree that organization is needed. I would prefer to organize by wood type but only use some of the most common woods.
Many are similar in properties.

Jon

[Carson (CMB)]

I think this is a great idea.  It got me thinking about similar idea, but I will post that in another thread so not to clutter this up.

[johnston]

I agree with Jon. A build-a-long  is a very useful thing but it's step by step nature does not take into account the
individual building methods of the reader. You basically follow the steps as laid out by someone else. The Tech
Thread (if I understand it correctly) tells you where someone else went but not how to get there.

Example; About a year ago Rich sent me a photo with dimensions laid out of his Molly design almost exactly like
the one posted in this thread. I used different wood but allowed for the difference with his advice and was able to build
 three successful bows even though I am sure we used different methods of building. The initial layout had been
proven long before I got started. All I had to do was build it.

Of course the shaping, tillering and finishing was the same as for any bow you build. Still, the layout helps a bunch.
I have seen many requests for dimensions especially by newbies and while we all know you can't build a bow like
that it still is a valuable tool. Especially for beginners like me.

Lane

[Badger]

  I would also include limb tip position before and after tillering, such as started with 1" reflex finished with 1" string follow. Total 2" set.
  Also mass weight of bow in oz: example 18 oz mass weight
 

[half eye]

Thanks Badger, two very good points. That would indeed be usefull for a complete description.
rich

[Gaur]

How about how far it shoots a arrow to give some comparison of performance?  I forget how you would standardize that for different bows.