Yet ANOTHER heavy bow

[Kegan]

Okay, been learning alot about D bow tillers and what not, and looking back at some of my older bows. I finally realized that elliptical tillers make fast bows (after asking all of you, it finally clicked with some of my previous bows) and heavily rounded in the handle yeilds suprisingly smooth bows. So, I put it to use=)!

Made this heavy cosmetic (as in i burnished it and sanded it to silky soft state)  hickory. Not really for huntung, though couold be used for such, this "warbow" is 90# at 27", 66" long. I added a padded leather grip to it to muffle hand shock, then wrapped it all of with a second layer of artificial sinew. Because of it's design, this bow is as easy to draw as a similiar 85# yew ELB over 6' long I got to try a year or so ago. It is 1 1/2" wide at the handle, tap[ering straight to lightened up 3/4" tips. It is just under an inch at the handle, and about 3/4" or something at the tips, giving it very stiff limbs and round handle, and quite "easy" to draw, at least it doesn't feel like 90# due to the excess bend in the grip. But it shoots- well. I'll have to finihs up some of the new arrows I've been working on to use it to it's fullest potential, but it is fat, and strong as is, even if the cast is slightly weaker than Sweetie, who has a more elliptical tiller but's only 76#. it has a quite rouned belly, which chould be a testament to hickory compression strength if nothing else. I'll be making another bow soon to tet a couple other theories as well .

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[mullet]

  Goodness son,You're gonna hurt yourself. Good looking tiller on that bow,Kegan.

[DanaM]

I agree with eddie yer gonna hurt yerself oh to be young again
Well done kegan, 20 years from now I expect you and sean will be writing chapters for TBB vol 7
Love yer enthusiasm.

[1/2primitive]

You're making me feel like a weakling with my 45-50 lb bows.  

Anyway, great bow, glad it shoots well.  
    Sean

[D. Tiller]

Uhm! Keegan, the outer limbs are a bit too stiff and not quite bending enough. Next bow you might want to get them bending a bit more since set in or near the handle is exagerated out at the tips and makes for less wood being used in that style of bow. But I like the design! 90#'s wow! Hurts just looking at ya pulling it!!!

[Kegan]

D.Tiller- Yup- that's what I was going for! Stiff tips, bendy middle. Makes even short bows super smooth. My next bow will be an elliptical tiller D bow for speed, and extra long for stability. I also have another way I want to try tapering. D bows are fuuuuuun !

Sean- Bet you're way more accurate ! Besides, I have trouble making high performance bows of 45-50#. Seems to take way more skill than it does to draw a heavy bow .

[tom sawyer]

"only 76lb" and "90 that only feels like 85" are two phrases you will never see me type without quotes.

Very good, I've seen many bendy bows that did more work near the handle.  I used to think that was wrong, but really it works well because it gives you more leverage.

Now what you do is bandsaw that 90lber in half and you have two nice 45lb bows with side nocks.

[venisonburger]

Going for buffalo? she's quite the monster.
great job Kegan
VB

[Bishop]

great looking bow Kegan, i love that handle wrap, looks awesome.

Bishop

[a finnish native]

looking good man. I like the fact that someone is proving that a teenager is cabable of such bows.

[Pappy]

Another nice bow Kegan,do you ever go to school. You are really turning them out.
   Pappy

[Dane]

Dude, how do you stay so prolific? And yeah, I feel weak, weak, weak! A girly man.

Good looking bow.

Dane

[Eric Garza]

Kegan, you're scaring me man.  

You're gonna blow your rotator cuffs jumping weight this fast (to 75 lbs, then a week later to 90?!), especially without warming up before your first draw of each day.  Unless you've got $$$ to spend on surgery and physical therapy you'll be shooting 20 pounders at rabbits for the rest of your life.  Despite what you and your friends might think, you aren't invincible and even with youth on your side you can't abuse yourself like this for too long before it catches up to you. 

But I suppose you think I sound like just another wussie old guy..

-Eric

[Dane]

Eric is right. The medival English archers trained their whole lives to shoot those high-poundage bows. Same with the Asiatic nomads. They slowly obtained form, and stayed there. Very few folks today can possibly say the same.

Injuries are no fun, and they get less fun the older you get. I blew out my knee when I was a kid, and reinjured the knee numerous times, including in the service. Now the pain never really goes away. Luckily I don't want to ski, snowshoe, or play any field sports again. Hate to see your archery career ended by some debilitating injuries.

[Kegan]

Thanks everyone, and Eric and Dane- you both are very right. I once tried to draw two small bows together a year or two ago, didn't work, couldn't shoot for two weeks- and my shoulder ached every morning for a month. I am by no means invincible, but the design of this bows allow me to shoot the heavier weight at the cost of cast at a distance. Besides, I can't shoot very long, and when i get tired, I stop.

My next bow will be 70" long, elliptical tiller, 70# at 27", 1 1/2" wide for most of the legnth, except the last 8" at the tips. 1 1/4" thick at the handel tapering to 1/2" tips.