Author Topic: What next? (Read 10900 times)

DC · « **Reply #30 on:** March 29, 2019, 06:04:02 am »

Just fiddling around with Gimp. Second picture I just levelled it out. That shows the stiff fade area a lot better. First picture is a flipped overlay so you can compare limbs. Looks to me all that has to be done is get the left fade area bending more.
PS I accidentally flipped the picture.

It should be good now. I've got more to learn about Gimp

SLIMBOB · « **Reply #31 on:** March 29, 2019, 06:22:33 am »

To the last question....maybe yes. Can you post an unbraced profile pic.. In the bigger picture, you want...or I should say I want, the limb to work right out of the fade on most. Longer bows with parallel inner limbs being the exception. I think you want this one working right out of the fades. Ballance appears to be the issue here to me. Get the left inner limb loosened up a bit. That will ease up some bend on the right. Then see what you have. It looks more level now than before in the cradle. I want to see that the profile unbraced is straight, I believe it is. If so, left inner first. Just a little. As it bends more, the right will bend less. Then the right midlimb. I will say again, the straight edge here is your friend and will make quick work of where your issues are.
Edit...just looked at the picture of it on the table, so straight profile. That would confirm the above advice for me.

TimBo · « **Reply #32 on:** March 29, 2019, 11:12:12 am »

Hey DC, did you maybe reverse that first photo? I think you have the original left limb on the right.

DC · « **Reply #33 on:** March 29, 2019, 11:47:04 am »

I guess I did

I'll fix it.
Fixed. I hope that doesn't just confuse things more. Sorry about that.

bjrogg · « **Reply #34 on:** March 29, 2019, 12:03:38 pm »

Paul I agree with DC. The last picture you posted, the first couple inches out of fade on left limb aren't moving. Go carefully until they are moving like the right. As for the lifted splinter, I've never used hickory, but have heard it pretty forgiving in tension. I'd probably be nervous with any of the woods I've used but nobody else seems very concerned about this one. Where is it? My guess would be right limb where it's bending the most coming out of fade. Getting a little more bend just past that spot might help take some tension off it. I'd agree with slimbob that mid limb right limb could be slightly stiff.
Bjrogg

paulc · « **Reply #35 on:** April 06, 2019, 02:46:01 pm »

So I got back to this hickory bow today and for a while I super excited cause I was "fixing it" Now I am not so sure-it is better I think but the numbers when the bow is drawn do not line up. They are right on the money closest to the handle, guess that is obvious but they get out of wack as I go out the limbs. Now the bow is pulling perhaps 50lbs and I don't feel like I am getting the numbers closer. I've been using the tillering gizmo and my sqaure/straight edge and it has helped A LOT but maybe I should stop? The bend I think is pretty consistent out of the handles and stays okay until that last 4-6" where it begins to flatten out before the bend in the tips. I decided I probably wanted the limb to stop working at I approached the tips? I did the tillering gizmo until the pencil no longer touched except that last 6" or so then I moved the pencil up so it was closer to the belly-at the handle/fades area- then took more wood off where the pencil touched the limbs.

Also a pic of the back-not sure if you can see the wave in it but it is NOT even from tip to tip. It is the natural back directly under the bark so it is not consistent. Maybe that is throwing my efforts off?

Anyway, do I keep going or call it done? It throws an arrow real nicely so I am pretty happy on that score.

Thoughts?

And if you can post a pic of the cradle on you tree-I am currently using debitage from my knapping to level this particular bow even though the cradle is level...I think a better cradle would help my efforts.

Thanks so much for the help! Already dreaming of my other hickory bow that is about 1/2 done...

Paul

DC · « **Reply #36 on:** April 06, 2019, 03:20:18 pm »

Left limb is the bottom? Can you get someone to take a full draw picture? I think the left limb is still a tad stiff right at the fade but If it looks good in a FD picture I'd call it good. You've fretted over this too long

SLIMBOB · « **Reply #37 on:** April 06, 2019, 03:31:42 pm »

That looks a lot better. Sometimes you just gotta say I'm done. If you don't, you end up with a 35 lb bow trying to perfect it. The left looks like it starts bending later than the right, but if you like it, you make the call. It looks way better than before. Im working on one right now, just about finished with it, that will never be perfect looking. The limbs leave the handle at different angles and it throws everything a little off. I called it good and that's it. It's mine and I like it like it is.

scp · « **Reply #38 on:** April 07, 2019, 09:54:51 am »

I have never seen a perfectly straight tree so far. It sure looks perfect enough for me, so long as the back splinter is holding at 50 pound full draw. I would finish the back or even back it with something light like linen as soon as possible.

paulc · « **Reply #39 on:** April 28, 2019, 03:24:56 pm »

So here my hickory bow after about 150-200 shots thru it. Still staying together, shoot well if I do my part. Not a rocket launcher but it will kill. So I think i can move forward with trying to finish it. First pic is of the splinter on the back, shiny stuff is of course the super glue I used on it. Do I dare sand off the glue before I finish it? I want to use a couple coats of BLO to finish the bow.

And the string is laying funny on one end. See the two pics...I just cut the shoulder a bit deeper to get the string to lay on the shoulder better?

A pic of the sting lay just because...made picking top limb pretty easy.

I am thinking I want to in-law a piece of local cedar as an arrow pass-just a little accent color I guess and it sounds interesting in my head. How bad an idea is it to be cutting grain at the handle? This isn't a bendy handle bow (not that I really know why I can say that) but if it is bendy handle I didn't mean for it to be bendy handle. How deep could I do the inlaw? 1/4" too much? Should I do something like 1/8" deep?

Thanks as always! Paul

TimBo · « **Reply #40 on:** April 28, 2019, 05:13:22 pm »

I would make the string grooves a bit deeper and the loops smaller.

bjrogg · « **Reply #41 on:** April 28, 2019, 07:02:53 pm »

I like it Paul. It looks much better now and if you like how it shoots I'd probably leave it alone as far as tillering goes. Would be nice to see a hand held full draw. They often look different than on the tree.

I'd cut the notches deeper or put on a overlay. Maybe even narrow em up just a tad but I'd for sure try to get string loops smaller.

You did really good. Can't wait to see your next one.
Bjrogg

paulc · « **Reply #42 on:** April 28, 2019, 08:25:47 pm »

Thanks for everyone's help w this. I have another hickory already partway and I've a hackberry stave next in line.

Paul

paulc · « **Reply #43 on:** May 16, 2019, 04:53:16 pm »

So I think I can call this bow officially finished and a bow! It is just shy of 70" in a straight line; pulls right at 50lbs at 28". I won't list everything I know is wrong with it...It is my first actual bow and it throws arrows like it is supposed to. I did find cracks in the back when I took the air compressor to it this morning-I filled those with CA and sanded once dried. I will just keep an eye on them...simple wood stain finished underneath several coats of BLO.

Any feedback would be welcome. Paul C