Pain in the Kiester Bow now strung and shooting

[islandpiper]

First a little history:   this is a bow i made in a demonstration area at the local Renaissance Festival, out of some off cut scrap that i didn't want to make a "real" bow out of.   It is Red Oak.   It had a knot near one end so I cut it short.   It was already narrow.  When I strung it up it wanted to take a set, so I bent some recurve into the tips, and it got real pretty.  Then i cracked it, glued it, cracked it again......glued it again and would the crack with historically correct dental floss.   No more cracks.   I then did some more tillering, and finally shot it.   

Wow!!   Shot good.   Looked good.   So, today I stained it with Old English Furniture Polish, and then two coats of wipe on poly.   I added a grip of seine twine, wrapped TIGHT.  Just a little floppy leather arrow shelf.   

Today I brought it home and shot it again.    MAN, IS THAT SUCKER FAST!!!   

I'll get some pics up ASAP.   

I can't believe how FAST it feels when i shoot this bow.  The arrows fishtail all the way to the target.   These are arrows that do good with my other bows, apprx. 35# spine, cedar arrows.    I wonder it i should be shooting something stiffer in this bow.   And, I am more accurate with this bow than my other bows. 

Now......this must be the elusive "WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON HERE, AND WHY?" that everyone on this forum chases around at times.   But, i have to ask:   why is this bow so fast?  Why is it more accurate?  hmmm

As usual, i defer to your expertise and will sit quietly awaiting answers.   piper

[El Destructo]

I cant really answer why it is faster....but I can tell you that the Narrower you make the Riser....the closer to center the Bow Shoots....the more accurate it should be....as for speed ....I would guess thatsince it is slim....and the Tips are probably really narrow....this all adds to the Bow being faster.....also sometimes you grab a piece of Red Oak from the Local Lumber Yard....and it is just a very Stout....High Quality Grained Piece of Wood that was destined to make a good Bow......and then it could just be a Fluke........

[islandpiper]

El Destructo, i don't have any way to measure the speed of the arra's or the speed of the tips as they fly by, it JUST SEEMS FASTER.  Maybe it is.  I was guessing that since it is much shorter than my usual 68-72" bow that the tips just don't have to go as far to "rest position" so they get there quicker. 

  ::)You know, this is just an idea, but if there's someone on the forum who knows EVERYTHING, please identify yourself, so the rest of us can just submit all our questions directly to you!!    That sure would save me a lot of time stumbling around trying different stuff.   Wait......that's the fun part.   Never mind.   

I have an osage blank about the same length that I have glued a hickory backing onto, still bends at about 100#.   So, when I can get moxie enough to narrow it down to where I can start really making it into a bow I'll have a better feel for this length vs width vs material related to speed thing.   

piper

[islandpiper]

Here are pics of the PAIN IN THE KIESTER BOW.  I put on a seine twine handle. It was easy, fast and feels good in the hand.   Then, shot it with some Tobacco Brown Guitar Lacquer.  The full draw pic shows that the lower limb really should be the upper, but  it was the lower that cracked and was repaired, and i didn't want to look at the repair with every shot, so it is now the lower limb.   Still shoots good, and FAST.  piper

[El Destructo]

Nice Job Keith....I really Like the Handle....and the Tiller Looks fantastic the way it is.....now just go back and delete all of the Double    Images!!!!!!! Man!!!!! LMAOROTF

[Badger]

Keith, that bow looks great, the performance of your bows won't be much of a mystery once you have made a few it becomes very predictable. Low set, good tiller and low mass outer limbs equal good performing bows. If a bow starts taking set early in the process you know it is either still wet or you need to build it at a lower draw weight. Lots of the mysteries will leave but hopefully there will always be a learning process. Steve

[DanaM]

Nothing wrong with that bow Kieth You sure picked this up fast.
Don't let PatB close to yer cat or he will be on the menu Mmmmmm kitty gumbo

[Jesse]

Looks great Piper. Like the handle wrap and the way you curved the tips. Great job

[islandpiper]

PatB, that is the 17-year old tortoise-shell cat.....not much to eat on a cat that old.  piper

[Hillbilly]

Good looking bow, sometimes those that give you fits making them turn out to be favorites. Tiller does look a little off at brace, but it's bending nicely at full draw. Looks like you did a great job on it. What are the stats?

[George Tsoukalas]

piper, awesome bow! Let me get this straight. Red oak is a pretty good bow wood and with the proper design can produce a fast, durable bow? Nice! I am worried about how you cut those nocks. I know someone who did that on osage. It snapped there. Jawge

[islandpiper]

George, learning as I go.  I know now that those nocks can "rip" a limb.   I may flatten the back side and graft on some thing like Rhino Horn or Golden Eagle Beak........oops.........or rosewood or ebony or a pressure laminated plastic.  I'm just so surprised THAT IT SJOOTS AT ALL !!

piper

[George Tsoukalas]

We are all scrambling to learn what the ancients knew intuitively. I was pulling your leg. The oaks are very good bow woods. Fix up those nocks though. Jawge

[Pat B]

Another great red oak bow! You guys are gonna give red oak a good name if you are not careful.
   Don't worry about the cat. I'm glad Hillbilly missed Dana's remark. We have a 21 year old solid black cat. He just quit killing stuff a year or so ago.     Pat

[DanaM]

Sorry Pat but anytime I see a cat I think of you for some reason