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Author Topic: Painful Lesson.  (Read 1964 times)

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Fixico

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Painful Lesson.
« on: October 28, 2009, 12:01:11 am »
This is a learning process right? Well, this lesson caused me to punch myself in the face. Luckily, I hit like a girl.
This was the second bow I've built. The first was a 67" Ash flat-bow, and it turned out decent. I thought I'd try a laminate bow. It was a Bamboo backed, Pine heart, and Walnut bellied 48" long and 1" wide bow for my 6 year old daughter. All went well through the tillering and it strung up nicely. A little heavy for a 6 year old, but not bad. I made several shots with it at half draw just fine. I pulled it back to about 3/4 draw and it snapped on me. Ouch...




I'm guessing by the way it broke and what I know about the woods used that the bamboo and walnut crushed the pine. Then it looks like the bamboo snapped first causing the long tear, and the walnut going last. I'm obviously no expert, but that's what it kinda looks like to me.
Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to sandwich such a soft wood between two harder woods. I don't think I'll try the pine with the boo again.
Do my deductions seem correct, or am I wondering off in left field? I've been known to do that...

Your friendly neighborhood newbie,
B
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Offline M-P

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Re: Painful Lesson.
« Reply #1 on: October 28, 2009, 12:10:46 am »
Ouch!   You may be right, but at least one person here ( I forget who)  recently mentioned that he has had bad experience with what he called double noded bamboo.   He said that using bamboo with a pronounced second ridge at each node had caused problems.  He said the bows always broke at the node, and near that second ridge.  I would not recommend using pine, but it may have been the bamboo that failed first.  Of course disregard all this if you purchased a the backing from a firm selling bow making supplies ( as apposed to the local garden shop.)    Ron
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Fixico

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Re: Painful Lesson.
« Reply #2 on: October 28, 2009, 12:15:03 am »
No, I didn't buy the bamboo. I cut it along with a lot more for Native American Flutes, but this piece split during the curing. So I just split it some more...

B
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Offline Hillbilly

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Re: Painful Lesson.
« Reply #3 on: October 28, 2009, 09:57:53 am »
If I'm going to spend time and work prepping and gluing up a laminate bow, there's not gonna be any pine in it. Could of been a bad spot in the boo, but the words "pine" and "bow" usually don't mix too well.
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Offline Pappy

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Re: Painful Lesson.
« Reply #4 on: October 28, 2009, 10:30:15 am »
Ouch,I am with Steve on that one,it dose look like it had a really long no bending handle section.
Don't know what the tiller looked like but if it was bending a lot right where the handle starts,that
looks like where it broke that may have been the problem. :)
   Pappy
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