OK, well here are the few current projects, two of them previously posted for checks and one of them making its first appearance.
The first is the new one, and my first attempt and the ELB/Warbow design, a little lighter than I was hoping for, but probably about as much as I will get out of it. It is Hackberry, 77 inches long and currently pulling a little over 80 lbs at 29 inches. I feel its fairly symmetrical right now but wonder if the tips need to be doing some more bending as they look a little stiff. I was hoping to maybe get something up to 120 or 130 but right now am not sure I'll even break the century mark at 32 inches. Also the string is a little out of alignment and I think I will try to maybe steam bend it a little bit to get it to track better.
The Second is another hackberry. It is more of an American longbow design, but I decided to flip the tips a little as the stave had about 3 inches of deflex at the start of it. Didn't recurve them quite as much as I would have liked but am afraid of messing to much as it has turned into a nice shooter for me so far. The last post of it it was pulling 80 lbs at 30.5 inches. Top limb was a little stiff then so I scraped some and it still seems like it might be but thought I'd let the masters let me know for sure. There is a little natural bend right at the fades on the top limb that make it look like it is bending too much just above my hand but it is in the wood I believe. Anyway here is the updated picture of it, now pulling about 75 lbs at 30.5 inches.
The last bow is my second attempt at a cedar bow after having the first one blow in my face. I posted it once as being finished but was not happy with it and decided to go back and work it a little from the comments posted. It's 63 inches long, ERC backed with cotton canvas glued down with TBII pulling about 70 lbs at 25 inches. I feel like I can pull it a little past that maybe but am hesitant to after exploding the last one. I have put quite a few arrows through it and am pleased with it as a shooter, It is light in the hand and a zippy little shooter.
Anyway thanks for looking all and as always all of your comments are graciously received. I count myself lucky to have wandered by this site and found all of you. The addiction has become terminal and I have already marked two hophornbeams, an american hornbeam and a sycamore for harvest this summer. I might just have to start sending out staves as thank-yous to all of those who have given me a helping hand! Thanks again all!
Kip
