Author Topic: A challenging piece of wood,and a question.(More picsFinished for now)  (Read 11375 times)

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Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: A challenging piece of wood,and a question.
« Reply #30 on: July 21, 2011, 12:16:05 am »
It would be great if you had a pair of those staves.  Turn them both into bows and name them "Watson" and "Crick".

 >:D
Guns have triggers. Bicycles have wheels. Trees and bows have wooden limbs.

Offline toomanyknots

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Re: A challenging piece of wood,and a question.
« Reply #31 on: July 21, 2011, 12:17:59 am »
I know like 3 people have already posted "WOW"...

..so I will post "WOAH" cause that is what I said when I looked at the first pic and then the new one! Jeez, just the bottom end to go now and your good to go, right? Very good job.
"The way of heaven is like the bending of a bow-
 the upper part is pressed down,
 the lower part is raised up,
 the part that has too much is reduced,
 the part that has too little is increased."

- Tao Te Ching, 77, A new translation by Victor H. Mair

Offline dbb

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Re: A challenging piece of wood,and a question.
« Reply #32 on: July 21, 2011, 06:06:19 am »
@ crooketarrow I have the same taste in bows,guess i still suffer from FGsickness to some degree.
But im new to this and the main thing for me at this point is to learn,and even if i fail to make a bow from this i will learn of limits with wood.
That is NOT a waste of time however the outcome!

@ JW_Halverson Haha,I do have another stave from this tree,but its so full of knots and branches that i classified it as "firewood" :o

/Mikael
It's better to ask and look like a fool than not to ask and remain one...

Offline dbb

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Re: A challenging piece of wood,and a question.
« Reply #33 on: July 21, 2011, 12:11:08 pm »
I have been a bit busy :D and caught up in this helix stave of mine,but here are the pics from round 2 and 3.
Alot of steaming and sweating have been done.
When i tried to "untwist the wood at one critical point i felt it would break if i tried more,so i did something unorthodox.
I put it in my bathtub and poured boiling water over the part that wouldnt cooperate then i let it soak for a while.
Dont know if it was stupid.or if i ruined it totally...but it looks ok enough.
This is after second steaming

And this is after the soak and steam.That binding in the middle look a bit like japanese bondage :laugh:


/Mikael
It's better to ask and look like a fool than not to ask and remain one...

Offline beetlebailey1977

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Re: A challenging piece of wood,and a question.(More pics round 2-3)
« Reply #34 on: July 21, 2011, 12:28:12 pm »
it is certainly getting...there good luck.  I am cheering for you on this one.
« Last Edit: July 23, 2011, 02:01:20 pm by beetlebailey1977 »
Happy hunting to all!
Bowhunters of South Carolina Executive council member
Professional Bowhunters Society Associate member

Reevesville, SC     James V. Bailey II

Offline jonathan creason

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Re: A challenging piece of wood,and a question.
« Reply #35 on: July 21, 2011, 12:49:07 pm »
And this is after the soak and steam.That binding in the middle look a bit like japanese bondage :laugh:

And how do you know what that looks like?  ;D ;)

You're making far more progress on this stave than I ever imagined possible.  Great job, I hope it turns into a shooter for you!
Cleveland, NC

"The only thing cooler than bands that gets lots of chicks are bands that scare chicks." - Beavis

Offline gstoneberg

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Re: A challenging piece of wood,and a question.(More pics round 2-3)
« Reply #36 on: July 21, 2011, 04:05:12 pm »
Looking better all the time.  Now, the waiting begins...  Hope you have another stave to play with so this one can dry awhile. ;)

George
St Paul, TX

Offline Gus

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Re: A challenging piece of wood,and a question.(More pics round 2-3)
« Reply #37 on: July 21, 2011, 06:50:42 pm »
Have you considered using wedges under the rope to tighten things up while its hot?

-gus
"I taught him archery everyday, and when he got good at it he throw an arrow at me."

Conroe, TX

Offline toomanyknots

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Re: A challenging piece of wood,and a question.(More pics round 2-3)
« Reply #38 on: July 21, 2011, 06:54:40 pm »
Very nicely done. Looks like you got it nice and straight, if after it is dry and you remove the binding it stays in place. Looks great. That was a really great steam bending job.
"The way of heaven is like the bending of a bow-
 the upper part is pressed down,
 the lower part is raised up,
 the part that has too much is reduced,
 the part that has too little is increased."

- Tao Te Ching, 77, A new translation by Victor H. Mair

Offline dbb

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Re: A challenging piece of wood,and a question.(More pics round 2-3)
« Reply #39 on: July 21, 2011, 07:12:59 pm »
I think i have to steam it one more time unless im very lucky,just to fix string alignment
 
Have you considered using wedges under the rope to tighten things up while its hot?
-gus
I got it flat against the board so it wouldnt do any good unless i put the wedges under the stave at one side to "overbend" it a bit.
I have no doubt this stave will spring back a bit  when realeased >:D
Looking better all the time.  Now, the waiting begins...  Hope you have another stave to play with so this one can dry awhile. ;)
George
Not to worry,i have lots to do,a set of arrow, quiver, tab and armguard for my nephew.And i got a delivery of 2 nice hickoryboards today :)
And how do you know what that looks like?  ;D ;)
:-[ We all have our kinks and quirks :laugh:

/Mikael
It's better to ask and look like a fool than not to ask and remain one...

mikekeswick

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Re: A challenging piece of wood,and a question.(More pics round 2-3)
« Reply #40 on: July 21, 2011, 08:00:15 pm »
Well done so far.
I wouldn't bother to try and untwist anymore now - remember heat weakens the wood to a degree.
As for the string alingment don't worry about it. Leave the handle full width until it's ready for it's first stringing, string it and see where the string is. Then shape the handle towards the string. I've done this on staves where the string was miles outside the handle and it works great and it will be yet another bit of character!

Offline Gus

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Re: A challenging piece of wood,and a question.(More pics round 2-3)
« Reply #41 on: July 21, 2011, 09:40:24 pm »
Sorry had my 5 month old in one hand trying to type with the other earlier and he was not having it...

I was talking about Driving wedges under the ropes to tighten the whole package up.

But if you are getting her tight by hand I guess that would not be needed.

Regards,

-gus
"I taught him archery everyday, and when he got good at it he throw an arrow at me."

Conroe, TX

Offline dbb

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Re: A challenging piece of wood,and a question.(More pics round 2-3)
« Reply #42 on: July 21, 2011, 09:46:42 pm »
Sounds like a good advise mikekeswick.
I have left it as wide and thick as i could get away with just to have some possibility to adjust things.
Well now its just wait and see what happens when i release it  in a couple of days.
@ Gus That sounds like multitasking  :) I understood what you meant,guess its hard to see that there is no play between stave and board on the pic.

/Mikael
It's better to ask and look like a fool than not to ask and remain one...

Offline Sidewinder

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Re: A challenging piece of wood,and a question.(More pics round 2-3)
« Reply #43 on: July 23, 2011, 12:29:51 pm »
Well I must say that you have made alot more progress than I thought possible. If you make a shooter out of this one I think you should get an award or something. Keep up the good work and I am really looking forward to the outcome.   Danny
"You know a tree by the fruit it bears"   God

Offline H Rhodes

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Re: A challenging piece of wood,and a question.(More pics round 2-3)
« Reply #44 on: July 26, 2011, 12:05:22 pm »
I am no expert, but most of the fruit woods tend to dry on the brittle side.... I would steam and bend while it is green, and try to take the least amount of twist out that you can get by with....  Side nocks and be happy if the string runs anywhere close to the middle of the middle of the stave.   Go for it!  I want to see a bow named "Double Helix" shoot.  It could be a real character.  Good luck.
Howard
Gautier, Mississippi