Author Topic: Red oak board bow  (Read 7143 times)

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Offline grinner

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Red oak board bow
« on: March 24, 2012, 11:11:41 pm »
Hi, I started making a red oak board bow and it is 72" long. And i made the libs 7/16" thick 26" then tapered to 3/4"> My question is did i do this right? I think i should have made a straight taper to the handle but i didnt. Will i still be fine? I til lered it and i thought it looked good. Here is a picture of it at 5 in brace.

blackhawk

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Re: Red oak board bow
« Reply #1 on: March 24, 2012, 11:42:56 pm »
hard to tell from your fuzzy pic,but you might be stiff from mid limb on in both limbs,and might be hinged a lil outside of the fade on the left limb. not sure if i understand you right,but trying to make your bow a "certain" thickness will not usually work. can you give some more detailed info cus its a lil hard to understand exactly what your saying? like have you pulled it farther than this? if so how far and at what weight and length? and if you did do you have a full draw pic? and whats your front profile view look like?
« Last Edit: March 24, 2012, 11:46:57 pm by blackhawk »

Offline grinner

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Re: Red oak board bow
« Reply #2 on: March 24, 2012, 11:48:28 pm »
I Just made the limbs the same thickness all the way down instead of tapering it from the tips to the handle. Will it be ok like this? I have tillered it to 23 inches. But this is my first bow so i dont know how it is. I will try to take other pics a longer draw tommoror

blackhawk

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Re: Red oak board bow
« Reply #3 on: March 24, 2012, 11:54:05 pm »
it depends on what your front profile looks like. if its a pyramid profile then yes,but by the looks of your bend id say it isnt,and why the areas outside of the handle is bending too much. other than a pyramid you need to establish a even thickness taper with most profiles. and you try to establish it early on during floor tiller when you still have enough weight to get your tiller right. even wth a pyramid profile you still have to tiller it,you cant just make it the same thickness and expect it to come out right.

Offline grinner

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Re: Red oak board bow
« Reply #4 on: March 24, 2012, 11:59:52 pm »
The front is taperd from 1.5; to the 1/2" tips.

Offline PAHunter

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Re: Red oak board bow
« Reply #5 on: March 25, 2012, 01:05:36 am »
Hey bro, looks great for a first attempt!  Post some more pics as blackhawk suggested and he'll hook you up with advice.  Here is a video of me doing a board bow that may help.  There are several good (better than mine) examples on YT.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Y7inwBgm38    :)
Thanks,
Rob - Wexford, PA

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Offline Cameroo

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Re: Red oak board bow
« Reply #6 on: March 25, 2012, 01:38:10 am »
I Just made the limbs the same thickness all the way down instead of tapering it from the tips to the handle. Will it be ok like this? I have tillered it to 23 inches. But this is my first bow so i dont know how it is. I will try to take other pics a longer draw tommoror

It sounds like you're pretty new to this, so please forgive me if I'm giving you advice that you don't need.  But please don't draw it any further until you get the limbs working more from mid-limb and outward.  There is no need to draw the bow beyond the point that you can see something wrong.  Once you make a few bows, these things will jump right out at you.  But you can see that most of the work is being done about 5 or 6 inches away from your handle.  If you look at the limbs beyond that toward the tips, they're practically straight.  If you don't get those outer limbs bending more, the bow will likely break at that point.  This is the whole point of tillering - teaching the wood to bend the way you want it to, to even the stress out along the limbs and avoid overly stressing one spot.

For future bows, try to blend the the handle into the limbs in one smooth transition.  You have a straight taper from the handle down to the fades, and then straight taper from the fades into the working limbs.  If you tiller this in one smooth arch, you will avoid overly-stressing the limbs at the ends of the fades.

Offline grinner

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Re: Red oak board bow
« Reply #7 on: March 25, 2012, 10:29:45 am »
OK thanks for the help i will work on the mid limbs today.

Offline grinner

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Re: Red oak board bow
« Reply #8 on: March 25, 2012, 09:57:28 pm »
OK I worked on it a little more today here are a few pics of it pulled back. But it only feels like it is pulling 20 pounds or so.  :embarassed: Any tips would be appreciated. Thanks

blackhawk

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Re: Red oak board bow
« Reply #9 on: March 25, 2012, 10:08:03 pm »
thanks for posting more pics ;).....now to the diognositics of them ;)

your still too stiff in your mid limbs,and pulling the bow farther than you should. when first start making bows dont worry so much about hitting an intended weight and dont be upset if you go way under. the most important point is to make it bend correctly with no flat spot of hinges.

can you see where your bending too much about 5-6" from the end of your handle? and not enough in the mid limb?

Offline grinner

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Re: Red oak board bow
« Reply #10 on: March 25, 2012, 10:23:10 pm »
Yes, I see where you are talking about should i just shave some more of the midlimbs to get the correct bend?
Thanks for the help

Offline George Tsoukalas

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Re: Red oak board bow
« Reply #11 on: March 25, 2012, 11:56:57 pm »
Yes, remove wood from mid limb on. More on my site. Jawge
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/index.html
Set Happens!
If you ain't breakin' you ain't makin!

Offline cougarbob

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Re: Red oak board bow
« Reply #12 on: March 26, 2012, 12:39:28 am »
            hi george im also  a beginner but from what i can see you are on the right track your bow looks great further more you have embarked on a very enjoyable rewarding hobbie of bow making have fun keep up the good work    Cougar Bob

Offline bubby

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Re: Red oak board bow
« Reply #13 on: March 26, 2012, 02:46:20 am »
a tillering gizmo will help you a ton, it's at the top of the how to page, Bub
failure is an option, everyone fails, it's how you handle it that matters.
The few the proud the 27🏹

mikekeswick

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Re: Red oak board bow
« Reply #14 on: March 26, 2012, 05:18:03 am »
a tillering gizmo will help you a ton, it's at the top of the how to page, Bub
Strongly recommend you do as Buby says go to the tillering gizmo link and make one - it will be a piece of cake when you have one of those tools.