Big awkward overzealous hello

[Lars Groteballen]

Greetings to all.  The prodigal has returned.  Did you miss me?  Well, probably not, because I posted under a different name maybe 4 years ago and I can't remember who I was.  Told you this was going to be awkward.

So I started a black locust flatbow 4 years ago and ran out of patience.  Watched Northwest Passage and my inner frontiersman was suddenly reawakened.  Went down to the lower barn and dug out the floor tillered bow and the wood is still like iron.  Awesome! 

I have never completed a bow that shoots so I'm going slow on this one. 

Question: I'm close to 6'5" and when I measure from the palm of my hand to my other hand's fingers drawn backhanded to my cheek, It's about 30.5"  and from the hypothetical back that's close to 33" of draw length. 

Am I measuring properly?  And if so, should I just stay with golf? 

Having said that, I wanted to let you good people know that I made a resolution to look more inward and ignore the turmoil of politics for the next several years (or four) and working the drawknife and coming back to this site has been the absolute answer.  You guys are really doing the Lord's work, (be He Lord of All, Lord of the Rings, lord's a leapin' etc. etc.)

A sincere thank you and I'll post pic of the bow if I get up the nerve.

[SLIMBOB]

I find it measuring draw length that way very inaccurate.  I am a little over 6 ft tall.  Long arms.  My draw length is 27 inches (1 inch shorter than on compounds).  Take a bow, put it in your hands, draw an arrow to a comfortable anchor point and measure the length of the arrow to the back of the bow.  Doubt you will be 33 inches.

[M-P]

One suggestion I like is to nock an over-long arrow shaft on your bow and clip a cloths pin onto the shaft .  Draw the shaft to a comfortable anchor point and then let down.   You can now measure your draw length from nock to cloths pin.   Be sure to add a little length for mounting a point and your set to make or buy arrows.
Note this is a very practical method for fitting an arrow to you and your bow, but it bares only minor resemblence to the formal AMO definition of draw length.
See the recent thread   "can i ask a dumb question?"
Ron

[Lars Groteballen]

Thanks guys.  I really appreciate it.

[Knapper]

Hello Lars nice to meet you! Hope to see pics of the bow soon
Knapper

[Buckeye Guy]

Welcome back whoever you are!!
Have fun !!
Guy

[Lars Groteballen]

Bow just exploded while stringing. 

Big surprise!  Looked a little punky on the inside.  Also, my tillering skill is lacking. 

Square one.   

[M-P]

Sorry to hear but it happens.    It's been said more than once  "if you ain't breaking 'em, you ain't making 'em.     Ron