Author Topic: Bamboo Back & Belly Reflex Bow ( better full draw pic added as requested)  (Read 11868 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline dragonman

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,142
    • virabows.co.uk
Re: Bamboo Back & Belly Reflex/Reflex Bow
« Reply #15 on: December 03, 2012, 08:23:46 pm »
Zion...I'll get a better pic with the bow pulled further
Bushboy...A heatgun is faster, but less uniform. A long slow heat is better.. I think!!
Badly...you pretty much aim for symetry and you have to have a good idea of limb thickness and taper before you start. If the limbs are out of balance, then its 'relatively' easy to tiller with gentle heat and pressure. I'm no expert on these bows though, just trying and learning as I go...
'expansion and compression'.. the secret of life is to balance these two opposing forces.......

Offline Arrowind

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,428
Re: Bamboo Back & Belly Reflex/Reflex Bow
« Reply #16 on: December 03, 2012, 09:37:40 pm »
That bow is soooooo cool!!!  Just awesome!  Good job!  I'm with the others, would love to shoot it!
Talking trees. What do trees have to talk about, hmm... except the consistency of squirrel droppings?

Offline Keenan

  • Member
  • Posts: 4,824
Re: Bamboo Back & Belly Reflex/Reflex Bow
« Reply #17 on: December 03, 2012, 11:27:17 pm »
Thats is very nice. I bet she smokes an arrow. I did a simlar glue up years ago and it was one of the fastest bows I've built.  The one I did was less reflex and more of a five curve but I really like the looks of that. Congratulations

Offline Carson (CMB)

  • Member
  • Posts: 2,319
Re: Bamboo Back & Belly Reflex/Reflex Bow
« Reply #18 on: December 03, 2012, 11:45:05 pm »
Wow, that's sweet looking! the braced and unbraced pictures look the same but reversed. :o

They sure do, I had to go back through to find the unbraced pic.  That is wicked.  4-5 hrs over coals?  That sounds like some serious slow roasting.  Nice work. 
"The bow is the old first lyre,
the mono chord, the initial rune of fine art
The humanities grew out from archery as a flower from a seed
No sooner did the soft, sweet note of the bow-string charm the ear of genius than music was born, and from music came poetry and painting and..." Maurice Thompso

Offline steve b.

  • Member
  • Posts: 999
Re: Bamboo Back & Belly Reflex/Reflex Bow
« Reply #19 on: December 04, 2012, 12:17:49 am »
Wow, really nice.  Dragonman, can you explain the heat treat a little, how hot do you get it, how do you know when it is done?  thanks

Offline Shaun

  • Member
  • Posts: 257
Re: Bamboo Back & Belly Reflex/Reflex Bow
« Reply #20 on: December 04, 2012, 12:58:09 am »
Nice fast looking bow. I'd like to see a FULL draw picture. The one you posted looks like a half draw...

Did you tiller the bamboo before glue up?

Offline dragonman

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,142
    • virabows.co.uk
Re: Bamboo Back & Belly Reflex/Reflex Bow
« Reply #21 on: December 04, 2012, 12:15:49 pm »
Heres a slightly better full draw pic. as requested. I dont have a long draw myself, so this is as far as I pull it . Even though I tiller it to 27" in case others shoot it..... If they pull 28" or over I dont let them pull it!

Steve. Heat guns roast the surface without penetrating inside enough and they make it difficult to get a uniform toasting. I got this info from Yumi bow makers. You want to make a big fire , let it burn down, and arrange the coals in line. then support the boo at the right height above  the fire. Leave the boo slightly thicker and toast more from the inside, not the rind side. Keep turning and turning. Aiming to shrink all the fibres right through. You can smell it cooking. It will be a golden brown right through the boo. The inner surface may be too burned but plane that off......hope thats clear.....thats my way anyway...I'm sure there are other ways.
'expansion and compression'.. the secret of life is to balance these two opposing forces.......

Offline BowEd

  • Member
  • Posts: 9,390
  • BowEd
Re: Bamboo Back & Belly Reflex Bow ( better full draw pic added as requested)
« Reply #22 on: December 04, 2012, 12:32:28 pm »
WOW.For sure.Your final mass weight,reflex and draw weight & length spell speed.The rock maple,the heat treatment of bamboo.The glued up profile & tillering.Nice when a plan comes together.Congradulations.
BowEd
You got to stand for something or you'll fall for anything.
Ed

Offline Lee Slikkers

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,545
Re: Bamboo Back & Belly Reflex/Reflex Bow
« Reply #23 on: December 04, 2012, 01:45:17 pm »
thanks guys. Lee I used epoxy and I only lightly grooved the surfaces..not to match up ,just to ensure a good glue up.

Thanks for the info Dave...I'll have to move my Boo in from the garage to get the moisture content down so I can start mine soon.
~ Lee

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The last word in ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plant: 'What good is it?"
— Aldo Leopold
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Offline Parnell

  • Member
  • Posts: 5,556
Re: Bamboo Back & Belly Reflex Bow ( better full draw pic added as requested)
« Reply #24 on: December 04, 2012, 02:49:30 pm »
Excellent work Dragonman!  Arrows must scream from that bow. 

When you toasted the bamboo - you wrote to keep turning and turning.  So did you hold the bamboo the duration of those 4-5 hours rocking it over the coals or did you actually fully turn it exposing the rind side to the heat?

Well done Dave!
1’—>1’

Offline bushboy

  • Member
  • Posts: 2,256
Re: Bamboo Back & Belly Reflex Bow ( better full draw pic added as requested)
« Reply #25 on: December 04, 2012, 03:05:44 pm »
Did you have it wired up in reflex when u toasted it or just left it flat and pulled it in 4 the glue up? Thx's
Some like motorboats,I like kayaks,some like guns,I like bows,but not the wheelie type.

Offline Shaun

  • Member
  • Posts: 257
Re: Bamboo Back & Belly Reflex Bow ( better full draw pic added as requested)
« Reply #26 on: December 04, 2012, 04:21:55 pm »
Thanks for posting another full draw pic. That is one sweet bow and interesting info on tempering the boo with coals. Fine work all around.

Offline dragonman

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,142
    • virabows.co.uk
Re: Bamboo Back & Belly Reflex Bow ( better full draw pic added as requested)
« Reply #27 on: December 04, 2012, 06:38:14 pm »
Parnell. I rigged up a shelf over the fire and raised and lowered it to keep the heat right, then toasted both sides for about 10-15mins each side, the rind side and the side to be glued,and kept turning... so you turn it as it starts to go brown. I just meant that overall I toasted the inside more than the rind side. The yumi bowyers smoke their bamboo for days prior to this.They say the important thing is to use hard ,old bamboo for the belly.

Bushboy....I didnt toast in any reflex...just glued it in...

and good luck with yours ..Lee
'expansion and compression'.. the secret of life is to balance these two opposing forces.......

Offline Dvshunter

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,402
Re: Bamboo Back & Belly Reflex Bow ( better full draw pic added as requested)
« Reply #28 on: December 04, 2012, 07:45:27 pm »
That is an awesome bow. Great job.
"There is a natural mystic blowing through the air; if you listen carefully now you will hear." Robert Nesta Marley