Forged bodkins, just need something to shoot them with now

[dwardo]

Ayup all,

Very kind local smith made these bodkins up for me and they are stunning. He says that these are just practice ones but i think they are great. They weigh about 23grams each so far to heavy for my sub 50lb bows.
Sooo have to make a longer heavier bow to get them flying. I had this stave around for a while but its been an age since i made an elb type bow. Its been a real brain scratcher to get out of the flat wide and short bows i have been making lately.
Due to my recent mindset its ending up a littler wider and flatter than your typical elb but its still long thin and pointy 

Its tillered out here to about 50 at 25. Taking little or no set so far which is a nice change working with a longer bow. Infact its that long i keep taking out the lights in my workshop  Not to mention knocking things off shelves!

One limb tip has a little reflex and the other deflex. I am considering taking this out to make it easier on the brain.

So to you elb types is the tiller looking ok? Hoping the elb king Dell is about.

What got it all started

[Del the cat]

Looki' good to me .
Those bodkins are handsome.
Del

[dwardo]

Nice bodies aren't they  When he starts cranking them out ill ask him to send me a few extra and post them up
Is the tiller shape what i am looking for? or more circular?

[Del the cat]

Nice bodies aren't they  When he starts cranking them out ill ask him to send me a few extra and post them up
Is the tiller shape what i am looking for? or more circular?

Well, I just held a CD up in front of the screen (got some funny looks as I'm at work) it looks pretty much arc of a circle to me (which is how I like 'em), maybe lower limb is a whisker stiffer, but that's generally what's done anyhow. Obviously it will be easier to see the more it bends and it may shift a bit, just keep teasing it back... but don't go past about 35"
Del

[k-hat]

Yup, listen to Del.  I've got an osage elb in the works right now, it's a lot of fun.  Right now it's bout floor tillered pulling round 125# is my guess.  Too bad it's gotta be a kids bow

Keep it up, lookin forward to the finish

[Josh Wilson]

Good looking points! I wish my "practice" ones had come out that nice, lol.

[dwardo]

Eyes playing tricks on the old computer screen.

One way up the top 1/4 looks stiff, turn it upside down and the stiffness swaps limbs 
Its working well one way in the hand so that's ok. Just have to remove the un needed mass in the tips and add some overlays. I was toying with proper horn nocks but its not something I have ever tried and I only have enough horn for overlays. Its out to 28 where its about 55lb to nearer 60 at 30. Very strange drawing back out past my usual nocking point but loads of run to shoot.

Top looks stiff



Turn it around and the top still looks stiff  Will have a few more scrapes before finishing.



Circle seems ok.

[Shaun]

It looks just slightly elliptical - your picture with the "circle" is a slight ellipse. But plenty close enough. I would not loose more draw weight to bring it around.

Those are great looking heads your friend forged. Looked up a conversion 23 grams = 350 grains.

That last couple inches of draw you mentioned is an unusual feeling compared with most standard anchor points. The muscles in my back are just recovered from my first attempt at pulling the extra distance from a week or so ago.

[dwardo]

Yeah it is more elipt than circle looking at it now. As you say though I don't want to loose any weight as i intend to make two more wych elm ELB`s next that will be more 70 then 80 ish. Increments that should help me adjust to the higher weight stuff.

Set looks good so far which is less than half inch so far. I expect it will take an inch or two after a few 100 shots.
Just got to glue up the overlays now so back to it! In the very lucky position that my little boy is staying at his nans and the missus is out for her christmas doo, ahhh man in workshop time to my self.  Try not to hat e me all