bamboo backed osage bendy handle

[lesken2011]

I finally finished this one up and learned alot. It is my 1st successful bamboo backed bow. I had a failure with osage and one with ipe due to starved glue areas while trying to induce reflex. This one was glued up with about 3 inches of reflex and holds about 2 inches after resting. It is 60 inches tip to tip with coco bola tip overlays and is 42# @28 inches. I left the bamboo a little thick so the osage is pretty thin but she has held up over several hundred shots. I took this bow to Tannehill and let Eric Krewson look at it where he pointed out that I had violated the power fibers between the last node and the tip, so I wrapped the tips from the last node to the tip overlays with black artificial sinew for added protection. The handle gave me fits on this one due to the shape, so I tried a wrapped handle and like the way it turned out. The shelf is on the wrong side for me, but I made it for my son to shoot till his other one is ready. He is not crazy about bendy handle bows. Sorry that the pics aren't that great, but here are some.

[Cardboard_Duck]

Sweet bow! I love the bendy handles! Great job on this one

[lesken2011]

Thanks, Duck. I made my first bendy by accident (the handle popped off) and really like them now. I thought a few times this one wouldn't pan out.

[Joec123able]

Wow just beautiful I'm in love with these bend in the handle bows

[missilemaster]

Wow, nice looking bends on that baby!

[lesken2011]

Thanks, Joe & Cody. After receiving one of Half Eye's bendies, I realized how sweet they can be when done by an expert. I have a ways to go, but am enjoying the ride!

[half eye]

That's the way ya make 'em bend bud!!!!! really nicely done, bet it gets yer arras downrange in a big hurry. even if ya did use osage
rich

[Zion]

Sweet little bow, the grip looks really comfortable, especially for a bend in the handle bow.

[Joec123able]

Yes what do you use for the grip ?? I love how it looks like a stiff handle. I'm working on a bendy handle bow and I'd love to do the grip like that if you don't mind telling me

[lesken2011]

I went to the craft store and bought some sheets of 1/4 inch cork. I used some Loctite G02 glue to glue the sheets together. Then just treated them like wood and shaped them on my belt sander with a little final touch ups done by hand with a rasp. The problem I ran into with an almost flat bow and no riser was after rounding out the handle and not really having any fades, I just could not get a laced leather handle to fit right. I took a big piece of leather and cut some long strips and wrapped it around the handle using the first wrap as a strike plate. It worked like a charm and is very comfy.

[Pappy]

Looks great,should be a shooter.
   Pappy

[JonW]

That is the way I like to see them bend. Good job!

[simson]

Looks very good! The black wrappings makes the opptical illusion the shorter than it is (fd pic).
Would like to see the unbraced profile.

[lesken2011]

Thanks for the feedback, guys. Yeah, I took the pics as the sun was setting and realized too late that I didn't take one unstrung. I will post one today.

[H Rhodes]

Awesome bend in that one Kenny.  I have yet to try a bamboo backed bow.  That one looks like a shooter to me.