Pyramid Bow for my requirements?

[Greebe]

Hey everyone,

It has been a long time since I have been on this forum.  I originally joined back in the late 90's and posted a lot up until around 2002 before I moved to Alaska.  I lost my interest in bows as firearms were my main hobby and lifeline.  A few years ago my wife and I moved "outside" (the lower 48) and will probably be moving back in the next year if we can make it work out.  Anyways with the firearm craze right now I am not shooting my firearms that much because of the scarcity of ammunition and components, and have been starting to shoot my little 30# recurve again which has been nice.  Part of the reason I stopped shooting bows was that my shoulder was giving me a lot of problems for years but has started feeling better recently.  This is why all I have to shoot now is the 30 pounder.

So the last bow I built was probably around 12 years ago.  At the time i was just building simple long bows from oak.  When I came back to the lower 48 I pulled the last remaining long bow I built out of my fathers closet and had a limb break off when I was stringing it.  Seemed like it had gotten really dry and brittle.

So I am wanting to make another bow to start shooting again.  My plan is to build a Pyramid Bow as that is a design I was always interested in but never made.  I am looking to build one that is in the 40 lb range since I am still a little nervous about my shoulder.  I am about 5'11" and 175 pounds well built in shape.  Strength is not he issue it is that my should dislocate on my sometimes and the ligaments get so sore that I cant even pick up a drinking glass.  I think 40# would be OK.

So with these requirements what would be the length and limb thickness I need to shoot for?  Can I use oak or should I try to find something different at one of the local lumber mills?  Feel free to speak to me like a noob since it has been so long that I built a bow I probably have forgot most of what I once knew. 

Thanks a lot,
Greebe

[PEARL DRUMS]

Red oak, 68" ntn, 2" wide tapering to 1/2" tips. The grip should be 4" long and each fade 1 1/2-2" long. Thickness is whatever it is. Your tiller and draw weight dictate that.

[aaron]

length, the longer the better. a longer bow will have less stack and feel gentler on your bad shoulder. Something like 66 inches for a rigid handle bow.
Thickness- it just depends on wood density. start with a stave that's 3/4 thick in the limbs and an inch and a half thick at the rigid handle. you'll eventually tiller the limbs thinner.
Here's a bow I have for comparison, it's a rigid handle pyrimid of black locust.
width at fades 2
width at tip 5/8
handle + fades =8 inches long
length 63
limb thickness  about 5/8
hardly any stiff tip
pulls about 40 @ 28

[Greebe]

Drums -- Thanks for the reply.  How far down should the nock go on the limb on this kind of bow?  1" or so?  Would your recommendation of 68" ntn mean then that the overall length would then be 70"?  Also do you crown the belly of the bow when tillering like a long bow or leave it dead flat?

Thanks,
Greebe

[Greebe]

length, the longer the better. a longer bow will have less stack and feel gentler on your bad shoulder. Something like 66 inches for a rigid handle bow.
Thickness- it just depends on wood density. start with a stave that's 3/4 thick in the limbs and an inch and a half thick at the rigid handle. you'll eventually tiller the limbs thinner.
Here's a bow I have for comparison, it's a rigid handle pyrimid of black locust.
width at fades 2
width at tip 5/8
handle + fades =8 inches long
length 63
limb thickness  about 5/8
hardly any stiff tip
pulls about 40 @ 28

Thanks for the input.  Do you think that "68 like Drum suggested would be better then for my shoulder?  Will a longer bow be easier to pull for its weight?

[bubby]

this should get you what you want, don't have to use the same tool's but the dimensions will work http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,35312.0.html

[Greebe]

Also I had seen this plan for a flatbow.  Seems that a flatbow and pyramid bow are very similar, the taper just stops half way down the limb on the flatbow.



Would this be a better bow?  What would be the benefit of one over the other?

Thanks,
Greebe

[Weylin]

I think that the pyramid design or the American flatbow design would both be just fine for what you want. You wouldn't notice any appreciable difference between the two so make whichever you like better. Pearl Drums gave you some good specs, I'd go with those.

[bubby]

no not a better bow, just different than a pyramid is all, how you build it will decide how good a bow ya get

[Greebe]

I am leaning towards the flatbow that I pictured above.  Mostly because it looks like it would be a little quicker to cut the shorter taper without a bandsaw.  I like the looks of that flatbow as well.  Would that design work for my 40 lb draw weight at around 28"?

Thanks
Greebe

[Weylin]

It would be fine

[Greebe]

Thanks guys for the info.  Hopefully I can find some wood to start on a bow soon.

[toomanyknots]

In my opinion, the typical pyramid taper design will be easier (or quicker) to tiller and has more potential to take less set/follow.

[Greebe]

 I am going to the lumber mill Monday to pick up something for this bow build.  All they have is the following; Red Oak, Poplar, Hard and Soft Maple are their primary stocked woods while Cherry, Basswood, White Oak, Ash and Walnut are their secondary stocked woods which means more expensive.  Any preferences there?  Seems like the only contenders would be the oaks, hard maple, ash and walnut.  What do you guys think would be good to go with?

Thanks,
Greebe

[bubby]

white oak or hard maple, the maple will make a faster bow but white oak is darn near indestructible