Started my 2nd. bow and posting progress please help.

[BryBow]

Well.. The first one broke. Now I may try my hand at a Mollegabet design.

The grain on this 8' Red Oak board is straight as an arrow. I cut it to 6 foot. I ripped it to 2.5" wide on the table saw. The handle and risers are 9" long overall. 5" & 2" fades. I then split the working limbs and ends in half. 15 3/4" working and 15 3/"4 non working. Taper to 1/2" tips. The board is 3/4" thick.

Rich suggested I taper the working limbs.

I am completely open to your guidance and suggestions and am looking forward to giving credit where credit is due. I hope it turns out well.

Here are the pics so far.

The board.


Measured to 6' and cut.


Ripped 2.5" wide


Measured in half.


Handle and fades measured and marked.


Working limbs measured and marked.


Non working limbs measured and marked.


I went no further because I value your opinion so let her rip boys.

[bow101]

Well if ya have a table saw rip it to just over 7/16" thick and lay it out.  66" long could work out..

[BryBow]

Not sure I understand what your telling me to do bow101. The board is 72" long and has non working limbs as it is of a Mollegabet design.

By the way, I am shooting for 45# at 28" and the board is 3/4" thick.

[Mad Max]

 BryBow      Go to the top right of the page at the SEARCH and type in.
Layout dimensions for Mollegabet  bows.
Start there

[BryBow]

So... My overall length should be either 66" or 60" and the handle would be 4" and the fades 2" each. Correcto Mundo?

BTW What are the consequences of having a 72" Molle?

Lets get me clear on the Dims and then well move on after I get them marked out on the board.

[Weylin]

Step 1: Don't make a Mollegabet for your second bow attempt.

(I'm only joking a little)

I'm sure it can be done but I see a lot of molle's break on this site, even made by experienced bowyers. Heck, I even broke one.  It's a design that can be pulled off as evidenced by the many great molle's made here but it's a highly stressed design with several complicating factors that can make it more prone to failure. My advice is to make a straight limbed flat bow and nail the tiller. Whatever you decide to do, good luck. I'm sure you'll get plenty of good advice on whatever build you choose.

[BryBow]

Ok... My first attempt was a pyramid. It broke.
Here it is: http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,41789.0.html

I know it broke because it had no fades to speak of.

I was wondering if someone was going to suggest an easier build. Even my daughter was surprised that I would not try and perfect my first attempt as I had experience with that style. Wisdom from the mouth of the young.

    Would you keep the pyramid style build at 2.5" wide or would you recommend that I rip the Red Oak board to smaller width? If suggesting a narrower width how wide should it be and what are the rest of the dims that you would suggest keeping a 28" draw at 45#?

[BOWMAN53]

if you wanna go with a Pyramid bow, 68" long 2" wide 4" handle 2" fades. Start by makes the limbs 1/2"  thick.  Then taper the limbs straight to 1/2" tips. Take your time tillering and you should get a good bow from it.

[BryBow]

Thank you Bowman. Anybody else want to weigh in on this?

[Weylin]

I think those dimensions seem solid but I'm not much of a board bow guy so there might be other opinions worth listening to. Having as close to straight grain as possible is the most important factor for the success of your bow. It seems good from the few pictures I can see but you need to look down the faces and the edges and feel confident that there is little to no run off.

[hedgeapple]

I would say stick with a pyramid design until you get it right.  The pyramid style is one of the simplest designs to tiller because it tapers evenly from the fades to the tips. So the thickness of the limbs are virtually the same from top to bottom. That is not to say a pyramid bow is less of a bow than other designs.  It's just usually easier to tiller for beginners.

Whereas, the molle design is much more complicated, so it seems to me.  I haven't been brave enough to attempt one, YET.  The reasons the molle is more complicated are the working part of the limps are shorter.  The tips/levers don't bend. So there's more stress on less limb length.  Also, the limbs are parallel, so you have to taper their thickness from the fades to the lever.  Then you have increase the thickness from working part of the limbs through the transition to the levers.  There's lots of limb thickness changes in a molle limb.  And your tillering has to be nearly bomb proof on those shorter working limbs.

But it's your bow, build what you want to build.  It's all about the journey, anyhow.

[bow101]

Step 1: Don't make a Mollegabet for your second bow attempt.

(I'm only joking a little)

I'm sure it can be done but I see a lot of molle's break on this site, even made by experienced bowyers. Heck, I even broke one.  It's a design that can be pulled off as evidenced by the many great molle's made here but it's a highly stressed design with several complicating factors that can make it more prone to failure. My advice is to make a straight limbed flat bow and nail the tiller. Whatever you decide to do, good luck. I'm sure you'll get plenty of good advice on whatever build you choose.

I'm kind of with Weylin on this one, "highly stressed design"  and tricky to build even for experienced bowyers.  So like I mentioned just slice it shy of 1/2 inch.   Do some searching on Bubby here, he has a few build a longs on board bows, he is truly a master when it comes to building those bows..!
If you are good with hand and power tools you should be able to turn out a fine shooting bow on the weekend no Prob...........

[blackhawk]

I agree with everyone..BUT...do what makes ya happy and gives ya enjoyment too at the same time...and its possible  ....just might take ya a few tries 

http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php?topic=37380.0

http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php?topic=40916.0

[BryBow]

Had ta tease me with those two bows ey Blackhawk?

Just gorges bows, both of em.

[bubby]

try this I think it has all the info you need, bub http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,35312.0.html