Eastern Woodlands Flat bow/Self bow

[riverrat]

started on a eastern woodland style flat bow.im using American Elm. also known as white elm.ruffed out it looks as if im going to get a nice 56 in. tip to tip bow. 1 3/4 wide at its widest.i was going to make both tips triangular. but the top tip has a slight twist to it. working with that im going to make a asymmetrical tip on that end. the twist isnt very long at all. i can get past it, pretty much eliminate it by shaping my tip/nock in the asymmetrical style. ive made tips on bows like this before, making replicas, but i can see why this may have been done on originals of the times. it makes sense .instead of a twisted triangular nock this remedies that problem.
this bow will bend through the handle. ill post pics as i go.im going for a 50 lb. at 26 in. draw bow.in a sideview this ruffed out bow has a very slight deflex in the middle with a slight reflex going on at the tips.so as i build it, once im in the tillering stage i think i might just heat bend the tips a tad more.i dont want to loose length so ill make that reflex actually pull out/work at full draw.ive done this on a ash bow once. it shot smooth and very fast.im hoping for that here.Tony

[JW_Halverson]

I am fond of the Eastern Woodland styles.  That will teach you tillering, plain and simple!  There is nothing to hide behind, no fancy-schmancy to distract the eye.  All you got is limb that better bend flawlessly or else the hinge/flats will stand out like a turd in a punchbowl!

[bowandarrow473]

I agree with JW, I love the Eastern woodland style bows, they are so neat to look at.

[riverrat]

i like them because they do challenge you as far as tillering goes. but i also like them because they are so simple and work great.nothing but stick and string. doesnt get simpler than that Tony

[bowandarrow473]

Yep, just finished drawing the lines on a bendy handle myself. It's a hickory bendy, 66in NTN, 1.5 until 12in before the tips tapering to 1/2 inch wide tips. It's from a 1.5 inch sapling. Now if I could only stay focused and finish that dogwood bow..........

Good luck on yours and Id love to see some pics as you go through the process, seeing bows never gets old.

[willie]

Looking foreward to the build and bow, riverrat I was just looking thru Encylopedia of NA Bows, Arrows & Quivers  by Allely and Hamm, and noticed a few examples with both triangular tips and side nocks on the same bow (not making any suggestions about your plan, btw), but was wondering if there might be a purpose for this? would a side nock help a twisted tip? maybe some sort of string keeping arrangement?


jw- do you notice them after the fourth drink?

[riverrat]

im thinking it would. there would be a reason for doing it. i dont believe anything they did was for the sake of just doing. the problem with books is you cant hold that bow in your hand, look down it, at the undulations in its grain, how thick of rings it has, you cant get a feel for it like the guy or gal who might of built it did.i noticed on my last bow i put side nocks opposite of one another because of twist. that the bottom nock the string loop slips out sometimes, or did any how. if id of made it with a smaller loop, or with a longer string so i could double up the loop of the string on the bottom nock {which i did} it would keep that from happening.so now my brace is about a 1/2 inch deeper but im happy my string aint slipping off any more.Tony

[JW_Halverson]

Looking foreward to the build and bow, riverrat I was just looking thru Encylopedia of NA Bows, Arrows & Quivers  by Allely and Hamm, and noticed a few examples with both triangular tips and side nocks on the same bow (not making any suggestions about your plan, btw), but was wondering if there might be a purpose for this? would a side nock help a twisted tip? maybe some sort of string keeping arrangement?


jw- do you notice them after the fourth drink?

I have about wore out my copy of that selfsame book!  The TITPB I refer to are the bows I build!

[Hrothgar]

I'm not sure of the main reason for a side nock, but one reason would be string alignment, especially on a wide handle bow. It would help reduce the arrow's flight paradox.

[riverrat]

JW_Halverson , whats TITPB ? thanks Tony

[JW_Halverson]

Turd in the punch bowl.  A meaningful and accurate description of the results of my tillering. 

[riverrat]

im not up to date with all the letters for words. lol im the kind of guy that still has a flip phone and have to hit the numbers several times to get the correct letter. lmbo. when i get confused with it i long for a twisty cord and a wall plug.Tony

[riverrat]

you doing a post on it? like to see it. bendy handle self bows are my favorite only followed by sinew backed pony bows that also bend through the handle lol. Tony

[willie]

thanks Tony, I may experiment with side nocks the next time I am fighting twist. I know what you mean about books being a poor substitute for holding the bow in your hand. I was looking thru the book I mentioned earlier, wondering what size trees most of the eastern woodland bowyers worked with. Flat backs would seem to favor larger diameters, but primitive conditions seem to favor smaller. your stave looks like it has quite a bit of natural crown- maybe from a 2" sapling?

[riverrat]

actually its a elm from the trunk upwards. the top was about the size of a 4x4 but round bottom of it was about the size of a 6x6 but round.Tony