Tom's lever bow

[BowEd]

Here's a bow I made for Tom.A friend of mine.An artist in his own right.He draws wildlife pictures.He followed me to Mo Jam last summer.I saw this nice profiled even reflexed 6' plus stave for 25 dollars.He took my word for it and bought it.I saw it had a bunch of bore holes in it but was deep enough.I had to take 8 rings off yet besides the bark and sapwood to get my ring.The only heat I put to this bow was taking a slight prop out of one limb and tweaking up one lever slightly to match the other.It started with about an inch of reflex and now it has about 1/2" resting.He's a converted compound shooter and loves shooting these self bows.His anchor is 32".I made him a 68" osage lever bow.I just got it shooting,carved out the handle a bit,and put the overlays and skins on.He did the finish sanding,finish,and handle wrap.It pulls 56#@32".About as smooth a shooting bow as I've ever shot.He's shooting some bamboo arrows on it and plans to get another deer with it this winter yet.He got a nice doe earlier during the build with his FG bow that Grant made for him.We met at our friends' place Grant for the pics.Old Grants' been around.Been an archer and bowyer for over 55 years.He's a world traveler.....lol.I know he's left more buck's go than I've seen from the tree.A friend I'm very glad to know.Thanks for looking.
Rest

Top view a bit fuzzy

Another

Brain tan handle

Tip

Brace with his badger quiver he made on Grants' wildebeest he shot over in Africa.

Full draw

Full draw

A few of Grant's self and laminated bows he made

[BowEd]

Sorry....This crazy photobucket.Here's grants' bows

[BowEd]

Brain tan handle

[Badger]

  I am really impressed with that 32" draw! Bow held its profile very well. I bet that bow would kick my butt in the broadhead division of flight shooting. Very nice job on that. Just for funsies I would be curious how far it can shoot a 560 grain arrow. If you ever get the inclination.

[Danzn Bar]

Nice bow ....but I really like the quiver....tell me more about it if you don't mind...
DBar

[Drewster]

If you only lost 1/2" of reflex tillering a 32" draw bow, I'm impressed.  Fine work.  So, is the bow 68" ntn?

[George Tsoukalas]

It came out great! Beautiful tiller. Jawge

[bubby]

Great job Ed, man you've been cranking them out

[JonW]

Nice work Ed! I would be afraid I'd hook my ear drawing to 32".

[wizardgoat]

Looks like a fun one to shoot. Nice job.
32"! That would be behind my ear haha

[Pat B]

Very nice Ed. I love the back profile. An efficient design with those levers.   

[BowEd]

Thanks fellas.
I made Tom keep this roughed out bow in his apartment for 3 weeks with a fan on it before I tillered it.Tom watched me pull the bow on the tree as I was tillering towards the end.He had never seen a bow get tillered before.I was to 28 or 29 inches or something like that and it was around 50 pounds.He was kinda bending over like he wanted to hide......lol.I said it's not gonna break here we'll go to 31" and the next pull was to 32" to 57# or something.So I did it again and again.He says that's enough!!!!I can live with that.Had to chuckle a little.So I shot it in front of him and yes I've got a 6'6" wing span and I was to the back of my ear with his bow.It did'nt feel normal to me cause I never shoot compounds.He shot it then.Now Tom is'nt pulling this bow to 32" every time I don't think,but it's what he told me he wanted.He shoots extra long bamboo arrows I know.Longer than mine.
There is some rolling hay ground by me here and the corn is out too we could on a nice calm day shoot some distance shots.I don't know what the weight his arrows are.I've got some 560 grain ones but their only 30" long.Measuring wise I have a couple of 100' tapes.Otherwise I step about 3' every pace.The bow still is relatively fresh I'd say,but honest to God it took less than 1" of hard set.
He did do a nice job on his quiver.There's enough room in there for 30 arrows I swear.The bow is 68" NTN.
All in all I'm pleased enough about the bow and he's happy too which counts the most.He loves the heck out of those copperheads.I told him he would....lol.The pictures are rather crappy.I think I should of been wearing my glasses.

[BowEd]

Here's just a sneak peek at all the bears' he's shot.He has the skulls bleached.I think there's some javelina in there too.

Then of course his moose and stuff.All with a bow.Some with self bows too.He's a tough old cud.

[Del the cat]

Great bow, there's some great detail. I like the smoothly rounded cut away for the arrow pass, lovely slim levers too.
32" draw  Dude you gotta make yourself a warbow... you never know when the French will try to invade
Del

[BowEd]

I am impressed by the overall power those war bows can store.I'd have to eat my wheaties that's for sure,and I think I'd have to beef up my tillering tree.I'd have to be buying that expensive yew wood then would'nt I....lol.Just joking I've got some elm and ironwood here too.
I mainly fart around with my friends target shooting and shoot bunnies,squirrels,turkeys,and deer & if a woodchuck gives me a shot I'll get him too.The old turkey I hav'nt gotten yet but I will.We have the eastern turkey here.Shot a bunch with the single shot shotgun but not the bow.Never know what's gonna go by here.Bobcat,coyote,coon,or even a badger.
The bow I made for Tom is about 1.5" wide to midlimb and that's from the center of the handle tapering down to 5/8" wide & thick at the base of levers tapering to 7/16" wide at tips.11/16" thick at the fades 1.5" long.I transitioned the thickness thicker the last 6" of the working limb to the base of the levers as it narrowed.If I remember right it came in mass weight wise a bit more than my bows do of other woods for it's length.But not much.20.15 ounces.My handles are rather small I'd say bulbous as they are.I try to divide my working limbs into thirds.Tweaking that last 6" below the levers takes time.