2016 Primitive Archer Bow Trade Sign up and Information

[mwosborn]

Jeez - blink twice and this thread explodes with progress!

Dubois - watching with interest on the rawhide tips.

PB - thanks for the lesson on birch!  We don't have native birch out here in the plains as far as I know - never came across any.  You have a bunch on new bow wood.  I need to get out and cut me some too!

Gut - What happened to the BL?  I like rawhide as a backing - you can do a lot with stain, paint, etc, on rawhide.  Hope it works out.

Drewster - looks like you got it laid out straight and flat to me - love the smell of toasting.

Rich - "tired, old, and snowed in"......life is good.  That snake looks great.  You are a tillering mad man!

jansersson - can't help with the tillering on that one - not enough experience!  Looking good though.  What are you using for the laminated bow?  I like the profile.

Update on mine coming...

[mwosborn]

I toasted the belly on this hackberry last week and tillered a bit this weekend.  Getting close to having it to draw length.  Glued a black walnut piece on handle to match tips and give me some material to contour a grip a little bit.  Will finish tillering it out after I get the grip shaped some.

Here it is after gluing on the walnut.

After resting a few days, at 6 1/2" brace, pulled to ~24", and immediately after unbraced.

Tiller looking ok?

[mwosborn]

Here are a few pics as I shaped the handle/grip area.  Not finished - just rough shaped with files.  Might change it some yet - kinda have to think on it before moving on...

[mwosborn]

And worked the tips a bit.  Here are the real rough tips used during tillering.  Followed by the tips after shaping them to final shape with files.  Still need to sand them yet....and file in new grooves.

[jandersson]

Thanks guys for the quick responses!
PlanB: Nice! There's a place where I thought the trees were all Aspen or Alders but now I'm gonna go and break some twiggs

half eye: I've been careful with the handle area this time because I usually take to much there to start with. Would there be any reasons I should not make this a bendy handle? I could really need it to get to the draw length I need.

Drewster: It's hickory on maple and red oak. Just some scraps laying around and I would not care if I screwed up. Think I'm going to do hickory on cherry and erc belly next, use smooth on for glue and rope instead of the small clamps.

Gutshot: I regret getting all the small ones, crowding my space and after watching the Asian bowyers using rope I know thats what I'll use next.

lebhuntfish: I wanted to flip the tips a bit but I have some wood complications on one of the levers that makes that difficult but what I was thinking instead was to glue on something to at least maybe help out with the string angle.

[jandersson]

mwosborn: Hackberry looks great to me!  But I'm no pro, I'd be happy with that tiller though.
My lam is just scraps of hickory, maple and redoak. I wanted to do a test bow and make adjustments before I use the nicer stuff. Did you use smooth on for yours? Also I didn't really like all the small clamps and gonna use rope next time for more even pressure.

[mwosborn]

ja - I did use smooth on.  I have it around for doing FG bows anyway and it is easy to use.  Keep it above 70 for 24 hours and it cures fine.  Will cure quicker in a hot box.

I didn't like the clamps either - I ended up getting a slight twist in mine that I was able to straighten some when gluing on the riser.  If I make another one, I think I will build a form and use my air hose.

[Dakota Kid]

With regard to the elm pictured earlier, I'd also say american. The bark on the rock elm looks like hackberry, which is a pretty unique looking bark. It's also closer in color to a white birch but not quite that white. I'm not sure about the slippery elm, haven't found one yet. The american has bark that reminds me of HHB but not as loose and flaky. I think I may enjoy finding and ID-ing the trees as much as the build.

We're losing a ton of ash around here. We'll be cutting at least 12 at my folks house before the beetles hatch. Seeing as how the wooded portion of the yard is only 400' by 90'  That a fair amount. I'm guessing we'll find a couple more while we're dropping them to boot. On the bright side, I'll have more ash than I'll ever need. Some of it is the green species of ash too. I may make electric guitar bodies from that one though. I've heard it's good for those.   

[---GUTSHOT--->]

Jeez - blink twice and this thread explodes with progress!

Dubois - watching with interest on the rawhide tips.

PB - thanks for the lesson on birch!  We don't have native birch out here in the plains as far as I know - never came across any.  You have a bunch on new bow wood.  I need to get out and cut me some too!

Gut - What happened to the BL?  I like rawhide as a backing - you can do a lot with stain, paint, etc, on rawhide.  Hope it works out.

Drewster - looks like you got it laid out straight and flat to me - love the smell of toasting.

Rich - "tired, old, and snowed in"......life is good.  That snake looks great.  You are a tillering mad man!

jansersson - can't help with the tillering on that one - not enough experience!  Looking good though.  What are you using for the laminated bow?  I like the profile.

Update on mine coming...

Clamp dents wasn't carefull. Not bad but I gave it some security with rawhide.

[Stixnstones]

Got my hackberry to brace and pullin 43# @ 23". The limb on right is top , a lil wonky. Also some of the flip started to pull out. Heated it back up last nite and flipped it again.

[half eye]

Ja,
    No reason you cant make it bend in the middle that I know of. Please remember to do it slow though. Bendies get the majority of their power from the middle of the bow so you need to work the existing fades toward the center very slowly so you can just feel it start to bend at say 3/4 to 7/8 draw length. This is where I think I have an advantage by tillering under tension (bow braced) and in my lap......scrape a little and draw, etc etc
 Gutshot,
      got to believe that bow your working will last a lifetime sir
MW...
      nice looking bows ya got going right there
Planb,
      Made a bunch from American elm also....all the Elms are real good bow wood....in my opinion
Stix
      Looks like you are getting that bugger whipped into real fine shape sir.

All these bows are looking real nice and if any of you forgot my address be happy to re-send it
rich

[---GUTSHOT--->]

Osage belly, what are these dark streaks and will it hurt anything

[lebhuntfish]

I toasted the belly on this hackberry last week and tillered a bit this weekend.  Getting close to having it to draw length.  Glued a black walnut piece on handle to match tips and give me some material to contour a grip a little bit.  Will finish tillering it out after I get the grip shaped some.

Here it is after gluing on the walnut.

After resting a few days, at 6 1/2" brace, pulled to ~24", and immediately after unbraced.

Tiller looking ok?

Hey buddy now that I'm on my work PC I can see your bend better. Im not sure that your bend isn't just fine but your right limb is weaker than your left. Also compare the lengths of your two fades, it looks to me that the left fad is a little longer than your right fade. I see this all the time when helping someone with their bow. Also a good way to check the limb balance is to have the bow braced and measure and mark a spot on the string equal distances from each tip. Lets say 16in from each tip. Then from your 16in mark on your string measure perpendicularly to the belly and record that number. Repeat for the other side. Lets say at 16in from each tip that the right limb is 6.0in and on the left limb is 6.5in. That shows that the left limb is bending more than the right. So to remedy this you remove full length scrapes slowly and flex the bow (because you are tillering the bow, i call it balancing). This is where you normally hear the word "positive tiller" 1/4in or less is good for positive tiller. This will make a difference to someone that shoots with 3 fingers under or split. It also helps to have a little positive tiller because of bow hand position. The bottom limb is the one you want to be positive. So lets say you work your bow into these measurements. 6.25in on left limb and still the 6.0in on the right limb. The left limb will be stiffer and either need to be the bottom limb or more work needs to be done if that limb has to be the top limb. I start doing this at about 20 inches or so. and try to keep the bottom limb no more than 1/8th inch stiffer. By balancing your bow you are keeping the stresses even throughout and keeping the limb timing balanced as well. Thus making for a smoother more stable draw and decreasing the hand shock/kick you feel when you shoot the bow. Now all of this being said this needs to be done while your bow is bending evenly with a good tiller on the limbs. Because stiff or week spots need fixing, they will change your balance measuring. I hope this makes since.

Patrick

[mwosborn]

Patrick -

Thanks for the reply - you are correct the right limb (which will be the top limb) is slightly weaker than the left limb (lower).  Everything you said makes perfect sense - except one sentence..."The bottom limb is the one you want to be positive."  From what I have learned, when the top limb is bending more (say 6.25") compared to the bottom limb (say 6.0")  the bow is in positive tiller - the top limb is bending .25" more making it the positive limb.  Do I have this wrong?

I also placed the hook of my tillering tree on the string just below where the arrow will be nocked.  I tillered so that the rope pulled down a straight line I have marked on the board behind the rope.

Mitch

[half eye]

gutshot,
      I am not certain regarding osage....but ironwood and some elms will get that "mineral" stain. It does not bother either of those (in my experience). If the dark wood is the same consistency as the surrounding I got to believe it's good.
rich

PS: maybe one of the "osage" guys can correct me if I'm all wet.