My 1st Turkish horn bow

[BrokenArrow]

This is my first Turkish horn bow which is designed after the Turkish war bow design.
I estimate based on its dimensions that it is about 100#
It is 48 inches NTN and weighs 500 grams and I believe it is dry as the weight has stopped dropping.
The core is hard maple, the horn is water buffalo and the sinew is deer leg sinew.
I have not cut in the nocks yet and am currently making a string board and string.

[loon]

Niice!
Seems like the tips will be pretty long, even if you cut out the unfinished part

i'm currently looking into making strings like this
http://www.osmanliyaylari.com/2012/06/tonc-dugumlu-osmanli-asya-tarzi.html
and bracing the bow this way
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRG4ZPkeR9M&feature=youtu.be
dunno. Have some real trouble doing that with my hornbow, though, except maybe if I put on tepeliks first..

[Parnell]

What's your sal average wood thickness...'bout 5 mm?  3 piece or 5?  What glue did you use for core/horn & did you make matched grooves?

[BrokenArrow]

It is a 5 piece core and I used hide glue throughout.
The sal is 13mm thick and 34 mm wide at sal and I did not match the grooves

[Urufu_Shinjiro]

Nice!, Can't wait to see her finished up...

[mullet]

Nice! I can't wait to see you string and drawing it

[mikekeswick]

Have you been reflexing it with a cord between the nocks after adding each sinew layer? If not you may have problems with delaminating sinew. People think that the string is there just to increase reflex but its other purpose is to compress the sinew into either the core or the last layer as it dries. Otherwise the sinew can pull away from the concave surface of the core during drying (because it is shrinking).
Are you kasans triangular? It appears like they are flat from the photo?
13mmx34mm is going to be a heavy bow!
Where is the thinnest spot on each limb? Right at the kasan eye?
How long since you started sinewing it and when did you put the last layer on? The weight loss will slow right down but the glue continues to gain in strength the longer you leave it. Also the bow wil act stiffer after 6 months of drying. Stiffer in all respects not just draw weight stiffer - stability will be better the longer you leave it. I tried to tiller a bow after only 2 months and it was hard to stabalise, easier to overheat and lower draw weight. also if tillering starts too early you will think you have a finished bow and the weight will keep raising...

[BrokenArrow]

Well there is some bad news as I became too aggressive and it was too weak in the one sal and snap. I think I was too eager as a beginner:(
I am not upset as that is how I learn and I would never have been able to shoot it anyway as I can't draw more than 70#
Mike thanks for the advice as I will need more in the future as well as I have 7 more to attempt.
I did compress the sinew each time I layered it.
The limb was almost flat in the kasan. Is the triangular kasan required??
I live in a really dry climate and noticed the weight had actually started to increase in the last few days.
Where do you live?

Vernon

[mikekeswick]

Yes the triangular kasan is necessary. Leaving it flat will only result in a lot of extra weight on a non bending part = poor performance.
How did you try to string it?
First step is an a stick (asi gezi) to go between the tips. This will allow you to see any twist and correct it. Then you must go onto using tepliks. Again these allow you to see any problems before stringing it. The bow must look perfect before you try to string it.
The deal with collagen glues is that they get stronger and stronger as time passes and it not just about moisture leaving the bow. The longer 'drying' times are definitely worth it as the bow will be harder to overheat and will be more resistant to twist.
I understand what you are saying about how you learn and all that but that will be a very,very long road for you! Composites can have many,many things go wrong......however if you do things the traditional way then you start finding that things don't go wrong anymore!
If you want advice on anything just ask. I think i've finally got a bit of a grasp on making these bows.
I live in England.....man I would love to live in a dry climate!
Do you have Adam Karpozwi book?