Linen Backed Red Oak 43#@28in

[Dictionary]

Here's something I whipped together on a Saturday morning to try and relearn how to tiller after being out of bowmaking for a few years. Made this one with a hatchet, knife, and a rasp. I don't plan on keeping this one. I don't like the tiller. May give it to a friend. I used the morning shadow on the ground and reflection from the screen sliding door to assess the bend.

Few stats:

64" ntn
43#@28 in
1 Layer of Linen
Cordage wrapped handle(kinda sloppy)
No Finish
Kind of an Eastern Woodlands design: Side nocks and very little width taper towards the end.







Nothing special. Sorry for the lousy pics. I really just wanted to ask a question, and pics always draw attention  .

I don't plan on making many bows being in this apartment, however, I'd like to make one more to hunt with. A co-worker who hunts compound is willing to take me out and show me the ropes for deer hunting, so I have a design in mind. I'm thinking a longbow for improved accuracy, backed with linen since the board i have has a bit of runoff, and a very moderate draw weight. So 70" ntn(my height), 45-50#, full compass tiller, linen backed, 1 1/4 at the handle tapering to 1/2" nocks. I'm in NM so the landscape is very open. Is this a bit overbuilt or an impractical design for hunting?

Thanks

[SLIMBOB]

Looks good man.  I think you still got it.  I'll let a board bow guy address your question.  Good to have you back.

[tattoo dave]

I don't see anything wrong with that bow. Why don't you like it? Looks like you did a fine job.

A 70" bow seems long to me, but I'm a big fan of short bows. So most bows seem long. Looking forward to seeing the next bow. Nice work.

Tattoo Dave

[JW_Halverson]

Shoot it!

Shoot it some more.

Then shoot it until you wreck it.  It's ok, cuz you are already making another one (or ten)! 

[H Rhodes]

  I don't think your tillering skills have slipped at all!  Lately I have come to favor long bows in the 68 to 70 inch range.  I think you have a built a sweet shooter.  Great to have you back.

[loon]

Nice. I like the style and I've actually wanted to see a red oak bendy bow. cool nocks. Yet it seems a bit.. too bendy handled? :p handshocky?
I'm thinking if i were to make a bendy bow i'd make it a slight elliptical tiller with constant taper (past the "handle") to at least 1/2" wide tips.. but i dunno if any tribes did that
How wide is that bow? (not 1 1/4" like the longbow you wanna make?)

I want to make a 66" 70#@28 1/2" hickory pyramid bow, and I've never built a "real" bow of decent draw weight...

[mikekeswick]

Yes that design is better suited to an elliptical tiller. You will find they shoot better when tillered elliptically.

[Dictionary]

Loon, this bow is about a hair wider than 1 1/4 at the handle. I typically don't taper from the handle. Usually I taper from about 10 inches from the tips.

Yeah that's what I meant when I said I didn't like the tiller. I got the inner limbs bending too early and had to compensate by making it bend much more in the handle. The next bow will be more flat in the center area. This was a practice bow with kind of bad grain. I don't want to use it too much.

The difference between a circular and elliptical tiller is the elliptical tiller is flatter in the center, right? Hard to tell when the elliptical bow is actually working in the handle or is flat and stiff. Not sure if I should be worried about positive tiller and keeping one limb a bit stiffer than the other on a bendy handled bow.