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Author Topic: Stick bow  (Read 3560 times)

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Offline DC

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Stick bow
« on: April 19, 2017, 06:04:10 pm »
I want to make a bow like I made when I was a kid but with a bit of my new-found knowledge. I have a 1" diameter OS stick 67" long. It has 3-4" of deflex or reflex. Depends on which way you hold the bow. If the bow is going to be bend in the handle with a round cross section would it even be possible to brace a reflexed bow like this? I can glue a block on the handle to stop it from flipping while I'm tillering but what about day to day use? Do I have to steam it straight first?
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Offline loon

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Re: Stick bow
« Reply #1 on: April 19, 2017, 06:59:23 pm »
Code: [Select]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibX_0LgbTEwYeah, I bet it's possible.

I also want to make oceanspray (holodiscus discolor) straight bendy and static bendy bows at some point in the future, I'll have to find oceanspray somewhere... ...
« Last Edit: April 19, 2017, 07:05:58 pm by loon »
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Offline Dances with squirrels

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Re: Stick bow
« Reply #2 on: April 19, 2017, 07:05:26 pm »
I had the same thought yesterday, DC. I was hunting mushrooms and kept seeing small diameter elm trees and thought, I bet I could make a bow out of that. Maybe I'll bring one home next time. Yesterday I grabbed an osage walking stick instead.
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Straight wood may make a better bow, but crooked wood makes a better bowyer

Offline penderbender

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Re: Stick bow
« Reply #3 on: April 19, 2017, 08:37:23 pm »
Step outside and grab a straighter stick to start with haha. I bet you could. It'll be a pain to brace for sure. I made one similar to what you talking about out of salmon berry. It had about 2 1/2 " of reflex to start. It kept about a 1/2" of it. It really wanted to flip at first, but it got over it. Haha cheers- Brendan
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Offline DC

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Re: Stick bow
« Reply #4 on: April 19, 2017, 11:22:51 pm »
I'm steaming some reflex out of the worst end and I've glued a block to the handle.
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Offline shofu

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Re: Stick bow
« Reply #5 on: April 20, 2017, 02:09:05 am »
So you are going to use the reflex side as the back and take a bit out?
g
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Cheers,
George

Offline DC

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Re: Stick bow
« Reply #6 on: April 20, 2017, 11:32:29 am »
Yup. I didn't get quite as much of the reflex out as I hoped but i'll work it from here and see what happens. Sorry for the blurry picture. I'm a little shakey this morning. I might try to take more reflex out of the left limb.
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Offline diliviu

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Re: Stick bow
« Reply #7 on: April 20, 2017, 12:23:34 pm »
I had the same problem with my last bow, made from a wild plum sapling. It had about the same reflex and length, but compared to your stave a tad more of the reflex located in the handle. I made it reflex and couldn't brace it until I straightened it.

I ended up with a quite straight bow (about 3/4 inch of reflex), easy to put the string on and still pleasant to shoot with.

I tillered it so that the handle area, which is almost round (just a bit of wood removed from the belly in the handle area), bend less than the rest of the bow (the bend in the handle area is hardly visible).
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Offline wizardgoat

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Re: Stick bow
« Reply #8 on: April 20, 2017, 01:03:09 pm »
Don, just try to get a near perfect floor tiller, with a near perfect thickness taper, and get it braced as early as possible.  :D
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Offline DC

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Re: Stick bow
« Reply #9 on: April 20, 2017, 04:35:06 pm »
I was toying with the idea of seeing just how much draw weight I could get out of this stick. Unfortunately I'm sure I wouldn't be able to brace it much alone pull it. Maybe I should make this one a manageable weight. I've got another stave very similar to go for weight. This will be my first bendy handle so maybe a little caution is in order. 
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Offline DC

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Re: Stick bow
« Reply #10 on: April 20, 2017, 07:32:03 pm »
I was playing with floor tillering. I couldn't move it :-[ :-[. I put a long string on it and put it on the tiller. The string tightened at 10", it was 40# at 11" and 50# at 12". 10# per inch. If it was to hold together,which I doubt, that would be 200# at 28 or so. I know I'm dreaming but it does show how stiff OS is. All this from a stick that is max 1" dia. at the handle.
I'm steaming some more reflex out now.
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Offline DC

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Re: Stick bow
« Reply #11 on: April 21, 2017, 05:06:39 pm »
So much for that >:(. I steamed it to take out more reflex yesterday. Everything was fine. I looked at it today and the limb that I steamed has a split two feet long down the back. So here is another case of OS doing the unexpected. It has been drying for over a year and I only moved the tip an inch or so. Strange stuff. I'll stand it in the corner for a while to see what it does.
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Offline koan

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Re: Stick bow
« Reply #12 on: April 21, 2017, 05:50:47 pm »
Quote from: wizardgoat on April 20, 2017, 01:03:09 pm
Don, just try to get a near perfect floor tiller, with a near perfect thickness taper, and get it braced as early as possible.  :D

Yup...what Goat said...if ya by-pass long string with more floor tiller then your bow tryin to flip on ya just aint an option 👍.... Brian
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Offline koan

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Re: Stick bow
« Reply #13 on: April 21, 2017, 05:54:07 pm »
Bummer dude!.. Time to grab another stave 😉..., Brian
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Offline FilipT

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Re: Stick bow
« Reply #14 on: April 22, 2017, 04:44:28 am »
Why the hell this small piece of wood has so much strength?
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