Latest composite prodigy/finished/with arrows

[Pat B]

I guess I'm the hijacker here. Bubby, thanks for the link and I apologize to Ed for the hijack.

[BowEd]

No reason really for apologizing.It's just another aspect of a composite bow.Variety is the spice of life as they say.

[Pat B]

Thanks Ed.

[BowEd]

I'll throw this out here....Pre sweating a good 4 to 6 hours on a peg board prior to bracing helped a lot I think.I'm able to get away with this with the limbs being pretapered.Otherwise hinging might occur too close to the fades on regular turkish horn bow tapering.Normally tepiliks are used for bracing then.You can just barely see the tillering string is on already.I take a measurement of the distance tip to tip later and make a double loop string for it.
I made a portable peg board to travel with now as the angle is just too steep for my primitive stringer to do it safely.

[Stick Bender]

 Hey Ed did you figure a Adams style mass number like in appendix 3 yet ?

[BowEd]

No actually I figured Steve Gardners formula.I think it's because of the reflex and resting profile it has is as to where it gets it's speed.Even though with Adams' figures say it should be a dog of a bow.Way over built mass wise etc. for it's poundage.With Steves' figures it is an outstanding performer and very under mass because of it's resting profile.There's video of the previous like styled bows' performance shooting through the chronograph.
I'm still shooting this one in here.Too windy yesterday because I like to see my arrow flight while I'm shooting.I'm evaluating exactly the type spine wooden shafts I will shoot.I will test this new one through the chronograph sometime here.
 

[Stick Bender]

I think in a sense its like apples to oranges I was just curious more then any thing but with heavier arrows your bow would be really efficient I would think acording to his theory even if you made a NA bow that would perform the same as a sinew bow the composite would be more durable bow according to the same theory, that bow of yours is king of the hill hunting bow I think durability and FG plus speed !

[BowEd]

It must be an apples to oranges comparison.I just go with what it does/and feels like.From the very beginning of making these durability and resilience from hard usage was one of the top reasons.I'm told though even composites can wear out too though.

[Stick Bender]

I think durability is tops on the list for me I just meant the comparison between turk and your style is apples & oranges Adams numbers dont apply but your design not being as stressed as a turk bow seems like you would have a hard time wearing it out a lot of hunting seasons in that bow

[BowEd]

Well I sure hope so Ritch.I need more meat and rawhide.These type bows I've read have a reputation for shooting heavier arrows pretty good especially for hunting.Along with a lot of fun target shooting.I'm a novice at these horn bows overall really.Knowing just enough to get into trouble....lol.

[davidjw]

Really beautiful work, looks amazing.  I like the way you have the horn go into the grip fades, seems difficult to glue up an inside curve like that, what method did you use?  Thanks for sharing this, makes me want to get down to the workshop!

[BowEd]

david....Thanks.I think it's more of an intermediate transition type bow I would say from the self bow compared to the more complex construction of the turkish and other types.
The horn up onto the fades to the base of the handle grip on the belly was heated and curved to assist easier gluing with C clamps.I made 2 little leather padded curved forms to insure good uniform clamping pressure.After that a horn underlay on the handle grip to give the appearance of horn completely along the belly of the bow.The abrupt angle does concern me somewhat but always seems to hold up on previous attempts in the past.

[davidjw]

Ahh, thanks, nice little jig there, good idea.  I imagine the joints in the horn are down far enough into the fades and away from the bending areas to not be an issue. 

[Stick Bender]

Hey Ed where were the areas that needed tiller work after brace & sweating ? Just curious if between the others you made and that one if there was a common area that needed attention ?

[BowEd]

Their all different really.I tried to get it with no horn removal at all on the short string brace profile but needed to remove just a little material overall on one limb yet if I remember right,but still very insignificant.Sometimes a person can get it exactly right and sometimes just a little off.Putting it on a peg board can stress it like a long string on a self bow but true tiller is'nt revealed till you put the short string on it pitting one limb against the other.It's all done by hand of course but measured with a calipers intermittently.Everythng width/length/and thickness identical of course.During reverse bracing and sinewing one limb can reflex slightly more then another too causing that.Should'nt happen but it does.Weakening the higher reflexed limb puts it right then.That's when making self bows in the past helps out tillering that,but a person has to excercize these more and be more patient letting it reveal it's tiller.This time I put the higher reflexed limb on the bottom.An easier type horn bow to make really with enough width having 0 stability issues.
Yes with the fades slightly longer by a 1/2" each way they are'nt working so no fear of horn/core bonding weakness there.
On a side note here.....With the horn comprising a good amount of thickness and being more elastic and less stable then wood stressing even the stronger limb overly while bracing can create an out of tiller look making it look weaker.Can be alarming when first seen but pressing the string to the belly or close to it of the opposite limb can shape things up in seconds on it's own if tillered correctly.Just like self bows but more pronounced I would say with horn bows.