Latest composite prodigy/finished/with arrows

[lebhuntfish]

What a set up Ed! Very nice work buddy!

Patrick

[BowEd]

I'm sure everyone can remember when they first started making bows.I know I can.Did we ever think it would come to the degree of bow making that we currently are doing?I know I did'nt.Without this site I'm positive we would'nt be making the bows we curently are. To have a goal for something it seems pushes the envelope for all of us.Fine tuning equipment for hunting is it for me along with shooting with my buddies at the shoots.Along with it too the site of that arrow flying true to it's mark.

[BowEd]

Through hunting season here I have learned to brace this bow without the use of the peg board using the primitive stringer.The peg board will come in handy though later on.From 10.5 inches of reflex a steady hand is needed for that steep of an angle.As steady even pressure in the beginning using 2 hands to around brace height is achieved holding it in place with one hand is not hard then.Then it's just a matter of slipping the loop over into the tip groove.All pulling pressure is done with the right hand on the handle straight up.Left hand is there to just steady it in the beginning so that the pulling is straight up.Not at any angle.Once tips are flat and past intial set back of tips control is a lot easier.Using the stringer in reverse to unbrace it is easy enough then too.
I like using the primitive stringer because of the even pressure applied to both limbs while stringing.A good balanced method and a time saver too.It is a pretty safe way to string a highly reflexed bow also.Thanks to Robin some pics of the process.

[Stick Bender]

In a state like mine where you have to be unstrung to and from your hunting area when on public land it would make  hunting with a bow like that a lot easer , Ed what's your guess on arrow count now on that bow ?  Did you make that stringer custom for that bow ?  Your bow is one of the few bows I have seen on here that would best some FG bows that's one heck of a hunting bow hope you poke something with it !

[BowEd]

Good enough questions Ritch.The stringer was made quite a few years ago for use on other reflexed bows I've made.It's just a nylon clothes line rope with vegetable tanned leather booties on the ends.I have others with different versions out of rawhide and different leather to long string bows before cutting string grooves and to reverse brace bows as they are sinewed.
At a minimum guess of 200 arrows a week since tillered 18 weeks ago somewhere's between 3500 to 4000 arrows so far.Usually bracing target shooting only 3 to 4 hours a day but while hunting 6 to 8 hours every day.She's broke in good enough for me.Returns full of spunk the following day as when made 18 weeks ago as it should.

[Stick Bender]

I have one of those stringers its a generale purpose comercial one but like the boots you made if I ever get up to speed on making one of those bows I will make a custom one given the the rules here  It will be interesting to here given the reflex on that bow how much weight it picks up this winter when it drys out , one thing I have always thought abought that type of composite bow that you make Ed is its a more practical hunting bow then most composites in terms of field use ,stringing, unstringing etc

[bradsmith2010]

thats a nice one,, sure the deer gonna love it,,

[BowEd]

Ritch...It actually has gained a smidge of draw weight from curing from tillering at 14 weeks to 32 weeks old now from sinewing.A couple pounds at most.The components into the bow are more durable and useful for being dryer.Hickory/horn/sinew.All these components don't mind and actually perform better being dryer through a winter.Composites can be a slightly fluctuating poundage type bow[but hardly noticeable] mostly depending on the care it gets and the barriers from moisture it has.Not really affecting the accuracy yet though.Like most natural material bows out there.
Brad...That's what I think too.I'll see what I can do with it.

[loon]

Very nice bow

Could stringing be a bit easier if you held the other hand at the static tip/limb transition when stringing, rather than near the handle? (like in the saluki bow faq)

[BowEd]

I get what you mean loon and good point but my left hand is'nt pulling any at all.My right hand is doing all the pulling dead center of the bow straight above my foot on the bracer.My left hand is just steadying it making sure that I pull straight up and not at any angle.Once the bow tips are flat the control gets easier to steady to brace.I'll  see if I can state that with the pictures.

[loon]

I think I meant the same thing you're doing, but the only difference is that the left hand is closer to the tip.. I don't know if it'd help much, maybe it'd provide some more leverage to keep the bow aligned. But if it already feels safe enough and isn't getting twisted, it probably doesn't matter

[BowEd]

Yes I know what you mean.I've seen other people string bows up the way you describe too.Mostly D/R bows or recurved but not as much as this bow which makes it a bit more stable in the beginning.Being all reflex the intitial pull from over 10" in the beginning getting past the recurved part is the most critical part to get by.Once tips are flat staying stable is not hard.

Updated note about this bow as of 12/12/2018...It now mass weighs @ 17.05 ounces as is pulling 50#'s @ 28".It has cured just a bit more increasing efficiency to a certain degree while keeping all of it's original reflexed profile.

As of now at 2/25/20 bow draw weight is 51#'s @ 28".Mass weight is 17.00 ounces.I removed the finish on the belly of the horn.Looking at past records of construction the birch bark and glue weighed .55 ounces.So bare bones the bow's mass weight is 16.45 or a little less.Maybe 16.30 ounces after rest of finish is removed.It's still the same bow after 10's of thousands of arrows through it.Resting with 11" of reflex.Excellent shooter.