2018 Bow Trade-Completed

[timmyd]

well I don't even know where to start. I have had nothing but bad luck. I am on bow #5 lol. i had a recurve crack on me, a tri lam blow up and 2 others that came in too light. so i stepped back and evaluated my techniques. decided to make some changes so went back to the wood pile and picked up a blank I had roughed out for this upcoming season. I decided to use it. It's a cool stave with just enough wiggle and snake to make it look neat. worked it down on the long string to just about brace level. registering #55 as is so I think this one will actually make it. still still outer limbs but I'll wait till I brace it to worry about that. any critiques and tips are welcome.

[burchett.donald]

  Timmy,
              Looking good...If it were mine I would get that left outer moving a bit before bracing...Right side looks good...
                                                                                                                                                                                   Don
                                                                                                                                                                             

[Morgan]

Timmy, I promise you I feel your pain. I’ve had more issues on this trade than I’ve had in a long time. Looks like you’re coming out on top though!

[M2A]

Hey Timmy, looks like your off to a fine start on this one(osage?). Looking at things as if I was working on it....I think the left limb is bending more than the right. left limb has more reflex in unstrung pic and then is lower when pulled on tree. only by an inch or so each way. That said I do like the profile of it when strung at this point. Looks to me like the right limb has some character to it so that makes it hard for me to judge just where it might be stiff. Looks like  out of the fade, but then mid limb may be bending more than the left limb is.

I'd use a tillering gizmo. Get things bending even or confirm they already are(even if what I stated above is wrong this will not lie). You could also slowly work towards the outer limbs using it and thus have more limb working for you before you get to bracing it.After brace i'd continue to use gizmo  out to 20" maybe more. also watching for even side to side thickness as I go. Check, 10-15 scrapes on stiff spots, exercise wood, repeat. If I feel its bending even but feel I start to stress limbs I know I need more working limb. That's what I think and how id work on it if it was mine.

From what I can see it does look like a neat piece of wood and your well on your way. Hope you find this helpful. Good luck! Mike             

[tattoo dave]

It looks to me like the right limb is bending slightly more then the left, just near the fade. I would ease up on the right limb near the fade for a bit, and get the entire left limb bending just a touch more, but it's great start. Keep at it!

Tattoo Dave

[hoosierf]

Ok i started with birch so I’m gonna try to get one done and finish the way i started. My Osage is good to go but I’ve got unfinished business with this birch stave. I set aside the sinewed birch i started because the knot collapsed during tillering.  So here’s the stave and floored tillered bow. As soon as the tip overlay glue dries I’ll get it on the long string and quickly to brace. This stave is amazing as it has no knots at all and straight as an arrow so if i fail it’s all on the bowyer.  Hopefully the link works. I’m never quite sure.

http://imgur.com/gallery/I4StqbD

[hoosierf]

More progress. Tillered to near final heat treated and reflexed a bit. I’ll lose most of the reflex
I think as it was starting to take some set.

https://imgur.com/gallery/mGwfFmp

[timmyd]

got her down to 22" today. it's raining so didn't want to bend her too much today. I think she is looking pretty good. the character limb is on the left looking at the pic so that is why that limb bend looks a little different. you all see anything that I'm missing?

[burchett.donald]

  Nice Timmy, would like to see it drawn in hand soon...
                                                                                  Don

[M2A]

Looking good Timmy.

Mike

[Morgan]

Looks good from here timmy!

[Morgan]

Been busy here but been finishing up when time allows. Got the dye and stain on and sprayed with shellac. The shellac was a failure so I cleaned it all off with alcohol and have a bunch of thin coats of tru oil on. I need help now. I’ve never written on a bow. I would like to write on this one and cover with a couple more coats of tru oil. What kind of pen do y’all use that you can cover without smearing?

[hoosierf]

I use a black sharpie and put a few coats of johnson’s Wax over it. Seems to hold up fine.

[Morgan]

Thanks Hoosier. Does the paste wax keep the sharpie marker from coming off? I had a scrap piece that I was testing. Tru oil will go over a paint pen, but I can’t write legibly with a paint pen. I have silver sharpies that show up on the dark bow belly but the tru oil wipes the sharpie off.

[Mo_coon-catcher]

I use India ink. Being a pigment suspended in a super thin laquer, it holds up very well without fading and once dry, try oils will cover it well without smearing. I’m pretty sure you can get pens filled with India ink, but I use a dip pen. A nib with a reaerviour hold enough ink to get all your markings without having to redip. Laquer or anything with a string solvent can still smear te India ink, but a coat of truoil over the top prevents that.

Kyle