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Author Topic: Thrift store bow  (Read 5343 times)

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Offline Leadweight

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Thrift store bow
« on: November 09, 2018, 11:32:26 am »
A friend of mine found this 61in bow for me at a thrift store. How can I go about finding what brace height it should be at? Also is there any maintenance I should do first before trying to use it?
« Last Edit: November 09, 2018, 08:44:53 pm by Leadweight »
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Offline Morgan

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Re: Thrift store bow
« Reply #1 on: November 09, 2018, 01:30:32 pm »
If it were mine, I would check the back meticulously for splinters and if clean go to a low, say 3” brace height. I would exercise the limbs a lot at half draw the. Going into full draw @ 3” brace height. At that point I’d go to a 6” brace and do the same as above. If nothing clicks, pops, or bangs it should be shootable. Most folks tiller to 28”, I would take care to not draw past that at all. Hope it’s a shooter for you.
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Offline Pat B

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Re: Thrift store bow
« Reply #2 on: November 09, 2018, 02:00:49 pm »
Are there any markings on the bow?  It looks like an old lemonwood bow from the 1940's.
 As Morgan said work it slowly. You have to re-teach it to bend and recover. If you go too fast it could break.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline upstatenybowyer

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Re: Thrift store bow
« Reply #3 on: November 09, 2018, 05:51:11 pm »
Cool find. Let us know how it holds up. If it really is from the 1940s it would be really interesting to see if it still shoots!
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"Even as the archer loves the arrow that flies, so too he loves the bow that remains constant in his hands."

Nigerian Proverb

Offline Leadweight

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Re: Thrift store bow
« Reply #4 on: November 09, 2018, 08:44:11 pm »
So after not finding any splinters I went ahead and strung it and got to a 6in brace and so far so good.. it seems to of had some kind of gloss on it but that's flaking off, no other markings besides a stamp that says medium near the grip. Speaking of, the grip seems to have separated from the belly. Should I go ahead and reglue and replace the leather?
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Offline Morgan

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Re: Thrift store bow
« Reply #5 on: November 09, 2018, 08:51:40 pm »
If I were going to try shooting it, or flexing it at all for that matter, I would repair that handle. Is that a dowel pin by your thumb?
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Offline Leadweight

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Re: Thrift store bow
« Reply #6 on: November 09, 2018, 09:14:49 pm »
Yea it is, not quite sure what it's for though as I'm new to primitive style bows.
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Offline Pat B

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Re: Thrift store bow
« Reply #7 on: November 09, 2018, 09:19:14 pm »
I think that dowel indicates the arrow pass.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Morgan

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Re: Thrift store bow
« Reply #8 on: November 09, 2018, 09:30:14 pm »
Quote from: Pat B on November 09, 2018, 09:19:14 pm
I think that dowel indicates the arrow pass.
That makes sense! I was trying to figure out what would be pinned that way.
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Offline Leadweight

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Re: Thrift store bow
« Reply #9 on: November 09, 2018, 09:36:30 pm »
Well I stripped off the old leather and will get started on a new grip. Thanks for the advice and I'll make sure to post some pictures when done.
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Offline Pat B

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Re: Thrift store bow
« Reply #10 on: November 10, 2018, 07:54:43 am »
Were there any markings under the handle wrap?
 Looking back at the pics the wood could be hickory, another popular bow wood of that era.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Jim Davis

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Re: Thrift store bow
« Reply #11 on: November 10, 2018, 08:53:52 am »
At 61", I'd guess that is a youth bow. I would not draw it to 28". You have the handle wrap off, but don't say whether you have reglued the handle. Definitely needs to be done.

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Jim Davis

Kentucky--formerly Maine

Offline Badger

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Re: Thrift store bow
« Reply #12 on: November 10, 2018, 09:02:30 am »
Most of the old bows I have picked up the handle has had to be reglued. Not sure what glue they used back then but it seems to deteriorate over time.
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Offline Leadweight

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Re: Thrift store bow
« Reply #13 on: November 10, 2018, 09:47:20 am »
The only marking I found was a 20 and yes I'm going to reglue it together.
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Offline DC

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Re: Thrift store bow
« Reply #14 on: November 10, 2018, 10:05:59 am »
They sure drilled that arrow pass deep ???
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