Introduction and Osage Recurve 54.5'' 41@27

[High-Desert]

That’s a good looking bow. Outstanding tiller job.

[Hawkdancer]

Maybe put it in the Bow of the Month?!  Very nice job!
Hawkdancer

[airkah]

Great job on that bow, patina looks really nice.

Thank you, i meant to include this in the intro post, the finish is just a few coats of tru oil on a 2 year old stave, I didn't do anything special to it.


Something else I meant to include even though I think a lot of you know this just by looking at them, but the tip overlays are purpleheart.

I really like the hemp(?) handle wrap. I started doing that trying to hold together a double spliced(belly and core) tri-lam I built that kept coming apart. Hemp is very strong and I like the positive grip it gives in all weather conditions. I saturate it in Massey finish(2ton epoxy thinned with acetone) which seems to make it bullet proof.

Good eye, it is hemp. I agree it seems to be very durable, i put a bit of tb3 on the wood and then wrap it, seems to soak into the hemp and toughen it up. If any glue comes through the top I try to scrape it off. Once it dries I lightly sand off and extra gunk with really fine sandpaper and put tru oil over the top to give it a cleaner look.

My only suggestion would be to pull your elbow straight back when you draw your bow to align the arrow with your frame on release. I realize that a picture taken to emphasize the drawn profile might not be the same as your actual shooting style.

I've been waiting to hear about the elbow, its pretty close to how I actually align. My form falls off a little bit just from the weight being a little high for me at the moment. (I haven't practiced much the last year and I can feel I lost a little strength). I had a shoulder injury about 15 years ago that never got back to 100%, so I don't have the same range of motion/stability in my right shoulder, that higher angle is a lot more stable for me. But it is something I'm trying to work on and get lower.

Maybe put it in the Bow of the Month?!  Very nice job!
Hawkdancer

I might, it would be a huge honor.

Thank you all for the compliments on the tiller, it was the most challenging aspect by far, I had to spend a lot of time staring at pictures until I felt like I got it about as good as I could, so its nice to hear from others with more experience than me think its pretty good.

[sleek]

Half an inch of set is fantastic. Congratulations on a job well done! 54 inches is about the sweet spot for this design I'd say, any shorter and performance really starts to suffer. Your width is darn near spot on. The only design change I'd make on the next one is to not make the inner third of the limbs taper, but keep them straight. From the photos, that's where your set has taken place.

I'm impressed you got that draw length without using any deflex. If you have a chrono, I'd love to see how fast it shoots. Where abouts are you? Any chance you could make it to any if the gatherings, Mojam, for example?

Your level of craftsmanship is very good. I don't see a blemish on it. I'm curious about your reflex tips, what got you making them like that, rather than a standard recurve? Didn't you notice any problems with limb torque with them like that? In the past I have and decided I wouldn't go with straight tips any more. Curious on your experiences.

[Pat B]

Erika, send stickhead the full draw pic and your PA number and he will enter you in next months BOM. You and your bow deserve to be in.

[airkah]

The only design change I'd make on the next one is to not make the inner third of the limbs taper, but keep them straight. From the photos, that's where your set has taken place.

I think your right that it wouldn't have taken any if I left it a bit wider there.

I'm impressed you got that draw length without using any deflex. If you have a chrono, I'd love to see how fast it shoots.

No chrono, though I may buy one someday, because I am curious about how fast a few of my bows shoot. It feels like a solid performer, a bit better than I was expecting, but I can't really put any numbers to it.

Your level of craftsmanship is very good. I don't see a blemish on it. I'm curious about your reflex tips, what got you making them like that, rather than a standard recurve? Didn't you notice any problems with limb torque with them like that? In the past I have and decided I wouldn't go with straight tips any more. Curious on your experiences.

They don't always come out without tool marks, I surprised myself a bit with how clean it came out.

I feel like you are probably going to want a more technical answer for why I do what I do than I'll be able to give.

I tend to do a lot of things because I enjoy that process. The tips are just kinda how I do things. I've never bothered to make a caul, I just steam em and bend by hand. I'm not sure why, maybe because it makes every limb unique? Maybe someday I'll get the desire to do like some massive curved 90 degree bends, and I'll definitely need a caul for that. But for now I'm happy doing this.

With this one, the stave had a slight bit of a natural propeller twist. You can notice it in the tips. For whatever reason, taking twist out is like my least favorite thing to do, so I just worked with it. I tillered it ever so slightly thicker on one side so it flattens out as its drawn. So far it hasn't given me any issues. I know there are other (probably superior) ways to get rid of that little twist, but that just seemed less fun. I like the challenge in working with what the wood wants to do naturally. I think if the twist had been a little bit more, I would have had no choice but to heat and clamp it out in order to have the tips like I do.

[upstatenybowyer]

Beautiful bow! So glad you decided to post it. 

[backtowood B2W]

Welcome to PA!
I like your bow!
Keep on posting them!
B2W

[JW_Halverson]

Pffft! Is that all you got after 5 years of lurking and making bows?  Just THAT?

Never mind me. I am just sitting over here eating my second six person hot tub sized bowl of sour grapes with an extra large helping of soul-crushing envy.  Seventeen years of making bows and I have yet to turn out something that well tillered and decorated.  Thanks, Erika. I really appreciate how you moved the bar up just a little further out of my reach! 

(Attention all Admins and Moderators: Who keeps letting these incredibly talented new people in? How is the "Olde Guard" supposed to keep up with THIS???)

 

[simk]

what great introduction - looking forward for next ones! cheers

[airkah]

Thank you all so much, the responses have really been amazing and more than I was expecting.

[JW_Halverson]

Thank you all so much, the responses have really been amazing and more than I was expecting.

Now you gotta knock it outa the park every time you post a new bow! 

[Hawkdancer]

Methinks the "olde Guard" is being seriously challenged as to excellence of product!  By the old ways, none the less!   We newbies are chomping at the bit ! .  We're still learning how to not screw up! .  Be assured that if there is a way to screw up a process, I'll find it!!  Way to go, Erika!
Hawkdancer

[bentstick54]

Welcome to PA. Very nice looking bow. Really? Only your 5th bow? I wish I had 1/2 as much talent. Keep up the good work.

[airkah]

Welcome to PA. Very nice looking bow. Really? Only your 5th bow? I wish I had 1/2 as much talent. Keep up the good work.

Oh no I've made more than 5. I wasn't one of those lucky people that starts out making beautiful works of art. I think I broke my first 3 or 4 attempts ans the first survivor is a very ugly 25# red oak board with cracks on the back.