Author Topic: My old locust bow...RIP  (Read 14066 times)

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Offline bradsmith2010

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Re: My old locust bow
« Reply #45 on: June 11, 2021, 02:29:27 pm »
I totally get it the last bow I sinewed strung it and would have been in the 80# range,, it nearly killed me,,
but I scraped it down,, hope you get to work on yours soon, glad it looked pretty good to start,,

Offline Pat B

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Re: My old locust bow
« Reply #46 on: June 22, 2021, 03:47:14 pm »
I did a little scraping on this bow today. I started on areas I knew were thick along the limbs. these are near where the frets were. Then concentrated of the fades. In the pic it looks like the left limb is hinging but I think it an illusion due to the mortar joint in the block wall because it doesn't look like that with the naked eye. I still need to get the fades bending more then work on reducing the weight some if it still needs it.
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline George Tsoukalas

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Re: My old locust bow
« Reply #47 on: June 22, 2021, 05:53:57 pm »
Pat, you've spent a long time on it. It looks like it is coming to fruition. Very nice. Jawge
Set Happens!
If you ain't breakin' you ain't makin!

Offline Pat B

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Re: My old locust bow
« Reply #48 on: June 22, 2021, 06:27:51 pm »
Thanks, George. I haven't had much time to work on her lately and I don't mind letting her dry even more after adding the sinew. Locust sure does get hard after 18 years of air drying.  (A)      I think she is gonna be a real sweet shooter.
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline bradsmith2010

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Re: My old locust bow
« Reply #49 on: June 22, 2021, 09:25:56 pm »
looks great, what poundage you at now, did the frets scrape out yet :)

Offline Pat B

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Re: My old locust bow
« Reply #50 on: June 22, 2021, 11:38:54 pm »
Brad, I didn't check draw weight, I was just checking the bend. I want to get the fades bending more but that old locust is hard.  :KN
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline bradsmith2010

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Re: My old locust bow
« Reply #51 on: June 23, 2021, 12:40:11 pm »
just looking great,, really nice make over on that bow,,I bet it gonna shoot great,,

Offline Pat B

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Re: My old locust bow
« Reply #52 on: June 27, 2021, 01:42:22 pm »
Got a little more done on the bow yesterday, got her to brace height then pulled to 26" even put 25 arrows through her. She shoots well but seems to stack right at my full draw(26"). I guess I should have kicked the tips up a bit to prevent that but too late now.
Here are a full braced and 26" draw. The fades still look unbending in the pic but to my naked eye it doesn't. I have worked on both fades to get them reduced so they will bend a bit. Top limb is on the left...



...and I added an extension to the shelf with a piece of shoe leather. I'll shape it better once the glue dries.

Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Pat B

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Re: My old locust bow
« Reply #53 on: July 26, 2021, 03:32:36 pm »
Well, it's been a month since I last posted this bow rebuild. I've been waiting for a covering for the sinew backing. I got 2 snake skins that are very nice skins but they are a bit different from each other so I decided to go with thin rawhide. I received rawhide from 3 different people here on PA. The rawhide I got from Outback Bob suited this bow the best so today I applied it.
 First I cut the strip Bob sent me into 2, 2" wide strips and cut them to length then washed in warm water with Dawn dish soap, rinsed them well and let them soak until I was ready to apply them.


I put the bow back on the form holding the handle down with a strip of sinew and raised the tips on 2x4 blocks to prepare for applying the rawhide...




I then dried the excess water off the rawhide, laid them out flat and sized with hide glue and sized the sinew backing on the bow with glue too...


...and applied the rawhide. I worked out any air bubbles and wrapped rubber bands around the bow at the flared to insure good adhesion there...


...and now I ask for your patience again. I have the bow on the form in my basement where I keep a dehumidifier running all the time during the summer so that should help with the drying. I think I'll wait at least a week before I release it.
...more to come...
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline TimBo

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Re: My old locust bow
« Reply #54 on: July 26, 2021, 03:49:58 pm »
Looks good, Pat!

Offline PeteC

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Re: My old locust bow
« Reply #55 on: July 26, 2021, 04:34:38 pm »
Great project Pat .I hope that belly can stand the new pressure it will face after the sinew job. God Bless
What you believe determines how you behave., Pete Clayton, Whitehouse ,Texas

Offline Will B

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Re: My old locust bow
« Reply #56 on: July 26, 2021, 06:23:38 pm »
That rawhide backing looks great. Should be a nice shooting bow. Thanks for posting all the pictures with description of the procedures. Look forward to seeing the finished bow.

Offline Outbackbob48

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Re: My old locust bow
« Reply #57 on: July 26, 2021, 07:24:01 pm »
Pat, glad ya liked the rawhide and hope it does works for ya, Bob

Offline Pat B

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Re: My old locust bow
« Reply #58 on: July 26, 2021, 08:22:23 pm »
Thanks guys. Bob, it is already working for me. It's so thin it practically contoured itself to the sinew backing. That's why I like hide glue for rawhide and snake skin backings. It's got "suck".  :OK
 I'm contemplating a few different designs to go on the back. Gotta dress this baby up.  8)
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline simson

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Re: My old locust bow
« Reply #59 on: July 27, 2021, 03:55:23 am »
Just found this thread ...
what an interesting project. You make it look easy, great pics to explain the process.
Simon
Bavaria, Germany