Inaugural “junior” bow trade

[stuckinthemud]

Believe it or not, it’s mid July!!! Is everyone still OK about mid September for shipping? 

[Aaron1726]

I'm still good with that.  Got mine full brace and tillered out to 24 in, so closing in on things.  Gonna try to get some pics up soon.

[Muskyman]

I’m good too. Backup bow is 100 percent done and trade bow is about 99 percent. Needs a handle wrap and tru-oil. Has had about 120 or more shots through it.
I’ll post pics when I get it 100 percent.

[paulc]

I hope to get back on my bow this week and I think I can be good to go by mid Sept...worst case I have a bow I started over a year ago that I've never gotten back to.  I may have to go with it.  Paul

[Aaron1726]

Here's a few pics, haven't put any up of the build in a while.  Just a lot going on, so haven't had time to.  My target for this bow is 45 to 50 lbs at 28in.  Right now it's at about 50 at 27in so I feel like I'm on track to hit my target.  It's got a little bit of set, but I've started on a belly heat treat with a little reflex induced so will see how that ends up.

First Pic is at brace.  Second is how I tiller without a tree.  Not the most elegant, but I film myself pulling the bow like you see and then I can review the video on my phone.  This one is a challenge as my draw length is about 24in max so I'm really over drawing for this one, which is actually the longest draw I've ever gone after, so that's a bit fun in itself.  And then the last Pic is my setup for a heat treat, just using a heat gun for this, not a really heavy heat treat, about 45 min on this limb.  I'll let this one cool over night on the form and then do the other one tomorrow (hopefully).  I've put about 50 or so shots through it prior to heat treat and I'm happy with how it's shooting (I just have to draw like an English archer for this one, back to my ear).  I'm excited to finish it up and see how it turns out.  Hope the recipient is happy with it. 

I'll try to get a few pics up after the heat treat is done and I start finishing it up.

[Muskyman]

Looks good Aaron. I haven’t worked on mine since my last post on this thread. It’s pretty close though.

[stuckinthemud]

Looking really nice!

[paulc]

I have made a little progress on my bow...not enough to share though.  And if I was a gambler I would NOT put any money on the current stave.  I found another piece of river birch in the rafters that probably should have been committed to the burn pile rather than put in the rafters.  But after hacking away with the circular saw and then my rasp I have a wonky "character" stave about 1.25" wide full length.  Based on my reading 1.25" is probably too narrow for river birch but maybe if I make it bend through the handle it might work, maybe come in about 45lbs...I hope to reduce it some more this weekend till I feel like it is bending evenly the full length then heat treat it before going to actually tillering it.  If I can get it strung, and then to draw length without blowing up I will shoot it a bunch before finishing it.  And hopefully post some pics this weekend.  The stave is light as a feather which I find interesting....

Paul

[Muskyman]

I actually worked on mine some today too.  This stave is making me crazy. I put it away in the house about 3-4 weeks ago and it sat there while I painted my house aka my honey do. Took it out to the shop, strung it up and flexed it a while then pulled it to full draw and it was a fuzz over 55 lbs. when I put it away it was 50 lbs. I sanded on it some trying to fix what I always felt like was a flat spot on the top limb right where it has a little natural reflex that I just can’t make go away. Got it down to about 53-54 lbs. sanded the flat area on the top limb and the bottom limb full length. 
I’ll shoot some pictures of it at full draw on the tillering tree and one just strung also took a picture right after fooling with it for about an hour. This stave has never taken any set at all and has had about 100 or more shots through it. If you look at the antler tip you can see that one full draw picture is top limb to the left and one of it to the right
Any thoughts as to if I should try to take the flat spot out or just let it be and as to why it went up in draw weight.
Thanks

[Muskyman]

Top limb to the right at full draw

[superdav95]

Looks pretty darn good to me mike!  The dry ac air in your house maybe dried it out some more?  I’ve had some do this as well after setting them aside and revisiting them later to fine they have increased in weight in draw.  It may have been a particularly humid day when you a last worked it and took your draw reading too.  As far as the flat spot it gives bow character.  I know what’s it’s like to not being able to “call it good”.  It’s hard to do sometimes.  Well done on this bow. 

[Aaron1726]

I'd stick a fork in that guy, looks done to me.  There's a saying, don't let perfect get in the way of good.  And that looks really good!  I'm with Dave, gives it some character. 

[Muskyman]

Thanks, both of you. Guess I just needed a little reassurance. My only issue at this point is that 50 lbs is the high side of my recipient’s specified draw weight. I might try sanding on both limbs to try and reduce the weight a little. I’d rather send it a few pounds over weight than jack it up now. I’ve got a backup bow but this bow is much nicer and would like to send it to my guy so I’m gonna be careful with any further tweaking I do to it. Needs a handle wrap and some tru oil after that and I’m done and on to my next one.

[Aaron1726]

Well I'm about to have this one finished up.  Got it stained a nice dark walnut, the grip is on there for now, but still needs signed and marked and a final coat of truoil put on.  Here's a few pics from today.  Got it out and shot some, trying to bare shaft tune a couple arrows to accompany it.

That said, I'm at a difficult spot with shooting it in.  My target specs are 45-50lbs at 28in.  It's pulling about 47lbs at 28, but all my shooting has been 26in, maybe some at 27.  My normal draw is more like 22in, so I'm pulling this thing back as far as I possibly can to try to give it a proper shoot in session,  I've marked arrows and I just can't get 28 to save my life.  So I hate to mark a bow with specs at 28 when I haveny been able to shoot it at that.  Am I wrong in that thinking?  I'd feel a lot better about marking it with it's 27 or 26 in draw weight and length, which is 45 at 27 and about 43 at 26.  Anyway, would welcome thoughts on this. 

It's shooting really good and it holding just a touch of reflex after unstringing, which returns a bit more after a little while.  Here's the pics and my "full draw" of about 26-26.5 in.

[Aaron1726]

Here's after just unstringing it.

Also, had a couple pin knots in the lower limb that I wrapped and then coated in super glue just to be safe and then gave the top limb similar wraps for symmetry.