Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: KenH on August 15, 2010, 01:31:04 pm
-
Here's my newest Steppe bow - 48" knee to knee; 54" TtT, 1-7/8" wide. Draws a measured 39# @27". This is Red Elm (unbacked) with Elm and Mango laminated siyahs. The siyahs are 3/8" thick Elm with 1/8" Mango laminated on each side, for pretty. The limbs are colored with black shoe polish and a couple coats of rub-on urethane. The red wrappings are embroidery thread, and the yellow is #18 Mason's line because I ran out of the good red stuff at 10 pm.
(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b282/kenhulme/ElmSteppeUnstrung.jpg)
(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b282/kenhulme/ElmSteppeSiyah.jpg)
(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b282/kenhulme/ElmSteppeFull.jpg)
-
wow another great looking bow. nice use of materials too. i found your build along for this style awhile back and am going to give it a try eventually, for me the hardest part will be the siyahs as i dont have many choices in wood locally.about the only thing close i can get is red oak and cedar(not the cedar thats good for bows)lol
-
... 3/8" thick Elm with 1/8" Mango laminated on each side, for pretty...
And pretty it is, too! I really like this type, and this a great bow! A noob question, when you wrap these, is it to add any strength or structure?
Very nice!
Frode
-
Nothing wrong with Red Oak for a project like this although Elm, Maple or Hickory would be better. This is essentially a board bow with strange ends. I get small, thin pieces of all sorts of wood from Ebay all the time; you just have to keep looking. You certainly don't need exotic woods, I just happen to have them around from building dulcimers. This Elm came from Half-Eye. Thanks Rich!!!
One of these days I'm tempted to laminate several thin pieces of different woods together to make up the main limb - say 5 pieces of 1/16" thick Elm, Maple, and Walnut. Then when I tiller away at the belly, the different layers would revealed...
The wrappings, drenched in Superglue, add some reinforcement at critical areas. Think of them as position specific "backings".
-
Apparently the kitchen aint the only place ya can cook.....I believe that you got the self Stepp bows down to a fine science, sir.
very nice Ken, and each one seems to get better as well.
rich
-
Nice, very very nice. Love the colors and the siyahs are just what the doctor ordered.
-
very nice bow Ken! you say the working limbs are one piece of elm, I say I got it bookmarked for August Self BOM. :) Great lookin bow man!
-
Sweet sweet mango...
Del
-
inspiring. I wanna make one now
-
nice bow!
-
Nice bow Ken! Wish I could make em like you.
-
great work , just might inspire to try another
-
Give it a try! It ain't Rocket Surgery! Think of it as a short board bow with strange tip overlays!
-
nice looking bow, looks great at full draw, how does it shoot? well done!!
-
hey ken, i pm'ed ya..
-
Yeah... I'm keepin' this one. Since I'm moving aboard my retirement houseboat later this week, it just might become my new Fishing Bow. At least for a few months until I get settled in, and maybe have time to build a real short Ottawa or Paddle bow for fishing.
-
Hi Ken. This is a very handsome bow. It appeared to be a composite bow at first glance.
Just a couple of questions. One, did you splice in the siyahs or glue them flat to the tips of the stave? Butt joint? If so, is the thread integral to keeping the joint strong?
Two, how is the performance of this bow? Any hand shock, and how well does it toss an arrow? I’m thinking the siyahs should be a fairly light wood so the bow retains some zip.
Finally, any taper on the stave as you move toward the tips / siyahs?
Dane
-
I glued the siyahs flat; although there's a notch at the end - see the photo. To me the thread is insurance. I did all the tillering and never saw evidence of a weak joint; then did the coloring and wrapping. No handshock. And it throws a shaft with a lot of zip. The core of the siyahs is the same Red Elm as the limb, and the outer Mango is only about 1/8" thick. O also tapered the siyahs from just under 1/2" where the join the limb, to 3/8" at the tips.
The stave was tapered only about 1/8" on each side from mid limb to the 45degree shoulder just before the siyah is attached.
-
Ken, thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. It looks like a fun way to make a bow. I'll have to try my own version soon.
Dane