Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: dbb on April 30, 2011, 11:34:53 am
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My second try to make a bow.
Its birch,pretty long at 5'10" and 1 3/4" at the widest.The tips are wider than i like but i dont know how narrow i dare to make them.
I also played with heat a bit and flipped the tips just to try it ,its only floortillerd but bends nice and even so far.
(http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr17/dbb1963/Bows/DSC_0132.jpg)
(http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr17/dbb1963/Bows/DSC_0131.jpg)
/Mikael
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dbb, looks pretty darned good to the old guy....dont think there is anything wrong with the tips...most of my NA Woodland bows have at least 3/4" tips and they are fast and hard shooters....but they are a whole bunch shorter.
Nice looking bow there, and I personally like the Noethern European grip shape.
rich
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Looks like a bow. What weight are you shooting for ? Are you going to back it ? ' Frank
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That is NICE!!
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That looks nice to me too. Darcy has experience with birch, I suspect he'll be able to help with the tip question. Larger tips aren't that big a deal, on a long bow you'll pick up a little hand shock. On your second bow I wouldn't worry about it. I think you're doing a very nice job.
George
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You can go very narrow at the tips. As narrow as 1/4" if you use tip overlays. Then just cut nocks in the back and very little in the the sides.
Here are a couple pics of what I mean, this on an osage bow but you can go this narrow on birch too.
And a pic of antler tip on a 70# birch longbow. Less than 7/16 diameter just before the nock.
Your bow looks real nice so far.
Darcy :)
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Thanks guys for the confidence boost and the info on the tips :)
Very nice pics DEllis!
@ Sparrow i aim at 40# max that way i have a all day shooter and my brother can borrow it too.
And im not gonna back it unless i have to,i have a finish in mind i want to test on this one
/Mikael
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What kind of birch is it?
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What kind of birch is it?
I got it as a log with no branches so im not sure,but i think its downy birch (Betula puescens) but it could be a smooth specimen of silver birch (Betula pendula) too.
/Mikael
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look's nice, need more pics :D, Bub
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coming along nice. like the flipped tips-keep us posted.
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I think i will have to take a break from this bow and let it dry up some more.When i was straightening up the fades from the handle the wood was feeling a bit too green still,so now i think i have to find a board to play with because unlike you guys that been doin this for a while i dont have a stash of wood to choose from. Besides if i go around eying that stick i dont think i could resist doing something stupid ;D
Its funny this bowmaking..I have made gunstocks,knifehandles and other stuff like that and alvays looked for "character" in the wood,and now suddenly i find myself drool over the straightest most booring grain!...weird!
/Mikael
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unlike you guys that been doin this for a while i dont have a stash of wood to choose from. Besides if i go around eying that stick i dont think i could resist doing something stupid ;D
Mikael, I'm sorry to have to inform you that having a big stash of wood does not prevent one from doing something stupid...rather it allows one to be stupid on a grander scale. :D ;D
Seriously, it is wise to let a bow sit from time to time while you let it dry more, or clear your head, or get in a better frame of mind. I have chased a ring on osage staves hundreds of times, and the other day I stopped working a stave because I violated the ring for the 4th time. Granted the rings are extremely tight, but still...it just wasn't the right day to work on it. :( But, a better day is coming... :)
Good luck with your bow.
George
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Yep. We used to tell the friend beginning to rush his bow along, to go get a bucket of water. When asked what he was to do with that bucket of water, we'd reply for him to stick his head in it. The idea of course, was to slow down. Another saying was, "It does not matter to the wood, how long it takes to make the bow."
I liked Gstoneberg's reply. He's right. Sometimes with a bunch of wood on the pile, we take it a bit for granted. If we only had one or two pieces, we might be more cautious as you are being. Nice bow so far. Keep up the good work and keep us updated with pics.
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Mikael, I'm sorry to have to inform you that having a big stash of wood does not prevent one from doing something stupid...rather it allows one to be stupid on a grander scale. :D ;D
Ha ha,had a good laugh at that ;D.But i understand what you getting at,its easy to say"Well there is more where that came from"when something goes wrong..kind of inflation in wood :)
And i agree that you have to be in the right frame of mind to work with wood in this way,i made some extra work for myself a couple of times when i was making laminate gunstocks stressed or irritated.
But i still wish i had at least something to work on while waiting.This bowmaking is exciting and fun and i dont want to stop ! (Hmm i sound like an addict of some sort)
For now i better go and fill a bucket with water... ;D
/Mikael
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After i put the bow in a laundry dryingroom for a day and letting it rest for a day i went at it again.It lost some of the recurved tips while drying but i didnt flip it back.
I was so into it that i didnt take any pics while tillering.It have some handshock but not too bad,and it shoots pretty good.My scale have developed legs and hidden itself but i think i hit close to the 40# i aimed at.
The tips and riserarea is stained black and the rest silvergray,i have started to oil it but have some coatings to go before im done.nuff said here is the pics 70"approx38# @28"
(http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr17/dbb1963/Bows/DSC_0145.jpg)
(http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr17/dbb1963/Bows/DSC_0144.jpg)
(http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr17/dbb1963/Bows/DSC_0149.jpg)
(http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr17/dbb1963/Bows/DSC_0150.jpg)
(http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr17/dbb1963/Bows/DSC_0146.jpg)
I welcome any constructive comments as this is only my second bow,but im pretty happy with it.
/Mikael
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Looks really nice dbb. I think the leather grip is sweet. tiller looks spot on as well. excellent stuff.
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Very good!
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Thanks guys :) i found my scale today btw,i was close on my guess it is 37.7# @28 not 38 ;D
I dont think i would have gotten this result whithout all i have learned from this forum so again thanks to all at PA!
/Mikael
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Love the stain job. Birch is on my list of woods to try, you just inspired me. Nice bow and nice tiller.
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Mine as well Pearl, do you have access to yellow birch or paper birch in your neck of the woods? Consumers Power Comp. is marking all the power line areas that they will be cutting and removing around my place and I noticed this week that 3 or 4 decent looking paper (white) birch will be in their path so I will be heading out with my saw this weekend to save them and put them to good use. (seen some nice straight looking Russian Olive too and wonder about it's potential as a Branch Bow?)
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The surrounding land around our house is covered in birch and poplar, just need to get off my duff and split some to start drying. I have been on a Hackberry and hickory tear lately, just trying to get a winter stash secured!
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Agree with Eric - tiller looks perfect. Love the finish work on that bow, well done!
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dbb, the bow looks great! Jawge
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Great second bow! The tiller looks just about perfect. Good job!
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Nailed the tiller. Great bow......for the second one it's just awesome. :)
Darcy