Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Et_tu_brute on July 02, 2011, 07:42:40 pm
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Hi All,
Planning myself a new bow, Ash backed Yew ELB, however the Yew is in billets (the Ash is full length). I'll be splicing the Yew with a Z splice and just wanted to get opinions on how safe people think it'll be to allow the bow to bend slightly through the handle? I was thinking it'd be pretty safe given the Ash is a single piece backing, but just wanted to check with others.
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How long is the bow going to be, and what draw weight?
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I'm currently looking at around 80#@28" and in the region of 74"ntn - both the Yew and Ash are of excellent quality.
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If you let the handle bend even a little bit the splice will eventually fail.
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Ya Gordon is right you dont want the splice to bend
Josh
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Glue the handle up in a slight deflex then bring the limbs around to that bend at full draw. You will get the same visual effects of a bendy handle bow without jeopardising the spliced handle joint.
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im with Gordon on this. dont trust a bend in the grip at all. Pats suggestion would likely work if done as writen.
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This bow is a 100#@32" tri-lam, with a spliced osage belly. It bends just ever so slightly in the handle, and it's been shooting for several years now, with no problems.
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Adb, is the full thickness of your handle spliced or just the belly lam?
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Just the osage belly lam is spliced.
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I discuss with Jaroslav some year ago about using a short staves to make the longer bow. We come to a conclusion the splice area cannot be short as the normal splice length, of a length such as 3~4" long. This will create pressure point in middle, which is ok in short and thick handle of stiff handle bow. So, we thought length of splice is most critical, as we know strength of glue usually is not problem. If splice could be made 8~12" long, we thought it would even be possible to mark full arc warbow, with only backing and belly. If made in tri-lam configuration, it is much more safer.
Cutting splice of such length or a longer one would seem difficult, however, it will be longer and more laterally flexible, so steaming and clamping splice together would create I believe almost perfect splice. I worry that backing must be made of flat grain only, as rift and quarter sawn backing will give shear factor opportunity to lift or split at the earlywood, maybe its safe for maple backings.
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I once made a yew bow that bent in the handle backed with a single hickory backing and the splice gradually failed. Dont know if this always happens buts thats my experience...