Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Sempertiger on February 28, 2012, 11:32:33 pm
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I just wanted to say hello and introduce my self and the my first successful bow.
My family (wife, daughter and I) are new to archery. We all picked up a bow for the first time in the early part of the month and have been going to the range twice a week since. after tooling around on forums, watching youtube videos, and reading build alongs, I decided to try making my first bow, with the intention of making or breaking it before all 4 of my TBB books arived, that way I could have a little practical experience behind me before I started with the books. The first bow was made from red oak backed with a couple layers of linen cloth. It took me nearly 12 hours over 3 days and came out nice, however, I carelessly tryed to bend it over, due to the light weight, and ended breaking the top limp off 8" for the tip. Did I mention that the bow was 10lbs at 17" and 51"ntn for my 5yo daughter?
well, I got the books in the mail the next day and started reading. Through the first, then a couple chapters into the second book, I figured out some things and started again. This time I used a stick of Merbau and backed it with three layers of linen, soaked in tightbond II. This one took me between 6 and 8 hours and came out nice, I think, for my first successful bow. It's a bit more "modern" than what really interests me, but I made it for my daughter to learn on, and wanted to take some inconsistancey out so she can work more on having fun, and less on fumbling arrows off her hand.
here it is:
(http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg20/sempertiger/IMG_6801.jpg)
(http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg20/sempertiger/IMG_6806.jpg)
(http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg20/sempertiger/IMG_6805.jpg)
(http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg20/sempertiger/IMG_6802.jpg)
(http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg20/sempertiger/IMG_6804.jpg)
(http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg20/sempertiger/IMG_6803.jpg)
(http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg20/sempertiger/IMG_6798.jpg)
(http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg20/sempertiger/photo.jpg)
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Welcome to the forum and the new addiction. Good looking first bow..I really like the grip/riser
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Welcome to PA. You did a nice job on this bow. The TBB series is good reference and has a lot of experimentation to back it all up. Here on PA you have that and more. It is great that your wife and daughter are joining you. Your daughter already has that "Diana" look to her. 8)
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that is a nice bow ,good tiller and in only 6 to 8 hrs ....I think it takes me at least that long to get one to floor tiller :)
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great job buddy,keep at it.you did good.i am glad to see your family involved.that is a wonderful thing.nice bow,Steve
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Welcome. That's a nice first bow. That is an amazing looking background in your photo.
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Good job on that one! Welcome to PA!
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Very nice bow.Great getting the whole bunch of you going all at once.Welcome to P.A. Hey !..Is that Thunder mountain in the Background ? ' Frank
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Very nice man! Awesome picture of your daughter. Hope she is enjoying it. Mine is 2.5 and already asking me make her one.
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Nice Bow and nice looking area you live in there! Thats awsome you are involving the whole family! Hope to get the whole family involved when the boys get a bit older. Looking forward to seeing you and your wifes bows too ! Thanks again for sharing and WELCOME!!!!!
Josh
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WELCOME to PA !!
Guy
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Thanks, everyone, for the kind words and welcome.
Frank, that is Thunder Mountain... Good Eye!
I know many folks on here like to make their primitave bows with hand tools, but I'm not there yet. From my little experience, and what I've read, the hardest part of making a bow is the tillering. It's a lot easier for me to be ok with accidently breaking a bow that took me less than an hour to ruff out with my band saw and belt sander, than say, the same bow with how many more hours with hand tools.
I do want to make a bow, eventually, with hand tools. I want more hands on experience before I tackle that. Baby steps :)
JS
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Welcome JS, great first bow. Don't beat yourself up for using the best tools you have at your disposal. Our ancestors used the best they had available to them. If you want to make a bow with hand tools, by all means do it, but don't think everyone here is. For me, in some cases the best tool for the job is a power tool and in other cases it's a hand tool. You should learn to use all the hand tools so you could build a bow that way if you needed to, but beyond that there are no tool rules here that I know of. :)
George
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Looks super as a first effort. Welcome to PA.
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It's a lot easier for me to be ok with accidently breaking a bow that took me less than an hour to ruff out with my band saw and belt sander, than say, the same bow with how many more hours with hand tools.
JS
What it might take me an hour to do with hand tools I will totally screw up in 10 seconds with a power tool!!! For me it's not about finishing a perfect shooting bow, it's about the pleasure I take in working with sharp hand tools, the feel of a curl peeling up off the stave, the crunch of sapwood under a drawknife, and the hypnotic rhythm of a rasp, etc. Some of the people here get this concept and others don't. Some are just here to make weapons to shoot deer, others trying to replicate bygone war armaments, still others re-creating Native American arts.
You'll find our place here. And welcome.
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Good job,your little one looks like a natural!! Don't hoard all the fun, let her and the Mrs join in building em' ;) give them some sand paper and have at it!! See you around,Ron