Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: aaron on March 26, 2012, 01:23:33 pm
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I'm close to finishing this Ocean Spray bow for my girlfriend. It's 54 inches long, 1 1/8 wide. Draws about 25 pounds at 25 inches. I'm looking for some fresh eyes on the final tiller.going for bendy handle / arc of circle.
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sure looks arc of circle to this old man 8) dont believe it needs any more tiller work if it's where you want it for weight.
rich
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I agree with the ol' man.
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Keep staring at it, pretty soon it will start looking totally off! LOL. :) looks great to me, give it to her and go shooting.
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if anything the top outer third is a bit stiff, but i like the tips a little stiff, i'd shoot the snot out of it just like it is, nice job, Bub
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I agree with Bubby. It's totally shootable right now, but if you wanted to fine tune a bit, the top limb just past mid limb looks a hair stiff. I can't wait to try ocean spray. Seems like great stuff.
Gabe
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Looking good aaron! I would say it looks good to me that top limb looks to have a little reflex when unbraced so that might be some of what bubby and rossfactor are seeing :-\ If it feels good and shoots good put a finish on it! Nice work!
Josh
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your right Josh, i just saw that after reading your post, like i said, shoot the snot outta it >:D, Bub
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Sweet bow, tiller looks great to me. I like those tips. Think I might do some of those myself.
Tattoo Dave
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Tiller looks good Aaron! Don't you just love that stuff. It's one of my favs anymore. Looks like you already got some type of finish on it already. Sorta dark and orc-ish. Is that bark on or off?
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Looks good to me..... Realy love those tips!
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Thanks, everyone. I too think the top limb is a little stiff in the outer third.
randman- yes I am loving ocean spray - this is only my second OS bow. No bark on this one, but a home made black stain, which i also pre-stained the sinew wraps with. First i got a bottle of white vinegar and added 3 pads of 0000 steel wool- let sit one week.next i applied some strong black tea to the wood (or sinew) i also put tea in the hide glue for the sinew. Then, i put the vinegar in a spray bottle (not the rusty steel wool or the sediment, just the vinegar, which looks mostly clear). when you spritz on the vinegar, a chemical reaction occurs , turning it all black. If you omit the tea, you get various grey hues.
As far as the tips go, they could be way narrower, but i like them too. I started with a small ring of pronghorn horn, boiled it for an hour and squashed it flat in a clamp. Next I carved both nocks into the horn, cutting them apart at the end. This made carving easier 'cos I could hold onto one while carving the other.
Tillering was tricky due to all the small wiggles and bumps, so i used my usual trick of measuring tiller by drawing straight lines on the sides of the bow and then measuring the bend of the lines (photos below).
I am making a handle out of cork, which will give a nice round cross section to the bow which is now a half-circle cross section at the handle.
The stave had potential to become a 40 pounder at least, and I had to restrain myself from making ME another bow,, when what i really need is to get the girlfriend into archery.
Thanks to Josh, Elktracker, we cut the stave in his "back yard".
I'll have to put the most of the photos into another post, I am having "issues".
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aaron is this the 1 1/2" stave?
Josh
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photos
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yeah,, josh , this is the biggest stave from that day. arent you at the knap-in?
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Ya that things could have been a 80 pound bow man ;D
no couldn't make it I'm logging now so schedule is tight :-[ but I know where to get allot of good bow wood now lol
Josh
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wow,that is one prehistoric looking bow...john
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Sounds like your past this now but here's my impression. Overall it look really good! The tip to mid limb of the upper limb could bend a bit more and that may require some overall weight loss from the lower limb to even it out. But it's likely not needed. Good job!