Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: missilemaster on November 05, 2012, 11:59:39 pm

Title: My first lever bow!
Post by: missilemaster on November 05, 2012, 11:59:39 pm
Well, I finally went and did it. I built myself a molly!

    After seeing the bows Blackhawk has been cranking out, I had to try my hand at it. She's a 50/50 design(half lever, half working limb.) This is also my first attempt at snakeskin backing. I dont think I need to tell you that this bow is a screamer, and the smoothest drawing bow I have ever made.(You were right Chris, they are fun and addicting!!) This will definitely not be my last. I could have gone a bit narrower on the levers, but this was my first and also, the bow has a bit of propeller twist and I was worried about the stability factor.

  Here are the specs:  Osage orange,
                                   60" NTN
                                   55# @ 27"
                                   2" at the widest point of the limb,
                                   3/4" at the base of the lever, tapering to a hair over 3/8" at the tip,
                                   8 heavy coats of gloss spar urethane and using pumice to get a
                                   satin finish.
  I hope you guys like it as much as I enjoyed building it.  I'd like to thank Chris (Blackhawk) for his help with this bow. He is, in my opinion the "molly master".  Thanks for looking,

                               Cody
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: missilemaster on November 06, 2012, 12:01:34 am
more
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: missilemaster on November 06, 2012, 12:02:22 am
more
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: ionicmuffin on November 06, 2012, 12:03:06 am
WOW! nice!
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: Adam on November 06, 2012, 12:05:10 am
That is extremely nice work!
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: missilemaster on November 06, 2012, 12:07:15 am
Thanks muffin, thanks adam, it was very fun to make.
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: Pat B on November 06, 2012, 12:11:10 am
Incredable work Cody. Those swept levers are very sexy and I'd bet quite effective. Very nice.  8)
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: missilemaster on November 06, 2012, 12:13:00 am
Thanks Pat, very kind.
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: BOWMAN53 on November 06, 2012, 12:32:25 am
That is beautiful, are the overlays ebony, or something else?
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: missilemaster on November 06, 2012, 12:48:24 am
That is beautiful, are the overlays ebony, or something else?
I'm not sure what they are, something hard and dense!
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: uncleduck on November 06, 2012, 12:56:40 am
That is an awesome bow right there!
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: randman on November 06, 2012, 12:58:04 am
WoW that is nice! Cody that's as close to lever tipped perfection as I have ever seen. You young guys crankin' out all these suhweet bows make me fee lazy cuz i'm not keepin up. And you also make me ask myself "why didn't I start doin this when I was a lot younger?" Love the Strunk grip wrap.
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: Zion on November 06, 2012, 01:40:42 am
Awesome! Must be hella fast! Also love the contrast of the tips to the osage
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: dmenzies1950 on November 06, 2012, 02:13:23 am
Man that is a beautiful bow! I was thinking of posting a couple of bows that I just finished, but after seeing yours and some of the others I'm having second thoughts! Anyway Cody that is a seriously nice bow! Good Job!    Dale
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: Starfire on November 06, 2012, 02:58:57 am
That is a beautiful bow, I love the molle design and you just hit it out of the park!
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: danny f on November 06, 2012, 03:49:34 am
great work it looks the business.
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: gstoneberg on November 06, 2012, 07:21:14 am
Nice.  I love the way those wide working limbs let you get the whole diamond to show in that snakeskin.  Your finish work is really top notch.  Beautiful bow!

George
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: blackhawk on November 06, 2012, 07:27:52 am
Dang Cody..that is sexy from every angle,unbraced to brace to full draw..perfecto man,and I think your the "Molly master" now..lol  :laugh: that's gotta be one smooth pulling rocket launching bow,and I'm glad you reflexed the levers,it makes it all the sweeter. But yes you still can scrape a lil more off of em,but there's nuttin wrong with yours. It takes a couple to know how small you can go. That thing is awesome :)

Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: dwardo on November 06, 2012, 07:42:47 am
She is very pretty nice work!
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: lesken2011 on November 06, 2012, 08:06:34 am
Real nice job, Cody! I love those Molles, too. Nice curves on those levers and great brace and drawn profiles. Of course, as usual, your finish work is primo!! 8)
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: SLIMBOB on November 06, 2012, 08:47:34 am
  Really sweet from every angle.  Love it!
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: dwardo on November 06, 2012, 08:58:43 am
Have a 60" cherry stave with molly written on it :)
Can you give me some proportion sizes for the levers please.
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: Parnell on November 06, 2012, 09:10:00 am
I'd expect nothing less.  One of the prettiest I've seen, Cody.  Beautiful work.
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: missilemaster on November 06, 2012, 09:50:47 am
Thank all you guys for the  comments. Yup, its one smooth drawing bow, about as fast as any I've made. There is also no handshock And it is almost noiseless!
 @ Chris, thats kind of you to say, but I have to disagree about me being the master. you got them things down to a science! Thanks again for your help.

 @ dwardo, I cut the levers out to 3/4" thick and 3/4" wide at the base tapering to 1/2" wide at the tip. From there I straightened them till they were aligned with the grip and in line with each other. Then I reflexed them on a form. It is of the UTMOST importance that they have the string runing down the exact center of the levers or they will twist out of alignment. After  I tiller the bowI narrow the levers about 1/8" and reduce there thickness a bit. Blackhawk helped me with the dementions on mine and I'm sure he would help you out with any other ?'s you may have.
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: missilemaster on November 06, 2012, 09:52:50 am
Also forgot to mention she has  1 3/8" resting reflex and has a 3/16" positive tiller.
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: Ifrit617 on November 06, 2012, 10:11:28 am
That is one of the coolest bows I have seen on this site in a long time... Pure perfection.

Jon
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: PEARL DRUMS on November 06, 2012, 10:32:02 am
Nice job Cody. They are fun to build and shoot!
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: autologus on November 06, 2012, 10:53:06 am
I will be truly blessed when I have but a fraction of your experience.  That is one beautiful weapon, you are a master.

Grady
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: Dean Marlow on November 06, 2012, 11:06:12 am
Cody
  That is a beauty for sure. Never made a Molly but would like to shoot one someday. Thanks for sharing. Dean
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: k-hat on November 06, 2012, 11:09:10 am
Yeah now dat's one SEXY bow!!  Top notch work in all aspects!  there's definitely a molly in my bowmaking future  ;D
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: BowEd on November 06, 2012, 11:31:45 am
Very nice looking lines on your bow Cody at all stages.It says shoot me.Outstanding attention to detail on all phases.Bet you could hardly wait to shoot your first arrow through it and then more......LOL.
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: Bowman on November 06, 2012, 12:15:02 pm
Beautiful bow and beautiful tiller. Diamond back and osage is very nice. Excellent!!!!!!!! :-)
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: ErictheViking on November 06, 2012, 12:37:12 pm
Sweet Mollie perfection. 8)
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: Tom Leemans on November 06, 2012, 12:38:19 pm
Uh-oh! I think I know what to do with my tollhouse stave from Timo now!!!
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: briarjumper12 on November 06, 2012, 01:16:37 pm
You hit that one outta the park! 
I am inspired to try me one now.
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: Dvshunter on November 06, 2012, 01:48:23 pm
Awesome Cody! I love looking at your bows.
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: Keenan on November 06, 2012, 01:58:19 pm
Incredible Cody.  I think you can master anything that you decide to try. Excellent work as always. The tiller looks perfect and great attention to detail. I love the full draw pics.
 I can't tell you how impressed I am with the bow that you gifted me. It is definitely one of the best shooting bows I have ever shot and I am loving it! I am planning on hunting with her next weekend.
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: Trapper Rob on November 06, 2012, 02:25:01 pm
Sweet bow
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: simson on November 06, 2012, 02:38:45 pm
Wow, really georgous bow, absolut great work
congrats !!

simson
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: Stefan on November 06, 2012, 02:52:28 pm
Wow, I aint much of a mollie fan but this thing gorgeous.
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: raghorns on November 06, 2012, 05:15:42 pm
Hey Cody, every time I see you have a bow posted, I can hardly wait for the pics to come up on the screen...I know it's going to be a masterpiece. Once again, I was not disappointed. You are a fine bowyer and a fine young man.
Thanks,
Lyle
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: seabass on November 06, 2012, 05:24:27 pm
your the man Cody,that is one fine bow.bring to to the classic.i would love to see  it in person.
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: Carson (CMB) on November 06, 2012, 05:58:43 pm
Incredible work Cody.  I love those full draw pics.  The swept lever is really nice.
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: coaster500 on November 06, 2012, 06:35:18 pm
Man Cody I love your work....  Beautiful!!!
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: LimbLover on November 06, 2012, 07:26:31 pm
Wow. that is really something there....oustanding.
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: sharpend60 on November 06, 2012, 07:53:47 pm
Dang Cody,

You got some real talent, I mean that!
I feel like a hack compared to you.

I cant remember a bow you've posted that I have disliked.
I dont like everyone  by the way, not nearly.

Unbelievable.

Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: sharpend60 on November 06, 2012, 07:55:19 pm
I should add,
I keep a folder with ideas on my desk top.

This is going right in!
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: beetlebailey1977 on November 06, 2012, 09:16:37 pm
Man oh man that thang is sweet.  I like it I like it I like it!!!!!
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: missilemaster on November 06, 2012, 10:48:35 pm
Man guys, Thanks a bunch for all the wonderfull comments. I would be nowhere close to where I am today if had not been for all the fine people on this forum helping answer questions, posting there bows and encouraging everyone. To get encouragement I frequently go through the older posts and stare at pictures of others bows. I also must give all glory to God, who gifted me with a passion to create and I want to bless others with this gift. Again, thank you all Gentlemen for your encouragement!!

                  -Cody
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: Badly Bent on November 06, 2012, 10:58:59 pm
Man Cody I can't think of any compliment that hasn't already been said about that bow. It really is a masterpiece, you got talent. :)
Greg
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: soy on November 06, 2012, 11:26:31 pm
Man you set the bar high! the thing as beautiful color balance... very striking. what did you use on the lever wrap?
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: toomanyknots on November 07, 2012, 09:13:01 am
"Your first lever bow" looks better than any bow I've ever made or probably will ever make, haha. Everything about that bow is incredible. The profile, with the gracefully recurved levers, is very nice. Did you bend them when they were a bit thick to be able to have thicker recurved levers?
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: Knapper on November 07, 2012, 09:34:02 am
MM. Thats another beautful bow. All the bows you make are top notch!! Knapper
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: Will H on November 07, 2012, 10:01:10 am
Man Cody! That is one fine looking bow! Ive been thinkin bout tryin a Molly, you pulled that one off with style!
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: killir duck on November 07, 2012, 08:38:21 pm
man, that's a beauty!!
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: Blacktail on November 07, 2012, 09:24:45 pm
that is a VERY nice bow..you are a blessed man...the tiller is some fine work..and i really like how the color of the osage makes the skins stand out..john
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: Blacktail on November 07, 2012, 09:31:20 pm
hey cody,i have a question..in the tillering did you do all the reducing (scrapping) in the wide part of the limb and just left the leever alone..i am just trying to figure out how the tillering is done on the molly bow....john
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: Buckeye Guy on November 07, 2012, 09:33:01 pm
Good job Cody !!
it is the first time in a month or so since the internet has worked good enough to see the pics and look what was waiting here for me ! I like it !!
Guy
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: missilemaster on November 08, 2012, 10:10:34 pm
Thanks a bunch guys. @ ...knots, I heat bent the levers around a form when they were 3/4" thick. I was surprised when I took them off because they did not spring back at all as wood always does. I'm thinking about making a BBI lever bow next with several laminated strips at the ends.But I've got about 10 other projects going right now.
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: gmc on November 08, 2012, 10:16:35 pm
Can't help but comment on this one.

Nicely done.
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: Japbow on November 09, 2012, 02:15:47 am
I love this bow! I've been back many times to admire it. :o
There's something about a Molly...and the craftsmanship
on this particular example is absolutely outstanding!
I've got a primo mulberry stave with a few more months
to cure that would make a great Molly. Thanks for the
inspiration!
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: Kviljo on November 09, 2012, 04:56:19 am
Brilliant bow! - and the workmanship is very good! It's a pleasure to see such good photos too.

I've found that these bows seem to perform better with closer to 30/70 ratio for the tip/bending limb, as long as the inner limbs get an elliptical tiller. A little more bending limb will reduce stress and also reduce the tip weight that may contain a little "dead" weight. The 50/50-ones are incredibly smooth though, if the wood can take it, as it seems that this osage could. Beautiful!
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: doulosparachristos on November 09, 2012, 04:56:46 am
This is the most beautiful bow I have seen in a while; makes me want to walk over to my shelf of bows and shun them all to the "corner of shame" and start all over!
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: Del the cat on November 09, 2012, 06:29:59 am
Blimey, dunno how I missed this one but that bow is sweet as heck.
Del
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: dragonman on November 09, 2012, 01:47:00 pm
very nice bow..cool....well made
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: missilemaster on November 09, 2012, 03:24:04 pm
thank you all. It was a lot of fun to make
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: armymedic.2 on November 11, 2012, 08:35:53 am
Yes.    Wow.
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: spyder1958 on November 11, 2012, 10:27:00 am
Cody, Its all been said by all here, and I agree and then some, I love it. Great work.
Graylan
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: Pappy on November 11, 2012, 11:21:09 am
Been off line ,but heard about this one,like I have tould you before, you have lots of talant ,beautiful bow. :)Looks great in all aspects. :)
   Pappy
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: LJB on November 11, 2012, 12:09:16 pm
That's one awesome bow!!
I think i know now what to do with my one and only Osage stave. Thanks for sharing this excelent bow.

Leo
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: kevinsmith5 on November 13, 2012, 10:18:17 pm
Incredible bow!
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: missilemaster on November 13, 2012, 11:01:09 pm
Thanks a bunch guys!!!
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: Judo Point on November 14, 2012, 03:35:45 am
Another Misslemaster piece indeed!!! Amazing work as usual you are truly talented and I think my next bow will be a Molly also I've been admiring  Blackhawks for sometime also and this one just confirmed it I've gotta try one. Excellent work Cody!
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: HoBow on November 14, 2012, 01:39:11 pm
Another great one!  That is pure beauty!
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: Cameroo on January 20, 2013, 08:53:43 pm
That's one sexy beast Cody.  Congrats on another BOM winner.  I'm glad you won or I would have missed this one.  I missed when you originally posted, and was working out of town during the voting so I never got a chance to vote or even go over the entries.

That one is going to look real nice as a centerfold...  ;)   You took great pictures too.  If any of you other guys want some pointers of how to take good pictures for a BOM collage, just do like Cody does :)
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: smoke on January 21, 2013, 10:06:01 am
Heidi Klum's curves aren't that nice . . . well . . . aren't nicer . . .
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: burn em up chuck on January 21, 2013, 11:22:17 am
      verrrry nice, nicely done on the finnish work.

                                                  chuck
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: Arrowind on February 25, 2013, 11:23:55 pm
I can't believe I missed this one!  AWESOME! Very nice!
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: vinemaplebows on February 25, 2013, 11:44:08 pm
  Can someone please clue me in on where this molly concept came from? I have had a bow on my wall for well over ten yrs that is made from Cascara that has the same design as this bow, and with all the recent talk of a "molly" it seems as though it is a "new" concept??? Heck I didn't really know it was something special, just thought of it as a limb design option???


 Anyhow, this is one fine looking bow Cody, you are quite the craftsmen! You Gordons kid? :laugh:

VMB
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: Weylin on February 26, 2013, 12:15:43 am
Brian, the Mollegabet design came from a Danish archaeological find. There was a 9000~ year old bow that was fairly well preserved that had that design. Not sure what has created the sudden surge in popularity of the design. I think it is now a requirement that when someone decides to make their first bow that they have to make and break a Molly instead of listening to everyone trying to tell them to make a normal bow.  ::) Maybe someone else can post a good link to the details of the history. That's about all I know.
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: vinemaplebows on February 26, 2013, 12:39:19 am
Weylin,

                     Thanks, funny never heard of it, was it a recent find??? Thought I had most of the old bows covered, at least heard of one...guess not! Learn something new every day! Thanks! :) Think I will try to look it up. Seems like a spin on a holmegaard bow, nothing special about that, is this just another name for holmegaard??

VMB
Title: Re: My first lever bow!
Post by: Weylin on February 26, 2013, 01:32:03 am
No, they're separate sites and the bows have some differences. The mollegabet is basically a more extreme version of the holmegaard. They're both named after the village near the site. Wish i could find an easy link to shoot your way but nothing's coming up. Sorry to hijack your thread, Cody. At least people are looking at your awesome bow again.  ;)