Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: dbb on January 26, 2013, 09:22:47 pm

Title: The surprise bow (A bit pic heavy)
Post by: dbb on January 26, 2013, 09:22:47 pm
I recently made my first bow from european black cherry but the design was low stress and i never got the feel for the wood in that one.
So i took a short stave and set out to stress it to death  >:D. I like to look at shorties but i prefer to shoot at my natural drawlength as my precision suffer badly
when i dont.
The stave was  r/d on one side and straight on the other but only a slight twist so nice but too short.
Anyway i quickly whittled out a generic 54" long 2"wide at the fades and 1/2" tips bow..why bother with skinny tips on a bow thats gonna fail i thought.
Well after tillering it i started to push it...but it just refused to fail,i even pulled it to 27" and measured it to 43# at that draw.
Naturally it took some set,but less than i thought and it dont get worse".  So here are some pics of the little bugger.

(http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr17/dbb1963/Bows/DSC_0115.jpg)
(http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr17/dbb1963/Bows/DSC_0116.jpg)
(http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr17/dbb1963/Bows/DSC_0117.jpg)
(http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr17/dbb1963/Bows/DSC_0119.jpg)

Its feels good to know i have 5 fine long staves from the same log  ;D

      /Mikael

Title: Re: The surprise bow (A bit pic heavy)
Post by: turtle on January 26, 2013, 09:30:43 pm
Sorry to hear that you experiment failed to fail.  ;)

At least ya got a sweet bow out of deal.  ;D
Title: Re: The surprise bow (A bit pic heavy)
Post by: Josh B on January 26, 2013, 10:47:44 pm
Cool!  Josh
Title: Re: The surprise bow (A bit pic heavy)
Post by: Dictionary on January 26, 2013, 10:59:56 pm
why stiff handle and not bendy handle pyramid design?
Title: Re: The surprise bow (A bit pic heavy)
Post by: hedgeapple on January 26, 2013, 11:31:18 pm
That's an awesome bow for the second attempt. Yeah, it took a little set but not bad at all, considering the length and the draw.

Now look at your pictures and learn.  The left limb took most of the set.  Looking at the brace profile you can see that the right limb isn't bending as much.  It's stronger that's why the left limb took more set.

As mentioned, I would have gone with a bendy handle on that short of a bow.  But, man you pulled off a stiff handle bow pretty darn well.  I love the smooth profile lines you have on the handle. Good job.
Title: Re: The surprise bow (A bit pic heavy)
Post by: Zion on January 27, 2013, 02:15:10 am
yep, thats WORKING!
Title: Re: The surprise bow (A bit pic heavy)
Post by: steve b. on January 27, 2013, 02:17:48 am
That's a keeper for sure.  Nice looking too, the bow that is.
Title: Re: The surprise bow (A bit pic heavy)
Post by: dbb on January 27, 2013, 07:04:45 am
That's a keeper for sure.  Nice looking too, the bow that is.
Thank you Steve,thats why i turn away..i dont wanna scare you away before you comment  ;D
why stiff handle and not bendy handle pyramid design?
The point was to make a high stress design Just to see what the wood could take,never thought it would make a bow.
It was only after it held up i steamed in the tips and added horn nocks..as  a reward
 @hedgeapple
Its my second with this wood,i have made a couple of shooters before.But the whole point with this bow was to learn
I might name it "Learning Curve" :laugh:

The left limb was naturally r/d so the set is about the same i think,in the full draw i use the left as toplimb.


Title: Re: The surprise bow (A bit pic heavy)
Post by: burn em up chuck on January 27, 2013, 10:01:37 am
     whoa; nice attempt at failure. good looking bow

                                                chuck
Title: Re: The surprise bow (A bit pic heavy)
Post by: rps3 on January 27, 2013, 10:06:05 am
Good looking bow. What is the difference between european black cherry and U.S. black cherry?
Title: Re: The surprise bow (A bit pic heavy)
Post by: dwardo on January 27, 2013, 11:17:02 am
Thats because our Cherry is a brilliant bow wood. Add a little heat and its even better.
Title: Re: The surprise bow (A bit pic heavy)
Post by: dbb on January 27, 2013, 11:24:48 am
Good looking bow. What is the difference between european black cherry and U.S. black cherry?
Besides being different subspecies i dont know.This is Prunus padus,i dont know the latin of yours.
The european is very lightwight (this bow weigh in at 357grams with string i think that is just over 12 oz or so)
Very good in compression but is said to be less good in tension.
But as we all know,that is individual so i just got a good one i guess.
Title: Re: The surprise bow (A bit pic heavy)
Post by: Badly Bent on January 27, 2013, 11:56:10 am
Nicely done! :)
Title: Re: The surprise bow (A bit pic heavy)
Post by: PEARL DRUMS on January 27, 2013, 12:08:46 pm
Good, even bending will take you a long way to staying together! Good effort on that wood.
Title: Re: The surprise bow (A bit pic heavy)
Post by: Squirrelslayer on January 27, 2013, 02:48:55 pm
so you tried to fail but failed at failing you fail at failing at trying to fail i think i must stop confusing myself  >:D anyway nice looking bow tiller is of slightly but still a good bow.
Title: Re: The surprise bow (A bit pic heavy)
Post by: druid on January 28, 2013, 05:12:08 pm
Nice transitions from handle to fades.
Title: Re: The surprise bow (A bit pic heavy)
Post by: rossfactor on January 28, 2013, 05:41:37 pm
Oh wait? Cherry can make a high stress design???   >:D >:D Just kidding.  Sweet bow my friend.

Gabe
Title: Re: The surprise bow (A bit pic heavy)
Post by: dbb on January 29, 2013, 08:03:18 pm
Thank you all for kind comments.
Now i just have to learn to shoot shorter draw bows or find a good home for this one
and make a new slightly longer one for myself.
Title: Re: The surprise bow (A bit pic heavy)
Post by: Squirrelslayer on January 29, 2013, 08:54:48 pm
oh could i have it it has the perfect draw for my 8 yr old cousin.
Title: Re: The surprise bow (A bit pic heavy)
Post by: Ryan_Gill_HuntPrimitive on January 29, 2013, 09:00:43 pm
clean looking bow, I like!
Title: Re: The surprise bow (A bit pic heavy)
Post by: dbb on January 30, 2013, 12:38:24 pm
oh could i have it it has the perfect draw for my 8 yr old cousin.
Beside the fact that i live in northern sweden and a packet this long would cost a small fortune to ship,
I have four siblings that have taken upon themselves to populate the world with teenagers  ::)
So if i give it away thats probably where it end up.