Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Gaur on February 07, 2013, 01:42:20 pm
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James Parker as been my guide on making the bamboo backed and bellied style laminated bows. This is my third attempt at one and this is the best one so far. I ground my own laminates out of osage and burmese redwood. Got James' old drum sander off him for a bunch of buffalo horns and made some visitors bring it in their luggage to Thailand :-\. Doesn't run quite as good here as the hrz are slower than the US but it gets the job done. The riser is made from Thai rosewood. I found a old house post that was 5 x 5 " and 12 feet long so you'll see me using this frequently for riser material. I think I paid about $50 for that ;). The bamboo was some nice japanese madake that I traded some buffalo horns for. I made this another take down as I brought the bamboo over in my duffle to Thailand so had to cut it in half :(.
Here's the bow on the form. I used twine and bamboo wedges. I also had some memory foam to keep the bamboo from splitting under the pressure on the form. A separate piece of bamboo is laid on top to protect the bow's bamboo from the wedges.
(http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg15/bamboo_archer/IMG_1387_zps8612c913.jpg)
The bamboo wedges put in from the sides were to help get good compression in the fade outs.
Next morning out of the hot box
(http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg15/bamboo_archer/IMG_1390_zps0fe0f9b0.jpg)
I think at this point the bow was 66" long
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Happy with the glue lines. I love the rosewood riser. Might have been better color selection to have two burmese redwood lams next to the bamboo and the center lam osage but as it ages the osage should darken up and contrast with the bamboo more. I've just put a coat or two of tru oil on so far.
(http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg15/bamboo_archer/IMG_9829_zpse2244f77.jpg)
my bamboo backing ended up a bit too thick in places.
(http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg15/bamboo_archer/IMG_9828_zps9d35ae46.jpg)
I used a stainless steel sleeve and brass sleeve combo for the take down again and covered it up with some thai rattan. I really like rattan grips as they don't get slimy like leather in the rain and have a nice feel to them.
(http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg15/bamboo_archer/IMG_9812_zps7792fd18.jpg)
carbonized belly bamboo
(http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg15/bamboo_archer/IMG_9818_zps215c6b8f.jpg)
I had a curve in one limb near the tip that was throwing my string off center so I decided to cut down the bow shorter to 62" That helped. Still a little curve and that puts the string over towards my arrow shelf.
(http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg15/bamboo_archer/IMG_9825_zps855ef298.jpg)
(http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg15/bamboo_archer/IMG_9836_zpsacb2374e.jpg)
there is a funky section just out of the lower fade. Problem is that there is a thick node just a few inches beyond the fade and so the bow is a bit hinged just out of the fade before the fat node. I 've tried narrowing it at the node, trapping the node and knee tillering the area but I think there will always be a hinge there. It comes out a bit when the bow is drawn
(http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg15/bamboo_archer/IMG_9837_zps729b913c.jpg)
not perfect but it shoots well. Gives a guy more respect for this style bow and how hard they are to make well. I still can't find my luggage scale that I use to check the weight but I am guessing it is in the upper 40# range and it spits an arrow nicely. Thanks for all the help James. Hope I haven't given away any of those secrets you make me swear to bring to the grave with me. >:D
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VERY cool :) I think I'm in love :-*
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Thanks Will. Yeah there is something about this style bow that both looks great and shoots well. How many other wood bows could handle a hinge like that? I hope to get my node layout better on the next one. I plan to try using all Thai woods and thai bamboo too. I don't think the Thai bamboo is as good as the madake but it should do the trick.
I'm off to bed. Its 12:40 am here in Thailand and I am fighting a cold.
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Sweet looking bow.
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Dang Randy! Your pushing that bugger to the limit. Great glue lines.
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Thanks Trapper Rob.
Chris. Yes I probably should just draw it 27". I think that last picture was the first time I drew it back that far.
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Thats a beauty Gaur, mighty fine! :)
Greg
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Thanks Greg.
Forgot to mention that the limbs at their widest point are just 1". Its a real light bow in the hands. Would have been feather lite without the take down sleeves.
For tips I used some marcata overlays.
(http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg15/bamboo_archer/IMG_9817_zps07d5e6d6.jpg)
(http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg15/bamboo_archer/IMG_9814_zpsbcbc969d.jpg)
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came out nice randy,, glue lines are very good,, great color combo too,, pics are wonderfull,,,,,,,,, james
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Thanks Sensei ;)
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Very very very very very very very NICE! Looks great! Excellent job on the glue lines. The riser is beautiful!
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Thanks Arrowind. Appreciate the kind words.
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beautiful! i think your job on this bow was superb!
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Nice job and sounds like you had some pretty good guidance along the way. :)
Pappy
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too bad about that hynge but like the risor colour
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Very nice, indeed! There's just something about a bamboo bow I like and James builds some of the finest and smoothest ones i've shot.
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Makes me want to go back to the drawing board! My last attempt at a bamboo lam went south :'(
She's a real looker.
Knapper
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Thanks for the kind words Iconicmuffin (funny handle. I'd like the hear the story behind that one)
Thanks Pappy. Yes he's a pretty good coach even over skype.
SS. Yes the hinge bummed me out a bit but its still holding up as a bow and shoots good so I hope it lasts. If not I learned something more anyway.
Thanks Eddie. I too am a sucker for bamboo. I even like the smell of it. One of my other projects is to make a bamboo bike sometime. I have two of James bows so far and another one waiting for me when I get home this summer that I am looking forward to shoot. I don't think he should be too worried about me passing him up any time soon. Esp in how fast he can produce them. He told me he had a walk in hot box that could do something like 20 bows at once before. Anyway I'll keep sending him buffalo horns to keep him distracted away from bamboo. >:D
Thanks Knapper. They aren't easy for me either. The hard part about these is that you can only thin the sides and not scrap the belly so you have to be somewhat close at glue up to a tillered bow. The knee tilling trick helps too though.
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Nice work, Gaur. I've got a pre-formed, glued-up bow blank of James' on it's way to me and if I manage to finish it half as well as you've managed to do from scratch!!, I'll be very happy!!
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Wow Gaur! That turned out beautifully! I will have to try one of those some day! And I would love to see pictures of that bamboo bike if you get around to it. 8)