Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: bow101 on April 28, 2013, 01:08:44 am

Title: First starting out building bows
Post by: bow101 on April 28, 2013, 01:08:44 am
What was your biggest drawback/drawbacks that hindered you to complete a well tillered shooting bow..?
For me it was pulling beyond my target weight and busting them.!!!    :o
Title: Re: First starting out building bows
Post by: JackCrafty on April 28, 2013, 01:25:04 am
I broke a lot of board bows when I first started, until I found ipe.  My first really successful bows were made from the best, straightest grained ipe boards I could find. They were all self bows with no backing. I still have some of those boards.  Some are over 10 years old. :o

The biggest obstacle was probably getting over the habit of demanding too much from the wood.  I wanted to make 80lb selfbows 48" long, 1" wide with 26" draws.   ::)
Title: Re: First starting out building bows
Post by: Joec123able on April 28, 2013, 01:30:24 am
Biggest draw back for me was not having any patience !!!
Title: Re: First starting out building bows
Post by: JonW on April 28, 2013, 01:38:15 am
Thickness taper first and second probably thickness taper. ::)
Title: Re: First starting out building bows
Post by: paulsemp on April 28, 2013, 01:51:23 am
trying to rush though them. always have a couple at different stages . so when I get sick or fed up with one I stop and go to another .  haste makes waste
Title: Re: First starting out building bows
Post by: AH on April 28, 2013, 02:04:10 am
Whippy tips.  >:(
I don't know why, but every time when I mess up a tillering job, the messup is too much bending in the outer area, near the tips. I'm constantly playing the "how thin can the tips get" game. I almost always have less bending going on nearer the handle.
Title: Re: First starting out building bows
Post by: crooketarrow on April 28, 2013, 08:18:26 am
  PATIENCE
  THE NEED TO SEE THAT FINISHED BOW.
  SLOW DOWNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Title: Re: First starting out building bows
Post by: PEARL DRUMS on April 28, 2013, 09:14:49 am
Not seeing the difference between straight/flat and bending. Seems so simple, but so hard to see for whatever reason.
Title: Re: First starting out building bows
Post by: osage outlaw on April 28, 2013, 10:27:33 am
Tillering with the long string for way to long.
Title: Re: First starting out building bows
Post by: Pat B on April 28, 2013, 11:54:02 am
Lack of info. When I started there were  a few books but other than that I was on my own. It probably took my 10 years and many ruined pieces of wood to get a bow I would be comfortable to hunt with. Probably the second hardest part was learning patience. When I started tillering with a scraper from floor tiller stage I began to build real bows and not just bent sticks.  ;)
Title: Re: First starting out building bows
Post by: Grandpa Bill on April 28, 2013, 11:58:58 am
Not staying focused on the job at hand....thinking about all the other things in my life except what I was working on.  Also, rushing to get it finished so I could start another one.  Took a year to learn to slow down and let everything else go while I am making sawdust....otherwise, go inside and take a break.

Grandpa Bill
Title: Re: First starting out building bows
Post by: bushboy on April 28, 2013, 03:36:24 pm
Taking on advanced builds and not having the slightist clue as to where to start!
Title: Re: First starting out building bows
Post by: Weylin on April 28, 2013, 03:41:03 pm
I think my two biggest problems were nailing the thickness taper and being paralyzed with hesitation. I had my first bow floor tillered and then I sat and stared at it for over a year before I found someone to help me finish it.
Title: Re: First starting out building bows
Post by: twisted hickory on April 28, 2013, 04:03:25 pm
I have a habit of having the bow too stiff after floor tiller and getting the limbs out of the fades to do their share of work. ::) I may have gotten it now as I have a hickory bow that only has 1/2 of set after finishing off.  ;)
Time will tell me after the summer is over and the bow has been shot a thousand times.
Greg
Title: Re: First starting out building bows
Post by: DavidV on April 28, 2013, 06:18:04 pm
1. Not enough tools for the job.
2. Little paience
3. Unsatisfactory finish.... I know, maybe not that big a deal. But it's a pride thing.
Title: Re: First starting out building bows
Post by: Ink on April 28, 2013, 06:39:10 pm
Wife aggro
Title: Re: First starting out building bows
Post by: bow101 on April 28, 2013, 08:48:38 pm
Read lots of good stuff here, I know its not always just one thing that sets me back trying to build a shooter.   Patience  is a big one for sure, but I'am slowing down.

Title: Re: First starting out building bows
Post by: killir duck on April 28, 2013, 10:48:19 pm
no wood and no money to get wood, where i lived when i was first getting into making bows the only trees were cottonwoods and a few scruby russian olives and buffalo berry bushes, the nearest lumber yard was 35 miles away and the only woods they carried was pine and crappy quality ash and the next closest lumber yard was about 50 miles away and all they had was pine, ash, hickory and walnut.