Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: lake flyer on May 12, 2013, 01:35:47 pm
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Hello, a new member here from Ohio. I used to own a bow, Bear recurve, but hadn't shot it in over 25+ years so gave it to a hunting friend. Then while in the library found the Traditional Bowyers Bible and got the idea to build my own bow. I am not an avid archer nor even what you would call an occasional archer, but the building a bow for some reason really appealed to me. Found a neat muzzleloaders shop nearby that had all four volumes so bought the first three volumes ot get started. I found this site (googled heat treating and bending a bow) just as I was in the finishing stages of my first bow. Wish I would have found it sooner. I am sure it could have saved me some mistakes along the way. I really enjoyed the process and am looking forward to making arrows now.
This bow is white ash 67" nock to nock and 65" nock to nock when braced. Brace height I am not sure how to measure but from the back of the bow it is 6". Unbraced it follows the string about 1.75" and draws about 46# at 29".
I would appreciate some criticism and how to avoid or correct the mistakes that I made with my first bow. I can see some mistakes with tillering but would rather hear it from the experts. Looking forward to building my second bow out of either more ash or the osage orange. Thanks, looking forward to some advice and glad to be a member!
(http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll53/pfjgao/2013SPRING033_zps74bf0d42.jpg) (http://s285.photobucket.com/user/pfjgao/media/2013SPRING033_zps74bf0d42.jpg.html)
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First off: Hi! Welcome to the primitive archer community.
to me, it looks like the bow could be bending more mid-limb in the left limb, and the right limb has a hinge in the tiller near the tip. but then, what do I know.. ;D
I would try printing out a photo and drawing a circle on the fulldraw , as a reference to see where it's bending too much or too little.
But don't beat yourself up over it. My first bow looked wayyyy worse.
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This is very good for a first bow. First of all it would be helpful to see the face of the bow, so we can see if it's bending at it's widest points. That said, from this picture I can see that you're hinging about 10 inches from the tip of the right limb.
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It -does- look like a bit of a hinge on the right limb, but its severity may be an optical illusion due to the intersection of the line from the clapboard behind it. The same area on the left limb is stiff by comparison.
I only have a half dozen bows under my belt, so take my opinion with a good grain of salt.
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Welcome to the madness!!! :D ...where ats in buckeye land you at?
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Looks like a nice first to me, I believe when we are talking Primitive Archery we can have a few Imperfections, but that's just my opinion.
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Thanks for the replies! It definitely has a hinge on the right limb, where I got carried away with a lockblade knife that I use as my scraper. I also suspected that the left limb needed a better tiller. Should I work on the mid limb or the outer end? It does not have as deep a bend as the other limb. I will also get some pics up of the belly and back sides of the bow. The tools I use are the lockblade knife, a rasp, Stanley surform, and a wood chisel. Any suggestions on helpful tools or techniques? My bow also has a slight propeller that developed when I dried the billet and it warped reflexed and slightly twisted. Any suggestion on fixing that or for the future preventing a billet from warping?
I made my bowstring out of old dacron fishing line 50# test, four strands flemish twisted. Got some good ideas to apply to furling flyfishing leaders from making my own bowstring! Waxing the string really makes a furling a lot easier. I've got dozens of questions but I guess just doing it and making all the mistakes is probably the best teacher.
Hilltophickory, thanks for the comment, I read in one of the books Paul Comstock said nearly the same thing.
But I still regret getting that hinge in there.
BTW I live in NE OH.
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Looks really good for a first bow.you should take a little more off the bottom limb,midlimb to the tip I think would help even it out.Do you have a pic of brace height.
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Is there a way to fix or reduce the hinge? Also any advice on what type of finish/ varnish to use?
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Scrape on both sides of the hinge to get the limb bending more around it and less in the hinge. You'll lose weight (i'd guess about 5#) when all is said and done because you'll have to reduce the other limb to match tiller. Don't pull it any more until you take care of the hinge. you can also strengthen the hinged area by tempering it a bit.
As mentioned, we REALLY need to see or know what the front profile is... parallel, pyramid etc.. in order to assess the tiller. If it's a pyramid, then as mentioned the left limb needs to bend more in the middle. If it's parallel most of the length, then the inner third is doing too much and you need to scrape middle and outer thirds.
And... welcome to PA!!
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As for finish, do a search "finishes", that was a pretty lengthy thread hear about a month or two ago which will give you plenty to chew on ;)
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Here is a picture of the profile. 2 inches wide at the fades and out to midlimb, 17" from the tips. Width at the nock is 7/8".
(http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll53/pfjgao/Bow_zps553847d3.jpg) (http://s285.photobucket.com/user/pfjgao/media/Bow_zps553847d3.jpg.html)
Braced
(http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll53/pfjgao/Bow007_zps2e55081e.jpg) (http://s285.photobucket.com/user/pfjgao/media/Bow007_zps2e55081e.jpg.html)
Full draw 29"
(http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll53/pfjgao/Bow008_zps3e9d2a9e.jpg) (http://s285.photobucket.com/user/pfjgao/media/Bow008_zps3e9d2a9e.jpg.html)
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I would scrape the bottom limb before anything,even out the tiller & take some pressure off the top limb.
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To me it looks like he right limb needs some material taken from about 4-5" above he handle form the next ten inches or so,and the left limb needs the outer 3/4 reduced a little
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I am definitely not the guy to advise on tillering! :'(
But, welcome and listen to these guys with experience cause they do some awesome stuff.
Just a warning; you may never return to life as you knew it HAHAHAHAH >:D >:D >:D
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Welcome to the PA.Pretty darn good first bow I'd say.That old saying of take wood away where you want it to bend more and less where you don't applys here.Your left mid limb and out a bit will do it.Just wait till you make one out of osage.A bow of your ash bow dimensions out of osage would be about an 80#bow.
Making arrows to me is fun now after trying enough to get proper success.Seems like there's a learning curve to all things,but your on the right track IMHO.Some people get after it more than others.Archery is so much more fun to me making your own equipment.A lot of insight and fullfillment is gathered as to the whys & hows of things.Especially the properties of strengths and weaknesses of different woods & composite materials.Don't be afraid to fail.It's the only way a person learns.I take it you've never broke one yet.If not you did start out with a wood and design to have success the first time.Nice bow there.
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Oh you might want to get the PA magazine too.It just feeds the fire......LOL.
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Looks pretty good to me especially for your first,like has been said bottom needs a little more bend mid 1/3 the top is a little hinged close to the end,but you will loose a lot of weight to scrape it out,might try a thin patch in the area,I have done that several times,just be sure the patch is thin enough to bend with the limb before you brace or pull it. :) You could pike it to pick up some weight but with Ash and that long of a draw I wouldn't sudget that.Are you sure you draw 29
inches ? :)
Pappy
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To my novice eyes it looks like you still have a hinge near the right tip
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Such great advice! Just to reenforce...don't pull any more at that long fdraw until you fix that hinge as described. Good job on your first. Jawge
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Pappy, I am such a novice that I figured my draw by holding a yardstick out in front to my finger tips. I really doubt that I draw 29", because not having shot a bow in so long (25 years) drawing that bow is really tough. I am guessing that my real draw length is probably more like 26". I will try to ease that hinge at the top and reduce the bottom at the last third to even up the limbs. I will post again when I get that done.
Beadman, you are right, I have never broken a bow, this is my very first attempt at even trying to make a bow. I have no woodworking skills or background and really have little idea how to correctly shoot a bow. I am less than a novice, I am an absolute beginner. This just looked like something neat to do with minimal tools and maximum patience.
I am not sure what Pappy is saying about patching or to pike it, that is how little I know about this craft. :)
thanks George, I will not full draw it until I work on that hinge.
I figure if I make a lot of mistakes and how to correct them I will learn more than if I were to accidentally make a great bow my first time out. So if it breaks, so be it. I will learn from it. I would like to make more bows so failure is not a problem for me. I get lots and lots of wood for nothing so other than sweat and time to split and tiller it I have nothing invested.
Thanks to everyone for the replies and great advice!
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Well Lakeflyer...I mostly coonhunted all my life and started makin these addicting bows too about three to four years ago.Not knowing how to shoot a bow properly either.It gets easier as you do more and more and more and more.