Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Bignasty on August 22, 2013, 03:41:54 pm
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Ok so I posted a pic of my first bow awhile back and got good feed back on the tiller. Sadly though I didnt have a scale when I was tillering and since I haven't touched a bow befor now I just guessed at the weight when the tiller was good enough. Well I made it to the local bow shop yesterday to get the dissappointing news that I'm at 26#'s at 28"s and I'v been cussing ever since. Though I met my goal of building a bow that would shoot and not blow up in my face I was really hopeing to hunt with it in october. So my options are fix the hickory bow I have which I really want to do seeing as it was my first, or buy a samick from 3rivers and hunt with it and build another bow next year. I have already heated it once and shot it about 500x's
I'v looked into piking and from what I'v gathered about 3 inchs off each end would get me in the 55# range Its a 64" ntn bow so that didnt seem like itd be to short. Am I to ambitious to think I could pull nearly 30#'s out it?
I could back it with bamboo something else but that kind of takes away from the simple stick and sting I was hopeing for. But if thats my only option thats just what I'll have to go with.
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Make another. Youll never get a hunting bow from what you have now.
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+1, what Pearlie said.
Experience comes with each bow you make!
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+2
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Can one of you give me alittle more explanation than that? I see that comment alot to just make another bow and that may be the case but I'd like to be sure that thats the only option befor I give up on it.
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26 @ 28 can never be a healthy 45 plus @ 28" without cutting the bow way too short. Not to mention you've shot 500 or so arrows from it and have already compressed the wood. What I did when I first started was take those bows and set them aside. After I had a few I could shoot and trust I slowly went back through them and did whatever I felt like doing to them without caring about their life span. I learned a lot about how much weight snipping length off REALLY adds and I learned a lot about what tempering shot in bows REALLY does. If you truly have no use or care for the bow as is, cut 3" off each end and see what happens.
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I'm newer than you and what I would do is take it down to the archery club and give it to a deserving kid. This will give you a warm, fuzzy feeling that will carry you through the next build. Mind you, I wasn't hoping to go hunting this fall :D
Don
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I assume there is someone who only made one self bow. I don't know the fella. If you made one you'll make another and another, so why put a lot of time into a bow that might not ever improve enough to be "That Bow". Lot of ground to cover to pick up 20lbs or better. I agree with the others, start another and parlay what you learned from this one into the next one. Too much fun not to!
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I care about it because its the first one I made but I'd like it to be more usefull. I'm leaning toward backing now since it seems cutting 6 inches total would cause it to bend an awful lot more. Maybe bamboo with some reflex glued in. Or I may just buy the samick. I just hate to give up on her so easy.
I plan to make alot more but currently the budget either allows for piking,backing, or new finished bow.
I cant afford to buy another stave and fail or im out for this bow season.
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Don't know where you are, but I would say get another stave and see if you can work with an experienced guy that may be close to you. Double the fun!
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You can buy 3 staves for the cost of the cheapest glass sandwich you can buy from Samsuck!
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If your bent on saving it and hunting with it, I would back it first before cutting it shorter. Induce some reflex in it when you glue on the backing. Best of luck.. You have pictures of it?
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Lots of great advice here. Another option would be to buy an osage blank from one of the reputable guys out there. You can get that for less than the Samick, and with some local help, or posting on here as you go along, you could have one of those hunt ready in no time. Dont give up! But dont waste time diddling with that first bow. It can be tricky to "add weight", especially when you are still green.
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http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,40662.msg543476.html#msg543476
only pic I have is at full draw.
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Perfect tiller. That means you know how, get after another and hurry it up man!
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Yeah, pat yourself on the back for nailing the tiller on your first bow and then start a new one. I feel for you not having a bow to shoot for hunting, that would be frustrating but I agree that this bow, as nice as it is, just isn't going to be a hunting weight bow. There's no sense in mangling it in the attempt.
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You can buy a hickory board for about 10 bucks and be shooting another bow in a day, two days if you want to get fancy and glue a riser on.
budget and glass bows don't usually go together. nothing wrong with a board bow.
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Listen to Pearl Drums NO GLASS
I made ( messed up) 3 before i could shoot one. :'(
It's FUN right!! ;D
Chill out about that first one. 8)
Take a breath.
Make another. FUN FUN :laugh: :laugh:
I put raw hide on mine, and cut them off
Learn and move on. :P
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If ya live in Northwest Pennsylvania come out and I will GIVE you a hickory stave. I have more hickory here than I could use in 10 lifetimes. ;)
Greg.
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Nasty, if you haven't already received enough feedback, here is another option. I noticed in your full draw pic that you are pulling nearly to your ear. If you are wanting to save and hunt with this bow, you could probably trim 2" off either end, then back it with a couple layers of sinew. This should increase the weight quite a bit, and since you are wanting to bow hunt this fall, you might try shortening your draw some. Unless this bow started out as a board rather than a stave, it won't be very easy to try to back it with wood or bamboo now. Hope you find a solution.
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New bowyers are God's gift to children. Give it to someone deserving and make another.
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I am at this less than 2 years and I can allready see where I could have done at least one thing different and better on each bow. Kinda cool to see the progress.
I have yet to make the bow I am fully satisfied with but I seem to be learning, enjoying myself, and getting a little finer each time UNLESS I get in a hurry.
If you want to hunt you probably stand a better chance making something simple rather than trying to save what is allready questionable IMO.
Whatever you decide, Good luck.
Marco
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Me, I'm the adventurous type. I would lob off 2 inches off both sides. This will change the tiller. From that pic of yours, I would say re adjust your anchor point to the corner of your mouth. That will reduce the stress of the bow. If we knew what state you are in we can tell you minimum weight requirments for the bow. I'm betting you can get 40 out of that bow.
When you shorten it, the tips will be too stiff and throw your perfect tiller off. Remedy this by heat treating your inner limbs well with about an inch or two of reflex. That will bring your tiller back arounfld in shape and bring the bow weight even more. Do those two things and weigh it. I bet at 26 inches you will be close to upper 30s with weight. Then if you only need a few pounds more, cable back it. I'm very confident that witb proper treatment you will have a 40 pounder.
By the way I need to know how wide it is and how long? I swear that bow will make a 40 pounder. Willing to bet on it actually. You anywhere near tulsa?
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You have had some great advice...
The problem with lopping off length, and most other tricks to gain draw weight is that you end up chasing your tail.
Yeah, you can lop some off, but you probably haven't got enough enough bows under you belt to really take advantage of what you will learn.
Or to put it another way, for every problem you solve, you will creat another one.
Be proud of your first bow, but be certain, once you've built the second, you will realise how bad the first really was.
Trust me we are all still learning.
Only a couple of days ago, I planed the bamboo backing off a bow I'd just glued up 'cos I wasn't happy with the glue line. Sometime you have to just fess up and move on. Every 'first bow' comes in under weight... that's life.
I like the advice of give it to a kid... it may inspire the next generation and keep 'em of wheelie bows (spits on floor).
The advice you get on here is generally top notch and we all need it at times.
So...
Step away from the bow and grab another stave ;D
Make sure you pull it to full target draw weight as soon as it's flexing evenly and safely.
Del
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You know, underweight bows make sweet target shooters to during the off season by the way. I would still cut at least an inch of to get it up to 30 lbs anyway. Thats a fine target bow if you decide not to try for 40 pounds.