Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Selfbowman on December 15, 2015, 10:02:18 am
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Show us your different bow designs. I just build pretty much the same one most of the time. Cause it seams to work well enough.
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I don't know why pics are deformed. Oh maybe that's just the bows . :-[ ;D
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I let the stave dictate the design it will be. Basically flat bows, some with recurves, some not. I'll post pics when I get a chance.
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I pick a stave suitable for the design in my head. Not often do I grab a stick of wood and just make what it tells me. They usually sit there until my minds eye matches their attributes. As far as designs? I've made them all, a few times. Recently I've been on an RD kick. Started with my boo backed tri lam, then a 62" self osage for turtle boy, now I'm wrapping up a 56" version for meself with a rawhide backing. I use backings on self bows because I suck at tillering, design and picking the right staves. No other reason to back them :)
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My basic design is the same as yours. I like a little reflex and I hate set. When it all comes together it goes into the keeper pile. I also play with odd ball designs but consider that r/d as a high percentage of them don't live up to my expectations.
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Nice looking bows. Most of the ones I make are similar to your design. If I'm making a bow for someone else I stick with what I am best at. I like to experiment on bows for myself. Usually some sort of short bow and sometimes sinew backed.
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If you want challenge, make them shorter and shorter. Don't forget to make them a little wider. I don't like bendy handles, but you have to make the shorter ones that way eventually. I would stop bothering with arrow selves and if necessary glue one in under handle wraps.
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Yeah pearlie you just suck at tillering 😮😜
I try differant ones quite often, pyramids, mollys, albs, statics, built a horn bow and am starting another, right now i really like a pyramid molly curve similar to some bad Chris was building, and I'm trying to work the kinks out with r/d bows i just have trouble with the tiller on'em, I'm also getting ready to try a deflexed static, so little time so many bows😄
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My skinny bow is basically a copycat of a lot of narrow native bows with no width taper.
http://imgur.com/a/SSGqQ (http://imgur.com/a/SSGqQ)
Most of my bows are mollegabets, I love the performance and having shorter limbs to tiller on normal length bows is nice ;D
http://imgur.com/a/gObTZ (http://imgur.com/a/gObTZ)
The design I've dubbed holmegaarde for my website is basically a pyramid with a distinct lever at the end, nun to make or shoot as the molles in my opinion but still a pretty bow!
http://imgur.com/a/PQGng (http://imgur.com/a/PQGng)
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My skinny bow is basically a copycat of a lot of narrow native bows with no width taper.
http://imgur.com/a/SSGqQ (http://imgur.com/a/SSGqQ)
Most of my bows are mollegabets, I love the performance and having shorter limbs to tiller on normal length bows is nice ;D
http://imgur.com/a/gObTZ (http://imgur.com/a/gObTZ)
The design I've dubbed holmegaarde for my website is basically a pyramid with a distinct lever at the end, nun to make or shoot as the molles in my opinion but still a pretty bow!
http://imgur.com/a/PQGng (http://imgur.com/a/PQGng)
I like your bows. Arvin
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You've already seen enough of my junkers Arvin!! 8) Dont need to see em again do ya? :laugh:
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That's a nice looking rack there.OOOOOoeeeeee.Are you part of the hole in the wall gang?Some very nice character bows in there as well the others are too.
Seems like half of my bows are backed lately.Like Pearly I suck at tillering too and pick a stave that sorta conforms to my idea.When I do back I try to get a lot of reflex to them anyway.Most of my unbacked ones have a moderate reflex and hate set like Steve.I usually try to get some sort of lever on my bows longer than 6".Hav'nt near made all the kinds out there yet.Like bubby not enough time I guess.Still learning all the time.If I'm stuck on anything it's a stiff handled bow.Seems like we are all influenced by the archers we hang around with.Only made bows out of maybe 8 different kinds of wood yet.To me that's where I learn to tiller better using other wood besides osage because some of the other woods won't conform to as many designs as osage will and I pay the price when they say uh uh I fold.....lol..
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I have built a bunch, most look the same. The two on the left are done except for the handle leather.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v181/ekrewson/bow%20making/budandjerrys.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/ekrewson/media/bow%20making/budandjerrys.jpg.html)
Same skinny tips on all of them with a bow stringer groove.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v181/ekrewson/bow%20making/stringinggroove-1.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/ekrewson/media/bow%20making/stringinggroove-1.jpg.html)
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Mine are pretty much like your Arvin ,less the deep cut in shelf,60-64 /1 1/2 to about mid limb tapered to the tips, I usually flip the tips a bit but that's about it. Sometimes I just make what the wood allows/snaky/knotty/holey/bendy handle/reflex-deflex and such but usually just a straight up flat bow, I use to look for the worst piece of wood I could find but the older I get the cleaner and straighter I like it. ;) :) Nice bows by the way. :)
Pappy
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"Show us your different bow designs. I just build pretty much the same one most of the time. Cause it seams to work well enough."
Completely different for me, and I can't explain why. I NEVER make the same bow twice in a row, and ALMOST never make the same bow at all. There is always something, some little thing or process that's different. What if this? Can I try that? "How come nobody ever does this?" Snap! "Oh, THAT'S why!"
I have the BEST success with mollies and medium-long flatbows, with slightly flipped tips.
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"Show us your different bow designs. I just build pretty much the same one most of the time. Cause it seams to work well enough."
Completely different for me, and I can't explain why. I NEVER make the same bow twice in a row, and ALMOST never make the same bow at all. There is always something, some little thing or process that's different. What if this? Can I try that? "How come nobody ever does this?" Snap! "Oh, THAT'S why!"
I have the BEST success with mollies and medium-long flatbows, with slightly flipped tips.
I know just what you are talking about, I do about 50/50 mix of tried ad true designs vs experimental stuff. The one thing that I think we have accomplished as a group is that we have collectively aquired enough fundamental knowledge about the theories behind building bows that we no longer have to approach a new design blindly. We have a pretty good idea going in on what we will have to do to pull it off. An extreme example of this would be the giant bow shaped like a "C" that I had to build for the DaVinci series on TV. 20 years ago I would not have even attempted it. Now I was able to pretty much lay it out and nail it on the first shot. I always look forward to hearing, seing or even discovering new things in bow building. They are becomming fewer and further between!