How Long?

[bowhntineverythingnh03743]

Hello PA-
 Once again I want to try my hand at a primitive bow here in the near future. I am more of a modern bowyer and haven't had a successful wooden bow other than some BBO's. I have a pair of straight hickory billets that had been cut back in 6/2013. I would like to try and concur this task of making a selfbow or raw hide backed bow since I haven't had any luck yet. So my question is if the billets are dry enough. They have been in my basement which I a finished and dry basement.

I plan on hunting with this bow this spring so I would like something somewhere around 62 ntn and above 45# @ 28 inch draw. What would be the best design for a failure such as myself?

Thanks for the help guys...

Justin

[Danzn Bar]

Looks like from those specs, it's going to be a bend through handle.  I have no experience on those, but there are many here, that I'm sure will chime in.
DBar

[blackhawk]

How big are the billets? In any event you can get them reduced down now,and you should be able to dry them out further and in time to have a bow by next month if ya do it right.

Designs are kind of limited for those specs if it HAS to be that length bow and draw wise. I'd suggest going longer if you can and make a more simple bow(straight flatbow or pyramid). Otherwise your gonna be having to try to make a recurve or a R/D style bow which is not quite a novice build. Just my opinion,and others will vary.

[Drewster]

Justin, it's hard to know if the billets are dry enough.  Do you know what the relative humidity and temperature has been in your basement?  You would need to be at about 35% MC and 70° for a good while to equalize the wood at 7%.  Google an equilibrium moisture content chart to see the various combinations that will get you to the desired MC for hickory.  The billets have been cut long enough to be well seasoned but hickory needs to be between 6% and 8% MC to make the best bow.   Your basement may not be that dry.  I would suggest doing the handle splice, cut out the profile, reduce the limb thickness to about 1" and move the stave to a dryer location for a while.  Leave your tips about an inch wide at this point too in case they move.......and they probably will some.

Yes, 62" ntn is on the short side for a rigid handle self bow.  Think in terms of 64" min or perhaps 66" unless you do want to do a bendy handle bow.  A bendy handle will be a bit more difficult with a spliced handle.  Good luck and have fun.....you can do it.  Just take it slow and easy.

Drew

[Danzn Bar]

Drew,
I do not have any experience with billets and splicing, but I'm just wondering about splicing wet billets.  As the wood dries would it tend to pull away from the splice and make it weaker?  should you wait to splice a bow out of dry wood?
Thanks,
DBar

[bowhntineverythingnh03743]

I'm not stuck at 62 ntn. I just see everyone on here with these short bows and figured that was long enough. I can go out to 64 ntn making the bow 66 ttt but that would probably be my cut off point as far as length. Since I will be on the ground turkey hunting and not in the air.

[bradsmith2010]

I agree with going a bit longer on the stiff handle bow or wider if the billets allow
roughing out the billets a bit will help dry as suggested
I think put the staves in the house where it is dryer warmer
when you feel like the roughed out staves are dry,,,make your splice as suggested
and make a simple design bow,,,

[bradsmith2010]

well if you do go shorter,, try to make it a bit wider

[bubby]

64" ntn with a 4"handle and 2" fades will make 28" draw and go a little wide as you can always remove wood ya can't put it back on

[scp]

64" ntn with a 4"handle and 2" fades will make 28" draw and go a little wide as you can always remove wood ya can't put it back on

Good advise. This will be more than enough if the width is close to 2 inches for the working limbs. Just make the working limbs 1/2 inch thick and start scraping. I would even leave the tips 1/2 inch thick for almost 12 inches and 1/2 inch wide at the tip for now. I would never pull it more than half your draw length and half your target draw strength until I'm sure that the stave is dry. If you start talking to the stave, you will not fail this time. Good luck. You will be listening to your staves soon enough.

[Drewster]

Dbar, I would not want to do a splice if the wood were wetter than 12-14%.  Any more reduction in MC below that shouldn't cause enough movement to be a problem.  I do "Z" splices for my bows.  Both splices are cut identically and are a bit easier than some other splice designs.

I lay the splices out with a knife point, not a pencil.  It's more accurate.  Cut the splice on a band saw with a good sharp blade and then clean up the surfaces you can reach with a bench chisel and/or rasp.

I found West Systems G/flex epoxy from a boat building supply house and it has worked really well.......I have had no failures.  This epoxy has some gap filling abilities so if your joint is not perfect, it will still create a good, strong bond.  Hope this is helpful.

[Danzn Bar]

Drew
Thanks for the info........
DBar

[bushboy]

Don't be discouraged bro,i prolly broke 20 before a descent shooter.my best advise would be to

[bushboy]

Anyways,if somebody ask me how to build a bow I would say I don't know,it just happens,something also very neat is when it's done it balances on the fulcrum,