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Author Topic: String notches on hickory bow  (Read 3141 times)

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Offline Theo 3

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String notches on hickory bow
« on: May 13, 2008, 01:51:05 pm »
This question should be for Pappy or GregB (but welcome all comments) as he gave me the beautiful hickory bow for me to finish. I hope I haven't made a bad mistake by filing a slight groove for the string to sit in on the face side of the bow as well as the edges. I was looking at our laminated recurves as an example and they all have tip overlays. I put the string on and pulled it as much as seemed fit, but am wondering if these tips will break as I tiller it further. We are in the process of building the tiller board and will start to work the bow further. I do have some deer antler if I need to put overlays on and thought this would look good anyway. This is one of those "flying by the seat of the pants" deals, but it is exciting to enter uncharted territory. Thanks for the help ! 
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Offline Skeaterbait

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Re: String notches on hickory bow
« Reply #1 on: May 13, 2008, 02:06:01 pm »
Which side are you calling the "face"? If it's the back of the bow you will want to put overlays on it as the violation of the grain can cause it to split. That being said, I have an ELB that I made from a hickory borad that I cut grooves across the back of the bow (before I knew better), it's still holding but I have not put a ton of shots through it. I do have plans to put horn nocks on it someday.
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Offline DanaM

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Re: String notches on hickory bow
« Reply #2 on: May 13, 2008, 02:11:04 pm »
What Skeaterbait said, just to be on the safe side put tip overlays on.
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Offline Theo 3

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Re: String notches on hickory bow
« Reply #3 on: May 13, 2008, 02:28:44 pm »
Hi Skeaterbait, Thanks for the quick response to my question... and Pappy and the boys will be bumming as I'm already messing up their nice piece of wood! Dang it, I knew it as soon as I did it... I better get to work on those overlays. Or make it shorter and start over? As you can tell, I'm a real greenhorn and I now know it is the "back" of the bow. I was in a hurry to get the string on and see how she pulled, but I will exercise more patience in the future. Thank you for the help!
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Offline GregB

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Re: String notches on hickory bow
« Reply #4 on: May 13, 2008, 03:17:48 pm »
Hi Theo,
Yeah, what everyone else has already said. See MedicineWheels build along on inlay tips...he makes some beautiful ones! I would remove material at an angle enough to remove the grooves across the back that you've filed in (if possible, don't thin it to much though). Make sure you have a flat surface both on the bows back and the inlay you're going to use. Then use TBIII to glue the inlays on with (that's what we use at least, other glues would work as well). Make sure when cutting the new groove across the inlay back that you leave some of the inlay material at the bottom of the groove, and don't cut the new groove into the bow wood. I like to personally have enough inlay material to have my string seated inside the inlay.

Though not necessary if a nonbending tip, I like the inlay to overlap by a 1/4" or so the point where you violate the bows back. Just added insurance against a potential splinter if that tip did bend some. ;)

GregB
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Offline Pappy

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Re: String notches on hickory bow
« Reply #5 on: May 14, 2008, 08:00:36 am »
What Greg said and believe me you ant the first to do that,had to overlay 3 at the Classic
where folks did that.No big problem,one other thing on filing the tips or sides for that matter
always file away from the back,in other words from the back toward the belly,that way if it
happens to hang up and pop out a splinter it will be on the belly side not the back.Be sure and
sand the back slick before you start bending it also.Don't take a lot of wood off just get it slick.
 keep the sharp edges on the limbs rounded off just a little.Sharp edges anywhere are a bad thing and a place for a splinter to rise up. Good luck and keep us updated. :)
   Pappy
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Offline Theo 3

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Re: String notches on hickory bow
« Reply #6 on: May 22, 2008, 11:45:00 am »
Hi Greg and Pappy,
Good to here from you and I hope you had a great Classic! Looked like you had some strong storms rolling thru during that time? I did what you guys said and made the overlays and took some pictures, so I'll try to post them. We are still chasing turkeys in CO and KS so the bow is on the back burner. One ?... Could I put a piece of elk hide between the overlay and the wood as It would look good and help the fit or would it possibly cause trouble later? And would the Titebond 3 work for this? Take care and thanks for the advice...I almost forgot... We cut some more Osage in KS last weekend and made them longer and no limbs. Talk to you soon. Teddy 
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