BBM Glued Up (Now with final photos)

[Lombard]

Glued up a BBM, just to try it. Mild Deflex/Reflex. Photos of it in and out of the form. The bending strip to protect the belly really helped on this one.
Thank you Hillibilly61 for the Bamboo, the nodes had excellent spacing. Good old gap filling Urac185 for the glue up. 

[NTProf]

What does the M stand for?

[ken75]

im interested in seeing this one finished . i always get gaps between the handle block and the reflex clamp unless i put about 6 or 8 clamps in between

[Lombard]

NTProf, the M in this case is for Maple. Fully quarter sawn, no run off, straight grain from end to end. A sweet piece of wood to start with.

Ken, if you look at the photo, and note all the brown color along the edge. That is all the excess glue that squeezed out as the stretch  wrap (which doesn't show in the photo) is wound tightly and overlapping, cocooning the lams together, with all the pressure necessary for a good gap filling glue like Urac185. The glue squeezing out is my indicator that I'm getting the stretch wrap tight enough.

This was a really nice piece of bamboo. At the handle section it is 1/8" thick, tapering to less than 1/16" at the tips. The edges of the bamboo are paper thin, and will cut you bad, if not handled with care.  Just hoping, with careful tillering, that the boo doesn't over power the Maple.

[snag]

I'd watch that dog...looks like he is interested in the bow too.....haha

[hillbilly61]

Your quite welcome Lombard. If ya need some more let me know and I'll bring it to the Spring Fling. The way you make those bows, This one should be as knock-out.

[half eye]

Hey Lombard,
       Quarter sawed hard maple with any sort of backer is gonna be a butt kicker.....bamboo ought to make it a smokin butt kicker. Like the layout sir,
rich

[Lombard]

Snag, that dag gum dog won't let you take a photo when you want to, but just try to get one of a bow and all she can see is an opportunity at another stick.

Hillbilly61, I will most likely take you up on that at the Spring Arrow Fling.

Rich, being such clean grain, I was betting it would be a good chunk of Maple to try.

Got a picture or three. One of the front profile, before planing to the lines, another with a string showing that I finally got one off the form to line up tip to tip, and the last one after planing down to the lines. That will be all for tonight, as the wife has a honey do list this evening. Christmas cards or some such, arrggg!

[hillbilly61]

 I can tell that is going to be a sweet shooter How many pieces do you want?Maybe we could trade? A quarter sawn Hickory board?

[Lombard]

Thank you Hillbilly61, in one of these photos, you can see a few Pecan staves in the background, cut and split earlier this month. Perhaps you may be interested in a couple of those in trade. The hardwood mill where I was able to procure nice Red Oak, Hickory, and sometimes Elm boards, is no longer a reliable source for cost effective boards. The gentleman who runs the business, had a stroke, and does not get around as well, and speech is difficult for him. Basically they are just selling off remaining stock, and what is left is not premium, ie... full of bugs. So I am on the hunt for another source of reasonably priced hardwood boards.

Made very little progress on the bow, but did manage to glue on the handle riser, and get it the rough shape rasped in.

[Pat B]

Lombard, Looks like you need to reduce the limb thickness at the fade area or when you try to bend the bow the handle might pop off. The glued on riser needs to be above the plane of the bending portion of the limb to prevent the handle area from bending. If the handle area bends in the slightest the handle will pop off.

[Lombard]

Thanks Pat, that sounds like sage advise that I am inclined to except.

[Lombard]

Got a little rasped away Pat, rain put an end to standing outside at the sawhorse. Maybe twist up a string for it this afternoon, and get back to scraping tomorrow.

[Lombard]

Got back on this morning. Rasp a little, file a little, scrape, scrape, scrape. Actually starting to have some Buchanan Dips now. Just a little long string tillering so far, and a long way to go.

[Lombard]

Made some progress this fine day. It took awhile to get it to the string, but from there to twenty eight inches went faster than I could have anticipated. It is fifty four pounds at twenty eight at the moment. Still some room to correct tiller, with the goal being a forty five pound bow. After finish shaping on the grip, and sanding, it should come in pretty close.  the first two dozen arrows shot well enough. That is it for today.