Author Topic: Another Lesson Learned  (Read 5011 times)

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Offline parson

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Another Lesson Learned
« on: February 01, 2012, 02:43:07 pm »
This bow making thing is an ongoing education!I appreciate all of the wisdom posted here, but I guess that the real learning happens in the shop.

I was making a red oak board bow for a lady friend of the family. It tillered nice, looked good- in fact I was pretty proud of it. :)

Alas, I cut the sight window just a tad too deep into the bow and it died in my hands, taking some knuckle skin as it did so! :(

So far, I've got 4 shooters out of 7 attempts; got 3 in various stages of progress, 1 of which is my first attempt with a stave. Gonna let the swelling on my hand go down and let the knuckle heal a little and get back into it.

Likely will be a little gun-shy on the first few draws.

Offline Lone500

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Re: Another Lesson Learned
« Reply #1 on: February 01, 2012, 02:55:25 pm »
grab that panther by the tail and PULL  8)
Leon      Saluda, NC

Offline Bevan R.

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Re: Another Lesson Learned
« Reply #2 on: February 01, 2012, 02:56:35 pm »
Have you looked at the 'golf tee' shelf or a glue on leather wedge? that way you do not cut into the bow.
Bowmakers are a little bent, but knappers are just plain flaky.

Offline ken75

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Re: Another Lesson Learned
« Reply #3 on: February 01, 2012, 02:58:10 pm »
4 outta 7 is better than my odds , i think i was 15 for 15 broken in the begining

Offline Pat B

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Re: Another Lesson Learned
« Reply #4 on: February 01, 2012, 02:58:49 pm »
Ain't this stuff fun!  ;)

My thoughts too, Bevan. ;)
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline George Tsoukalas

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Re: Another Lesson Learned
« Reply #5 on: February 01, 2012, 03:02:40 pm »
"This bow making thing is an ongoing education!" Yup. I'm still learning
Been there with cutting sight windows. They are not needed except by those who want an easier job to tune an arrow. We must all make our bows look like fiberglass bows. Thin and trim. Overlays. Sight windows. Every little bit of character heated out. FF strings. Maybe some day I will learn how to do all that stuff and be open minded about using and doing modern bow making activities.:) Jawge
Set Happens!
If you ain't breakin' you ain't makin!

Offline artcher1

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Re: Another Lesson Learned
« Reply #6 on: February 01, 2012, 03:22:28 pm »
Hey George, primitive man didn't build primitive bows, so why should we ;D?

Offline Youngboyer2(billyf)

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Re: Another Lesson Learned
« Reply #7 on: February 01, 2012, 03:22:49 pm »
Remember that you are not limited to cut in handle bows, you can use a golf tee of just stick some leather under the handle and glue it there
"You speak Treason!" "Fluently"-Robin of Locksley
When people ask "why didn't you do that the first time" you can be sure that they  have never made a bow before.

Offline Slackbunny

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Re: Another Lesson Learned
« Reply #8 on: February 01, 2012, 03:25:52 pm »
You could also just shoot off your hand. I know its not supposed to be as precise as having an actual arrow rest, but I like the clean, uninterupted lines of a bow without an arrow rest. Its all in your preference really.

Offline Youngboyer2(billyf)

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Re: Another Lesson Learned
« Reply #9 on: February 01, 2012, 03:51:39 pm »
I agtee with slack bunny, shootin w/o a cut in handle only causes a minor adjustable deviance and the increaced paradox doesnt matter unless u are shooting through wedding rings
"You speak Treason!" "Fluently"-Robin of Locksley
When people ask "why didn't you do that the first time" you can be sure that they  have never made a bow before.

Offline parson

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Re: Another Lesson Learned
« Reply #10 on: February 01, 2012, 04:03:21 pm »
Appreciate all the comments. I'm gonna peruse the site here and check out pictures of options to cut outs. Maybe try to get in touch with my inner caveman.

Offline Del the cat

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Re: Another Lesson Learned
« Reply #11 on: February 01, 2012, 04:38:32 pm »
The easy answer is don't cut arrow shelves, shoot off your knuckle... and be really primitive.
That does beg the question, are there any real primitive bows which had arrow shelves?
Del
Health warning, these posts may contain traces of nut.

Offline George Tsoukalas

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Re: Another Lesson Learned
« Reply #12 on: February 01, 2012, 04:44:26 pm »
Art, you shouldn't build a primitive bow unless you want to. I will someday too. I was just reading this in Yahoo. Pretty interesting. You can tell them they don't build primitive bows. :) Jawge
http://news.yahoo.com/isolated-peru-tribe-makes-uncomfortable-contact-135924259.html

Set Happens!
If you ain't breakin' you ain't makin!

Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: Another Lesson Learned
« Reply #13 on: February 01, 2012, 04:56:49 pm »
Four of 7?  Still batting over .500!  Whatcha whining about, there's no whining in bowyering!  Man up and sit in the dark whimpering and lick your wounds quietly like the rest of us!   ;D

I've been known to put on a heavy coat, welder's gloves and a facemask when pulling one of my creations.  We all know about being gun-shy on the first few pulls!

Never let common sense or caution get in your way, get back on the shop and make shavings! 
Guns have triggers. Bicycles have wheels. Trees and bows have wooden limbs.

Offline paulsemp

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Re: Another Lesson Learned
« Reply #14 on: February 01, 2012, 05:00:37 pm »
I am quoting someone from somewhere and it could not be more true. "If your not breaking them, your not building them"