My first "real" bow! (Mulberry)

[Raptard]

First off, I'm new to the site so if I'm doing anything wrong please tell me.

I have started my first r"real" bow recently and would like some feedback/criticism/advice. I have made bow out of sticks before when I was younger, but this is the first time I am making a bow from a stave (cut down the tree and everything). I am making a 60" mulberry flat-bow with a stave that is a bit to narrow, which is why I'm using it for my first bow.

The dimensions are (hopefully) going to be about 1.5" wide mid-limb  tapering down to 3/4" at the nocks, limbs 1" thick tapering to 1/2" at the nocks, 4" long handle being about 1"wide and 1 3/4" thick, and 60" nock to nock.

(also be forewarned, my camera is not the best and the dig. screen is broken so don't expect masterpieces =])

                                                                                                                  http://imgur.com/a/Iz84x

also, i've been looking around and noticed i have no clue how to properly link photos ^ so if anyone would like to tel me how, that would be great!.

[Joec123able]

 that's a nice piece of wood ya got there my biggest advice is take it slow there's no reason to rush. Another thing thickness measurements don't need to be taken on the working limbs they will determine there own thickness during tillering mulberry is a very underrated bow wood I think it's fun to work with and makes a hell of a bow good luck with it

[Raptard]

ok thank you, i was saying the thickness because that is the thinnest it gets so i was going to try sticking to that

[JW_Halverson]

Contrary to popular belief, many of us do not actually live in here.  Mind you I have a cot in the back with a pile of dirty blankets and a hidden stash of 12 yr old scotch, but never mind that.  Sometimes you gotta let people find your thread and read it.

Judging from what I saw, you are off to a rollicking start.  Your fadeouts look a little short, but they are not horribly abrupt.

Secondly it looks like you are a homebrewer.  Many of us are.  Doing it yourself is a lifestyle.

Thirdly, with the narrow dimensions you will not want to pull this 60" bow much past 26 inches.  Typically you can get away with double your draw length plus 10", but each species of wood dictates how wide it should be...with mulberry, I prefer about 1 3/4 wide for safety.  You might end up with a little more set than one would want, but so what?  Not every bow gets to be a star, make something serviceable and then learn from it so the next one is better!

Lastly, what the hey is a raptard?  A slow hawk?

[Raptard]

I guess i forgot to mention that these lines are cut out lines, im giving myself a bit of room to work with, just in case.
also, the reason it's only 1.5 is because that's how thin it gets on the "upper" limb
lastly, yes it is a slow hawk.

[Raptard]

also, any advice on how to tell how far back I will be able to safely draw this? I know my personal draw is 28" but I'm not sure how to tell how far I can safely pull it back.

[JW_Halverson]

If you abandon the idea of a stiff handle, you got plenty of wood for a 28" draw.  Another great advantage to a bendy handled bow is that they are easier to check tiller with.  A bendy handle bow is supposed to come in with a circular tiller...in other words, if you photograph the bow partially or fully drawn the curbe will be part of a circle.  Stiff handled bows are more eliptical in their tiller.  And that can be a toughie to pull off from my experience.

As for a slow hawk, I have one of those.  She had contracted West Nile Virus in the wild, a nasty disease that has negative effects on the neurological processes of the bird.  She was in difficult shape as it was, but then got hit by two cars in quick successoin along a hiway in southern Utah.  She recovered i a rehab facility, but will never regain full flight capability.  So instead of being a very dangerous and high strung kill-happy predator, she is content to sit on glove and watch the world go by.  Her name is Phoenix, the ferruginous hawk. 5 lbs of "almmost eagle".

[Raptard]

hmm well how would a bendy handle affect the shooting? from my understanding there is a lot of handshock in those. also, since i have already by this time cut out the entire bow from the stave, would i still be able to pull it off?

[ionicmuffin]

raptard, bendy handle bows only contain hand shock if the tiller is off or if the limb timing is off. If its done right there is little to no hand shock and also allows you to get a shorter stave to still yield a long draw.

[Raptard]

well that's one question down, but I didn't know you could make a bendy handle flatbow & since i already cut it out, could i just tiller it to bend in the handle? or should i just keep it stiff now?

[mwosborn]

I would agree on the working handle.  It doesn't have to bend a great deal - one of my best bows is a mulberry.  1.5 wide in the middle 1/3 of the bow and then tapering to 1/2" at the tips.  I can just feel the handle bending when I reach 27" of draw.  Only about 1/2" of set and very smooth shooter.  I know there are some good build alongs with this style of bow on the tg site.  Good luck on what you decide.

[Raptard]

whatever, guess I'll try, whats the worse that can happen?

[Raptard]

OK, I am back, I had a huge AP test and I have been putting off the bow to study . I have now got a "bow shaped" bow, though the lower limb is a bit thick & the upper a bit weak  . I am going to bend it straight tonight or tomorrow and then finish tillering. if you have any concerns/ tips feel free to leave them, i can use all i can get at this point.
 
here are the pictures : http://imgur.com/a/nNYyU   

[JW_Halverson]

Sounds like you have enough sense to prioritize properly.  Bows are wonderful, but you got a whole life to spend on them, work now!

[wildman]

You can tiller it to bend in the handle. Alot of my bows start out not bending in the handle,and due to some screw up on my part end up working in the handle. I have built a few short bows lately that are doing some work in the handle with no real hand shock.