Author Topic: I am back to this after a year and I have a red oak question  (Read 2789 times)

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patio87

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I am back to this after a year and I have a red oak question
« on: November 25, 2007, 05:27:57 am »
Well exactly a year ago I cut my finger real bad and I put down my first bow. I let it sit for a long time and maybe 2 months ago I picked it up to start floor tillering it and it broke. A couple days ago I decided to try again and now I'm back at.
  After doing some searches I came across this post:

http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,437.0.html

And saw this picture:

http://s96.photobucket.com/albums/l200/62tomsawyer/oak%20bow/?action=view&current=oakfulldraw.jpg

Now tom sawyer said that it was a 58# bow and after looking at the picture it looks like he barely took of anything from the thickness of the board. I am wondering how did he do this, what is the technique for this?


Offline DanaM

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Re: I am back to this after a year and I have a red oak question
« Reply #1 on: November 25, 2007, 11:47:18 am »
I'm sure he reduced the thickness by rasping and scraping, If your starting out with a 1" thick board that is planed
its actually a 3/4" thick its not going to require much reducing to bring it to weight.
For more on board bows check out Jawge's site.

http://mysite.verizon.net/georgeandjoni/archer.html

Glad you decided to give it another try and welcome to the site.
"Prosperity is a way of living and thinking, and not just money or things. Poverty is a way of living and thinking, and not just a lack of money or things."

Manistique, MI

Offline Pat B

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Re: I am back to this after a year and I have a red oak question
« Reply #2 on: November 25, 2007, 11:54:02 am »
The thickness of a finished bow is directly related to the design, wood type, bow length, draw weight, draw length and the individual piece of wood...and the bowyer ::)! There are no"set in stone" rules about how much wood should be removed, or not, to achieve a successful wood bow. With synthetic materials, you can figure these things out beforehand and come pretty close with the finished bow.
   I'm not trying to be flip but if you remove everything that doesn't look like a bow, to the draw weight at a specific weight length, you will have your bow. Take another piece of wood and do the same...the 2 bows will be different. We are dealing with a non-static material so no 2 wood bows will ever be the same, no matter how hard you try.
   Start with your stave, get to your desired profile and remove the wood from each limb to make it bend evenly and together at your desired draw weight and draw length and you will come up with a successful bow(generally ;D). If you start with your stave and bring it to predetermined dimensions, you will probably be disappointed with the results. :'(       Pat 

ps. WELCOME BACK! ;)
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: I am back to this after a year and I have a red oak question
« Reply #3 on: November 25, 2007, 05:08:44 pm »
Welcome back, Patio. Thanks, Dana. Jawge
Set Happens!
If you ain't breakin' you ain't makin!