This is my first go at this contest, so please be gentle with your critiques. This won't be my last bow however. For this one, since it's my first, I thought I'd go for something pretty basic as far as overall shape and a pretty standard tiller. So, I aimed for a 40# draw weight. I didn't want to put any focus into making it pretty until I was satisfied with a good arching tiller. I don't have the equipment to warp the ends or middle to make a recurve or reflex . . . yet. But after months of only being able to work at it for a few hours at a time on weekends using nothing more than hand tools, except for my drill with rasping bit, I believe I've successfully finished this sucker.
It started as a simple piece of hickory 1x2 trim I ordered online from Home Depot. You can see by the pic below that it was warped down toward the end (ignore the photobomb from my dog). So I made some initial markings, and specifically marked the warped end a little to the side to compensate the warp. Then I used the block planer to shape an initial taper.
I also made some markings in the center for the handle to have a bit of a flare after gluing on the riser. The cut the flare out with small straight cuts with a hand saw down to the handle line a half inch apart then chiseling them out. Then I roughed it out smooth. But because of my tiller goal, I wanted to avoid going too flat. So I ended up planing the flare inward to where it just disappeared. Next time, I intend to aim for a heavier draw weight so it may have a flare.
After some roughing out with the rasping drill bit, hand rasps and mostly the block planer it started to take some shape and actually start to flex on the tillering mount. When it came to fastening a string to it, I wanted to protect the back of the bow and I knew the backing wouldn't do it. So before I added the backing I glued on some small pieces of sycamore from a tree I pruned onto the nock ends and roughed those to blend into the hickory. Then just continued the roughing out all over, occasionally testing the tiller.
Finally, I had my tiller goal. And it was time for finishing touches. I backed it with muslin, then sprayed it all over with black semigloss Rustoleum for wood that I had leftover from painting some wicker furniture. The string is a continuous loop from pre-waxed B50 Dacron and serving thread. Then I used painters tape to fashion a pattern up the limbs and just giving the sycamore nock ends some color with a copper acrylic that for some reason looks more gold-ish on top of dried black paint. The laced on a piece of suede over the riser for a grip.
*That is not intended to be product placement for the Phillies. I don't watch sports.
I love firing this thing. I only have 3 completed arrows, but I've fired those arrows over 100 times each. and I'm getting to be a pretty decent shot. I had to put up a makeshift wall to stop the arrows from going through my hedge and into the neighbor's yard. But that's when I was a worse shot. I still need it though because the arrows go straight
THROUGH the target. What's saved me money is in lieu of arrowheads, I've just taken a cheap crayon-sharpener to the points of dowel rods. This will not be my last venture into bow making. I have plans for a recurve and I also intend to get a bandsaw in time to start making take-down recurves. I know I can't submit those to the BOM contest, but they allow me to be more creative in the use of wood. I also intend to make one for my daughter, a replica of Merida's recurve in BRAVE.
For now though, who knows. Come Thanksgiving, we may be having "Extremely-free-range" turkey.
I thank all of you for any votes you'd cast for my bow, once I submit it for the August BOM contest. I also appreciate constructive criticism and advice. Also, if you live in the south Jersey area and are getting rid of a band saw, hit me up. You won't see the last of me.
