Birch and Ash board bow projects

[BowEd]

Nice job.Looks like you got the dimensions right for that kind of wood.

[PlanB]

Thanks Bubby!

I think I'd like to try a pyramid bow like the one you showed in your build-along in this same wood, to see what the differences would feel like in a bow. I'm thinking it would be nice if the mid limb was narrower than this one because it's such a stiff wood that it is pretty thin at 2" wide.

The mid limb has ended up only 3/8" thick. That was a hard thickness for me to tiller evenly tapered to the end. And it tends to twist easily. I'm thinking a pyramid might be easier / thicker, and maybe it could even be lighter than this one. Though it isn't too bad now -- 18-1/2 oz now on 64".

Also, maybe I could have gone narrower than 2", but I was worried about set with this unknown wood, so I figured I'd start out thin, and wide. Anyway, it's seeming pretty good so far.

Bushboy, thank you. I really admire those short thin tipped elms of yours! Some day I want to make a bow like that.

Zippy bows are always a good feeling.

Looks like you put a little heat bend in the tips. Did you do that dry? Did you do the whole limb also?

One place I read recommends steaming for birch, and another place I read that heat treating doesn't work too well with birch. Don't know what to think sometimes......

Thanks willie, I did heat treat the ends. I did it with dry heat, not real dark, just to bend the tips some.  I didn't do the whole bow. The bottom limb I went farther on  the limb than the top -- a little stiffer --  thinking about what people said about positive tiller (it's shorter than the top limb by 2") but I think it may be a little too much. I can't tell yet -- just did that today, and waiting to let it re-hydrate -- so maybe it will soften up a little tomorrow, and I'll shoot it more, too, and see what it looks like. I could heat more of the top limb to even it out it if it still doesn't seem right.

I don't know what heat treating will do to black birch in the long run, or how much to heat, or if different species matter -- probably does, as a guess. This is just what I felt it needed for shape -- and it has worked so far for that. It is definitely hardened the wood there. Long run? We'll just have to find out.

Tony, man, I really enjoy your posts and the materials you find and use, it's great reading, so thank you!

Beadman, been looking at your bow, quite a bit! I hope this one works out because there is so much black birch around here, no osage, yew, or even hickory, but if this is a decent bow wood for some type of design, I'll be happy.

[bowandarrow473]

PlanB, where are you located? I'm sure there is some very high quality bowwood in your area.

[PlanB]

Thanks Bowandarrow, I'm in Vermont. I didn't mean to say it was a problem -- I'm enjoying experimenting with what grows right around the house, and there are a few good well known bow woods there, too. scattered elm saplings, and a few hop hornbeam. I'm enjoying trying to make something of the black birch -- since it's probably 50% of the hardwoods growing here, grows straight trunked and limbless for 30 feet. I'm thinking this is going to work well in the right shape and type bow. Just have to figure that out.

I worked on the bow more refining the width near the tips, did a little more heat treatment on the top limb to better even out the stiffness of the top vs. the bottom. And I worked down the handle, because last time I shot, I was getting some bad wrist slap -- -- thickness on the thumb side was forcing my wrist in, with the bow square to the target. I've started to like an unwrapped handle and shooting off the hand, but that means I really have to fit the handle right.

This morning I put another 50 arrows through it -- no more slap. It's shooting more accurately.  I think the bow is done, as far as removing wood. I sanded and put a first coat of tung oil on to seal it. Undecided on paint or stain, etc. It tests out to 40# @ 27" 65" ttt, 18 oz.

[PlanB]

Sanded and oil sealed. Five hundred arrows through it. Close to done. Leaning against a yellow birch below, but it's black birch bow.

[bubby]

Looks good hows it shoot?

[PlanB]

It shoots real nice, Bubby. I don't have too much to compare it to -- my elm stave bow, and a 40# 60" Fred Bear Bearcat recurve from thee 70's. Shoots harder than either and as accurate as the elm stave, more accurate than the recurve, in my hands, at least.

I've had a Chrony on order for a couple weeks, supposed to arrive today, but if it does could be after dark. I could say better what it does once I figure the thing out and try it. Hoping it's today!

[PlanB]

Got the chrony last night after dark as expected, so I couldn't try it out. Today it was cold and rainy, and I had only an older 9v battery, but I was able to give it a try between rain showers. Got thirty arrows off before it showed low battery signal.

The black birch bow shot between 160 and 167 fps on average when I was holding and shooting my best, with 355 gr. carbon arrows. I had a hard time getting a reading with my wooden arrows -- probably because they are light colored. But those that registered were running about 4 fps slower @ 370 grains.

The bow is 63" ntn, 40# @ 27.

(Looking at my picture I think maybe I should be thinking I'm about 26" draw instead of 27? The arrow there was 28-1/2" long)