Another Invitational 2016 Bow Trade...

[sleek]

Thanks. I just unstrung it after an hour. 1 3/8 set just unstrung.

[Aaron H]

Looks good sleek

[sleek]

I just flipped it end for end and dropped mybhand below center a touch. I dont know if that helped.

[sleek]

It does have a bit of character.  It had more but I took some sideways bend out. It was too much.

[lebhuntfish]

I like it!

Patrick

[sleek]

Me too. May need to keep this one and build another to get more weight and a better tiller. I have the sister stave to this. Its one I traded josh for a Damascus knife and then split the stave in two.

[Knoll]

This is 1st "character" stave for me. Hopefully will become my trade bow.


Have done a bit of straightening in handle area. Appears that string alignment is next issue. Straight line tip-to-tip shows edge of handle to be at least inch from string.

Upper limb has mountain of a knot midway. This is also the limb most in need of straightening to align tips and handle.


Lower limb has wiggle about 2/3 down limb.


Given the need to straighten upper limb and presence of that knot on back, whatcha think are best options for orienting limb/clamps to use dry heat and achieve better string alignment?

[lebhuntfish]

First off Mike, you better just send me that stave so I can properly dispose of it. That will never work out for a bow. 

Second,  if you decide to try it anyways I would work on bending the bottom limb from about 3in down from the center kink to just before the bottom kink. I wouldn't mess with the upper limb limb at all unless I gad issues when it is strung. I've found that the bottom limb on a bow like that like to be straighter.

Is the knot on one ring? Sometimes it's hard to get those knots chased down.  I usually resort to using my small pocket knife. If that's a small limb you can do whatever with the protruding part but make sure it's a clean ring up to and around the limb. Just don't put any heat near that knot or any bending pressure sideways. Hope this helps you buddy.

Patrick

[Knoll]

Thanks, Pat!

I may send it your way ... but it'll be in pieces.

[lebhuntfish]

You're welcome buddy,  I've got plenty of glue and time!

Patrick

[PEARL DRUMS]

Id steam the center 12". By looking at the pics if you do that you will bring both tips over into alignment. If I have a pretty good lateral bend like yours, I use steam.

[sleek]

Mike, I dont concentrate bend in one spot for those type corrections. I would clamp the left tip to a 2x4 and clamp the handle area, or what ever area is highest pointing in the air. Oriented of course sideways on the board. Then apply heat to the entire belly slowly increasing clamping pressure until you can go further. Let cool the flip the bow end for end and do it again. Sometimes you cant clamp exactly the tip or handle due to know or character but you get the idea.

[Knoll]

Thanks all for the alternative approaches. Gonna get on it tomorrow.

[lebhuntfish]

Well I've changed things up a bit,  I thought I would make an Osage bow for my victim. Then I recalled a conversation I had with him and decided to go with  a beautiful piece of hickory since my first attempt was a bust. 

I laid out a pyramid bow and got it to a heavy floor tiller then done some alignment. It still needs a bit more though. I'm going for a pyramid hybrid lebhuntfish style bow. This is probably the only picture you will see of it all straight. The next will probably be a reflexed heat treated mess with recurve tips. It might be a bear to string but it will hopefully be a sweet little bow. It's 60in tip to tip and will hopefully just flex in the hand a bit. If it turns out like my vision then it should be a little speed deamon.

Patrick

[Knoll]

So, ya had a conversation with your victim, huh? Hmmmmmm, unfortunately that doesn't narrow the population of possible victims much, does it!??