Bendy handle

[DC]

I just finished my first bendy short(for me 57"NTN) bow. It's Ocean Spray and shoots consistently above 175fps@10gpp. Best of 179. Personal best for me. I'll post it when the rain stops and I can take some pictures. It has a bit of finger pinch that I don't like. If I was to build another but with a handle so the whole bow was 6-8" longer but with the same design limbs could I expect the same speeds or is there something to do with the length/ string angle/etc. that would affect the speed?

[bradsmith2010]

congrats on a great shooting bow,, is that faster than a pyramid,, ok just kidding,,
I dont know the answer to your other questions,,lots of variables there,,

[pnwarcher]

Nice work! Ocean spray is just awesome. What's the draw weight and limb width?
Based on the Mass Principle section of TBB4 where they discuss a certain long pecan (I think it was pecan anyway) bow, I believe you could expect similar good performance with the stiff handle + short limb design you describe. The bow I'm thinking of had high performance and was essentially a pair of short limbs on an extra long, stiff handle.

[DC]

Here's a few pictures. It's nothing special to look at but it shoots well. Ocean Spray about 43#@26.5"  57.5"TTT, 1 1/4" wide at the "fades" tapering(I would call it a Pyramid) to 1/4" at the nocks. Fumed OS tips and cork handle. I think I'm still short drawing so I hope to get 180fps unless I'm already over stressing it.

[DC]

More

[bradsmith2010]

thats a nice bend,, and nice performance congrats again,, I stil dont think its a pyramid,,,

[DC]

Pyramidish?

[---GUTSHOT--->]

Very nice I really like that bend looks dead on

[bradsmith2010]

ok pyramidish,, I been looking at some of my bows, and they are a bit pyramidish,,,

[Sir Failalot]

There is the cork handle 
I like the 'simple' style, beautiful work.

[willie]

nothing like results! glad you got OS to work out for you. bet there is another one in your future.
Could you recap some of the challenges working with OS has presented?
thanks

[DC]

It checks badly, takes forever to dry and takes some set. The bendy handle may be the way around the checking. If you cut OS to the pith and take reasonable precautions(seal the ends and such) it doesn't check much at all, at least in a humid climate like I have. In the past I have tried to keep the handle full size but it almost always splits. Bendies got no handle, so no split. You just have to bite the bullet and wait for it to dry. It seems to hold a little moisture until you start to work on it and then it will bite you, as checking or set. Once it's dry heat treating seems to take care of the set. OS loves heat treating even though it's very dense. I'm thinking the heat drives out that last bit of moisture. The stuff I'm working on right now was cut in fall 2014. It's been in my garage(unheated, runs about 60-70% RH) for 3 years. I just put it in my warm box at a steady 50%RH and I'd bet it will start loosing weight by tomorrow.
It's very tension and compression strong. If it's going to fail it will pop a splinter at a pin in the top of the crown. I'm fortunate to live in walking distance of a lot of OS, up to 2-2 1/2" in dia. Having lots of large pieces give me the luxury of being able to pick and chose. If you can find a piece with no pins on the top of the crown in the working section of the limb it's almost break proof.
I think I can make the tips even thinner. I started this bow with pin nocks. After picking up the string for the umpteenth time I tapered the tips down to the pin size and glued on some overlays. I was quite surprised when I measured then and they were 1/4" wide. OS is extremely strong so I think I could go to 3/16" or less. I would start to worry about the size of the glue joint then.

[Morgan]

I like that little bow a lot.  I wish I had the guts to bring limb tips down that narrow.

[BowEd]

Nice work DC.

[George Tsoukalas]

Very nice bow. Jawge