Author Topic: Making bows again after a lull  (Read 2438 times)

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Offline Eric Krewson

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Making bows again after a lull
« on: July 05, 2018, 08:19:04 am »
I had a  couple of projects that I put on the shelf months ago; one was a BBO that had the bottom limb get weak during shoot in, I had it slated to give a friend but when the limb went weak I lost too much poundage getting the tiller right again to meet his requirements so I put the bow back for a few months not wanting to look at what had once been an exceptional bow.

The other was project was a back-up bow for me made out of what I thought were two matched billets. Old darkened billets with the same grain structure turned out to be anything but a match, the glue was already on the splice before I  scraped off the darkened wood and found one light billet and one dark billet. These are high crown billets with humps so the tiller will be a challenge.

Here are a couple of handle sections; one the BBO, also a billet bow, with a glued on cherry burl rest and the other my mismatched billets, the handle section has been built up with lots of lams.




The tips; cherry burl on the BBO and skinny static tips on the salt and pepper osage bow. The osage bow is just about floor tillered and ready for tip overlays.



Offline Rākau

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Re: Making bows again after a lull
« Reply #1 on: July 05, 2018, 12:05:17 pm »
Sure makes that splice look nice! (just say you planned it that way haha)

Offline George Tsoukalas

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Re: Making bows again after a lull
« Reply #2 on: July 05, 2018, 12:09:58 pm »
Good that you are making bows, Eric. Jawge                         
Set Happens!
If you ain't breakin' you ain't makin!

Offline Badger

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Re: Making bows again after a lull
« Reply #3 on: July 05, 2018, 01:45:12 pm »
  Nice to see you back in the saddle!

Offline upstatenybowyer

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Re: Making bows again after a lull
« Reply #4 on: July 05, 2018, 02:10:11 pm »
Those splices are perfection!  8)
"Even as the archer loves the arrow that flies, so too he loves the bow that remains constant in his hands."

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Offline Eric Krewson

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Re: Making bows again after a lull
« Reply #5 on: July 05, 2018, 04:40:23 pm »
I actually cut lousy splices but know how to put the pointy ends on a belt sander to touch them up until I get a good fit. It is, hold the spliced ends up to a light and see where the fit is too tight and leaves gaps, touch the offending edge briefly to my belt sander and recheck over and over until I can't see any more gaps.

Offline Bob Barnes

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Re: Making bows again after a lull
« Reply #6 on: July 05, 2018, 06:17:47 pm »
Glad to see you back having fun Eric!
Seems like common sense isn't very common any more...

Offline DC

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Re: Making bows again after a lull
« Reply #7 on: July 05, 2018, 06:50:17 pm »
I found that I overdo it every time I try to use the belt sander on a splice. My Shinto takes off just the right amount(usually, and sometimes even from the right spot :-[ :-[)

Offline Jim Davis

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Re: Making bows again after a lull
« Reply #8 on: July 05, 2018, 10:13:41 pm »
Glad you are making bows again. It's been several months since I made one. It will be at least a month before I make another.
Jim Davis

Kentucky--formerly Maine

Offline Pappy

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Re: Making bows again after a lull
« Reply #9 on: July 06, 2018, 06:15:43 am »
Nice to see Eric, nice looking work on that one so far. :)
 Pappy
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Offline Eric Krewson

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Re: Making bows again after a lull
« Reply #10 on: July 06, 2018, 07:37:03 am »
I hit the bows back with the first coat of stain and found a bunch of longitudinal cracks in the bamboo, dang. None were visible when I was making the bow, it did spend some time in my heat box. Anyway, all the cracks have been filled with superglue and should be stable. The bad thing is this is an exceptionally good shooting bow and I planned to donate it to a charity cause but won't now because of the cosmetic flaws.

 I have made a pile of BBOs, at least 50, and this is the first time I have encountered this problem. 


Offline Marc St Louis

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Re: Making bows again after a lull
« Reply #11 on: July 06, 2018, 07:59:18 am »
That is a bugger.  Not too often you have that happen
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Offline Bayou Ben

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Re: Making bows again after a lull
« Reply #12 on: July 06, 2018, 09:29:27 am »
Had that happen to me a couple times Eric.  Never affected the bow but like you mentioned messed up the cosmetics.
1st time it happened after I was shooting in the sun all day. 
2nd time was in and out of the hot box. 
Has to be heat/moisture related but not sure why it happened as both times I was using dry bamboo. 
 

Offline bjrogg

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Re: Making bows again after a lull
« Reply #13 on: July 06, 2018, 10:33:42 am »
Great to see you working on bows again Eric.
I actually think it looks kinda cool. I just guessing but maybe the bamboo still had moisture before glue up? Had to shrink a bit but couldn't because of glue?
Really like the different colored splice.
Bjrogg
A hot cup of coffee and a beautiful sunrise

Offline Eric Krewson

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Re: Making bows again after a lull
« Reply #14 on: July 06, 2018, 01:22:42 pm »
The bamboo had been thinned to very thin slats and had been in my shop for at least 5 years. I suspect a trip to the hot box did it in. I used smooth on glue and wanted to get it hot to cure.