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Author Topic: Maple Short Bow for Hunting?  (Read 10074 times)

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Offline Mountain Man1

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Re: Maple Short Bow for Hunting?
« Reply #30 on: June 17, 2019, 07:15:58 am »
Yes that is exactly my concern. It has two small tears where I didn't see pin knots when scraping the bark off. Worried if I tiller too far I'll lose my bow before I ever get the backing on. My thought was tiller to brace or just a bit beyond, then back, then tiller to draw. Does that sound like a reasonable plan?
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Offline SLIMBOB

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Re: Maple Short Bow for Hunting?
« Reply #31 on: June 17, 2019, 07:45:29 am »
In the ideal world, we want to start with a pristine back. But I live in realville where that is not always possible. So... get it as close to perfect as you can at brace. Then pull it as far as your comfortable with and make sure it’s good. The less major work the better as you get further down the road.
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Offline Mountain Man1

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Re: Maple Short Bow for Hunting?
« Reply #32 on: June 17, 2019, 07:50:22 am »
Ok thanks, sounds like a solid plan. I've been looking at backing ideas, are you familiar with the Meare Heath artifact? Instead of a solid layer it had a criss cross of rawhide with a few bands. Thought that may be a good option. Put the bands over my blemishes and then the webbing to help even the load and reduce strain. Would save a lot of weight vs a full covering of rawhide and looks pretty cool too.
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Offline Mountain Man1

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Re: Maple Short Bow for Hunting?
« Reply #33 on: July 14, 2019, 09:16:21 am »
Gents, I have updates! I have the bow complete. May do some finish work to make her pretty but it is a fully functional bow. I came in under weight so I have a lovely little 25#@26" target bow. Perfect for tearing my finger tips off in the basement hahaha. Turns out I can do a nice tiller over my knee, but dont have a good feel for weight. Despite the weight issue I have learned a lot and have a beautiful sister stave that I think will be the same holmegard type profile, a bit longer. Hopefully that will give me 50# or so if I put it on the tiller earlier
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Offline SLIMBOB

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Re: Maple Short Bow for Hunting?
« Reply #34 on: July 14, 2019, 09:58:49 am »
Glad to hear that...you finished it....you got the tiller right....you learned some things during the process....you enjoyed it.  The first half dozen or more that I made, I tillered over my knee.  No pics, no tiller stick or tree.  Just a few buddies describing how badly it sucked, and a bathroom mirror.  Few tips for the next one if you'll allow me.  Coming in under weight is in my opinion a product of of somewhat blowing thru steps 3, 4 and 5 of 10.  Steps 1 and 2 are the roughing out parts.  3 is floor tiller.  4 is brace profile and 5 is drawn profile to 15 inches or so.  Assuming you have a sound stave and the right design....floor tiller is key.  Get both limbs flexing 5 or 6 inches evenly.  Check the thickness taper for it's evenness....then it will be pretty close at low brace.  Obsess over that brace profile until it is near perfect.  Now start pulling only a few inches on the stick or tree and checking the tiller for perfection before going any further.  When that profile is real close at brace, it will be real close at 10 inches.  When it's real close at 10 inches, it will be real close at 15 inches.  You are now just fine tuning that puppy the rest of the way, 6 thru 10.  Sure maybe you shot for 50 and it ends up at 48, but you wont end up at 25 lbs.  Pictures, we need pictures or it didn't happen.  :)
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Offline Mountain Man1

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Re: Maple Short Bow for Hunting?
« Reply #35 on: July 17, 2019, 05:39:09 pm »
Yeah it's mostly the floor tiller that's getting me. Think I'm too timid so not pushing hard enough. I get a beautifully even brace but already past my poundage. The sister stave is longer and I'm planning to check low brace earlier in the process. I like that knee better than the floor but again, not pulling hard enough.
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Offline SLIMBOB

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Re: Maple Short Bow for Hunting?
« Reply #36 on: July 17, 2019, 08:22:05 pm »
You will find that lots of folks have different methods of getting to the end product. I have all but quit using a long string opting instead to focus on the floor tiller. Leaning into the limb until I get it bending like I want and getting both limbs matched up well. Then I get it low braced. That allows me to get each limb shaped right and matched up with the other. I find it easier to do that with a string on it. Then I just gradually increase the brace height until it’s 6 inches or so keeping everything even. The payoff is early even tiller with plenty of wood to remove.  More margin for error in my opinion.
« Last Edit: July 19, 2019, 04:42:19 am by SLIMBOB »
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Liberty, In God We Trust, E Pluribus Unum.  Distinctly American Values.

Offline DC

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Re: Maple Short Bow for Hunting?
« Reply #37 on: July 18, 2019, 07:41:24 am »
I don't use floor tillering as such. I made a long string with leather cups for the tips. I rough the bow out and it goes right on the tree. I do my "floor tillering" there. Always use a scale, never go past final draw weight. I can see the bend better on the tree than I can looking down my leg.
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Offline Mountain Man1

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Re: Maple Short Bow for Hunting?
« Reply #38 on: July 19, 2019, 03:08:52 am »
DC I like the sound of that. I also need a better set up for my tiller, I'm using a luggage scale but to read it I have to squat down and look up at it. Quite a pain so I want to do a pulley set up
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