Finger Calipers Build (full draw pg3)

[PaSteve]

That's looking great for starting as a crooked stick BJ. My brain can't read my fingers that well. Looking forward to the end result.

[Selfbowman]

BJ your the king of finger calipers! I’m loving the test. Tuned in.🤠

[airkah]

This had me smiling as soon as I read the title. The update posts were just as great. Can't wait to see the finished bow!

[bjrogg]

Thanks everyone.

I’m hoping that this will encourage people to trust their fingers more.

Try it out. Spend some time with your favorite bow. Run your fingers up and down its limbs. Calibrate them.

As I run my fingers from fades to tips I should feel the limbs loosening in my fingers in a even rate as the thickness decreases towards the tip.

Then run them from tip to fade. Feel the even increase in tightness as the thickness of the limb gradually increases.

I can easily feel very small differences in thickness. Humps, bumps and valleys.

The good lord gave us some amazing bodies.

Blind people can read with their fingers.

Give them a try. Listen to them and learn to trust them.

I don’t suggest tillering a bow like this. I do encourage people to use the tools we have been given though.

Bjrogg

PS this experiment isn’t over yet. I still need to see that full draw and hopefully shoot a couple thousand arrows

[Selfbowman]

BJ I built my first 50 or so bows by touch and looking at the bows brace. Then I had a drill bit that I pulled bow down from the top of my bow shop door watching it bend and making corrections. About the years later I built a tillering tree. Yes it’s been fun.

[StickMark]

My uncle, a wood worker by hobby, always ask me about using the sensitivity of fingers. I have been getting away from constant measurements, at least to a degree. Using my fingers, eyeballing with some older bows as templates, that kind of thing. Slows my process down, and I find the build more enjoyable.

 

[Hawkdancer]

Neat!  How do you calibrate finger calipers! . Nice bow! 
Hawkdancer

[bjrogg]

Neat!  How do you calibrate finger calipers! . Nice bow! 
Hawkdancer

You take your favorite selfbow and slide your finger calipers carefully from fade to tip allowing them to feel the limb slightly loosening in the fingers.

Then from tip to fade feeling the slight increase in tension between the finger calipers as the limbs thickness increases ever so slightly as it moves towards the fades.

It might take a little time. But I always enjoy calibrating them this way anyhow.

Bjrogg

PS one other tip. I don’t squeeze my fingers together tightly and “measure” the changes they open and close. I lightly squeeze them and hold them at the same angle. Then the pads of my fingers detect the changes in thickness

[simk]

The precision of finger calipers is astonishing every time again  ...and so is eye measure. In every build there's a time when you can put aside measuring instruments and rely on your fingers and eyes.... sometimes I don't really trust them and remeasure but then eye and fingers always seem to be right.
Nice bow by the way!
cheers

[bjrogg]

I let my “bow” sit for a few days. This morning I put it on the tree for the first time.

I slowly exercised her out to about 24.5” and looks like about 32 lbs.

It might not be perfect. But I have to admit I am surprised how good it looks.

Bjrogg

[bjrogg]

Here’s the unbraced profile immediately after the tree

Bjrogg

[Marc St Louis]

A fine looking bow Brian

[bjrogg]

Thanks Marc

I guess the next step is to shape a handle and let a couple arrows rip

Bjrogg

[bjrogg]

Second thought guess it’s just plain let an arrow rip.

First shot. Feels good but will feel better with the handle shaped

Bjrogg

[George Tsoukalas]

Yes sir! Looks great! Well done! Jawge