Inaugural “junior” bow trade

[Muskyman]

I’ve been working on mine. Got the limbs shaped and down to about 5/8 or a fuzz more. It’s just starting to bend a bit. Got my EA 40 in the mail the other day and have my handle piece cut and flattened. Scored up both the bow and the handle piece and will probably glue it up in the next few days.
It doesn’t fit as w7ell as I would like but I’ve pretty much done all I can think of. Filed it pretty flat then onto the belt sander, both pieces. Not as good as I’d hoped so I took a card scraper to it and made it better. Couldn’t get it perfect so I quit with the best I could get it.
Probably thin the limbs a bit after that then do some straightening on the limbs..

It’s 70 inches long now and I might shorten it a little. Gonna put whitetail tip overlays on it I’m thinking. Maybe leather or elk hide handle wrap. Got a lot of time to figure it all out. Probably bend it with steam at first and finish it off with dry heat..

[paulc]

Pretty sure these pics are crap but I've not yet figured out how to get good pics on my phone that'll fit on this site without using my desktop as intermediate step.....

What I'm currently thinking:

Im going to remove the latex paint I used to seal the back, before I do any more work on tiller. That way if there's an issue under the paint it'll reveal itself.  I am assuming just enough lite sanding to reveal the grain..

The Limbs are moving pretty good from the work I've done on the belly. I am inclined to go to "short string" for next tiller session. How short is the short string? What I am currently using spans nock to nock w just a bit of slack. Shorten it so it's 3" shorter? 4" shorter?

And I recently watched a video on "authentic" Cherokee bows..nothing really to call a handle; just the midpoint of a shaped piece of wood...bending from tip to tip.  Generally when I change horses in mid-stream it bites me in the backside but I'm sorely tempted to do away w my unformed handle...

So that's where I'm at. If these pics stink like I suspect I will clean them up tomorrow from my desktop.  Your feedback would be appreciated.

Paul

[Muskyman]

Pic test.  Testing to see if flickr pictures post and look better
https://www.flickr.com/photos/198630468@N08/shares/eJ7Q2jR2hG

[Aaron1726]

Made a little headway today on mine.  It's going to be a board bow since that's all I have to work with currently, but I wanted it to be more than just another board bow.  I found 2 3ft 1.5x1.5" red oak boards with nice grain that matched each other pretty well.  Spent today chasing a growth ring on the first one.  Git it down to the crunchy early wood for a single ring.  Next step is to get that layer off and then move to the next one.  Plan is a z splice in the handle for oal of 68in. 

BTW, Paul and muskyman, yall's are looking great so far!

[Aaron1726]

Forgot the pics....

[Walski]

Here's my progress so far, heat treated and straighten the limbs, reduced the sapwood on the limbs, and now I'm ready to start tillering.
I'm starting early in case something happens with my bow, it'll give me time for another build.

[Muskyman]

Looking good guys 👍

[stuckinthemud]

True enough, I know mid winter isn’t the best time for building but it would be kinda nice to see some staves maybe

[Muskyman]

It was 60 degrees here in Ohio today Stuckinthemud. I’ve been outside in a T-shirt cutting wood the last couple days. Now that’s not saying other folks are as fortunate as I have been but, Punxsutawney Phil did predict an early Spring 😁

[Muskyman]

Did a little work on my trade bow today. Had glued the handle section on and worked on the fades and handle some. Also did some thinning on the limbs. Glue lines didn’t turn out the best but it is what it is. It’s bending more and will probably thin the limbs a little more before I try and do some straightening on them. It’s a little over a half inch at the mid-limb area.
First picture is a close up of my glue line on the belly of the bow

[sleek]

I'm here folks, I'm just busy with a lot of things at this very moment. I have not started yet... kinda. I'm am currently working on a bow to break world records for flight and broadhead shooting at the salt flats.  It's most likely the bow I send off will be a prototype or derivative of, for one of these bows. I've got 3 staves with rings being chased, and this will take probably the entire time given to us. If I were smart, I'd have asked for the time to be extended to September, to allow for me to take the bow to the salt flats to shoot in competition and mail it off with any medals it won.

[stuckinthemud]

Many apologies for not being as on it as I should be, got a bit of a thing going on in work that's been distracting me.  Will be good for me to get out to the shop this weekend.  These bows are looking really good guys, I am very impressed, its really made this trade worthwhile as the number of views shows.  Thank you everyone!!!

OK. So. Sleek has kinda made a once in a lifetime offer to someone in the Trade.  According to the principles of the Trade, I can reach out to that person, but in my opinion, that takes a little bit of the fun out of things - the Secret Santa Principle, if you will.  I would rather everyone in the group post what they think, or PM me, in the hope that the builder concerned says what they really think without me giving the game away.  So, what do you think of Sleek's request? A three month extension in return for a bow good enough to compete for a world record?

[stuckinthemud]

Hey Sleek, can you clear some space in your inbox please - that goes for the rest of us too

[Aaron1726]

I think it's fine, it's all for fun anyway.  Be cool if it was a record breaking bow. 

Mine won't be breaking any records, I'm hoping there will be no breaking going on 

[Aaron1726]

Got mine down to a single ring on both last night.  Now on to the splice.