first BBO

[Susquehannock]

Here is my first attempt at a bamboo backed osage bow. Actually, first backed bow besides rawhide and sinew. I learned a lot from this first experience and am amazed at the power, strength, and beauty of this combination (I'm sure most of you knew this already ). Ultimately, I left the boo too thick and had a tough time losing weight on the bow. The tips hinged on me, so I came up with a fix by tapering the osage belly and gluing on purple heart underlays to stiffen the tips. The handle is purpleheart, cherry, osage. The tips are purpleheart and osage. I dyed the bamboo and leather handle with rit dye. I put a Ferret floppy rest on it. Here are the stats: 57" n-t-n, 70# @ 26". I plan on using this bow for small game / turkey hunting as it is the shortest bow I have made to date. It shoots really hard and accurate. Thanks for looking.

Jason




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[Susquehannock]

more pics

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[Susquehannock]

full draw (or almost)

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[xin]

Beautiful well executed bow.  I can't imagine how it could be improved.  That should put turkey on the platter for thanksgiving.  Thanks for sharing it with us.

[Susquehannock]

I had a chance at a turkey last Sat. morning, but I couldn't draw on him because I had a 120-130" buck standing 30 yds. away with a hot doe directly under me. In the end, all of the game escaped unharmed 

[wytetale]

You did a real nice job, tiller looks good and I really like the stain job on the bamboo.

[Okie]

Great lookin bow and good save on the tips.


John

[Ryano]

Jason, thats a nice looking bow. The tiller is a little off, the lower limb doesnt bend out of the fade nearly as much as the upper limb does but over all it looks pretty good. Nice save with the underlays. I've thought about doing that before.

[Pat B]

Nice bow Jason. Boo/osage does make a great combo. Did you trap the boo before or after you realized it was too thick. That is a good way to reduce the tension strength on a boo backing.   Pat

[Susquehannock]

Thanks guys. I appreciate the comments and critique.

Pat, yes, after I realized the boo was too thick, I got some good advice from people on this site and I did trap the boo. I actually started this bow back in the spring, and finally got enough courage to finish it. I left it on the heavy side because I didn't want to reduce any more belly wood or width.

The osage came from a tree that I cut 3 years ago and the bamboo came from a trade on PA. I recently bought an osage board that was dried to 6% MC. I've read that if left alone it can rehydrate itself and be usable. Is this true?

Jason

[Susquehannock]

Ryano,

I think you're right about the lower limb. The lower limb has a small amount of osage sapwood in the belly, and I was trying not to lose too much belly wood since my backing was thick.

Jason

[Eric Krewson]

Do you have room for a few tilllering adjustments? You need a little more bending in the fades,particularly on the lower limb. The lower limb is bending way to much about 12" from the handle with little bending toward the tips. Same on the top limb but not near as severe.

If you cut an inch off the bottom limb this will give you just the right amount of increased poundage in the bottom limb to allow for correcting the hinge and keeping your poundage where it is now.

Make a tillering gizmo to check your tiller as you correct it, no more hingy spots.

I apologise for my honesty, can't seem to help it when critiquing tiller, seems to upset some folk and I get sometimes get hate emails after I give an evaluation.

[Susquehannock]

Eric,

You shouldn't apologize for honesty. I'm certainly not above criticism & critique. That's how we learn. I have seen your bows and they are some of the nicest out there, so I do value your feedback. I think I read in the TTBB 4 that most of the energy in a limb is in the inner 2/3 and that the outer 1/3 doesn't store much energy? I have tillered other bows where the tips did more bending, but I left this one a bit stiff in the tips based on some of the things I have been reading. I think you are right about the lower limb bending too much 12" out from the fades. I think right now I'm calling this one "done." It was more or less a "learning" experience since it was my first bbo. I will be starting a new one very soon and have gained valuable experience from this first bbo.

thanks for the feedback, Jason

[OldBow]

A dandy bow...you've got to be really proud of it. Gotcha bookmarked under Laminate Bows of the Month, too.

[Ryano]

No problem Jason. Osage it tough wood it will probally be all right. Just giving you direction for your next one.