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Post by easternhunter on Apr 16, 2007 11:14:28 GMT -5
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smj
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Post by smj on Apr 16, 2007 21:25:22 GMT -5
Check the center line, do a little floor tillering to get the limbs bending, cut the nocks, put it on the tiller tree and make it a bow!
Nice looking bow so far! Go slow, take your time.
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smj
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Post by smj on Apr 17, 2007 23:18:08 GMT -5
OK I forget which thread I mentioned the bamboo in, but I'll post it here - Check out The Missouri Trading Post... www.missouritrading.com/bows.htm(Scroll on down until you see the bamboo, click on home page at the top to see all the other stuff these guys offer.)   Works out to $12.50 each, plus shipping. I'll be looking more closely this weekend at this order, but all seems just fine at first look. To order, you will want to call Diana at the phone number listed under "Contact and Ordering Information" - the lady can talk bows with you! |
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Post by smj on Apr 29, 2007 22:29:25 GMT -5
So, here is a hickory bow with a pin knot that turned up right on the edge of the limb. I tend to start out with a bit more limb width and thickness than is needed, so I was able to sneak my way around this one.  My fear was that the limb might splinter right there at the knot, and I just didn't want to go through that! I thought about dumping some epoxy over it and working it in, or some very thin super-glue. Or drilling it out and just doing the repair up front. Anyway, I decided to just get rid of it! Mid limb I'd have not worried about it. Right there on the edge of the limb I felt it a threat, and now it is gone ( I took equal amounts from both sides of the limb to remain balanced, both upper and lower limbs.) -  The limb width remains a full 1.4 inches... I had plenty to play with! Interestingly, I had a stiff spot in the lower limb that I had to work out prior to removing wood from the edges. Once done with thinning the width, the stiff spot came back! I had to adjust tiller all over again - I used a cabinet scraper to do this and it worked out just fine! (By the way, nothing works like a cabinet scraper for small removal amounts, or working with bamboo!) |
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Post by BT on Apr 30, 2007 6:14:11 GMT -5
Thats a pretty good price for the Bamboo  The one that flyingcedar did last year was very good looking. Since then I have had an eye for bamboo but don't seem to see alot of bows out there unless they are made by bowyers such as yourself smj. Why is that? |
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smj
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Post by smj on Apr 30, 2007 7:26:57 GMT -5
Since then I have had an eye for bamboo but don't seem to see alot of bows out there unless they are made by bowyers such as yourself smj. Why is that? I have my own thoughts on that, but I might be biased a bit... In a nut shell - bamboo backed bows are harder to make and it is a lot more easy to mess them up without thinking about it. A couple pals of mine make glass backed bows. One makes longbows, the other mostly recurves. Both make great bows! They trace a pattern on the top glass, glue it up, cut out the pattern, done. Maybe thin the limb width a bit for the tillering, but one says that if he cuts the pattern with great care the tillering is all but done when it comes off the bandsaw. That will never be the case with a boo-backed bow. Once you are done cutting out the bow - you still have a lot of tillering to do and every board is going to be a bit different. Getting that perfect tiller is an art, you really have to let the wood tell you what it wants to be. The more laminates you have, the more high-tech materials you put in, the more stable the limb over time. A glass bow will let anyone shoot it. Draw it, within reason, what ever length you want. With a boo-backed bow, say a hickory bow, you don't want to overdraw that bow! The tiller is set and remains constant mostly due to compression in the belly wood. Draw the bow that extra inch to "send" an arrow, and you might change the compression in the belly. This might alter the tiller of the bow. Step through the bow to string it and flex one limb more than the other a few to many times - again - you might change the tiller. Leave the bow strung all day, yup, string follow can set in. Stand the bow in a corner, yup, after a time the bow will warp. Change the tiller and you change the performance a bit. I don't think people understand this very well, and really don't want to have to. A glass bow probably has a longer life than a boo-backed one. I think all of this has something to do with why you don't see so many of them out there! Also, with the newer materials being used and excellent tillering, you are seeing over 200 fps out of recurves and some claim to get this even out of longbows. These are not low-tech bows anymore! I find it laughable when some "trad" shooter scoffs at a compound shooter while stroking his latest carbon fiber/glass recurve. Everyone wants more speed - and you just are not going to get it with all natural materials. So, it is a question of what you want out of the sport. Most folks, I think, just don't want to mess with an all natural bow. To me, this is just more personal, more meaningful. I like the feel of an all natural bow, and it is different. As for making any real money on them - it can take so long to build one I don't see how you could. At least, I am not quiting my day job any time soon! That answer your question? |
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Post by easternhunter on Apr 30, 2007 10:25:27 GMT -5
Well said SMJ....All wood bows just seem to have a life of their own...you can't horse them much....hehe (sound like I'm all experienced huh?)
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Post by easternhunter on May 4, 2007 13:44:36 GMT -5
Well folks....I decided to resurrect my first bow from the wood pile. I played with the tiller some more and actually had it floor tillering pretty good shape, but it turned out extremely lite...I'm guessing 10 lb. draw. I decided to strip most of the maple off the belly and try strengthening it with a .25" lam of vertical boofloo. Great, got the lams ripped out pretty nice, so what about the profile? I grabbed an old 2X4 that I messed up trying my first tiller tree, and eyeballed one side for a reflex curve, with the remains of the bow clamped in place...I then reversed the curve for the other side...I'm kinda satisfied with it...figured it was better than ending up as coals in the firepit! Got her all clamped in place with the new bellywood last nite...won't take her out til Saturday....thyen clean-up..... here's the latest pics...        Sorry for so many pics, but it tells a good story! |
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smj
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Post by smj on May 4, 2007 19:41:08 GMT -5
Well all right! Can't wait to see how all turns out!
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Post by easternhunter on May 4, 2007 19:58:45 GMT -5
Yup....it's a crap shoot, but like I said...I worked too hard on that first one to just toss it.
Kinda like a fine wooden watercraft...it can be half rotted away, but if you take care and listen to her, she'll tell ya how to fix her up!
Stay tuned....if this don't work, there'll be verbal profanities heard all the way to New York State I bet...LOL
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