Topic: New Bow…but not THE bow…

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- Stephen Graf
  Moderator
  December 5, 2009 at 11:37 am
  
  Post count: 2429
  #4217
  
  I got up to go hunting, but it is raining again:evil:
  
  I don’t mind hunting in the rain occasionally, like 7 days in a row…but more than that and I get squirrelly. My gear hasn’t been dry since october. I never complain about rain since we are always in a drought. But this year,…I’m almost ready to.
  
  So that’s why I have had time to work on a bow. I’ve got it to the point of shooting and it shoots better than any of my previous attempts. I was planning on giving this bow the copperhead skins I have been saving. But the bow ended up with some cosmetic problems:evil:
  
  The bow is 66″ ntn 55#@28″ and is a reflex deflex longbow. I took it to our local shop and crono’d it. It shoots a 770 grain arrow 160 fps. I compared it to 3 other longbows of similar design and it was from 5 to 15 fps faster. These other bows were 58 to 60 lb bows. So I was smiling.
  
  I still need to figure out what to back the bow with. My wife is going to take me to her material store where she says they have some cool patterns. Snuffornot inspired me to put some cloth on the bow by his pictures of his mossy oak backed self bows. Thanks!
  
  I am truly an amateur as I have only made about 10 bows. And there are some details I just can’t seem to get right. But would anyone be interested in some build along pictures?
- Patrick
  Member
  December 5, 2009 at 12:53 pm
  
  Post count: 1148
  #28323
  
  Heck yeah! Although I don’t build my own, and probably won’t, I like watching others do so.
- Bert
  December 5, 2009 at 8:11 pm
  
  Post count: 164
  #28595
  
  I can surely sympathize with the rain issue, living up here in the PNW- we hunt in wetsuits with fiberglass fish arrows! It makes tracking so much easier-Not! It finally stopped raining and now we have our first freeze which brings it’s own issues such as, does anyone make a heated archery glove so I can feel the string?
  We would all like some build along pics of what sounds like a good, strong bow- haven’t built one myself yet, might be a good winter to do so- inspire us!
  Picked up an interesting book at the local used bookstore entitled, “the Archer’s Craft” by Adrian Eliot Hodgkin, written after WW11 in England, a fascinating tome of history, string and arrow making and he crafted his bows with lemonwood and yew with mostly a Marble’s axe! He backed his self-bows with vellum-calf skin- and casein glue.
  Look forward for the pics- and if you want good bbq, head for North Carolina-mmm mmm mmm!
- Chris Shelton
  December 6, 2009 at 12:27 am
  
  Post count: 679
  #28754
  
  HalfaHun wrote: I can surely sympathize with the rain issue, living up here in the PNW- we hunt in wetsuits with fiberglass fish arrows! It makes tracking so much easier-Not!
  
  psssh you are not going it right, lol. You need some industrial strength 400 lb test braided fishing line, hell then you wouldnt have to track you could just reel them in!
- Stephen Graf
  Moderator
  Moderator
  December 6, 2009 at 2:50 pm
  
  Post count: 2429
  #29386
  
  OK, here goes…I am posting the first of hopefully many pictures. Problem is, that many of my initial pictures got lost off the camera chip. Kids? Me? Don’t know. But I will get more. Here are 2 pictures of the bow in the form:
- Stephen Graf
  Moderator
  Moderator
  December 6, 2009 at 2:52 pm
  
  Post count: 2429
  #29389
  
  And here are some of the riser overlay’s being added and the profile of the bow being cut out. More to come…
- Stephen Graf
  Moderator
  Moderator
  December 6, 2009 at 3:24 pm
  
  Post count: 2429
  #29422
  
  Here are some pictures of the nocks. They are about 60 percent sanded. I will post new pictures after they are finished. I used black and tan phenolic overlays to match the copperhead skins that I probably won’t be using now. But I ordered some snakeskin fabric off the internet and am awaiting delivery. Hopefully it will look good. If not…maybe the skins will get used…
- Stephen Graf
  Moderator
  Moderator
  December 6, 2009 at 3:26 pm
  
  Post count: 2429
  #29425
  
  And here is the handle mostly sanded. Just a little more work on the arrow shelf and overlays to go…
- Bert
  December 6, 2009 at 6:46 pm
  
  Post count: 164
  #29589
  
  Thanks for the pics, Steve, that is one sweet looking bow- what kind of wood did you use for the riser and core and where did you get them?
  GTA, great idea about the braided fishing line but the last time I fired a shaft with a line attached was in Hawaii during my misspent youth. Test firing a new speargun in the backyard, aiming carefully at the hammock target, and stupidly pulling the trigger, I witnessed the barbed steel shaft whiz away at great speed- until it reached the end of the attached nylon line- whereupon, according to the inexorable laws of physics, it returneth at the same great speed, barely missing my head and burying it’s sharp point in the mango tree behind me! An experiment NEVER TO BE REPEATED!!!!! Bert ( keeping my guardian angel working overtime once again!)
- Stephen Graf
  Moderator
  Moderator
  December 6, 2009 at 8:24 pm
  
  Post count: 2429
  #29660
  
  The riser is laminated birch called dymonwood and the core is actionboo which is laminated bamboo. I get my stuff from bingham projects.
  
  I think we all have a story of stupidity from our youth. I can remember a few moments from my youth when I was close to a stupid death and didn’t realize it until the moment passed…. and I cringe to think what stupid things my kids have yet to do.:oops:
  
  It truly is amazing that we survive our youth… I’m glad the mango tree was the one that suffered for your impulsive shot and not you!
- William Warren
  Member
  December 7, 2009 at 12:08 am
  
  Post count: 1384
  #29852
  
  Steve,
  
  That is beautiful work! I can’t wait to see it finished. If you ever want to try some of that tree bark cloth just give me a shout, I have some extra. I am interested in that snake skin material. I bet that will look good.
  
  Duncan
  
  PS – I was not happy about all the rain either but we need it. It was messy the week of Thanksgiving too while I was off work.
- Stephen Graf
  Moderator
  Moderator
  December 7, 2009 at 10:54 am
  
  Post count: 2429
  #30407
  
  Duncan,
  
  Here is the link to the snakeskin fabric:
  http://www.discountfabricsusacorp.com/snakeskinprint.html
  
  I may take you up on the tree bark cloth. I looked around and none of the new camo’s really would look as good as the tree bark camo in my opinion.
  
  Maybe we can work a trade after I get the snakeskin fabric. If it works out and you like the looks of the bow when it is done.
  
  It may be a week before the fabric gets delivered, and a week after that before I can post finished pictures.
- William Warren
  Member
  December 7, 2009 at 5:55 pm
  
  Post count: 1384
  #30729
  
  [quote=steve graf]
  I may take you up on the tree bark cloth. I looked around and none of the new camo’s really would look as good as the tree bark camo in my opinion.
  
  Maybe we can work a trade after I get the snakeskin fabric. If it works out and you like the looks of the bow when it is done.
  
  That sounds like a fair plan!
- Treetopflier
  December 8, 2009 at 12:33 am
  
  Post count: 146
  #30999
  
  Steve — by your standards I guess I’m a “medium experienced” bowyer, having built maybe 40 bows — the final two with glass backs and all others just wood/boo, mostly board bows. Got some good ones but never “THE bow” as you say. And frankly, ain’t that what keeps us amateur bowyers working at it? We get better. We learn from our stupid mistakes. But THE bow just never quite happens. So, pray for rain and another day for another try! That’s a lovely bow, by the way. Carry on! 😀 snuffy
- Stephen Graf
  Moderator
  Moderator
  December 13, 2009 at 3:00 pm
  
  Post count: 2429
  #37699
  
  I have applied the snake skin fabric backing. I don’t think it’s the greatest looking stuff, but what can compare to the real thing. This bow has been an exercise in education:x
  
  I applied the fabric with tight bond 2. After allowing it to dry for 24 hours, it popped off! Lesson learned – TBII doesn’t bond to carbon.
  
  So I redid it with epoxy. Here’s the tape on the sides of the bow to keep the glue off:
  
  Here’s a picture of the backing before any sanding to get it smoothed in on the edges:
  
  Things are ugly right now, hopefully it can only get better:oops:
- William Warren
  Member
  December 13, 2009 at 11:20 pm
  
  Post count: 1384
  #38115
  
  Steve,
  I think it looks good in the pics. It will look better once it is finished. The wood glue works on my selfbows because I’m just gluing straight to the wood. Is your fabric cotton or synthetic? I would definitely swap you some tree bark for some of your cloth.
  Duncan
- Stephen Graf
  Moderator
  Moderator
  December 14, 2009 at 11:37 am
  
  Post count: 2429
  #38809
  
  Duncan,
  
  Send me a PM with your address. I’ll send you the cloth minus what I’ve cut:) Then you can decide what you want from it and send me a some of the tree bark back. Once you get it, don’t feel obligated to do a trade if you don’t like it.
  
  I don’t know what it is made from. The tag didn’t say.
  
  I did an experiment on a piece of wood to see what would happen. The cloth glued to the wood just fine with the TBII. So no worries there.
- Bow-Cephus
  December 16, 2009 at 4:59 am
  
  Post count: 17
  #40974
  
  Hey Duncan, I’m extremely new to this, would you mind explaining a little about the process of backing a wood bow with fabric. And also out of curiousity, what material is better?
  😆
- Stephen Graf
  Moderator
  Moderator
  December 17, 2009 at 5:57 pm
  
  Post count: 2429
  #42805
  
  For better or worse, the bow is done! It didn’t come out too bad and I am looking forward to shooting it. I took pictures in the sun and it looks like a bit of lint stuck to the nock when I took the picture.
  
  And here is the limb with the snake cloth. It darkened a bit, but still came out ok.
  
  And the riser:
  
  And the bow strung:
  
  So now to make some arrows that spine for it and go get some waskally wabbats!!!
  
  I hope you enjoyed my efforts 😀 .
- Bow-Cephus
  December 23, 2009 at 3:41 am
  
  Post count: 17
  #48967
  
  Nice Job Man, Looks sharp!
- Daniel
  December 23, 2009 at 5:13 am
  
  Post count: 247
  #49065
  
  That is a nice looking bow 🙂
  
  SB
- rayborbon
  December 23, 2009 at 5:16 pm
  
  Post count: 298
  #49624
  
  That’s an interesting bow form. I have never seen the bungee cords like that being used on a bow.
  
  Let me ask this.. Do you cut the riser out or do you simply sand until you have a piece ready to glue up? It looks like you don’t cut risers from the photos. It appears the wood in the riser is also part of the working limb. Just a technical question..
  
  I want to build a reflex bow form and try a glass bow some time this year.
- Stephen Graf
  Moderator
  Moderator
  December 23, 2009 at 8:41 pm
  
  Post count: 2429
  #49766
  
  I lost some of the pictures I took of the construction process, or I would have shown the riser being cut out. I have a template I use to trace the pattern on the riser block. Then I cut it out with the bandsaw and sand it till it fits the form right.
  
  The bow is 66″ ntn and the riser is 15 inches fadeout to fadeout. So the riser isn’t too far into the limbs. Not sure what you mean by your question about the riser wood being part of the working limb.
- rayborbon
  December 23, 2009 at 10:50 pm
  
  Post count: 298
  #49861
  
  You answered all the questions I had. Thanks
  
  Nice looking bow. Looks like a professional job.
- Stephen Graf
  Moderator
  Moderator
  January 16, 2010 at 4:05 pm
  
  Post count: 2429
  #19869
  
  I gave a piece of the snake skin cloth to the folks at Eagles Flight Archery and they made a custom quiver for me to match the bow. I still need to finish the cloth with tru oil to give it the same look as the bow, but I thought I’d add some pictures to show how it looks so far.
  
  Many thanks to Eagles Flight Archery for their excellent customer service!!!
- William Warren
  Member
  January 19, 2010 at 4:10 am
  
  Post count: 1384
  #22622
  
  Hey Steve,
  That quiver is too cool.
  Duncan
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