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in reply to: Hickory Hedge #33761

Finally finished. I put four coats of True Oil on it on 8/23 and let it dry last week while I was in Wichita on company business. I got three arrows made last Saturday and shot it Sunday. It shoots great and I really like that style of grip. I think I’m going to use this one for 3D shooting.

Specs:

62″ 30#@28″
Hickory Core
Osage lams
.050 glass
Riser: Black Walnut with Hickory and Osage accent strips. Black Walnut front and back riser overlays.

Profile shots

Full draw (well, as full as I can get it):oops:

Dennis

[aeronut]

in reply to: Bow Making #32414

Third week of March is the Oklahoma Selfbow Jamboree by Stillwater. Great place to spend four days building and shooting bows. If you attend the Expo look for the Oklahoma Selfbow Society. I think they are going to have a booth there. Tell them I sent ya.

Not all laminated bows use glass. You can glue a bamboo or Hickory backing onto a slat and put it into a form to cure. You can use a flat, reflex, or deflex/reflex form.

I’ll look for some links.

Dennis

[aeronut]

in reply to: Need to choose a wooden arrow #61839

I like to shoot a heavier arrow when hunting because I feel the greater kinetic energy behind a sharp broadhead is best.

I shoot Hickory shafts and have never broken one yet. They are a little harder to straighten than other wood shafts but not that much.

A 29″ Hickory shaft owould probably be around 600 grains or a little more.

Dennis

[aeronut]

in reply to: Limb Material Resources #49116

You might give Kenny McKenzie a call and see what he can do.

http://kennyscustomarchery.com/index.html

Dennis

[aeronut]

in reply to: Hickory Hedge #47604

Sanded the finger grooves in this morning and did a little more rounding on the riser. Buffed all the Walnut down with 4/0 steel wool.

Dennis

[aeronut]

in reply to: Hickory Hedge #46817

Haven’t done much the last couple of days, back’s been hurtin’ a lot.

Here is the initial contouring of the handle. The three pencil lines you can see are where I am going to sand shallow grooves for my fingers.

It’s starting to ‘feel’ like a bow now.
After I get the initial handle/riser section work done I’ll be down to the nit-pickin’ stage getting it ready for a finish.

Dennis

[aeronut]

in reply to: Hickory Hedge #44503

Here is the progress so far….

I’m still working on the tips, sloooowly trying to get them both to somewhat match.

I marked and cut out the sight window. The riser is 1.35″ wide and I cut the shelf in .50″, not quite to center.

I’ve done some feathering on the riser overlay too.

I made a string a few days ago and did some checking on the tiller. Everything is looking good but I am low on the weight I was hoping for. I was hoping for 40-45# but the initial scaling is around 30#’s. I’m going to finish it at this weight and shoot it for a while.

I Started rounding off all the edges and shaping the handle. Don’t have any pictures of that yet but I’ll try to get some tomorrow.

To be continued……

Dennis

[aeronut]

in reply to: Reminder: Pigs can hurt you! #33423

Yeowch! That ain’t really what I’m wanting to read when I’m planning a Texas hog hunt this winter:shock:. I may want to build some Rambo broadheads for my arrows!!

I know first hand what a domestic hog can do to ya so a wild hog has to be bad.

I saw part of that show.

Dennis

[aeronut]

in reply to: Hickory Hedge #32151

I decided to use Black Walnut and Deer antler for the tip overlays. I have a big shed that I found with my bushhog a few years back and decided to incorporate it into some of my projects.

I used some of the leftover Walnut from the riser overlay and put the antler on top of it. I really hate the smell of cutting and sanding antler but I like the finished product.

Back into the hotbox again……..

Dennis

[aeronut]

in reply to: Hickory Hedge #31067

I got finished with my fix-it project today so i got some more done on the bow. I re-taped the glass and checked everything with a long string. Looked good, even, and no twist in the limbs.

I decided to go with a 64″NTN bow so I measured everything for that. I marked center on the bow and laid out the line with my laser level. I stick it to my heat duct right above my head. Remember, I’m in the basement.

Next I marked out the limbs and went to the machine shed where my bandsaw and sanders are. I saved a dull blade for my bandsaw because it would work for cutting the fiberglass. After cutting out the limbs I sanded them down to the line.

Earlier I cut some thin Black Walnut laminations ot overlay on the front and back of the riser. I glued them in place and everything is now back in the hotbox.

To be ontinued……

Dennis

[aeronut]

in reply to: Hickory Hedge #30113

I had some free time so it is time for another installment on the bow. I put the lams and riser in the hot box while I gathered up the rest of the stuff. Finally found my air hose after about an hour of searching.

Time to mix some glue. Equal parts of Smooth-On.

My daughter happened to come down to the basement so I had her snap a picture since I didn’t want a built-in camera on my bow.

Ready for the hot box. I learned that alcohol is great for removing Smooth-On from your hands.

I took everything apart this evening and I didn’t get a fresh-out-of-the-form picture:twisted:. I sanded off all the glue boogers and globs and this is what I’ve got so far.

We found a narrow white streak running along one edge and it took a while to realize that one of the Osage lams had shifted a bit. After looking everything over it won’t affect the bow at all since 90% of it will be removed when I taper the limbs and the rest will be covered by a riser overlay.

To be continued……..

Dennis

[aeronut]

in reply to: Another new member and a question already! #20628

I’ve been shooting a bow for over forty years and started when no one said anything about eye dominance. I am right handed and left-eyed but find that if I concentrate only on the target and not the arrow I am fine. If I ‘see’ the arrow as I am making the shot I will usually screw up the shot.

Dennis

[aeronut]

in reply to: Defining "Traditional" Bowhunting #13493

Humble pie and tag soup are a mainstay here, not because I’m a terrible shot, but because the kill is not the main point of my hunting. Don’t get me wrong, I like venison, but just being in the outdoors and getting as close as possible to an animal is the thrill for me.

What I think of traditional bowhunting is any bow without wheels, cables, sights, or any kind of gizmo that gives me a mechanical advantage, and some kind of wooden arrow.

My gear for a hunt is simple.

I grab whichever handmade by me bow that strikes my fancy at the time, be it a Bamboo-backed or glass-backed longbow. A tube quiver with four homemade arrows of wood, Bamboo, or Rivercane. A knife, flashlight, lighter, ball compass, short piece of small rope (10-15′), and a candy bar or two. I put on my Shaggie suit and still hunt/stalk, no tree stands or blinds.

That is just me.

A lot of people shoot carbon arrows but I’ve never had any hankerin’ to try them. I guess in reality, carbon is just really, really, old wood.:lol:

If I was to go truly ‘traditional’ I would be hunting with a sharpened stick.:shock:

Dennis

[aeronut]

in reply to: Heavy or light arrows #58540

I tend to shoot a heavier arrow too. I like a heavier braodhead at least 145 grains and try to get my arrows around 11-12 grains/lb of draw weight. A heavier arrow will have more kinetic energy.

That said, I also hunt with Bamboo and River Cane arows. I still keep at least 145 gr on the front and add what weight I can to the shaft. They come out lighter but I restrict my shots to 15 yds or less with these arrows. I carry both heavy and light shafts when I still hunt.

Dennis

[aeronut]

in reply to: new bowyer needs help #55924

Some links that may be helpful.

http://bowyersworkshop.com/

http://www.bowyersedge.com/articles.html

Dennis

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