[Clay Hayes]

in reply to: Let's build a selfbow #55788

A hole through a limb isn’t necessarily a bad thing. When a hole forms from a small branch or knot rotting out while the tree is alive, the tree compensates for it by adding wood around the weak spot. You can see that in the pics below.

Unfortunately, the holes made by these little grubs are a different matter entirely. There’s no additional wood to compensate for the weakness so we’ll have to decide on something to fill them with. I’ve never tried this before so I’m not sure how it’ll work. I was thinking of mixing epoxy and osage shavings but I’m up for suggestions. I also thought of whittling a little peg and super-gluing it in place.

There will be several holes in the bow, but only one will be in the working part of the limb. O the suspense. Has this little hole doomed this project before it was even started? I guess we’ll find out.

[Clay Hayes]

in reply to: Let's build a selfbow #54748

Here’s something I forgot to mention earlier.

After I got the bark off I discovered these little SOB’s This piece of wood is riddled with holes but I think I’ll be able to lay the bow out to miss most of them. There will be one hole through the top limb. I haven’t figgured out how I’m gonna handle that one yet. We’ll just have to see when we get there.

[Clay Hayes]

in reply to: Dowling jig #54385

It’s just a strait half inch bit. you could use whatever size bit you’ve got, you would just need to drill out a slot big enough to accomidate it.

Another thing, if you do a search on dowel makers, you can come up with all kinds of home made contraptions. If you’re fairly mechanicaly inclined, making one isn’t too hard.

ch

[Clay Hayes]

in reply to: Full length taper? #53344

Duncan, I posted some pics on the “Trailhead”.

[Clay Hayes]

in reply to: Dowling jig #53341

The hole you see in the top pick is the in feed. The shaft comes out the other end compressed and burnished at whatever diameter you make it. Mine’s 23/64. It takes a few broken shafts to get it adjusted, but once it’s there, you can make a shaft in about a minute.

The way it works: You chuck your square stock in your drill(or in the socket extension, then chuck that in the drill), insert the stock into the infeed, rotate the stock with the drill, and push it by the router bit. the combination of the drill and the router makes the square round. If you set the router to cut a tiny bit larger than your out feed, the end product will be compressed and burnished.

One note – to compress shafting, it needs to be a fairly soft wood such as POC or dug fir, etc. You can’t compress hardwoods this way.

[Clay Hayes]

in reply to: Does anybody SELL Paper USGS Topo Maps anymore? #52138

I just go down to the Forest Service/BLM office and pick out whichever quad maps I need. I think thy’re around 6 bucks a piece.

I love maps. I can spend hours looking over squiggly little lines imagining what those draws and saddles hold.:D

[Clay Hayes]

in reply to: tungsten-footed woodies; considerations #49162

Dave, I’m supprised adding that much weight up frond didn’t cause a noticable difference in point of impact due to a decrease in dynamic spine. I’ll have to revisit my tinkering.

A thought for the next round: you may want to taper the end of your insert so that it’s not an abrupt transition from insert/wood to all wood. I think that would slightly strengthen what I think is going to be the weak link (where the insert ends).

Are you glueing the inserts in?

ch

[Clay Hayes]

in reply to: Full length taper? #47780

Michael, can you post a close up pic of the growth rings in that Doug fir? I’ve made some great fir shafts from some of the heavier wood, but the lighter stuff was way too weak in spine.

I made a dowling jig out of a plainer using only a drill press. It works awsome for parallel shafting.

ch

[Clay Hayes]

in reply to: Full length taper? #47775

River cane is hard to come by in the Rockies. It is fine stuff though, provided you can find a good stand with few nodes. I wish I had some.

[Clay Hayes]

in reply to: help new bowyer #44627

Ahh, forget about all that laminated talk. A selfbow is what you want. All you need is a good stave, a draw knife, cabenet scraper,and hatchet. Easy as pie – well, almost!:wink:

Traditional Bowyers Bible Vol. 1 is a good reference.

ch

[Clay Hayes]

in reply to: Ode to a Mountain Trail #44623

Very nice George, as always.

ch

[Clay Hayes]

in reply to: Facebook? #44616

my wife’s got a page, does that count?

[Clay Hayes]

in reply to: Defining a Traditional Bowhunter #44597

Well said Dave. I’d like to add that traditional methods, whether they be with bow or rifle, tend to draw a certain type of hunter. Traditionalists count among their ranks, some of the most ardent and skillful woodsmen. When talking about traditional bowhunters, the weapon is only part of what defines him. His words and actions can’t, in technical terms, exclude him from our ranks, but he will never be truly traditional, in my mind, if he shoots a longbow but talks and acts like an idiot. There are a few “traditional bowhunters” that have the right weapon but the wrong attitude. These folks never last and, after proving to themselves and their buddies that they can kill something with a recurve (usually with the aid of a range finder, scentlock, and every other gadget they can find to give them an edge), they scurry back to the compound. I’ve always said that when a traditional bowhunter can have a very nice critter just out of range, but well within range of the compound or rifle they could be hunting with, and not wish for a more efficient weapon, he’s there.

[Clay Hayes]

in reply to: Upgrades #42310

dido what Hiram said. Photobucket is a pain! It’d be so nice to be able to browse your files and upload a pic direct to here.

ch

[Clay Hayes]

in reply to: tungsten-footed woodies; considerations #35830

When going that heavy up front, how much spine are you needing?

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