I made my form about 6 weeks ago, but I have been too busy to finish up my bow. I finally got around to it.
Finished it up today except for the finish and the leather grip. I am putting the massey epoxy finish on it and will post pictures when it is ddy and I have the grip on it. Everything came out perfect and I have already shot it...and it shoots great.
It is similar to the moosejaw elite, but with slightly more reflex in the limb (about 1/2" - 3/4" depending on the date of the moosejaw) AND a slightly less forward grip (by about 3/8" which is more like the old Sentman Competition model)...so the total "net" reflex is about an 1" more than the Moosejaw Elite that Gary Sentman made.
My "First Bow" is 64" and 58#@28" draw. It has a bacote riser with phenolic (mircata like) black stripe of 1/4" through the riser. Limbs are black glass on back, carbon under the glass, then 3 lams of bamboo (w/ one tapered at 0.001"), and then clear glass on belly. Tip overlays are phenolic with a wedge wood accent of bacote coming out underneith the phenolic.
String alignment is center perfect, fade outs are perfect with excellent glue joints...and I couldn't be happier with the results. More to come.
Lee,
Sounds like you did a great job, especially it being your first bow.
I am in Rolling Fork, Ms, where are you located?
Concrats to your first one ! We want to see pics !!!
----------
Andy
:thumbsup: :clapper:
congrats indeed...forum rules clearly state ; pictures pictures pictures!
-hov
Thanks guys. I will be posting pictures tomorrow most likely...but it still needs a leather grip and arrow rest. Putting the finish on now.
I am in Brandon, MS
Here are some pictures, but this bow is NOT FINISHED YET. I still have some light sanding with the steel wool to do, I need to put the massey epoxy finish on, and I need to put the grip and shelf on.
Overall, I do think I was lucky, despite having a good teacher (Gary Sentman). I "named" my design "Protege' Longbows" with the intent of giving Gary Sentman credit for his influence on my design, as he has been a traditional archer mentor of mine for about 15 years...but now that he has retired from bowmaking I now have to make my own bows. My design has several features that I learned to appreciate in his bows, but it is slightly modified. It incorperates some features I liked in his moosejaw bow and has combined those traits with the features I liked in his competition bow. My intent was to create the "best of both."
I am NOT interested selling the bows at this time or in the near future. I am not qualified to do that yet and have a ways to go to "proof" my design and work. Plus, I am too busy to go into the "bowyer business. Maybe later, much later. I have been in the archery business before and for now, I just don't have the time. My plans are simply to only make a few every so often (time permitting) for some friends to build up my experience in the craft of bowmaking, and that is the way I want it to stay for a while...as I make my living as a school teacher and also as a breeder and trainer of guard dogs.
My motive for this post is simply a matter of expressing my joy of having success with my first attempt and not having to scrap my first attempt. My goal was 58#@28," and that is what I hit. Tiller is good and it shoots great.
The bow is a left handed 64" r/d design when unstrung that becomes more traditional profile when strung. It does have a long riser of 24," but most of that is long working fadeouts to prevent henges, increase durability, and to add performance. The bow is stiff and stable the way I like'em (not rubber-bandy or wet noodle like). Even though I need to finish the bow with a few more coats of finish and put a leather grip on it still, I have shot it and it shoots great. It is stable, quiet, and quick. It has considerable reflex when unstrung without being extreme...with the tips about 2 & 1/2" forward of the grip. I guess one could say "I'm stoked."
Riser is bocote with phenolic stripe. Limbs are black glass on the back, carbon under glass, bamboo core, and clear glass belly. Tip overlays are phenolic over a wedge of bocote that tapers out.
You may notice the tip overlay wood wedge actually tappers out at the string groove under the phenolic overlay. At the string groove, the tip overlay is just phenolic over the back of the bow. I have never seen that on a bow before and thought I would do this on my bows to "do something different."
This overlays was created from scraps that came off the riser when I was cutting the riser out of the phenolic/bocote block that I glued up from the riser. Then, to create the "wedge" wood I simply ground it out so the wood would only be on the overlay inside the string groove. Minor...no biggie, but something different without altering the bow design.
(http://www.chimerakennels.com/firstbowpics1.JPG)
(http://www.chimerakennels.com/firstbowpics2.JPG)
(http://www.chimerakennels.com/firstbowspecspics.JPG)
Beautiful bow! Your glue lines do look great!
Very nice bow. Love the curvy lines.
----------
Andy
I wish my first would have turned out that nice. Good job. I did get the shelf on the correct side however.;^)
Looking good.
That is a dandy! Love the woods
Travis
Gorgeous bow! Really like the riser wood.
Stan
a+...
(times a bazillion)
Thanks guys...
Great news this evening. I went outside to do some more shooting today since I had some time to do some bareshaft testing and it is driving my arrows with very clean flight..so it was ready for some minor buffing. I checked the tiller, and then I did some more finish work. Once I finished the steel wool work I double checked the tiller again to be sure it stayed the same. All is good and it really looks MUCH cleaner now. Removed the minor file marks that remained, smoothed out the pours in the wood, removed all the carbon dust, cleaned up the tips a bit, and put a coat of finish on this evening. I will update some photos after I get the grip on it and will also post a video of me shooting it. I am already looking forward to the next one.
Thanks for the kind words everyone.
P.S. Looks like I will finally be ready to sell my last Sentman bow now (it is right handed and I switched to left handed).
Yikes...thats a nice 1st bow...congrats :thumbsup:
I like it!
Thanks guys. It really been exciting here with the new bow and skill. Gary has taught me a LOT and the equipment to do this cost me a lot of time and money, but I have enjoyed this a great deal. I couldn't have done this without Gary's help. Here are some updated photos of the bow.
(http://www.chimerakennels.com/1stbow.jpg)
(http://www.chimerakennels.com/1stbowwithbackquiver.jpg)
Very nice. And a lefty to boot! Keep up the good work.
Tim
How do I sign up to become one of your friends. You can use me as a guinea pig any time you like.
Great bow.
Lee that is a good job. The limb profile looks identicle to mine . I do have a foreward riser though. I think you are going to really like that little bow. It should really perform for you. God Bless and keep on building . Steve
Thanks again for the kind words everyone.
I updated the photo to include a few other shots...such as the limb tips and the other side of the riser.