Am making a Bow for My Grandaughters 3rd Birthday! I found a Nice little piece of hickory that has some Good Rings in it!! Ex-Broom Handle, I think. Anywho, question about Limb Thickness for her. She is Pretty Strong for a Little Girl, I figure I would, Might start with 1/2 thick limbs? 3/8? :confused:
I have NO experience, and time is of the essence as MAY is Fast Approaching for a Slow Poke Like Me!! I figure 26" long straight longbow, since she is all of 36" tall!! :readit: :thumbsup:
Do yourself a favor and make that bow 36" long.
She'll be holding it in the middle anyway so it will still stay above her knees when she shoots it.
I would start it at 3/4" wide tapered to 3/8" from mid-limb to tip and use pin nocks. Starting at 1/2" thick and tillering to around 10# @ 18".
She'll be able to use that now and grow into it some.
CJ
Hardywaymike and I built one for his 3 yr old last weekend. It was 36" long, 1" wide and thickness tapered from about 3/8 to just under a 1/4". I marked half way up each limb and narrowed the width to about 5/16" wide at the tips. It turned out 15# @ 18" if I remember right. Chime in if Im off ont dim's Mike.
I think the short one was only 15@15 but all of the other dimensions are correct. It is alot easier than you might think. Other than the boards being planed to thickness and the handles being glued on, we did everything in like 6 hours. Then subtract the bsing and we only actually worked on them for about 3-3.5 hours. When I left that evening they were ready for stain. I just haven't gotten pics of them yet to try and post them.
Thank You ALL for the Info!! After we watched "Robin Hood" (The New One) for the 3rd time last Saturday Night, She is Asking "When PaPaw?? When am I gonna get MY Bow, PaPaw??" :thumbsup: Bless Her Little Junior Archer Heart!! :archer: She makes me so Proud!! :goldtooth: Thanks again for the Info, and I WILL Post Pictures!! :goldtooth:
Had a Funny thing happen I gotta share, I got in on the $5 50 lb. Fish Weight Scale at Wally World, and My Granddaughter , Gracie, were playing around, she can pull 3 lbs. at 3 yrs old without straining herself!! Boy was SHE Proud of Herself!! :scared: the whole thing might be 7" long, and got her 3 lbs.!! "Did YOU show her how to put it to her cheek & nose like that??" I was so SHOCKED that she Automatically DID IT , I couldnt answer!! hahaha :archer:
lol i hope my boy likes his bow next month (15th) nearly as much as your granddaughter does. he loves when i get mine out and says "BOW!" ...
im going to probably do him a 10#@12-14" ...
i guess i paid too much for my wally world luggage scale @ 7.50 to 80# ... nice find...
gotta change you name from shakes.602 to PaPaw, a name to be proud of.
I just finished a kids bow for NC Recurveman's daughter and I think it was 50"ntn 1 1/4" at the fade,half way to the the tip and tapering to 3/8" nocks. kept it basically flat bow with slight taper of thickness from fades to tip. Ended up about 13-15# @ 18" and flings arrows nicely. Make the bow longer than shorter, gives room to grow and is easier to get a good bow without breaking it. Post some pics for us grandpa.
Hova- I've been looking for those 80# luggage scales at Wally world ever since you mentioned it and I swear I can't find one??
Shakes- It doesn't matter if it's perfect or a masterpiece to your little gal there, she will love anything that resembles what she saw on TV. I think you got a little fire burning there and you should definitely fan the flames!
:campfire:
I built my 2 nephews Osage longbows for Christmas and the 8yr. old Tucker got a 23# @24" and the 6 yr. old Garrett got a 15# @ about 18" and they are perfect for them at this age. I know they will outgrow them shortly, but boy they sure are having fun with them at the moment. Tucker is quite the dead eye with his and he asks me constantly....."Can we go shoot my bow uncle Chris?"
I even took them stumping the other day and they had a blast!
Here's some pics of them tearing up my 3D buck targets.
(http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww146/mohunter68/TheBoysDayOutMarch21-2011006.jpg)
(http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww146/mohunter68/TheBoysDayOutMarch21-2011004.jpg)
(http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww146/mohunter68/TheBoysDayOutMarch21-2011005.jpg)
Look at the target, not the camera! :goldtooth:
(http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww146/mohunter68/TheBoysDayOutMarch21-2011007.jpg)
Tucker looks like a trick shot artist there!
I found a #75lbs meat scale at True Value hardware out here. They have a kitchen and housewares section.
Razor, can we see pics of yours too?
CJ
Very Cool Pictures!!! :saywhat: , wasnt aware of the Luggage Scale!!
Hmmmmmm..... "PaPawShakes" :thumbsup:
I notice in the pictures, the "Riser" is about an Inch or 2 past the Handle Length. Is that true?? My First attempt is Firewood, second attempt has Good Grain and Natural Curvature!! That will be the Back, no doubt about it!! Got it almost all Laid out in Pencil, and wondered about "Riser Size and Handle Size".
Sorry to be a Pain in the "Fill In The Blank" but this is an Awsome piece of White Hardwood i happened to Find at home Depot just looking around.
Thank You For Your Help & Guidance!!
(Gracies B-Day is May 9th, so I have a Little Time) :goldtooth:
Yeah, just enough for the arrow to pass is good.
I go about 5-6 inches for adult bows and 4" for children's for the handle.
CJ
Thanks for the Info.!!!
Ok.....'Nother Silly Question. I have it Roughed out, and want to Rough cut the Limb Thickness to begin Tillering. Any Suggestions as to a Thickness to "Taper the Limb Thickness" from about 3/8 at the Fades all the way to the Tips right now.
Any and All Input is Appreciated!! I have Pictures to Post, I just havent put them on Photobucket Yet. :goldtooth:
Just start scraping both evenly until it bends evenly and you like the draw weight and length, odds are you wont have much taper at all, pretty even from fade to tip if the bow is a shorty. I use my jointer on youth and kids bows, anything under 40#. I cut both width and thickness tapers in and get it very floor tillered in minutes compared to hours. My elbows and shoulders are grateful for the break!
Thanks for the Info! I am among the Jointerless, so I am gonna' Scrape & Sand (By Hand) and Scrape some more!!
I feel Silly asking the question I did, I kinda' "Hollered Before I Was Hurt" as they say. I got to Whittling away with my Little Plane, 1 1/2 wide, and started to slice small shavings and its coming along now, bending pretty well, considering that I had a Hand in it! hahahha :readit: :goldtooth:
OOPS..... :banghead: :banghead:
This is the Board as Purchased:
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b66/arrowmaker62/Gracies%20Bow/CenterlineSideLayoutBoard.jpg
Rough Layout:
http://s17.photobucket.com/albums/b66/arrowmaker62/Gracies%20Bow/?action=view¤t=Layout01.jpg
Looks Like A mini bow!! This is the Cut, and Some Shaping, next is the Tiller!
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b66/arrowmaker62/Gracies%20Bow/LooksLikeBow01.jpg
This is the 1st try with a tiller stick, about 11" Long, and a Long String. I am pretty happy with it, being My VERY First Try!! :goldtooth: Today is a Short String and SCRAPING & Sanding to Even the Tiller up, and get the Limbs the same Thickness and Bending Better. ANY Comments are Appreciated!! Do ya think it with sling 1/4 x 14" long Arrows?? :archer2:
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b66/arrowmaker62/Gracies%20Bow/1stTillerwLongString05.jpg
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b66/arrowmaker62/Gracies%20Bow/1stTillerwLongString04.jpg
Leave the fades alone and start scraping the working portion, leave the tips alone about 3-4" from the ends. The middle needs to move more before you break at the fades.
Yep scrape the middle third of those limbs a bit and get a shorter string soon. Looking good so far!
CJ
AND THEN .............. BANG! It broke at the weak Fade. I was Exercising the Limbs, after Scraping ever so carefully for about 30 minutes and it was looking real good. Still on the Tillering Stick, and I went a Tad Too Far. :eek: Dang It!! :scared: :scared: :laughing: :archer2:
Heh. Great attitude!
I actually don't break many unless they are experimental and I know it's kinda sick but there's a sort of excited delight when they go. Like BOOM! "That was awesome, did you see that?!" kind of feeling.
Head up and keep us posted on that post handle!
CJ
Thanks for the Encouragement!! It WAS kinda' Sick, because between the Shock :scared: and "Awwwwww" :readit: Sure Glad I Aint Normal!! :thumbsup: :biglaugh:
Pictures, including My Handy Portable TV Tray Table Work Station!! :thumbsup:
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b66/arrowmaker62/Gracies%20Bow/TheStation01.jpg
The LAST Tiller.... :rolleyes:
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b66/arrowmaker62/Gracies%20Bow/LastTiller05.jpg
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b66/arrowmaker62/Gracies%20Bow/LastTiller01.jpg
The END...... :banghead:
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b66/arrowmaker62/Gracies%20Bow/Failure01.jpg
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b66/arrowmaker62/Gracies%20Bow/Failure02.jpg
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b66/arrowmaker62/Gracies%20Bow/Failure05.jpg