Once i'm done with my swap bow....it's time to build a bow for myself. I haven't made one for myself yet. I want something with a little more zing than a straight stave bow. I draw a shade over 29" and would like to hang around 50 lb range and somewhere around 62." All wood, no glass. Durability a must and time is limited. Whatcha think?
1. Defex/Reflex with spliced on siyahs
2. Deflex/reflex utilizing a caul
3. A backed bow with the "perry" principle
4. Heat/Steam Induced setback in the handle
5. Sinew induced reflex
6. Heat/steam recurves
Hmmm. Without glass I would go with option 1 or 5.
#3 in boo and hickory my vote if time is short
The best possible bow design is most likely a deflex recurve. Depending on your skill level it may be easier to make a fast straight stave bow than a fast recurve. It all comes down to design.
I would do 3 or 6. On 3 I would do hickory or bamboo backing with osage belly.
#3 ,higly reflex your belly and core wood , then pull into less reflex when glueing the backing strip on. at 62 " slightly bending handle and straight taper limbs with stiff tips for 8 inches. should be one of the fastest wood bow designs possible
I like the deflex/reflex design. Straigth limbs are nice but I like curves. Don't forget the skins too ;)
Thanks fellas. Looks like more favor #3.
DVS- my wheelie toting younger brother was sure eyeballing that bow you made....there may be hope for him yet.
i say 1 and 5 as well.
magic is in the sinew :)
If you are looking for a bow that meets your "Durability a must and time is limited" clause and you're working from a stave, then I would suggest a full reflexed design using dry heat and appropriate caul. If you're working from boards, then I'd suggest #3. Keep your tips light and use a tillering gizmo. Sinew is great, but can be finicky in changing environmental conditions and requires at least a month to apply/cure. Just my $0.02.
I was hoping you'd chime in 4est. Thanks.
I thought I would just like to say thank you to ALL of you guys. I have 5 staves roughed out in the garage at the moment, And I just had to order me some bamboo to make me a perry relex boo hickory. I am supposed to be an adult but this bowaholick thing has me acting like a 3 year old at wal mart, and you guys are not helping
I'm going with #2 because that's what I'm getting ready to start building. I like that shape and it reminds me of some of the faster custom made glass/wood longbows out there. I've studied all the posts on who has the claims for the fastest and most efficent R/D longbows out there and they almost all have the same basic shape to them.
Of course wood materials play a large role in the process, but I think shape has a huge part in it also. If you want an all wood design using a single stave then #2 is your best bet I believe?
Of course that's just my opinion, results are pending. :D
Build one of each and see what you think.
See pearl drums it is those kind of suggestions that are getting me in trouble at home.
Its the only way for a guy to know what HE likes the best instead of taking a poll Jeff! I have built 3-4 different styles and love them all, it all depends on the day which I prefer more. The best part about this hobby is that wood is cheap. Even the good stuff (its yellow in color) really doesnt cost that much. A guy can build a hell of a bow for $75 or less.....thats cheap fun!
But my Problem is My wife says that cheap fun is not so cheap when you got 10 of them going on at once......... and the grass needs mowed LOL
Maybe you could come over for supper and talk to her for me LOL
QuoteDurability a must and time is limited.
Don't be in a hurry. ;)
Your looking to make some sort of recurved composite bow from your choices. As such, they will take time to do correctly. You might want to look a wilcox duoflex.
I think i've pushed the limits, maybe not. Here's what I did after chasing a ring and roughing out the shape. 61" long, 1 3/4" wide for 12" tapering to 1/2" knocks. ~1/2" thick. Cut out a caul in short order and made the stave bend. Now, here's the scary part, I built the curves in my caul using dimensions from my a glass longbow I have which i would consider to be extreme D/R. Think she'll blow? How does a guy go about tillering something like this (besides slowly)?
I may have missed it, but what type of wood are you using? By having your limb thickness predetermined, all you have to do is scrape evenly to reduce weight. To change profile, if needed, re-work the side profile. Good luck.....Art
I'm gonna need some pics before I make an accurate analysis of your progress. :D
It sounds like my kinda bow to be honest. I love them R/D longbows, I'm getting ready to use my new caul to build one shortly. :thumbsup:
Here it is off the caul. If it turns out to be a shooter, I might use it for my swap bow. Thoughts?
(http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/ac327/tlholder86/101_0472.jpg)
I know it looks like a board, but the rings in that portion of the tree grew flat, not crowned, which I think will help spread out the stresses.
(http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/ac327/tlholder86/101_0476.jpg)
(http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/ac327/tlholder86/101_0477.jpg)
it will work. That design works very well with osage. Thin the tips more than 1/2in. And she'll scream.