Finally! I just finished shooting my complete, though not finished bow. Used techniques from a number of builders on this website and one other site. Thanks to everyone who helped me indirectly by sharing with others. Having touble with Photobucket and leave town for 2 days. Will post when I get back. I still have to touch up sight window a little and then actually finish with stain/oil. But for now it is shooting surprisingly well with a couple wraps of masking tape for nock sets--3 under. Shooting as well as my 58" 40# @ 28" Mamba recurve (I shoot it at 45 @ 29.5")
My new bow is a 72" piece of 1x2 red oak from Home Depot (less than a mile from a lumber yard I found an ok piece of quarter sawn red oak and not a single good hickory). Was originally aiming for 45# @ 29". I'm still nursing a shoulder. The Mamba has served me well (got it here on trad gang) but a little short for pushing 30"draw. Wanted nice long, forgiving bow in mid to high 40s. Ended up with 70" ntn. 7.25 " brace with 67" Dacron string from 3 Rivers. Backed with paper. Somehow hit 45# at 29". Exercised to 30" since I ultimately will end up close to there if continues to hold together. I took my time and learned a lot (made mistakes)along the way. 2" of set. So not beautiful but shoots good enough for my first try. Fast enough out to 15 yd which is all i plan on. Will finish this weeked and post pics.
Now if the turkeys will cooperate. Only hunted a couple times with Mamba this year since I really want to have this bow in hand if I finally call one in. Missed one last year with Montana longbow so hoping to repeat same close shot--but hit the mark this time!
congratulations on your first bow. Poor form with no pics! :thumbsup:
Yea, I know it's poor form, just excited about my success!
Haven't used photobucket to post in awhile. When I pull up my photobucket account I don't see any way to add photos to my albums. The tab at top says "mobile photobucket". Any suggestions"?
Kurt, i just checked my account and after I logged in there is a green buton in the middle of the screen that says "upload now'. It is in the dark blue line with other important account links, just below the harry Potter advertisement. However knowing computers and their weird ways, you probably have a completely different view. they made a bunch of changes recently to make it easier and better. Really just ballsed it up for most of us. if you are using a bookmark in Favorites, try typing in the address. You could be going to a bad link from the bookmark. I've had that happen before on other sites.
Hope it helps, as I can't read any more posts on this thread without pictures, its a principal thing. :)
Overcame technical difficulties. Please feel free to critique. Can't wait to get in hunting configuration. Then start another! :)
Been busy, just finished basement so still setting up workshop, but had to get to bow. Haven't even taken time to draw permanent grid on peg board. A few pencil mark after the tape really helped eyeballing, plus gizmo, to fine tune. Another fairly successful first time project as well as building qizmo and learning how to hook a decent burr on my cabinet scrapers. And figure out bowyers knot. So much learning on this one. what fun!
(http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af241/krm367/trad/First%20board%20bow/firstbow005-1.jpg)
(http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af241/krm367/trad/First%20board%20bow/firstbow008-1.jpg)
(http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af241/krm367/trad/First%20board%20bow/firstbow010-1.jpg)
congrats :thumbsup:
The tiller at full draw in the hand is what counts, and it looks very good, indeed! Nicely done, first bow or not :)
If you're looking for critique, here's my $0.02. The left limb on the tree looks a little stiff on the inner and outer thirds with a lot of bend on the inner third. The right limb looks better, but I'd get more wood moving just out of the fades. Also, in order to help reduce set and decrease the string at the tips on your next bow, try getting a little more movement just out of the fades. This puts more limb into service (reducing set) and flattens the tiller of the outer third a bit (reducing string angle/stack). But, hey...I'm just pickin' nits! Well done as is :thumbsup:
Nice bow. Very good first bow.
Looks very nice, congrats.
Nicely done Mr. Miller!
CJ
Looks good to me. Great job!