I couldn't resist! The wood was so colorful and I thought, it wants to be a bow. I found two pairs of 3"x4'x1/4" book matched poplar. one set nearly quartersawn and straight grained for the back, and one pair wavy and awesome looking , purple to green to brown and everything in between colored for the belly.
I glued it up with about an inch of perry reflex and a laminated handle and just finished it up tonight. Cut the nock grooves, making the string now and gonna shoot it tonight or tomorrow. Here are the specs and some pics.
68"ttt 2.5" at the fades to 1/2" tips. Rigid 7" handle section. probably 35# at 28" although I'm not positive yet. Near centershot. Mainly for the GF to shoot (I told her it'd be a purple bow, and promised a pink/black specle string soon). She doesn't shoot yet but her draw length is about 24"-25" so I think she'll be at like 28# or something like that. After tillering it's maintained like 1/4" to 1/2" of reflex. Probably will end with near 0 string follow.
No pics over 600 pixels
A bow only an idiot would build ... or more accurately someone too lazy to do much woodworking last week. Hope you guys like it.
Well get a smaller pic up I want to see it. It sound very interesting.
Not trying to hi-jack your thread but here is some under glass.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v75/crookedstic/Shortbow/CIMG0611.jpg)
(http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc450/Benjaminklein/photo-13.jpg)
(http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc450/Benjaminklein/photo-14.jpg)
(http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc450/Benjaminklein/photo-15.jpg)
(http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc450/Benjaminklein/photo-16.jpg)
(http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc450/Benjaminklein/photo-17.jpg)
That is a pretty lil bow so far.
Ben..............Lowes also carries 1/4 oak slats 4ft long, makes a descent kids bow too.
Nice Ben..
Thanks for the positive response guys.
I've actually built a few bows using the 1/4" oak slats James. They are actually really nice for making 2 lam hunting weight bows, or for backing thicker pieces of oak.
I'm trying to get away from using lumberyard wood but it seems to be everywhere and it takes so loooooooooong to season wood. (read as "I'm young and impatient")
I have some hickory billets waiting for takedown sleeves and 3 6ft logs of red cedar waiting to be split. Prolly will make like a dozen or more selfbow staves and many more blanks to be backed.