Well gonna make my first bow. Its going to be a Yew bow with hickory baking in the american longbow style. Getting the Yew from Fujimo and the hickory from Pine Hollow. The wood has not arrived yet however I have been doing some prep. Here is what I have so far. This is the glue up of my form. Ignore my clutter as this is a working barn.
(http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa443/ChrisMancill/20130101_6_zps384ea109.jpg) Need to cut out my profile.
I have not decided on if I want the bow to bend in the handle or have a thicker rigid one. I go back and forth every day. This is a piece of Osage that I got out of a barn. It was split all to hell but was able to cut out a large enough piece to make several handle laminations.
(http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa443/ChrisMancill/20130101_10_zps7e91470d.jpg)
I have little experience in Osage so just for education sakes does this piece have too much early wood?
(http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa443/ChrisMancill/20130101_11_zps0515451e.jpg)
All I know is that is some dang hard wood with tons of weight to it.
Will add more as I proceed and welcome any advice.
Chris
Im no expert, but if it is for the handle, Im not sure if the "early wood" would matter.....please somebody confirm this.
Im looking forward to seeing the rest of your project.
Yea I figure the early wood won't matter here. That question is just for future reference when I build a Osage bow.
i would say a lot of early wood- tougher to chase a ring.
if you wait until the wood gets there( i know thats hard to do!!) but i did send cardboard templates of a mild r/d bow form and for the reflex form that i use- and you can build that reflex to bend thru the handle or not. Roy from PA, had a nice instructive text on fitting the handles to his bows, after the shape was glued in- ask him!!
whichever way you go- you will have fun.
cheers
Yea Fujimo I figured after some asking and playing with some form shapes that I will just have to wait until it gets here. In the mean time I have made myself a string jig and ordered some B50 to make a tillering string. Tomorrow I will make a tillering board. Then I think I will be ready to move when the wood and template arrives.
Your going to need a lot of clamps. You might want to clamp the form and bow to that table edge when you glue it up. Depends on how much reflex you induce, the bow wood could cause your form to bend up, resulting in you losing some reflex. Note my form below, it's 1 inch thick oak with 1 inch angle iron bolted to both long edges. You will want to pad the Hickory backing with something so the clamps don't indent the surface of it. I would use Unibond800 for the glue up, Three Rivers sells it. You should trace out your bows profile on the Hickory backing before you glue it to the yew. Glue it up and let it sit somewhere at 70 degrees for at least 24 hours. Don't cut it out yet. You then want a riser piece about 12 inches long and as wide as your bows handle section after glue up. Find the center of the bows handle and center the riser section on that. Lay the riser section on it's side and lay the bow on it's side on top of the riser piece. Trace out the shape of the bow onto the riser and cut that out. Rasp or sand to insure a nice tight even fit. Glue it on and wait another 24 hours at 70 degrees, Then cut the bow out.
(http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f165/ROY-CHRIS/IMG_7350_zps9d51aa55.jpg)
(http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f165/ROY-CHRIS/IMG_7354_zpsce17302f.jpg)
(http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f165/ROY-CHRIS/IMG_6497bow.jpg)
I have a lot of clamps but the form will be turned up on end and after I get the profile I plan on attaching some angle Iron to it to keep it running true. I will be using rubberbands during the glue up.
Good deal then, keep us up to date with pictures.
Well still waiting on my Yew. Got my Hickory. So in the mean time I learned how to make my own strings. I couldn't stand paying for a Tiller string what it would cost for the material to make tons of em. First one was a bust but second attempt and an OK string was made. That second loop is kicking my hide. Well here it is on my Wesley special. 20 shots and it didn't blow. (http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa443/ChrisMancill/20130104_8_zpsd33c08da.jpg)
(http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa443/ChrisMancill/20130104_6_zps83341e46.jpg)
(http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa443/ChrisMancill/20130104_5_zps49e259c7.jpg)House 40yds behind, First Trad kill 30 yards in the timber in front.
String looks good Chris! Prettier than my first try! That osage for the handle looks good, provided you go with a stiff riser. Good luck on the bow, it is an addiction once you start! Keep us posted.
chris,
I have never messed with yew is there a reason you want to back it with hickory? From what I have read yew does not need a backing.
Kelly
Kelly the Yew I am getting is just a yew board. No Sap wood. It is cheaper and I don't have to worry so much about chasing grains and such. I just figured that any variable I could take out would be better at this point. Also putting a back set in would be easier instead of haveing to heat it.
hi Chris
the wood should have been there by now.
i will track it on my end here today.
on tillering strings, i like to make them really long with a loop on one end and i tie a bowyers hitch on the other.
that allows me to adjust the length as i tiller, as one wants to get off the long string as quickly as possible, as that will skew your tillering.
i like to serve a very long center section, so the string is protected through all lengths.
i make it with about 14 or 16 b50 strings.
there will be lots of other good advice here.
Yup on the bowyers knot, if ya don't know how to tie it Chris, just do a search on you tube.
Is a bowyers knot the same as a timber hitch?
Yes.
Had some time this morning so I started rough sanding my Hickory backing. Got this piece from pine hollow. (http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa443/ChrisMancill/20130106_2.jpg)
There is some grain run out on one end but most will be taken out when I cut it down to width and length.
(http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa443/ChrisMancill/20130106_3.jpg)
Here you can see 1/2 or bow over 72" of lenght. I think that I can take some of this out when I chase the grain run out and reduce the width . (http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa443/ChrisMancill/20130106_4.jpg)
(http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa443/ChrisMancill/20130106_5.jpg)
It comes back in line really easy so during the glue up it will easily be trued back up. Just wondering if it would be benifical to due some mild tillering of this piece independent of the whole bow.
Roy, what order do you apply the clamps on your form? The ones over the bases first, then all the individual clamps? Will smooth on work on this as well? I'm used to using a heat box but I really like this form.
Still moving forward. My Yew came in the mail and it looks good to me. I am almost done with the form. I used a template that came with the Yew for a backset. It is cut out and almost ready. Had to use some wood puddy on the surface since my router chattered a little, so tommorrow I will palm sand it a bit, true it up and will be ready for my glue up. No picks yet.
Ok here is an update.
This is the completed form ready to go.
(http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa443/ChrisMancill/20130112_1.jpg)
Top is the Yew and the bottom is the Hickory.
(http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa443/ChrisMancill/20130112_3.jpg)
And Finally the glued up bow.
(http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa443/ChrisMancill/20130112_6.jpg)
Now just to wait to see if it comes out right.
Looking good Chris.
First glue up does not seem to be a full success :goldtooth: Quick question, when I bring it down to profile and there is still a gap could I insert some glue or such to fill the gap and get away with it. When I say gap I mean where a broadhead can be put in about half way up the bevel of the edge.
Cut it to profile and see how it looks, worst case scenario, run it through a thickness sander, and take the hickory off, and recluse your shaped profile to a new backing, might be able to get the glue to work though, lets see what the hombre's say
Cut it to profile and see how it looks, worst case scenario, run it through a thickness sander, and take the hickory off, and recluse your shaped profile to a new backing, might be able to get the glue to work though, lets see what the hombre's say
Chris, once you get to the shape if there are small openings you can mix some tite bond and fine saw dust to make a paste to help fill in the edges then sand and repeat as necessary.
Ok cut the bow down to profile. The deminsions that I used are from the tradtional bowyers bible Volume I for a Yew Bow.
(http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa443/ChrisMancill/20130113_1.jpg)
Here is the Tips
(http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa443/ChrisMancill/20130113_2.jpg)
Here is the little fella that did the work. It was my grandfathers. (http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa443/ChrisMancill/20130113_4.jpg)
Now only one place still wasn't mated up good when I cut it down. Right at a knot. Guess it was a little too stiff for the rubberbands and After I saw this area I further examined my form and there was a slight dip in this area as well. The black line is the gap. Its about midlimb. (http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa443/ChrisMancill/20130113_6.jpg)
well done Chris.
follow Macs advice with the glue trick, an' let the shavings fly!!
with the yew and only a sliver of hickory, i am sure you found that when you took it off the form, a lot of reflex was "lost"- dont be disillusioned, but the belly wood will pull back against the hickory.
but as you tiller and remove belly wood- you will find some of the reflex "coming back".
when you are finished, if all goes well you should still have a little "Perry reflex" when you are completely finished.
and with experience , you can build new forms with more reflex- but that profile is a real good starting point.
next glue up, you can floor tiller the board some- now having a finished bow to compare sizes to, and it will visually hold more reflex after glue up.
personally i like that amount of reflex- seems enough to make a stable, snappy bow- without too much hand shock- as i like to build my bows to bend thru the handle- and they can be more shocky than a bow with a rigid handle( heavier!!)
you could try some more elastic bands next time- get it to squeeze down a bit more- but hey if it worked, then it worked.
i forgot to tell you to round off the top corners of the belly wood, as that sharp edge can cut through the elastics- especially with the harder woods like ipe.
another tip. when putting the elastic on, hold it in two hands- with a hand either side of the bow- with the elastic centered over the bow, and then pull down with both hands simultaneously, and hooking on to the pegs simultaneously, this ensures even top pressure- with no side pressure- and then the parts dont slide around on each other.
real neat tools- i have a spokeshave and a drawknife from my grandfathers father- and they built wagons!!
Thanks Fujimo. I have a whet stone that was my great grandfather's. It has been used so much it has a very deep dip in it. I can sharpen my knives better on it than my new flat stones.
Ok here is a question. Should I bring the belly of the bow down to a rough demisions or should I just begin floor tillering and let the tiller bring it into deminion?
Just start tiller ing slowly, get to know the wood and the process. Don't try and follow a pattern or procedure. Enjoy the learning, and go slowly. On yew I like to stick to a scraper, nothing more!!!!!!
onother option, if you can, might be to cut it down to a shorter kids bow, at least making a good bow, and learning the same good lessons.
Well I had some time and made a tillering board and did some bending and shaving. First off I think that I need to bring the handle fadeouts more to the center. However I am dodging a knot on the lower limb and it is making that limb really stiff. The top apears to be bending nice.
(http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa443/ChrisMancill/20130119_3.jpg) Here is after a little bit more scraping.
(http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa443/ChrisMancill/20130119_2.jpg)
Any suggestions on how to work around the knot?
Did you turn it around for the second pic or just center it more on the tree?
It was truned around.
Ok I got up this morning and got the bow and just looked at it for sometime. With all of my work and family stuff I have only been able to hit this bow on the run. So after some time getting to know it a little better I moved the fade out of the bottom limb which helped a whole lot. I was able to brace it and here is what it looked like. (http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa443/ChrisMancill/20130120_404.jpg) (http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa443/ChrisMancill/20130120_406.jpg)
I had braced it a little while before but saw a hinge so I unbraced it before I had time to take a picture. Here is the result. (http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa443/ChrisMancill/20130120_409.jpg)
That limb went form too stiff to weak in a spot fast. Where it was weak the grain made a little wiggle on the Yew. Learned something there for sure.
Here is the top limb after the second time being braced. (http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa443/ChrisMancill/20130120_410.jpg) I think at least half of this bow is turning out OK.
As far as the Tiller goes, do I need to make the tips bend more? Second that tight Knot, can I work in closer to it or am I about right? (http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa443/ChrisMancill/20130120_405.jpg) Anyway I a super happy that I was able to get it braced without a huge mess.
thats really looking good,chris.
i might make that stiff area shorter, in other words, bring those stiff fades closer to the knot- get more of the limb working- will help with the profile-
see what the others say.
how long are the fades at the handle?
About an inch and a half is the fade length. The black marks on the side are the widest points of the bow profile.
Well I think that my bow has handed it in. The limb tips were walking out of line and in attempt to bring them back the bow lost about 10lbs of pull and started twisting at draw. Well I was able to get it to full draw without it blowing. Well It has taught me a whole lot. Now to start prepping my next one. The Yew looks to be clearer so it should be easier.
Thanks for looking. I had a blast and intend to keep on with this.