I'm starting with plans from the download section of swissbow. By A hunkeler.
I started by making a quick and dirty thickness sander.
Scored a great deal on a 14" bandsaw yesterday. (75$)
So today ripped enough red elm lams for 2 bows and a couple of spares. (http://[lurl=http://s940.photobucket.com/user/Jamie_MacInnis/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsn2ss6ezhttp://i940.photobucket.com/albums/ad243/Jamie_MacInnis/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsn2ss6ezz.jpeg)
I also cut out a couple of riser blanks. Weird thing there is the riser in those plans is asymmetrical so your top and bottom limb are decided before you even check for the weaker limb. Will that cause an issue?
Also started grinding my lams. Seems to be a slow process.
I'm off to see if I remember my password to photobucket and try to get some pics to go with my ramble.
I build from swissbow plans also the asymmetrical riser is not an issue, granted your form is perfectly square and your glue up is good. From there it's a matter of even working limb and tiller. I would cut outside your limb lay out lines and once you have the limbs tillered you can remove material equally to bring the weight down.
Lam grinder. Just stuff I had laying around
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Rough cut riser and lams. It's gonna be really plan looking under clear glass. All the wood I have is the same color. oh well if it make shooter :)
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Rough cut lams, plans call for two parallel at 2mm. These are at 4.5mm. First impression is its gonna take forever to grind.
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No dust collection
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Looks like a good start. Make sure you feather the ends of that riser down till you can see light through the wood. Once you have done that guard that riser like precious glass as those feathered tips will break off real easy. BTW which bow are you building?
It's the 57" on the swissbow site.
I'm leaving that riser unsanded until the last minute for that very reason :)
Also I'm considering building a spindle sander so I can keep everything nice and square.
The plan calls for 2, 2mm parallel laminations to make a 48# bow. I really don't need anything that strong. If I replace one of the 2mm with a 0.002 taper would I shed a few pounds?
Would I gain any performance with a taper?
Based on my own experience with their plans I think you are looking at a 60" bow nock to nock. That being the case I would stick to the formula provided on your first one. I don't know if I could stop myself from tapering one of the lams at .002 inch per inch or tapering both at .001. 1.69" is pretty narrow the bow I have been building is 1.5" and I have been using stabilKore in the middle of the bow.
Here are links to my fist two builds using plans from swissbow.
http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=125;t=013143;p=2
http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=125;t=012542;p=1
hey Pago thanks for the links, are both of those from the same plan? I wondering if I'm gonna have to grind my lams thinner. I know I don't want anything close to 65#. I'm hoping to get closer to 40-45# range. It'll be strictly target.
If you compare the mm on the plans mine is shorter than yours and my plans make a 58" bow. My lams are .080 with a .001 taper and I am running Stabil-Kore at .015. Total stack of .255. Your bow should be longer and they are recommending a stack of .236. For instance if you used .040 uls glass (2), .070 tapered lams (2) and stabil-kore you would be at .235. I think you will be fine at the recommended stack others might offer other advice. Both bows were made from the same plans, same form yada yada.
Did a dry run (//%5Burl=http://s940.photobucket.com/user/Jamie_MacInnis/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpswjopqfhg.jpeg.html%5D%20%5Bimg%5Dhttp://i940.photobucket.com/albums/ad243/Jamie_MacInnis/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpswjopqfhg.jpeg)[/url] [/IMG]
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It'll be 2 weeks until I'll have time to glue it up. Any reason not to leave it on form? Will it hurt any thing?
I know my fades will be safe there.
you might want to consider an aluminum flat bar strip on the top side to prevent the glass from cupping with the rubber bands- would also spread the load a bit better- as you dont have continuous rubber bands.
looking great though- wish my first glass bow was as neat and calculate and organized!!
Yes definitely use a pressure strip and more rubber!
Pressure strip yup I use a phenolic strip. If you are using loops of inner tube I would suggest instead using strips of inner tube. I buy two new bike tubes every bow I make and cut them into 3/4" strips long ways. When you cook the bow the rubber will relax so you want to put it on pretty damn tight and lots of overlap. Wrap the rubber peg to peg across and peg to peg lengthwise across diagonal so that pressure is evenly distributed. And whatever you do be sure your riser can't slide.
QuoteOriginally posted by mikkekeswick:
Yes definitely use a pressure strip and more rubber!
I agree a lot more rubber, wrap till you can't fit more on the pegs.
I did buy 1 26" tube yesterday, but a had a couple of old wheel barrow tubes kicking around that I saved a couple of years in hopes I actually did build a bow. There tight as hell. All I can do to get them hooked over the dowels. I guess I will keep the bike tube also and cut it lengthwise and use it also.
Beumaker says he uses hard board for pressure strips. Sounds cost effective to me.
Man that Fiberglas is nasty stuff. My hands are full of little splinters and other then putting the masking tap on and cutting it to length I barely touched it.
It's going to be a long two weeks. :(
I did buy 1 26" tube yesterday, but a had a couple of old wheel barrow tubes kicking around that I saved a couple of years in hopes I actually did build a bow. There tight as hell. All I can do to get them hooked over the dowels. I guess I will keep the bike tube also and cut it lengthwise and use it also.
Beumaker says he uses hard board for pressure strips. Sounds cost effective to me.
Man that Fiberglas is nasty stuff. My hands are full of little splinters and other then putting the masking tap on and cutting it to length I barely touched it.
It's going to be a long two weeks. :(
Use masking tape or duct tape to pull the little glass splinters out of your hands..
Nice tip. I tried letting wood glue dry and pealing it off like I do for wood splinters but it wouldn't grab
Nice tip. I tried letting wood glue dry and pealing it off like I do for wood splinters but it wouldn't grab
I wear gloves if it does not interefere with dexterity too much.
Some thoughts on your planning.
I think it's a good idea to leave your materials strapped down for the next two weeks, but maybe not without the pressure strip. There could be some deformation of the lams. Not something I know for a fact, just passing my own phobia on to you. :)
Use more rubber and get more figure 8 wrapping going if possible. My forms have less space between the dowels, but you can get them too close together.
If you live in a population center, go to the local bicycle shops and solicit free tubes. I visited three and the third one had a huge barrel of discarded tubes in the service area. They were happy to let me have all I wanted. I walked out with enough tubes to make four bows!
Don't plan on re-using tube strips. They lose their vitality after a trip through the oven.
I wonder where you got your glass from. My first glass I bought from 3 rivers didn't splinter at all. The second I got from binghams it splintered very easily.
Figure 8 was exactly what I was trying to imply Monteray hit the nail on the head.
If you are scarf jointing some of your lams be careful of putting them through dry runs I have had scarf joints pop when bent without smooth-on on them.
I got my glass from wrights archery. Doubt there's anything wrong with I just hyper sensitive. I cry over doing doing pink insulation lol.
My scarf joint was still drying when I did the dry run so it was omitted
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I got it all glued up and in the oven (my hay loft)
I did notice as I was clamping it up that my scarf joint failed and opened up about 1/4 inch. :(
I'm hoping that an overlay will hide my sins and that a failed joint mid riser won't effect performance.
What did you join the scarf with?
Kinda late for this suggestion, but I use a block at the end of the lay up on a rubber band form. The blocks prevent the lams from slipping. All the lams are sized in advance during a dry run.
On my ASLs the lams are just butted together and hidden by the handle wrap :o
I used titebond 3. I kinda expected the problem. I had a hiccup in the glue up. I'll likely us smooth on on the next one.
Nope not too late. I've got enough glass for 3 more.
Thanks for the tip.
For gluing scarfs etc just use a quality superglue.
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Here it is off the form, boogers and all.
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The failed scarf joint :(
But apart form that the glue lines all seem decent
[IMG (http://i940.photobucket.com/albums/ad243/Jamie_MacInnis/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsyncngxcn.jpeg) (http://s940.photobucket.com/user/Jamie_MacInnis/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsyncngxcn.jpeg.html) [/IMG]
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Glue lines look good from what I can see. Slap an overlay over that joint or you could even and an artistic dip or finger well if it's in the right position. As others have said use a good superglue on those joints. Looks like your on your way to a successful first bow congrats looks great!
FAIL
as I was stringing the bow for the first time, one of the limbs delaminated. At least it happened attached to the bow stringer rather than up near my beautiful face lol.
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Is there any hints in those pictures as to what may have caused it? Glue starvation? Improper mix (EA-40)? Iams where finished with 36 grit, cleaned with acetone. I may not have waited the 15mins after mixing to apply the glue.
I roughed shaped the riser afterward so I could get good and depressed looking at it. (//%5Burl=http://s940.photobucket.com/user/Jamie_MacInnis/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps1hpvak88.jpeg.html%5D%20%5Bimg%5Dhttp://i940.photobucket.com/albums/ad243/Jamie_MacInnis/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps1hpvak88.jpeg)[/url] [/IMG]
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Until the next one (soon) thanks everyone for all your help.
Jamie
I have looked at all your pictures and I'm wondering if you need to take a close look at your clamping pressure. Most who are using firehose pressure up to 60-70psi which is a lot of pressure. I did some experimentation to arrive at the thought that I needed to basically take all the stretch out of the rubber to achieve approximately that level of clamping power. I don't put the rubber on as tight as I physically can but it's close and my hands cramp afterward. I also make sure and use a little extra smooth on and work it in to the laminations with a rubber roller. What a shame I thought you nailed and were on your way to a great first bow.
Looks like you did not sand the edges and glass corners from riser to tips?
all edges need to be sanded smooth before bending with a string.
or what they said
Good luck on the next one.
You can do it :) :thumbsup:
I always use black glass and cheep wood on the first one off a form.
Pago, I kinda hope your not right about a the clamping pressure cause I don't think I can get them any tighter. I was scared the dowels where gonna break stretching those tubes. I used a lot of glue. Spread with a 2" putty knife. There was a lot of squeeze out when I put the perpendicular bands on and there was a whole lot more after putting the diangled bands
on.
Mark, I had the limbs shaped but only with 36 grit on the belt sander. I should have gone threw some finer grits before stringing it?
My wood is free and there's only $4 dollars difference in a bows worth of material from my supplier here in Canada. It's still a hard pill to swallow. At least I've enjoyed the process so far.
I broke one from not sanding the corners of the glass
It is hard to offer a diagnosis in pictures and there are many here more experienced than I. I don't think anyone has mentioned moisture content that can be a problem. I hope some of this helps.
Don't wipe your wood lams with acetone! A stiff brush is all you need.
Sorry for the delamination.