well that is way to cool awesome work right there.      

yes, Akdan. As I can't really calculate the weight, and my scales won't be accurate enough either at those low drawweights, I gotto guess. My first guess, on BBB no.1 was pretty good, it came out at 40#, wich I was pretty pleased with. 50-60# would be ideal, more would be nice as long at the bow wouldn't get excessive set. So I just adjust the tiller on the lams, and measure the stack with the wrench, making it a little thicker to get closer to 50-60#.

thanks No'HEHE Jeff!

Hey Nick, This is a great build along, I've sent the link to my brother in South Africa, as he wants a bow for wing shooting and really likes the sound of it. I know you are in Holland, but where do you get such great Bamboo from? I've looked here in England and appart from ordering from the internet, can't really find places that sell it. Maybe I'm just being dumb, if there are any fellow Brits checking this out, any suggestions? I don't want to buy over the net, as the quality will be what they send me, and not what I choose. Thanks Peter

now now..you cant be sleeping......waiting for more!  :D

Peter, email sent  

I surely got the worst gluelines EVER on this bow. One clamp at the fades had slipped off over night, leaving a horrible space between the feathered 'powerlam' and the boo. I let some CA run into it. I got similar bad gluelines at the recurves, wich are now becoming a decicive factor for the future limbprofile.

Exept from the glueline, everything was just as I had hoped. The tiller looks good, the bow draws 58#, wich couldn't have been better, and I like her performance, too! even with heavy tips and a unshaped handle(shot 50 arrows)

JUST SHOWING THE WORST GLUELINES!

Nick

awesome stuff!!!!!  bad gluelines or not!!!

Hey Nick, that is seriously cool. Apart from the glue lines, I think it turned out well. Thanks for the email!!!

Nick, thanks for the build along.  Nice job and fun to watch.  Keep up the good work!!

what bad glue lines a blind man would be happy to see those.    nice going indeed.

That bow is looking great, too bad about the glues lines, your prep was great, sometimes stuff just happens.

thanks guys!!

haha yeah a blind man would be happy to see 'em  

Nick

Hey Nick I like the looks of these bows and I am making one. It's slow going due to my schedule right now. I'm ready to use the band saw to cut to the lines of the template then thin the boo to the proper thicknesses. Do you have a guess as to how thick the lams are? Did you make the back thinner than the belly?

Bona

bona,

the midlimb stats are the most important. The 40# bow bent too much on the innerlimbs, and too little on the outterlimbs. I Should have tillered both lams better (get both bending properly!)

my 40# bow has a 1/2" thick, 18" long handle, is 60" ntn and measures:

- 7/16" at midlimb (1/2" at fades, 3/8" 4" away from the tips)


my 58# bow (feels a little lighter, guess 55#, wich might also be the smooth draw)

has a 12" long, 1" thick powerlam/grip, is58" ntn and measures:

- 15/32" at midlimb (9/16" at the fades, 11/32" at 4" from tip)

the gain of drawweight from 1/16" and 2" shorter is 15pounds... wow.

Nick

Thanks Nick. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Bona

To the top for Northern Archer.

Nick gave me some measurements just a couple of posts above this one.

I think he was measuring from the crown of the bamboo after glue up.

Bona

Hi Nick,

are those inner tubes from a bike that you use holding every thing together when doing the glue up ?

By the way I like your bows and the way you make em...

Question about heat-treating Bamboo...

It appears that you only treated the piece that you used for the belly.  Why is that?  Would it be detrimental or useful for me to heat-treat bamboo that I'm using to Back an Ipe longbow?

Beautiful work, by the way.

I believe heat treating the belly is to make it stronger in compression. The bamboo on the back is strong enough in tension as is.

Now drying the back bamboo might help because as it comes it is usually high in moisture.

You guys that really know might correct me if wrong.
Ron

Hey Guys,

I'm sorry I haven't replied earlier, but I hope I'm not to late    Haven't finished the bow either  :p

but thanks for your nice words guys!

I used bike innertubes indeed, they work pretty well, but you really need clamps at the fades, or your gluelines will be even worse.

the belly is tempered for compression strength, as Ron said. I haven't tried an untempered belly yet, but I intend to heat the next belly quite a bit more.

really wanna start on some new bbb's, been out of this for too long.

Nick