pics or it didnt happen  

It didn't happen.

I know Roy..
That's why I was being a smart  
 
..lol


I'm going to be thinking on what to do on the riser.
Can't work on the bow tonight..ggrr

Last night I was shaving some wood.
Must've shaved some really strong part of the board on my left limb cause it suddenly started bending WAY more.

So now the limbs are not even.

Both limbs have a very nice arc.just a different arc..lol
At brace with the back on a table the left tip is about 1/2" higher off the table than the right. (left limb bending more)

At 26" on the tree the left limb pulls down only about 1/4"(bending more) than the right.

So I have to VERY slowly shave down the right limb to weaken it up.

Gotta go slow or I'm going to have a 30# bow.

Course i could always chop of the tips and shorten it a touch.
See just how good of a job I did picking a board..lol

Well I finished tillering tonight.
She ended up a little too light which is upsetting.
She's 43# at 28"
I was going for 45#@28" when it was shot in..oh well.


Here she is at brace
 

Here's full draw..
 

And here is an image with a "ghost" of the left limb on top of the right limb
 

Well...
I made a decision.
After MANY layouts trying to figure out how to do the grip the more trad way I just couldn't see the advantage on my short riser. ( other than pure looks)

So I roughed this out...

Shot it tonight about 30 times.

Actually shoots pretty nice!
My arrows aren't even close to the right spine, but the bow feels good.

The grip, as simple as it is, fits my hand well and is really quite comfortable.

Not much handshock either.
Seeing my other bow is a whip and I'm used to that I feel that's saying something.

I might cut it a tad deeper to get slightly closer to center.
I can see the target fine, but it would be nice to have it a little closer to center cut.

All in all I'm pretty happy right now.

Thank you for all the help Gentlemen.
I really would have felt very lost without you.
With you all sharing your knowledge with me really gave me the confidence to "just do it".
Otherwise I would have really been feeling like I was crawling through some pitch black cave and not even knowing which direction to go.

Maybe someday I'll have enough experience to help out someone as you did me.

Really... A true !!THANK YOU!! goes out to you.
   

Just shot it some more...lol

In the past ..and while making this bow.. I have NEVER liked the thought of a pyramid style bow.

All while making this bow I was feeling kinda like I was really just practicing on a sorta dud type design. Something that in the end I "knew" I wasn't really going to like or be impressed with.

After shooting one for the first time they have REALLY surprised me. They're actually pretty cool.

Thinking I should make up a spare ( or 2 or 3 ), sell my whip, and use that towards more bow material.

...... this is way too much fun!

uh-oh
you got it bad.
next thing ya know you will be buying a band saw
and drivin down the road lookin at every tree saying to yor self .i wonder how many bows i could get out of that

ive still got that ash stave
your more than welcome too it
i could even drop it off on sat after i leave work
Kevin

oh man Kevin...
..Quit temping me man..lol

Really though.. Thank you.
Not sure if I'm ready for a stave just yet buddy.

You're right about the band saw though.
...I was looking at them online again last night about 2am...lol

       

Cool!

looks good man... and yah i think you have it about as bad as i do! them bandsaws ain't cheap!  and my bandsaw fund keeps getting depleted by other stuff... i will get there though.  I do have one question.... i see that your string to limb tip angle at full draw is a little bit greater than 90 degrees... I don't know that that is bad.... but it seems like i read something about that at some point... I am also kind of curious how it is that way given your bow length and draw length. anyone care to comment?

Thanks guys.

I probably took too much off the tips while tillering.

I cut the board to 68"
I cut the grooves 1" in from the tips.
So right now she is 66" ntn.

I think from what I've read and from the pics this is about about as short as you dare go for 28"

I do know that over 90˚means ever increasing stacking.

Kinda scared to shorten the bow slightly to up the draw weight....I'd like to...just leary of doing it...

I don't know if 66" is "as short as you dare go for 28"... maybe for an unbacked oak board bow it probably is... but seams like it should be plenty as far as geometry goes. maybe you just have to start flipping the tips or putting some reflex in em if you go shorter than that. need to read my TBB again.... got my first Osage stave on the way! well the checks in the mail... stave will be on the way as soon as my wood guy gets my message!

Awesome Eric!

I'm seriously contemplating shortening the tips tonight....
Just maybe 1/2" each tip.
I think that should give me around 5# right?
Seems like I've heard 5#/inch...but maybe that meant 1" each side..?

What do you experienced guys think?

Will I be asking for a blow up by doing so?
Would I pretty much HAVE to back it to expect it to last?

Thanks

Very nice, John. ^5

Thank you Roy.

I'd leave it alone. just build another one! make it longer and heavier. try a backed bow... I already pointed you towards a supplier. i just wouldn't shorten it any more based on the string angle you already have.... but thats just me... and i don't claim to be an expert or anything

Yeah..man..

I LOVE pushing the envelope..I get a real charge out of it.
..but the more I look at it the more foolish it seems to cut the thing.

I'm pretty sure a backed bow will be next Brian...BBO, BBI, or possibly BBY..yew just tugs at my mind...

I think I'm figuring this bow building thing out though..at least one aspect...

It's very addicting. I'm not sure how I'm going to cope after this one is done. My wallet doesn't really allow $50-100 every few weeks for new material.
...So...I need to work slow while I'm saving...lol

i hear ya... not to mention you got to get new arrows for every bow you build... at least up to a point i imagine... im sure before long i will have arrows of every spine laying around at this rate!