Scrap wood osage bow? Full draw pics added.

[b.glass]

Pat, I did that this morning. Ended up being almost another full course. I see one maybe two more spots that will need  it.

Art B., I did some of that also this time and its looking pretty smooth.

Hova, I need to find some moose. John needs to give up his moose source. I like making bows with a theme so to speak. I want to make a "bear" bow next. Bear rawhide, bear grease finish and bear claw hanging from the grip. Then there's bison...

[b.glass]

I've had to put more sinew on in spots. One spot was thin that I noticed after taking the bow off the form. To be able to see the bow from all angles under better lighting was helpful. There is one small place with a gap I want to fill then I'll be happy with the job.

[ron w]

Looking good, can't wait to see how it finishes!

[b.glass]

I did the initial sinewing on the 18th so it's been about a week. I have flexed the limbs on the floor a little just to see how it's feeling. I'm trying to leave it alone.

In the mean time I have begun to repair the sinew bow that I started last spring, my first attempt at sinewing. It is ERC with one course of sinew with hide glue. It fell out of the hot box from an elevation of about 5.5' and split the limb from tip to about 7-8 in., stopping at the sinewed back.

It's been laying around the garage ever since, I've been trying to decide what to do with it when I suddenly had a brain storm. Why not glue it back down!? So I did. There was also a chip out of the tip so I had to file both tips down to put an underlay on.

It has really reflexed from being taken from 70% humidity to 45%.

[b.glass]

I wanted to show you a view of the crown of sinew on the scrap osage wood bow.

[b.glass]

I've been pretty patient waiting for it to cure. Doing other projects while I wait.

Here is the red cedar bow I'm repairing. What is your opinion on this knot? Should I take it down some more?

[John Scifres]

Where is it in the limb?

[b.glass]

It is mid, lower limb.

[b.glass]

Well, on this redcedar bow I'm working on while the osage bow's sinew cures, I checked the limb length and the lower limb is 3" shorter than the upper limb. That was a problem last year that I thought I had corrected. I strung it and the tiller is wild. The upper limb has a lot more bend and there is too much in the mid limb. Looks like I need to cut off an inch or inch and a half, reapply the tip overlay and see what I get.

[b.glass]

Well...the lower limb on the cedar bow snapped. It's been nearly 2 weeks since the sinew was put on the osage bow. How long do I have to wait?

[Pat B]

Bona, I waited a month between layers of sinew and put down 3 layers.
 Once it looks dry(transparent) you should be able to tell by flexing the limbs. If they feel mushy give it a bit longer.

[b.glass]

I pretty much put it all on at one time...so to wait 3 months before I string it makes sense to me but...Oy!..it's kill'n me. I've got to work on another project. It's not like I don't have plenty to do.

[Pat B]

Put it somewhere out of sight. d;^)   I kept mine on top of our gas hot water heater in the utility room.

[Mike Yancey]

I put all of my sinew on at one time and have it strung after 4 weeks if Im in a hurry but like a couple of months to dry. It will keep picking up weight over the next four months as the sinew cures more and if it gets cold it will gain more weight. But it is fine to put on all the sinew at once and string it after a month on normal amounts of sinew.

I let mine dry in a normal room the first two weeks then in a drier place the next two weeks. But you don't want to rush it at the first the sinew on the outside will dry too fast and could lift off the rest from the bow in an extreme case.

I like this bow Bona, good job!

[b.glass]

Thanks Mike! Hey, you add a painted design to your bows don't you? Do you use natural pigments? I go back and forth about decorating this bow. Since it's not flat maybe I shouldn't.

Pat, I will put it in my hot box. That will keep it out of sight! Thanks!

[red hill]

Looks good, bona. Ya'll are makin' me want to try sinew on a bow.
Stan

[b.glass]

It's been a month today since the initial sinewing. Here she is at this point.



At low brace of 5".

[b.glass]

At 18" draw. She measures 30# @ 20" and I plan to go to 26".



Just unbraced.





The second tip here needed a deeper groove on the left side.
So...what do you think?

[hardwaymike]

Looks good B!

[b.glass]

Braced at 6 3/4" and full draw. 42# @ 26". Shot a 417gr arrow 135 yds.

In TBBIV, it mentions that if a 50# bow shoots a 500 gr arrow 150 yds that equals 170 fps. My own personal performance goal is to take the wt of the bow, add 100 and that should be the yds a decent bow should shoot. So I feel like this bow comes close to that. Can you say that this bow probable shoots 155 fps?