Big Jim take down method

[Don Batten]

Watched the youtube build along by Big Jim. Has anyone tried to do a socket and tenon handle like this? How did it turn out? Got my curiosity up. DB

[Pat B]

Don, someone posted about these take down handles either here or on PA. Maybe even did a build along.

[Don Batten]

Thanks Guys, Just checked it out. Looks like it would be better to do it on a bow under construction than a finished bow. especialy the first couple of times. I may give it a try.

[Dmaxshawn]

I did a couple of them and they worked out fine.   Like he said in the vid the hardest part is cutting a perfectly good bow in half

[macbow]

Don I tried it on one of my kids BBI bows.
Trouble was the handle was too small and not enough wood to support grinding it down. So lesson learned is beef up the handle thickness for this.

The actual socket seemed to work fine.
I did have a little trouble pulling it apart the first time.

[jess stuart]

I have a socket takedown by the gentleman in the link provided by Gundog68 and it works great.  One of my favorite bows.

[Bobmeister]

Thanks for the complement Jess. I have done a few of these and it's my favorite way of building a take down.


Here is Jess's bow

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[Bobmeister]

[rmorris]

Bob, That looks great! I was thinking of doing that on the next hill bow I make.

Most of the ones I have looked at, I did not like because they did not cut the back side of the riser(cut deeper than the fiber glass) and then were forced to do overlays on the backside that were as thick as the leather.

[Don Batten]

Bob, thanks for posting. I like the idea of the paste wax in lue of a release agent. I'm assuming it works just as good.

I see that Jim uses two small toothpicks to hold the bow together while wrapping and Bob uses a drop of ca glue. Bob do you find this to be good enough to keep the limbs lined up?

[Bobmeister]

I just wrapped this handle today no toothpicks or CA glue tack. Just clamped it down to the jig before I cut it in half and put some reference marks in a couple of places.

Then I cut in two and did all the prep work. It went back in the jig perfect    

 
 

[Don Batten]

Bob, thanks for posting. I like the idea of the paste wax in lue of a release agent. I'm assuming it works just as good.

I see that Jim uses two small toothpicks to hold the bow together while wrapping and Bob uses a drop of ca glue. Bob do you find this to be good enough to keep the limbs lined up?

[PV]

The only problem I had with paste wax was it's thickness. To get a tight fit after the wax was removed I had to build up the finish to the same thickness of the wax. The next ones I do I'll be using release agent.

[Gundog68]

I have seen someone using a thin foil/stretch film instead of release agent. This works too.

[virgil.v]

Except for the bow form and few little things
I do exactly as Jim does.
Have fun,
Virgil

MDF bow form:
 

Paper tape on the bow form:
 

 

When the bow is cut I glue some Micarta on the upper and bottom part to fill the bandsaw cut.
Then I sand both Micarta veneer until I'm back to those exact lead pencil mark.
 

 

 

The adjustable depth Saw I use to make the tenon.
You also can draw a line or use some paper tape on a saw it work perfectly.

 

 

[Don Batten]

Virgil, thats good stuff. Very nice looking bow as well.

[coaster500]

Wow you made the little guy proud  

Very nice work!!!

[Lamey]

Is it the same system that Black Widow has used for a while???  Looks the same.   About the only 2 piece system I really like.

[Walt Francis]

They are basically the same, the methods employed differ but the end result is the same.

One caution, use a good hardwood that won't compress.  I used lace wood on my first one and it compressed after a while and became lose/sloppy; ended up making it into a one piece.

[BigJim]

If you build the riser with an I beam of glass, it won't compress.
They have become incredibly popular with my customers.
The last batch of 12 custom bows I built had 10 two piece and 2 one piece bows in it.
The more you do, the easier they get. Also doesn't require much riser if you reinfroce the riser. And the wall thickness ot the socket can be very thin.
BigJim