Trad Gang
Main Boards => The Bowyer's Bench => Topic started by: KochNE on December 30, 2010, 09:29:00 PM
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Here's my first bow that I've seen through to completion. First one was red oak, but it developed a compression fracture on the belly. Second was a maple that came in underweight due to careless roughing out shape w/ hand plane. Third was bamboo-backed and, of course, the boo overpowered the oak.
So, here I am. Red oak, with maple & mahogany laminated handle. 68" long, pulls 51 @ 28", measured on bathroom scale. Took about 2" string follow on top, and 1.75" on bottom limb, not including the reflex. Has 1/4" positive tiller. Backed w/ grocery bag. Stained w/ dark brown wood stain, "wine" Rit dye, and black india ink. String is homemade 12-strand FastFlight flemish, serving is .020 braided, put on w/ homemade serving jig. Have a bunch of leather from tooling chopper seats & various cowboy things, so I made my own shooting tab, & need to get a quiver put together.
Want to thank 4est Trekker for his build-along. Got the idea to glue on reflexed tips from him. Love the look & I'm sure it improves performance some.
Shooting CX Terminator Hunter Select arrows that I bought used on here from Barney (thanks!) at about 9gpp. Right now I'm shooting an embarrassing 2' grouping at 15 yards...my fault, not the bow or arrows.
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Only pic I have during construction. Tiller @ 20"
(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs045.ash2/35600_10150346581070531_651545530_16492148_487530_n.jpg)
Strung & hanging on (firearm) whitetail rack.
(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs105.snc4/35600_10150346581065531_651545530_16492147_4480761_n.jpg)
Handle/ shelf area...
(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs045.ash2/35600_10150346581075531_651545530_16492149_235128_n.jpg)
Serving that I put on w/ my homemade serving jig!
(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs105.snc4/35600_10150346581060531_651545530_16492146_7468603_n.jpg)
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I'll get better/ more/ full-draw pictures posted later. Right now have to go watch the Holiday Bowl. Huskers vs. Washington for the 2nd time this season...
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Nice dark look I like it.
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Looks great! Congratulations! Jawge
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Good lookin bow. I like the reflexed tips.
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Hey, Koch. Looking forward to some more pictures. Say, what part of NE are you in?
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Good job! I look forward to the full draw pictures
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Looks great. I like the dark color. Are you going to try one out of a stave?
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4est, I'm in Lincoln. Where are you at?
Going to get some osage to make some from staves eventually. Only source I could find said to call him back in a couple months when it's dry. May harvest a couple trees next time I'm at my Grandparents' farm.
Here's a close-up of the handle:
(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs764.ash1/165533_10150351585875531_651545530_16621266_4824653_n.jpg)
Full draw:
(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs764.ash1/165533_10150351585865531_651545530_16621264_7133897_n.jpg)
Other side:
(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs025.snc6/165533_10150351585870531_651545530_16621265_6767791_n.jpg)
Had pictures of unstrung side & back profiles, but couldn't upload to net for some reason. Still working on that.
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Damn dude! That looks awesome. I really like your cut-to-center shelf. Have you started another one yet? lol. I bet you have.
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Thank you! Working on 2 more currently, out of 1x3's. Want more of a wide, flat/ paddle bow style. Something like the "Birch Flatbows" video by Raynor35 on youtube. Also found some 3'-4' ipe relatively cheap on the "auction site". Can't find any locally, and I've got a whole buncha bamboo that I can't wait to back something with! Going to have to splice it in the handle, but that won't hardly show once the bamboo & handle are glued on.
P.S.
Don't mind the vanes... that's a clearance carbon I picked up at WalMonster for $2.50. Just the closest thing I had to use for taking the pics. Going to re-fletch before shooting it, with wild turkey feathers once my fletching jig is completed.
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Here's a bow that is kinda like what you're talking about. I'm not too big a fan of birch cause it's really soft. I'm betting that's why he used it as a paddle style. You will need the strength of a wider bow when working with birch. But I don't see why that design can't work for just about any other wood too.
Anyway, this is the bow I made for my buddy Boswell in our annual Trad Bow Trade, pretty wide at the riser and 1/2" tips. Reminds me of a paddle bow, but not so paddly. If that's a word!
If you haven't gotten into the trade, you should.
http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=125;t=003582;p=1
Please disregard my hideous draw. I've since then really worked on my form and shooting, as this is my first year (it will be a full year this sunday when I go on my rabbit hunt) in the trad world.
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Nice bow! Love the way the tips came out, I might have to try that on my next bow.
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You did a good job on that one!
Jeff
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Nice bow, koch.
Stan
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Sure looks good to me, very sweet!