Hey guys this is my first layout on an osage stave. Real clean piece of wood but it has a hump in the middle of the limb. I think I followed the grain correctly.
What do you think????
http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/100_0720.jpg
http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/100_0721.jpg
That's the correct way to do it Justin. Just follow that grain around the knot whichever way it flows, just like water around a rock in a stream. Best I can tell from pictures, it looks like you got it nailed pretty good, but it's hard for me to say unless I can hold the stave up at an angle in the light. That tiny little grain is a bugger to see and sometimes I have to hold a flashlight on edge against the stave while I trace it with my pencil.
Just use your rasp and go easy when filing in close to the curves of the grain. At least your thinking in the right direction and your on the right track.
Thanks Chris... this is a side view of the stave. It has a hollow where the guy I bought it off of must have split it and then cut it with a saw. It seems like there is plenty of meat still there to use. I just got to be careful thinning it out and when it comes to tillering
http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/100_0724.jpg
Another thing... How do you scrape small pin knots... I drew my drawknife over one accidently and then had to scrape around it.
That divet that you see is where the knot was when the stave was split. It's the grain actually growing around the knot. That's pretty typical and I get that all the time. You just try and work around it gently and do your best not to grab too much meat with your draw knife when you get close to it. I normally just use my rasp when I get close to an area like that and go slow, cause it's too easy to make a big mistake with a draw knife on places like that. Don't worry though, it will tiller out just fine.
Just take your time, and use lots of patience.
For pin knots I work up close to them, then just go around and keep on chasing my ring. Then I'll come back to them later and finish chasing the ring up the side of the knot with my scraper. It's like scraping dirt up an ant hill, just keep working up the slope and push the ring off the top. Try not to cut the tops off when your on the ring you intend to keep, cause it could check on you at the knot area if you slice the top off.
Never drawknife over a pin knot. Just work up to it then work around it with a scraper. It should be left raised and intact like a island. Can take a while to scrape one in correctly. And it does take practice.
For knots you should scrape from the center out all sides. Leave them proud until the very end. It is tedious work.
Take a pair of scissors apart and use one half. The tip is great for working around pin knots. You can do very precise scraping with the point.
Looks like you followed it pretty good to me. I built one awhile back that had a big chunk out of the side like you got there. The stave was really narrow and I wasnt sure if I was going to have enough wood in that spot but it turned out pretty good. Heres a pic.
(http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee503/Jamey_Burkhart/002-10.jpg)
(http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee503/Jamey_Burkhart/001-16.jpg)
Here's one I just had to work around recently also. This was the only anomoly on the entire stave and it landed smack in the upper 1/3 of the top limb. It tillered out just fine though.
(http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww146/mohunter68/BowtilleringMarch-BillsBow006.jpg)
Ok guys...I did more work today on the bow. I know the handle isn't perfectly in line yet but I don't want to take off any more wood until I start to floor tiller. Next is to put some reflex in it but I need to build a caul... Anyways here are some pictures... Any advise or comments are more than welcome... Thanks Justin
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/100_0725.jpg)
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/100_0727.jpg)
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/100B0731.jpg)
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/100_0742.jpg)
Lookin good. Looks like that limb with the whoop- di-do has some natural deflex in it. That can make tillering a little tricky on that limb, make sure to keep your thickness taper even or it might get overstrained in that spot.
Man, that's looking good!
Thanks guys... Got to work on the bow some more tonight. Ended up making a steam pipe and puting it on a form for the first time. Here are some more pictures
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/steaming.jpg)
My wife commented as she came into the kitchen and saw this... her direct quote "your a dork" lol
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/bow.jpg)
That's hilarious...pretty much what my wife would have said. Lookin good!
Quote
My wife commented as she came into the kitchen and saw this... her direct quote "your a dork" lol
Should have told her it's a popcorn gun :D
So I did some more work on the bow tonight. I am starting the floor tillering but I am going at it really cautiously. I don't want to get a hinge were that bend is in mid limb.... What do you guys think??? Any suggestions
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/100_0750.jpg)
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/100_0746-1.jpg)
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/100_0747.jpg)
http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/100_0752.jpg
http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/100_0753.jpg
Your going at it just like you should Justin, take your time and think about everything your doing before getting ahead of yourself.
At this point I would suggest using only a scraper and a palm sander. Use the scraper to take off more wood till you get it knocked down some then switch over to the palm sander if you have one. That palm sander keeps the limbs nice and flat/uniform from side to side and throught from fade to tip. I made my prettiest bow to date when I started using a palm sander for tillering.
You can start out with a heavy grit like 120 or 150 to take off more material, then drop down to about a 180-200 grit the closer you get to your target wt. and take off just a little at a time.
If you don't have a gizmo......make one! This is your best friend when tillering a flat profile longbow like your holding there in your hands. You will be glad you did.
Good luck and check in here as often as you need to. Lots of great guys and great minds here.
Ok.... one question
1.) What the heck is a gizmo?
I know that I need to still take off a little more wood because the limbs are still kind of stiff. I have only been using a scraper now and will continue with that. Good call on the palm sander as well.
I need to make a tillering tree this weekend so that will be the project going on.
Thanks Chris
Search Eric;s Gizmo on here and you will see what Chris is talking about, its a lifesaver.
You are doing great. Keep up the good work. I'm looking forward to seeing the end result. My wife walked in while I was boiling a bow tip for a recurve and had a similar reaction. She has the same reaction often for me :)
Justin- Make one for yourself, it's simple and you will see how it will change the way you tiller a selbow forever. No kidding.
Here>>---> http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=125;t=001047
Thanks for the kind words John... Thanks Chris for the grunt work in finding that post. I plan on making one. I also need to put together a tillering tree.
Anyone have any suggestion on making one of those. Does it look like I am ready for it or what should my next step be. Maybe a little more bend through the mid limb area.
Have a great weekend guys. I am going to be teaching a bow hunter ed class and plan on brining this bow to my class and show it off. Maybe turn on some light bulbs and have a student be interested. I will send them to Tradgang!!!
Thanks for the kind words John... Thanks Chris for the grunt work in finding that post. I plan on making one. I also need to put together a tillering tree.
Anyone have any suggestion on making one of those. Does it look like I am ready for it or what should my next step be. Maybe a little more bend through the mid limb area.
Have a great weekend guys. I am going to be teaching a bow hunter ed class and plan on brining this bow to my class and show it off. Maybe turn on some light bulbs and have a student be interested. I will send them to Tradgang!!! :goldtooth:
Don't do anymore tillering until you have a tree and a gizmo to run up and down the limb to mark the high spots. Then a palm sander is in order also, you wouldn't believe how uneven the limbs can be till you start running over them with the palm sander. It made a believer out of me and I thought my scraping was as flat as Kansas......how wrong I was. The scraper leaves hills and valleys then it ends up like a wash board, you can't hardly see it, and you can just barely feel it, but it's there all right. The palm sander will take care of that.
Take a look at some tillering trees that other guys are using and you can get some ideas of what style you want. Mine is simply an oak board that was begging to be used for something with holes drilled every inch out to about 32" and I use a 3/8 wooden dowl for a peg to move from one increment to another. Then I screwed it to the wall inside my garage at about the height that was comfortable for me, be sure to put the screws in a stud so they don't pull out.
It's actually more just a tillering board that's screwed into the wall and not an actual tillering tree, but it is whatever you want to call it. Same basic principle.
Here's some close up pics of mine.
(http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww146/mohunter68/Mytilleringtree001.jpg)
(http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww146/mohunter68/Mytilleringtree002.jpg)
(http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww146/mohunter68/Mytilleringtree003.jpg)
Good morning fellas... Just a quick question... What should the next step be with this bow.
Should I:
A. Heat the bow and put some reflex in it
Or
B. Put it on the tillering stick and get some more bend into it that way?
Thanks for the push in the right direction
So I worked on my caul again and made a tillering tree/board like Semo's... Here are some pictures
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/100_0755.jpg)
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/100_0756.jpg)
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/100_0757.jpg)
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/100_0760.jpg)
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/100_0761.jpg)
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/100_0763.jpg)
Figure I would show you my stack of wood that is waiting to be turned into beautiful bows
Dang you work fast! Great job man. :thumbsup:
Is that Hickory mixed in with the Osage?
I did a lot of work today... that is actually hackberry. I saw Jimmy Blackmon make a hackberry bow on youtube and I liked the wood so much I picked up two staves for cheap money.
I am looking to work on the bow tonight.
Was wondering since I have put reflex into the bow do I start on floor tillering some more or do I go straight to the tillering stick???
Thanks in advance for the guidence!! :archer2:
So here are some pictures of my bow with a long string on it. It is on the 14" peg. I tried to go to 17 to show more bend but it is super high draw still.
How does the bending look for the first go. Maybe right limb slightly more bend in it. The right has that hump in mid limb. Left seems kind of stiffer. I am waiting for my bow weight to come in so I can start stripping some more wood and not go under weight.
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/100_0765.jpg)
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/100_0766.jpg)
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/100_0767.jpg)
Ok, I got it to this point which I believe looks pretty even. I am at 17 inches but it is still a little strong. It seems that I need to wait now until my bow scale comes in to go any further. Or I need to go to a short string than the 74 inch. I made a 70 inch one and might try stringing the bow with that.
Here are some new pictures of the limbs so far
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/100_0774-1-1.jpg)
I drew a straight line with paint....
Looks like I am ready for a shorter string
It looks great man.I'm working on my first flat bow and I hope it turns out that nice.Good luck man.I really like your steam set up.If you don't mind I might barrow that idea.
Did you intend to run your fades right into the limb? I would work on the area circled in red and determine how long you want your handle to be and rasp in a fade. That way you will know where to stop with your sanding while tillering. Unless your making a bend in the handle bow? Is that what your gonna make, I don't remember if you ever said or not?
Sorry if I missed that somewhere.
Otherwise, your tiller looks nearly perfect so far. So other than that fade issue, I would keep working it down evenly with a palm sander until you hit your target wt. but I normally stop a couple pounds above target wt. because it seems to drop a pound or two during finish sanding and shooting in. Just my experience.
Keep up the good work! :thumbsup:
(http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww146/mohunter68/100_0774-1-1.jpg)
Actually, before you hit that fade area with a rasp, lets get some more advice first. It may already be too thin there to add a fade? I'd hate to tell you to do something that turned out distasterous.
I'm sure some of the other guys will have some good advice on the fades for ya. Lets see what they have to say before working on those areas.
I will hold off on tillering until more people guide me. I thought that I was suppose to make the fades go into the bow but I will stop them there and tiller out a ways. I guess I screwed up on the handle area but if it is too thin I will continue with a bend through the handle bow for my first. I will have to see an example of someone elses flat bow to see whatyou mean.
The bow is still really heavy with poundage so I guess I can stop in that area and continue to work on the outer parts of the limbs....
SO confused :banghead:
It looks just dandy to me. Use your gizmo and start removing wood, stay off the last 8" or so of the tips, keep them stiff. Also, shorten your string up, it looks like your tips are moving alot already and that long string will fool your eye. Brace it an 1" or so above the handle and take another look at it. Pulling down and in changes everything compared to pull down only on a long string.
She looks good to me. It is time for a short string at a low brace. This will tell you how the string tracks on the bow and you still have plenty of weight to make corrections if necessary.
I like my fades to look like yours. I use a bulbous handle and it gives a smooth transition between the handle and working limbs. You can still have a stiff handle(or not) with this type of handle/fade area.
So, if at low brace your limbs still look the same begin lengthening the draw(not to exceed the ultimate draw weight)and she'll be ready to shoot before you know it.
Looks good. String it. Jawge
Thanks guys for the kind words. I will make up a shorter string like 68 inches to brace it a little above the handle.
I keep praying that I am doing this whole bow building correctly. I am going to tread lightly while going and please stop by and check out the new steps. :thumbsup:
Good work, Justin. Looks good.
Stan
This is why I added that other post and said hold off on my previous advice Justin. Lots of more knowledgeable individuals here that I will ever likely be. Thanks for stepping in and offering your opinions and advice guys, I appreciate it and I know Justin does.
I have never seen that style handle/fades before now, but evidently some of you all like it and use it. I wasn't sure how you would determine where to stop the tillering without a pronounced fade. Just goes to show there's more than one way to skin a varmint. :thumbsup:
So tonight I had abit of a set back. I ended up dropping my bow off my tillering tree and chipped the tip about a quarter inch on the side. My string jumped off when I was tillering it down.
My only solution was to cut both ends down to below my string grooves. Now I have a 66 t-t-t bow instead of a 68 in. I still have them a 1/2 inch at the tip so there isn't a super big change... I hope... I put new string grooves in and added some antler tip overlays. Sometime over the weekend I will put the grooves in all around the tips so that my string stays on.
Is this going to be a an end to this bow... I pray not :help:
You got plenty of bow left Justin. I don't make mine nearly that long anymore. Don't cut your string grooves over the ring side of the bow, that's a failure waiting to happen because you violate the ring at the tip. You can add tip overlays later on and then cut a groove around the back edge of those.
You probably didn't cut the grooves deep enough on the sides? I make mine about 2/3 thickness of the chainsaw file until I'm done tillering then I pretty them up some more and go the depth of the thickness of the file. The bow I just made is only 60" long 50# @28" and my tips are not grooved on the back, and I'm not adding tip overlays either. I haven't had any problem what so ever with the string popping off.
Cool I did put some tip overlays on last night so and I did cut the grooves in deeper to the sides. I did not go through the back at all because I knew that would be a big problem.
The tip overlays may be premature but I didn't know whatelse to do...
I will post a picture sometime this weekend.
Thanks Chris
Looking good Chris. Alot better than my first few hack attempts. LOL
These guys won't steer you wrong, I learned most all that I know here and learn something new every time I check in.
Stiks
Hey guys... Happy Easter to you all.
Here are the pictures of the tip overlays that I put on my bow. I have not finished the profile of them completely but I couldn't wait to get some advice and comments about them. Also a picture of my fist round with cedar arrows. I stained them today but think it is a little dark. Oh well they are my first ever dozen...
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/100_0777.jpg)
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/100_0778.jpg)
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/100_0779.jpg)
looks good and keeping busy I see
Well guys I think I lost this bow. I was working on the tiller tonight and while doing so I was looking over my work. I didn't hear any pop,crack, snapping, and or any other type noise when I looked down and saw this crack in the back of my bow.
Is this a lost bow or can I fix it???
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/100_0825.jpg)
Ouch!! I can see the problem and why it happened, because the same thing happened to me on my first bow, but mine didn't run off the side like yours. You should probably start a new one?
You didn't swing out far enough to capture the grain as it turned and the red arrow inside the circle points to about the area where the grain was violated. I know it's tough to see, I can completely understand it. Sometimes I have to use a flashlight and shine the beam at an angle to my ring in order to see where the grain turns.
One of the experienced guys on here once told me "You have to follow the grain every direction it flows, just like water flows around the rocks in a stream"[/i]
How true that statement is.
Sorry for your loss man, but you got more wood so just learn from this one and get right on the next one and don't dwell on it any longer than it takes to realize what went wrong. Put this one in the "Corner of Shame" for future referrence.
(http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww146/mohunter68/100_0825.jpg)
:mad: DAMN!!! So much time into this I was so looking forward to my first primitive bow. Oh well no sense of dwelling on this one. I guess it is back to the drawing board.... STRAIGHT BILLETS HERE I COME!!! :goldtooth:
Thanks guys for the moral support... I guess I will chalk it up to a learning curve and get busy on the next.
Thanks Chris for all the advice along this....
I like the arrow shafts and I like em dark. I normally stain mine with walnut flavor Minwax stain, it comes out nearly black but not quite.
Put some of your turkey feathers off the bird you killed last week on those shafts, they will look awesome.
I plan on using the feathers from my bird. I also aquired six other sets of wings because my good friend owns an archery shop. He checks birds in and he has been asking all the hunters for me.
Here is the bow just 1/2 inch under brace... Gonna go unstring it and put it in "THE CORNER"
http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/100_0827.jpg
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/100_0830.jpg)
I don't think it's a loss. Super glue the crack and put a good secure thread wrap on. Add a matching wrap on the other limb if things work out for you.
Worse comes to worse, you can back it later down the road as you gain more experience.....Art
I used flax to fix my first osage longbow, but I don't shoot it anymore. Kinda scared to I guess?
I have thought about backing it at some point.
I would try what Art says. Heres a pic of a hickory D-bow that pulled up a pretty big splinter. I glued the splinter down with superglue, wrapped it with dental floss and saturated the floss with super glue. I wrapped it with some hemp cordage on both limbs and the handle. Has had a lot of arrows through it and is still shootin good.
(http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee503/Jamey_Burkhart/008-1.jpg) (http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee503/Jamey_Burkhart/033.jpg)
I wouldn't trash it either. Just wrap it. Here's a fix I did for a splinter once.
(http://sticknstring.webs.com/photos/Old-Bowmaking-Pics/wilts23.JPG)
(http://sticknstring.webs.com/photos/Old-Bowmaking-Pics/wilts25.JPG)
(http://sticknstring.webs.com/photos/Old-Bowmaking-Pics/wilts29.JPG)
(http://sticknstring.webs.com/photos/Old-Bowmaking-Pics/wilts33.JPG)
if you can get it, use wicking type ca glue such as locktite 420 i think and also zap a gap. it is super thin and will suck right into the crack. don
Ok guys I am all ears... What type of thread are you suggesting I use. Also If I backed the bow is that super difficult. I still have some wood to remove. Currently when it is braced I am around 63# at 18 inches and I want to go to 28!!
I hope I can save this :pray:
Since you still have some to tillering to do, use a temporary wrap for the time being. I have some shoemaker's thread I use for that, but any string making thread, artifical sinew, nylon, cotton string material will work for a temporary wrap. Remove the wrap when needed, replace it when exercising the bow.
For a permanent wrap I like the looks of thread myself. Any upholstrey, jean or coats and buttons is sturdy enough once soaked and coated with superglue. Lots of other choices also.....Art
FEEEEWWWWW!!!! I think that this bow is not a lost cause. I worked more on the tiller after soaking the hell out of the crack with CA glue. Here is a tiller picture at 26 inches. The weight is around 72 lbs. I want to be at around 55-50 lbs.
What should be the next step in the tiller. I don't want to come under that weight.
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/100_0835-1.jpg)
The red line under the scale is the 28 inch mark
holy %$^@ thats some balls brother!
looks good , i would say you already pulled it over your target weight of 55# , so shoot it 72...lol...
im not sure where you are headed , but i know 72# is just insane to me...good luck , wear eye pro...
-hov
Correction on the poundage. I am trying to go to 60 lbs. Should I not draw it over that weight?? If so WHOOPS
thats usually how people go at it. im not sure where the pros will tell you to take this. you may be able to reduce poundage and still have something functional , but with the crack and the overstress , im betting they say to start with a new piece...
I like to never pull past my target draw weight and never pull it past my target draw length.
God Bless.
First never pull a stave beyond what it takes to expose a problem. Don't pull it beyond 12 or so inches until you fix the problem. Second, I agree with Art on the wrap. Third fix the tiller. Use a scraper like tool. Easy does . Take 20 short pulls after each session. In this order-Mark a heavy pencil line at the end of the fades. Spend a few hours getting the wood to bend starting at the pencil line. Don't rush it. 20-30 scrapes. Exercise at short pulls. Check tiller at 15 inches to see if the wood is beginning to bend there. When it does, on the left limb there's a flat spot just before mid limb. There's a hinge on the left limb about 12 inches from the tip. Leave it alone. Not bad. Get the near handle wood bending a bit. Hope this helps. Also check my site. Jawge
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/
I never go past half my target draw weight, or less until my tiller is dead nutz, and as stated above never, ever go past your intended draw weight during tillering. You will have excessive set and follow as a result, regardless of the color of the wood used.
You get an "A" for effort! After having a few problems like you have expereinced, I left the steam behind and went on to only dry heat to bend osage. I feel the steam is what caused the cracks. Induce moisture and drying too quick causes the checks in my opinion.
Thanks guys for all the advice. I noticed today that my bow does have some set that was not there before. Guess this one is going to be placed in the corner and I am going to start a new one. I have learned a ton from you guys at TG and thank each and every one of you for your two cents.
I will start a new one this week. Probably a splicing job. This will take me some time but I am going to get a shooter this time.
UNTIL LATER... God bless all and be safe!!!
id try a lumber yard near you . there are some good board bows that can teach you things a little easier than osage (easier on your wallet , and heart) .
good luck , and keep at it. at least it held together.
-hov
I wouldnt put it in the corner. A little bit of set isnt that big of a deal. I think the first 3 or 4 bows I made ended up with around 2-3" of set. Do like George said and get it bending some out of the fades and fix that left limb and you got a shooter. :thumbsup:
I agree, dont scrap it. It may have too much set, but you know why now and thats what matters. Finish it off and enjoy! Sometimes if you let them sit unbraced for an hour or so the limbs will head towards home a little. One of my osage bows has about 1 3/4" of follow immediatley after I unbrace it, I wait and hour and it shrinks to about 3/8" at most.
OK guys I will keep at it. During this process I thought that I needed to stay away from the fades. I will start working them to see some movement and not go to fast. Its nice to get some advice and encouragement to continue on a project that is this time consuming and sort of emotional. I will get back at it this week.
Stay tuned for new pictures because I defenatley will need your help guys.
Till later.... Justin
In general you do want to keep the bend at the fades to a minimum. Too much bend in the fades and inner limb can project out to a lot of string follow. But your bow is not bending at all for the first 8" or so out from the handle. That would be fine if your bow was 70" long. But since it isnt that long the rest of the limb is being overstrained. Judging by the thickness of you inner-limbs and fades its going to take quite a few scrapes to get them bending. Take it slow and it will work out fine.
Thanks okie64 I will do that. I spent an hour tonight while my wife stayed busy with writing reviews for her work. I worked only on the first foot off the fades and got them working slightly. I am being very cautious on these areas. Also I am trying to work out the hinge in the left limb. I worked the draw to 20 inches where it is 56#. Here is the newest picture I have.
Let me know what you think.
http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/100_0838.jpg
Lookin better already. Keep workin on those fades, the right fade is a little stiffer than the left. Be careful on that left inner-limb, it looks like its getting pretty thin. You do have to be very cautious in around the fades or its pretty easy to get a hinge.
Yes, be careful of that left fade. It actually looks like it is bending enough there. The right needs work. You can leave the stave strung. Use a scraper. 20 scrapes. Exercise at partial pulls. Check tiller. Don't rush it. Jawge
Looking good. You don't need much on the right fades. Then just a few scrapes mid limb on. Nice fix. Jawge
Hey TG-
It has been some time since I have been working on this bow... A lot going on in the personal life but sice that has come to an end it is time to get back at this thing so that I can get out in the woods. The deer movement has been slim since the hot weather hit. Today I wrapped my cracked area in 70# artificial sinew and then soaked it in CA glue.... I will post pis later on when I get back from hunting!
I hope to be successfull on finishing this bow so that I may take one with it... Hope you all are having a good season!
Good to hear you aint gave up! Looking forward to the pics!
Ok guys... I wrapped the crack with artificial sinew last night and soaked it with CA glue... Now what should be the next step?
After a few hours of drying I strung the bow up and the wrapped limb has a sharper bend in it so the tiller has been thrown off... tonight I will throw up a picture of that but here is the one of the wrap...
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/321216_2168380641704_1012344494_31970689_2108923505_n.jpg)
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/317526_2168381161717_1012344494_31970691_495586492_n.jpg)
Ok guys here is a braced shot of the bow... I need to mount the tiller tree inside the garage tomorrow night so that I can start tillering some more... How does it look?
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/IMG_0046.jpg)
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/IMG_0047.jpg)
looks good
Lookin good. One thing I would do is round the corners off a little more with some sandpaper to be sure you dont pull up a splinter. You'll lose a little bit of draw weight doin that too. How much weight it drops will depend on how much you round it off.
Its been nuthin but hot weather here since deer season opened so I know exactly what you're talkin about with the deer movement.
OK guys I have a flat spot where I put the wrap in... Do I take it off and scrape under the wrap to fix this or not... Can someone point me in the right direction please!
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/IMG_0062.jpg)
I hope this picture will show that the wrap limb is flatter now then the other limb
In a situation like that I use a temporary wrap so I can remove and tiller if necessary. So if you need to do some tillering in that area you're going to have to remove the wrap and replace when you have things right. Like I said, use a temporary wrap that can be easily removed and rewraped when necessary.
Ok I will remove the wrap and sand down any glue that is left so that I can fix this spot... I think that it only got the flat spot because of the wrap... How do you fix that aspect of it?
I worked on the tiller of this bow some more with the gizmo... it is at 56 poumds at 23 inches... I think that I have to work on the fade area and just work the transitions.... What do you think?
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/IMG_0066.jpg)
I think the left limb needs it more than the right and hopefully this would help with dropping the weight around 55-57 ponds at 28 inches
So after some work on the fade area and some more tillering I got the bow to 57# at 26 inches... I decided to stop so that at my 27 inch draw it would be 60ish pounds. The tiller is not perfect and I have learned a ton along the way. I did a matching wrap of artifical sinew on each limb. Next I need to put a finish on it of tru oil and then wrap the handle in a beaver tail that my friend trapped last year.
The full draw shot looks a little off because I am canting it but I think that it is pretty even on both sides. I stopped because I didn't want to go much under 60#. I shot it tonight in the light from my truck headlights... Such an amazing feeling shooting a cedar arrow that I put together out of a bow that started as a raw stave.
Thanks so much to all the input and advice along the way. I learned many things that will come in handy with my next bow that I have started.... As Gary Davis said in his video... When you hit your weight stop no matter what the tiller looks like... Even if it isn't the best make your next bow be the perfect one!
Again thanks guys for the help along the way... its great to be able to share this with you and have people to shout back....
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/IMG_0068.jpg)
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/IMG_0069.jpg)
Final thoughts on the bow are welcomed.... I plan on shooting it a ton tomorrow so that I can get out and hunt with it before the end of the week!
Looks great Justin. Just read the whole thread and this is really encouraging to me as I am just about to start working on my first board bow.
Thanks for sharing!
The tiller looks pretty nice Justin, congrats..
Glad to see it all worked out for you. Osage is some great stuff. Tiller looks pretty dead-on to me. :)