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Main Boards => The Bowyer's Bench => Topic started by: Sam Harper on April 28, 2015, 07:37:00 PM

Title: Three bamboo backed bows with dye
Post by: Sam Harper on April 28, 2015, 07:37:00 PM

I've gotten kind of obsessed with making knives over the last year and haven't made many bows, but last week I attempted to make four bows.  One of them broke during glue up, but I managed to salvage the bamboo.  These are the three that survived.

The green one is bamboo backed bamboo flooring, and the other two are bamboo backed ipe.  They are 47#, 48#, and 49# at 28".

I really enjoyed making these.  Sometimes I forget how much I enjoy something if I go too long without doing it.  And I've decided I like making longbows a lot better than making recurves.

 (http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c361/wasichu/IMG_3680_zpsrfdskplz.jpg)

 (http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c361/wasichu/FullSizeRender-3_zpsiol8eu1d.jpg)

 (http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c361/wasichu/IMG_3678_zpsgc2b82he.jpg)

 (http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c361/wasichu/IMG_3681_zpsuftukq0e.jpg)

 (http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c361/wasichu/IMG_3686_zpsz5czfra8.jpg)

Title: Re: Three bamboo backed bows with dye
Post by: Green on April 28, 2015, 08:04:00 PM

I got a chance to fondle these bows at the IBO Mid America this weekend.  Extremely nice workmanship.  If I had been in any shape to buy.....

Title: Re: Three bamboo backed bows with dye
Post by: Sam Harper on April 28, 2015, 08:15:00 PM

You were welcome to shoot them!  After talking to Bob Sarrels, I think I'm going to make some D-97 strings for them and see what difference it makes.

Title: Re: Three bamboo backed bows with dye
Post by: Green on April 28, 2015, 08:20:00 PM

Thanks Sam, but that's something I wouldn't have done without asking you, and we kept crossing paths between rounds.  Hope you shot well, I thought it was an excellent tournament.

By the way, your knife work is more impressive than photos can portray.     :thumbsup:

Title: Re: Three bamboo backed bows with dye
Post by: Sam Harper on April 28, 2015, 08:29:00 PM

Thanks, Rob!  I thoroughly enjoyed that tournament!  I hope it happens in Austin again next year.

Title: Re: Three bamboo backed bows with dye
Post by: Roy from Pa on April 29, 2015, 06:52:00 AM

Very nice, Sam..

Title: Re: Three bamboo backed bows with dye
Post by: robin on April 29, 2015, 08:26:00 AM

Beautiful bows Sam, how is the bow built with my singapore boo holding out?

Looks like the risers fade are not really feathered into the core wood....does the core wood near the riser actually stop bending before it contact with the riser wood?

robin

Title: Re: Three bamboo backed bows with dye
Post by: Martin Schutte on April 29, 2015, 09:30:00 AM

Hi Sam Nice bows I do like the green one a lot  :bigsmyl: !!

Quick Question on the "hulk" green one on the belly wood(boo flooring)did you taper some of it or did you just slap the hole piece as is onto the bamboo back and glue it all together??

Thanks Martin

Title: Re: Three bamboo backed bows with dye
Post by: Sam Harper on April 29, 2015, 10:44:00 AM

Robin, the riser are faded smoothly into the core wood, but if you look closely, I also used power lams on the two ipe bows.  That stops the bending before it gets to the riser wood.

The Singapore bow worked great for a while.  I took it to 3-D shoots and shot it a lot in my sister's back yard.  It was my favourite bow for a while there.  Then a guy in Australia emailed me, and he really wanted the bow, so I sold it to him.

Title: Re: Three bamboo backed bows with dye
Post by: Sam Harper on April 29, 2015, 10:46:00 AM

Martin, I taper the flooring before glue up.  Then I cut 1/8" off the back of it, flip it around, and glue it up, so it's basically a tri-lam bow.  I did the same thing on these ipe bows after having one break during glue up while I was putting in the deflex.

Title: Re: Three bamboo backed bows with dye
Post by: Wolftrail on April 29, 2015, 12:24:00 PM

Very nice...

Title: Re: Three bamboo backed bows with dye
Post by: White hair on April 29, 2015, 12:48:00 PM

Love em. I hope to do one kina like that. Not big on risers. I like d-bows. But they are beauts.

Title: Re: Three bamboo backed bows with dye
Post by: ty_in_ND on April 29, 2015, 03:33:00 PM

Sam,

Beautiful bows!  I really love the wood combos on your handles.

Two questions for you:  

1) How did you do the dye/paint on the middle bow?  It looks kind of wild at first (which I like!!), but it also looks like it would do the job as far as camouflage goes.  

2) Do you plan ripping an 1/8" section of your limbs and flipping them more often?  I'm just curious about doing it that way versus making your limb thickness thinner and adding a pre-cut 1/8" strip of the same limb material (essentially a tri-lam as well).  

Thanks again for posting your latest bows!

Title: Re: Three bamboo backed bows with dye
Post by: David Flanrey on April 29, 2015, 06:49:00 PM

Beautiful bows.

Title: Re: Three bamboo backed bows with dye
Post by: Sam Harper on April 29, 2015, 07:45:00 PM

ty_in_ND,

1.) I used a small paintbrush, like one of those paintbrushes that come with the water colour kits they make for kids, only I got it at Tandy.  I just randomly put brush marks all along the back.  I started with light colours and worked my way to dark.  First yellow, then green, then blue.  By then, it looked pretty terrible.  But then I did medium brown, mahogany, and black, and it looked good.  I used Fiebings leather dye.

2.)  On my all bamboo bows, I always cut off a 1/8" strip and flip it, but I just started doing that on my ipe bows.  I don't see what difference it makes whether you use a different 1/8" strip from a different piece of wood or one from the same wood only flipped.  i flip them end to end, by the way.

Title: Re: Three bamboo backed bows with dye
Post by: Sam Harper on April 29, 2015, 07:46:00 PM

Oh, I also used red.

Title: Re: Three bamboo backed bows with dye
Post by: LittleBen on April 29, 2015, 09:29:00 PM

Very nice bows Sam. I have a similar feeling lately. Really like looking at recurves, but at the end of the day I prefer making and shooting a more mild longbow like those.

Title: Re: Three bamboo backed bows with dye
Post by: ty_in_ND on April 30, 2015, 09:08:00 AM

Thanks for the info, Sam, and keep up the good work!

Title: Re: Three bamboo backed bows with dye
Post by: robin on April 30, 2015, 09:47:00 AM

Hi Sam, tks for highlighting....yes I see the power lams, beautiful bow and great job......cheers

Title: Re: Three bamboo backed bows with dye
Post by: frank bullitt on April 30, 2015, 09:53:00 AM

Real nice looking bows, Sam!    :thumbsup:  

Would love to shoot one.

Yes, try a h. p. string,  performance, not speed, is the reason!

Title: Re: Three bamboo backed bows with dye
Post by: Sam Harper on April 30, 2015, 09:56:00 AM

Frank, what do you mean by "performance" if not speed?  What else do they enhance?

Title: Re: Three bamboo backed bows with dye
Post by: frank bullitt on April 30, 2015, 10:31:00 AM

Hey Sam. Performance is the Whole package! Speed has always been the " Urban Legend" of h.p. strings!

Built thousands and have shot them on my self, sinew and backed bows since 1990. Try for yourself!

Good shootin to ya, too!

Title: Re: Three bamboo backed bows with dye
Post by: Sam Harper on April 30, 2015, 10:52:00 AM

Frank, do they reduce noise and vibration?

Title: Re: Three bamboo backed bows with dye
Post by: Martin Schutte on April 30, 2015, 12:38:00 PM

Thanx Sam I will look into it I'm just trying to wrap my mind around what you said not sure what it means!?!?   :confused:
Martin

Title: Re: Three bamboo backed bows with dye
Post by: Sam Harper on April 30, 2015, 01:08:00 PM

Martin, does this help?

 (http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c361/wasichu/bambootrilam_zpsoclkbwmb.jpg)

Title: Re: Three bamboo backed bows with dye
Post by: takefive on April 30, 2015, 01:17:00 PM

Great looking bows, Sam.  Really nice work.

Title: Re: Three bamboo backed bows with dye
Post by: Nezwin on May 05, 2015, 02:03:00 AM

Quote

The Singapore bow worked great for a while. I took it to 3-D shoots and shot it a lot in my sister's back yard. It was my favourite bow for a while there. Then a guy in Australia emailed me, and he really wanted the bow, so I sold it to him.

And I love it! Thanks for that, Sam. And great builds here, good to see you're getting your hand back to making things.

Title: Re: Three bamboo backed bows with dye
Post by: Elison on May 12, 2015, 09:39:00 AM

Sam, your bows are increasingly awesome!
Congrats!

Title: Re: Three bamboo backed bows with dye
Post by: Buemaker on May 12, 2015, 04:37:00 PM

Very nice. Bue--.

Title: Re: Three bamboo backed bows with dye
Post by: bigbob2 on May 12, 2015, 07:10:00 PM

Very attractive and impressive bows Sam! Sweet!

Title: Re: Three bamboo backed bows with dye
Post by: fujimo on May 12, 2015, 07:32:00 PM

very cool- always love your bows- the tiller always looks so good.
one day when i'm big........

Title: Re: Three bamboo backed bows with dye
Post by: JJB on May 12, 2015, 07:56:00 PM

Good looking bows, Sam, very nice work!
-Jay

Title: Re: Three bamboo backed bows with dye
Post by: Mad Max on May 19, 2015, 07:39:00 PM

Nice job sam

Title: Re: Three bamboo backed bows with dye
Post by: Elison on May 25, 2015, 03:40:00 PM

Hi Sam!
I was looking again these bows and I'm curious about some things:

1)  Did you reflex these bows in the same way at the last build-along ( Bamboo backed  Osage )??

2) What the overall length of these bows?

3) The limbs in ipe are a 3/8 inch?  ( I'm trying to understantd the specs...   :)   )

thank you very much, and congrats again!   ;)