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Main Boards => The Bowyer's Bench => Topic started by: Pat B on June 29, 2018, 01:26:06 PM
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This bow started with billets that Matt Wirwicki cut splices for me at the Tenn. Classic. She is 56" t/t, 50#@26. I steamed in the recurves at full limb width but once I reduced the width they began to pull out. I added the horn underlay to help hold the recurves but I ended up with reflexed tips instead. I had originally planned to sinew back and may still but will have to reduce the sapwood before I do. Here are a few pics. I'll try to get a full draw pic later.
(https://i.imgur.com/KbPkVCO.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/wTML0UO.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/gQ5IU4d.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/zE8pnAh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/D3rtdMS.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/Xex9GfH.jpg)
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...and full draw...
(https://i.imgur.com/cMt6CGA.jpg)
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Very nice, Pat...
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Thanks Roy. I a little disappointed about the performance. I think I will sinew back it as I originally planned. To do so I will have to thin the sapwood some...or I won't be able to draw it. :biglaugh:
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Nice Pat
:shaka:
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Thanks Mark.
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Pat, I’m not a self bow guy, but I am definitely gonna try one some time.
Love the looks , but I’m ssurprised at the 56” bow and 26” draw. Is this achieved by the deflex/string follow that the bow appears to have? What is the brace height?
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Yeah Bvas, the deflex allows for longer draw on a shorter bow. Recurved tips help with the string angle at full draw but unfortunately they pulled out. I may try to kick the tips up a bit before I add the sinew backing. I will also back brace it to help the sinew draw up the reflex.
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Cool bow the profile looks spot on.
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Thanks Wolf.
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Materpiece, Pat.
Full Respect! Thanks for sharing. Such little Bows done with your outstanding craftmanship are really inspiring to me!
Herm
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Yeah forgot to comment on this bow, but that's a nice bend for such a short bow. Very nice Pat.
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how wide is it Pat?
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I think she's about 1 1/2" wide or a little less, Fujimo
Thanks Herm and BMorv.
I'm going to be adding a few layers of sinew when I get back to it. I'll post pics of the process.
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Nice one Pat :thumbsup:
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Pat, your bows always amaze me!! Great job!
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Very cool!
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I like it, can not wait to see the sinew applied
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I haven't added any sinew yet. I will do a build along when I do.
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I finally got around to starting the sinewing. The sinew I'm using is domestic cow sinew that I traded for on PA. It came already shredded but I shredded it a bit more before adding it to the bow. I'm using a commercial grade hide glue I got from a friend. I think he got it from an art supply place. The bow is pulled into a slight reflex on the form. I used a loop of sinew around the bow and hooked over the screw hook to hold the bow in reflex while I add the sinew. The sinew loop will become part of the backing and I'll cut off the excess.
(https://i.imgur.com/Vs7pGFs.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/pFen0fx.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/qc1a2ez.jpg)
The first thing I do is set everything up close by. I use a crock pot of water as a double boiler with a stainless steel pan floating in the water with the glue in it. Also I always have a bowl of warm water and a wet towel handy to keep my hands from being sticky while working with the sinew.
(https://i.imgur.com/SHmArFo.jpg)
Once I have the crock pot plugged in and the granulated glue mixed with water to become usable it's time to prep the bow. I start by scrubbing the bows back with Dawn dish soap and warm water...
(https://i.imgur.com/s6rnNwR.jpg)
...and rinse the limbs with boiling water...
(https://i.imgur.com/nuV0MAF.jpg)
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...then it is time for the sinew. I start by sizing the back of the bow limb with hide glue...
(https://i.imgur.com/f2rVPTK.jpg)
...then it is time to add the sinew. I soak each bundle of sinew in the warm hide glue, squeegee off the excess hide glue and lay it down smoothing with my finger. I start at the handle and work out each limb working down the center of each limb first. I then work over the rest of the limbs back out to and slightly over the edges.
(https://i.imgur.com/Vu26esH.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/xmzCyif.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/h1ZHxjY.jpg)
...and now another wait. In a day or so I'll check the coverage and add more sinew as needed. I'll probably do 3 layers as I normally do with the last layer filling any bare spots and evening out the sinew backing.
...to be continued...
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That's pretty nice, Pat..
I like it..
When it drys, will it gain anymore reflex?
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Very cool. Interested to see what some reflex and sinew will do for this bow!
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Roy, it might but doubt it will go too much past where it is now. I'll have to retiller when the sinew dries and it could gain some reflex then as the bow weakens. It may be a few days before I get back to it but with the wood stove and being in the sun room it should start drying well.
I'm curious too, B.
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Looking good. After having done sinew backing for 20 years I have found that soaking the sinew bundles in lukewarm water before saturating them in the warm hide glue, draws the bow in more reflex than If not doing so. Don’t know why. After saturating them in the warm glue I place the bundle on a board and comb them out with a cat comb,makes a smoother surface of the sinew layer.
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Very cool... Great looking bow Pat... How many lbs. do you plan on gaining by adding the sinew??
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Bue, I have pre-soaked sinew before but not this time. I think the sinew stretches when wet then draws up more when drying. I'll get a little reflex from this, just not too much.
Shredd, generally a bow could gain about 10# by sinewing it but I'll be reducing the weight on this one anyway. It was almost to strong for me when I tillered it initially. I'll have to retiller when the sinew dries so if I can keep it around 50#@26" I'll be happy.
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I added a course of bison leg sinew today. I took Bue's suggestion and pre-soaked the sinew in warm water before dipping in the warm hide glue. It softened the sinew quite a bit. I also raised the tips a little more by moving the blocks in about an inch raising the tips by about 1" to 2". Now it's drying time. I'll probably give it a month of drying time before I remove it from the form and start the re-tillering. With the wood stove it should dry nicely.
Also, I've been promised a yellow phase timber rattler to go over the sinew.
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Looking forward to seeing the finished bow, Pat...
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Rattle snake will look great. :)
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I'll take a pic of where it is now later this morning and post them.
Timber rattler is one of my favorite skins. I want the sinew to cure a while before I add the skin. I'll use hide glue for it too.
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The full draw photo was very impressive, Pat. Nicely done. Jawge
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I would imagine you need to sand the sinew smooth on the back for the skins?
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Roy, I sanded the initial layer to get the rough and high spots down. The sinew I laid yesterday were long pieces(bison leg) and after soaking in warm water it softened enough so the glue saturated sinew went down in ribbons, pretty smoothly. I may lightly sand it before adding the skin. I'll use hide glue for the skin and it will "suck" the skin down on the sinew. It will have a little texture but I don't mind that.
Here are a few pics from this morning...
(https://i.imgur.com/RaeOk8v.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/APT3EJM.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/Y4nNrGd.jpg)
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Nice..
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Thanks George.
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A month after I added the last of the sinew I released the bow yesterday. She came out holding about 2" of reflex. As you can see from the pics the reflex is uneven but the bow has taken on so much extra weight I'll be able to retiller and I think the reflex will even increase some as I weaken the limbs. Here are a few pics...
(https://i.imgur.com/Ti0n1IZ.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/3kdyC6X.jpg)
...to be continued...
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Nice...
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I did a little tillering this afternoon. She's pulling 50#@23" now so I still have about 9# to loose. I didn't pick up the added reflex like I expected and even lost a little. I'll have to see how she shoots when I get the weight down more. Here are 2 more pics, from the right side and the left side.
(https://i.imgur.com/uO9JEAa.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/GWWnU3Q.jpg)
...more to come later...
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I've just finished up the tillering. She is pulling 48#@26" now, just about right for me these days. She lost most of her reflex but still holds an inch after she's unstrung. I started adding the Tru-Oil so in a few days she'll be ready for her glamour shots. I put snake skins on a few days ago with hide glue. The skins are yellow phase timber rattler that Clint(scrub buster) sent me. She's gonna be purdy once she's all gussied up. Back in a few days...
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Can't wait to see it finished up Pat!
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Looking good, Pat...
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"S'bout Time" ! Well, that's her name. I wonder why!
Finally got her done. She pulls 48#@26", lost most of her reflex but still shoots nice. The skin(from Clint) is a yellow phased timber rattler and is over 3 layers of sinew, 2 layers of cow leg sinew and one of moose leg sinew. Tip overlays are cow horn and the handle wrap is double strands of hemp cord, one tan the other brown with a floppy rest.
Here are a few pics...
(https://i.imgur.com/SRNeHfn.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/vYXMZw3.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/SIjYvwA.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/rOG9aKq.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/wdWZJfv.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/s6sxNhu.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/RhoT1tb.jpg)
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Very nice, pat.
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Thanks, Roy.
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Looks great the splice looks very challenging.
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Now that’s a purty bow!!
Nice work pat.
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I think we are in the company of a Master Craftsman!
Beautiful Bow, looks perfect.
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56" t/t, 50#@26. those are pretty stiff numbers, how ya like Yew compared to Osage.
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Very nice bow
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Thanks for the compliments, Guys. Amazing what 30 years of repetition will get you. :knothead:
Wolf, I've only worked on a couple of yew bows but really like it so far. I have a few more styles of yew bows I want to make when more yew becomes available. But, like Pappy says, "OSAGE IS KING" but he also says, "YEW IS QUEEN". :thumbsup:
Actually there are very few bow woods I don't like.
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Nice, very good bend on that one.
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Nice job Pat!!