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Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: SOS on February 08, 2011, 10:17:00 PM

Title: Right handed bow goes lefty
Post by: SOS on February 08, 2011, 10:17:00 PM
Some of you may remember the trial and tribulations of my making my first TD longbow 4 or so years ago.  Affectionatly called El Cheapo for the most basic materials, it became a deer killing machine.   :archer2:   That was until the left elbow I broke in three places as a kid gave up on me and I can't pull a kid's bow, let alone a hunting weight bow now.  After several months of being bummed out, I decided to dive it and learn to shoot left handed.  Crazy, but got me back in the game.  Still can't hit squat, but it got me thinking about a new riser for El Cheapo. It dawned on me, with a bomb-proof riser of action wood, let's reconfigure the old riser and see what happens....so....here we go!  Am I nuts, or what?  :dunno:  


Here is the plan:
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j87/SOS_321/P1220526.jpg)

Here is the rough cut:
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j87/SOS_321/P1220532.jpg)

Here is the two shelf'ed riser...heh, heh.

(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j87/SOS_321/P1220534.jpg)
Title: Re: Right handed bow goes lefty
Post by: gregg dudley on February 08, 2011, 11:24:00 PM
Way to get after it, Steve!
Title: Re: Right handed bow goes lefty
Post by: joekeith on February 09, 2011, 01:24:00 AM
:scared:    :confused:    :dunno:  I dunno what to say...
Title: Re: Right handed bow goes lefty
Post by: trick00 on February 09, 2011, 02:49:00 AM
What the heck??  :saywhat:
Title: Re: Right handed bow goes lefty
Post by: Jerry Jeffer on February 09, 2011, 02:51:00 AM
Crazy, or not so crazy? I don't know. How does the grip feel with the now lower cut out? I'd say you are trying to make the best with what ya got.
Title: Re: Right handed bow goes lefty
Post by: Cool Arrow on February 09, 2011, 09:43:00 AM
Wish I haad talent like that.
   Larry
Title: Re: Right handed bow goes lefty
Post by: David Mitchell on February 09, 2011, 09:44:00 AM
I saw such a riser style on a Harrelson recurve a few years ago at thge Kentucky Classic.
Title: Re: Right handed bow goes lefty
Post by: GRINCH on February 09, 2011, 09:46:00 AM
Gotto do what you gotto do.
Title: Re: Right handed bow goes lefty
Post by: Jeff D. Holchin on February 09, 2011, 01:01:00 PM
Yep, you are nuts.....  :knothead:
Title: Re: Right handed bow goes lefty
Post by: Oregon Okie on February 09, 2011, 07:43:00 PM
That's so crazy it just might work. I like it. Can we see some more pics? With it in hand maybe. I want a switcher and this seems like a good way to get a "double shelf".
Title: Re: Right handed bow goes lefty
Post by: 59Alaskan on February 09, 2011, 08:19:00 PM
it's just like washers and dryers or shotguns...
some dual shelves are side by side others are over under
Title: Re: Right handed bow goes lefty
Post by: Pullonmylimb on February 09, 2011, 09:02:00 PM
I dig it man.  Go with it.
Title: Re: Right handed bow goes lefty
Post by: SOS on February 09, 2011, 09:04:00 PM
When I started this, I thought about a removable block for each window so you could in fact shoot it both ways.  This might be doable if you kept both cutouts from the window and had a pretty square shelf.  Actually, I did shoot it just as you see it, will post a video if I can figure it out.  It didn't feel all that bad.

Here's an belly view if it will help.

(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j87/SOS_321/P1220535.jpg)

Since I don't plan to go back and forth, I shaped the chunk from the other riser to hopefully blend with the rest of the wood.  Epoxied it into place.
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j87/SOS_321/P1220539.jpg)

Then rough shaped it.

(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j87/SOS_321/P1220541.jpg)

Now some JB Weld Kwikwood epoxy putty, and voila!

(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j87/SOS_321/P1220543.jpg)
Title: Re: Right handed bow goes lefty
Post by: Bill Skinner on February 09, 2011, 09:41:00 PM
I am right handed and right eye dominate but have had to switch to left hand due to an old injury.  You should have tried a thumb ring first.  You can shoot a right handed bow left handed with a thumb ring and get decent accuracy fairly quickly.  FWIW, I had to go way down on the poundage, my left arm and back muscles were a lot weaker than my right side.  Bill
Title: Re: Right handed bow goes lefty
Post by: SOS on February 09, 2011, 10:19:00 PM
Oh great, Bill.  Now I'm going to have to post a thread of taking the bow back to right handed...geesh!  LOL.

Thumb ring thing sounds interesting, though.
Title: Re: Right handed bow goes lefty
Post by: SOS on February 10, 2011, 01:32:00 PM
Little more sanding and shaping.  Mainly ready to shape the window and shelf, slap some finish on her, and then figure out how to put on a leather grip to cover the epoxy.  The wood chunk blended in pretty well.

(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j87/SOS_321/P1230004.jpg)

(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j87/SOS_321/P1230003.jpg)
Title: Re: Right handed bow goes lefty
Post by: Overspined on February 10, 2011, 03:59:00 PM
Nice work
Title: Re: Right handed bow goes lefty
Post by: Overspined on February 10, 2011, 04:03:00 PM
U know, I can shoot lefty pretty well. Aiming is all about getting the nock of the arrow under or referenced with ur dominant eye. So what I do is can't the bow a little more and the arrow aligns quite well. I am accurate usually to about 15 yds with little effort. I think I could do it if I had to. I just shoot the arrow off of my hand on hill bow, should b better off the new shelf you made.

Good luck
Title: Re: Right handed bow goes lefty
Post by: SOS on February 13, 2011, 09:40:00 PM
Got the shelf and window shaped and final sanding done...here is Lefty Cheapo with coat # 2 on....looking good.  Even steel wooled the limbs to put a fresh coat on them as well.

This shows the glue line and epoxy putty - not too bad, some epoxy will show after I figure out how to cover the grip - the epoxy putty should all be covered by the grip.

(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j87/SOS_321/P1230006.jpg)

The off-side looks pristine.

(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j87/SOS_321/P1230008.jpg)
Title: Re: Right handed bow goes lefty
Post by: rastaman on February 13, 2011, 09:45:00 PM
Steve that is pretty awesome stuff there!   :thumbsup:    :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Right handed bow goes lefty
Post by: GRINCH on February 13, 2011, 10:01:00 PM
good job
Title: Re: Right handed bow goes lefty
Post by: Robert Cunfer on February 13, 2011, 10:39:00 PM
Hey Steve, You are thinking green my brother. A good job recycling what you have to work with.I like it.What, No Snow or Ice!!!....Bobby
Title: Re: Right handed bow goes lefty
Post by: SOS on February 14, 2011, 06:42:00 PM
Nope...Bobby.  No snow or ice, but it was a chilly 70 this afternoon!
Title: Re: Right handed bow goes lefty
Post by: Bill Skinner on February 14, 2011, 07:53:00 PM
Check out Eric Krewsons' how to down in th Build Along Section.  He talks about covering odd shaped handles.  Bill
Title: Re: Right handed bow goes lefty
Post by: SOS on February 16, 2011, 06:27:00 PM
To qoute Mel Brooks' Frankenstein, "It's alive....alive!"  Turned out not too bad, if I do say so myself.  Used tennis raquet grip wrap, but a Shur-Grip or equivalent might be better.  Of course a good trad buddy says to leave it uncovered to show the true spirit of the bow.  I am used to a wood grip....hmmmmm.  Thoughts?

(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j87/SOS_321/P1230009.jpg)

Shelf side with look at glue lines on window:

(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j87/SOS_321/P1230011.jpg)

This side looks pristine:

(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j87/SOS_321/P1230013.jpg)
Title: Re: Right handed bow goes lefty
Post by: Razorbak on February 16, 2011, 06:37:00 PM
that is nice..very good job
Title: Re: Right handed bow goes lefty
Post by: SOS on February 18, 2011, 10:47:00 PM
El Cheapo the Lefty is finished!  

(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j87/SOS_321/P1230009.jpg)

The grip is wrapped with tennis racquet stuff, may get a Shur-Grip though, or as a good friend said, leave it bare to show the change it went through.  Below the grip, you can see the glue lines, but it blends in pretty well.
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j87/SOS_321/P1230011.jpg)

My first group at 6 yards...maybe I can hunt from the wrong side of the bow after all...I will just have to hunt harder and get closer!

(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j87/SOS_321/P1230014.jpg)

A javelina at 8 yards...hmmmmm.

(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j87/SOS_321/P1230017.jpg)