The guys who hang out in the Bowyer's Bench are quite familiar with my effort to build my first solo glass lam bow.   I have shared progress reports and pix with them along the way.  The bow is now completely done and it's time to share it with everyone in a "new bow" post.

I have been trying for a couple of years to get someone to duplicate an old lemonwood flatbow in modern glass lam technology.   The effort wasn't really successful because almost no one is building a bow like that today; they don't have the wide straightbow form.   Finally, JD Berry offered to build me a form to my specs and show me how to do a lay up.  I "assisted" him with one and we got basically what I was after, but the next step was to set up my own shop and do my first solo run.   I documented all of my journey on my personal web site... all of the decisions, anxieties, equipment purchases and set up... a big report, meant mostly to be printed out and put in my Bowyer Notebook, but it's still posted.   It's huge, but if you want to go through a real beginner's experience, go to:   www.dickwightman.com      then use the link "Archery Activities"     then "Bowyering"  and finally "Beginning Bowyer Log".    Remember, it's not a build along... it's an "experience and worry along"...

Meantime, for those who just want to see the bow that resulted, here you go...

Bow Name:  "Slowpoke"

Here is a summary of the final stats and info:

The layup, or recipe: .040 clear glass - .090 oak parallel - .110 maple core, tapered .002 - .070 oak parallel - .040 clear glass
AMO:  68"
Draw: 28@25... 33@28
Chrono Results, hand release at 25":  ave. 115 fps with arrow weight of 9.2 gr. per inch
Arrow Match:  shooting 1516 full length with nib point, but it's a touch stiff unless I hit absolute maximum draw... could use 10 gr. more up front




strung...




lacing and wide-limb flatbow form...




padauk riser




inscription




Full draw.. (this was actually before final shaping of the riser)S


Ah... but will it shoot?




18 yards... Slowpoke... slow but sure... for me, this is exceptional shooting


Like the ever popular Hills, this is essentially an old fashioned strait longbow... the main difference being that it gets its power from limb width rather than limb depth.  Here are some comparisons:



Slowpoke with a tradtional Hill... showing difference in limb width... both bows of similar weight




Same two bows (but with Hill on right) comparing limb depth.


Summary...   I was told going in that oak was not a good choice for speed, but I had a yen to see what it would look like and figured I could be a little casual about my first bow.  Slowpoke isn't actually all that slow.  I rarely get more than 120 fps from any of my straightbows due to my short draw and the low weights I have to shoot.   In any event, I'm pleased... Slowpoke is a good looking bow, she shoots OK for an old duffer like me, and..... she's mine... from concept to reality.  :^)

Dick in Seattle

Congrats on an awesome acomplishment !
             

Nice job, Dick.  I know you like Hill-style (me too) and your bow carries that banner well.  Hope you enjoy it.

Very nice bow!  

Nice bow.  I spent a decade hunting with a slow poke.  It was a custom HH stringfollow.  Did ya ever think about building a HH style string follow  

rusty

Trashwood... my Hill bow form has a lot of reflex to is (see pix above of the Kramer Hill... same thing).  Anyway, I've tried to get Craig to put some real string follow into a bow, but it always came out quite minimal.   I'm thinking about doing a "limb layup only" on my form, then flipping it and lamming the riser on the back afterwards, so that the reflex became string follow.  I've had two straight Hills built that way and my first flatbow, the one I built with JD, is that way, so I know it's feasible.

Dick - I have made several string follow bows using the tradtional japanese building process.  ya get your lams prepared, put the glue on, warp the bow in stout card, a warp about every 2", then drive bamboo wedges between the back and the stout cord.  bow bow will bend away from the wedges.  you can control the amount of string fellow by how tight you drive the wedges betwen the cord and back.

rusty

very nice !  

Nicely done Dick.

Sweet bow Dick, your a man of many talents  

       

Real good looking work there Dick nice job.bd

Dick,

Nice job!!  Try some bamboo or actionboo in the next one and you'll see better performance.

Mike

Dick, that's a good lookin' bow for sure. Congrats on your effort.

You may call yourself an 'old duffer' sir,but the kid in you has a lot of fun left in him.

Your bow is beautiful!

Well done  

Very nice bow Dick, and an incredible website as well!  Wow!  I could spend a lot of time browsing around on that and will surely go back to read some more facinating stories.  You've lived quite a life!

Great job Dick!  Now go build another.  

Very Nice!!!    


Bill