Customizing A Handle and Shelf On A Longbow

[ChristopherO]

I thought I would share with you a project I've been meaning to do for sometime.  Last summer I practiced with a Martin Pioneer Reflex Longbow exclusively.  It was factory equipted with a rather large Howard Hill style straight grip and a flat shelf.  I don't mind a HH straigh grip normally but this one is much deeper than those I build into the wooden bows I've made.  Having small hands I enjoy an inch and a half deep grip.  Less is nice, too.  This particular grip was over the 2" mark with the leather grip wrap.  The picture below explains it best:
   

This is after I removed the leather wrap.

Having never made a bow with a locator grip I decided this is the time to do just that.  
   

Starting out on the bandsaw the first cuts were made.

Using the spindle sander in my drill press the cut was cleaned and pronounced to fit the design intended for this project's final product.
   
This particular bow has a one piece walnut handle but the 3 maple laminations were full length as well as the fiberglass laminate on the back so I knew it could take the removal of quite a bit of wood.

Flat shelves looks so factory production line to me and don't promote the cleanest arrow flight, either, IMHO.  This particular bow, and me, needed the arrows to rest on the very front of the shelf's edge, or should I say at the back of the bow, to achieve good arrow flight.  This needed remedied.  While I was making sawdust it might as well be reshaped, too.  
     http://i608.photobucket.com/albums/tt167/WoodenBows/FG%20Longbow%20Custom%20Handle/RoundingtheSelf.jpg
As mentioned above, having made a number of wooden bows the use of a file isn't so intimidating.  I will note that after this picture was taken a piece of aluminum coil stock was placed over the strike area to keep the file's edge from cutting in to the window any deeper.  

Once the shaping was to my liking the Porter Cable oscilating sander was employed to pretty the wood and fiberglass up.
  http://i608.photobucket.com/albums/tt167/WoodenBows/FG%20Longbow%20Custom%20Handle/Sandingthegrip.jpg  
OK, now is the time to see if this is a better way to hold this bow.  With some arrows I took it to the haybale before final sanding and topcoat.
  http://i608.photobucket.com/albums/tt167/WoodenBows/FG%20Longbow%20Custom%20Handle/UnfinishedTrialRun.jpg  
I wish I always shot this well at 18 yards!
It seems to have tamed the kick in the hand a bit, too.

This is the finished grip and shelf after applying the SparUrethaine, strikeplate and velcroe.  I left it naked for now but may add an innertube grip cover before hunting season.
   http://i608.photobucket.com/albums/tt167/WoodenBows/FG%20Longbow%20Custom%20Handle/FinishedHandleStrikeplateandShelf.jpg  

I confess that I like it better than the original grip shape.  At 1 3/8" deep it fits my hand with much satisfaction.  
This was started at 6:30 am on Saturday morning (woke up thinking about this project) and all the wood work was done by 8:30 or 9:00 am.  What took the longest was sanding the whole bow down to refinish.  Once the grip was complete the rest of the bow requested a cleaning up.  
If you've ever wanted a change don't be afraid to give it a try.

[shortstroke 91]

Did something similar on my Tomahawk, narrowed the top and brought the deepest part in another1/4 inch. Having small hands I can't explain how much better it feels and how much more I enjoy shooting the bow.

[joekeith]

Good job    she looks alot nicer now.

[Jesse Peltan]

Looks much nicer, but I would bring the contact point to directly above the deepest part of the grip. Tuning will be much easier. When I reshaped my shelf my nock height went for 1.5in high to 3/8in high, and when I did the same thing to the sight window I could shoot a much larger spine range. There was a thread on stickbow.com called 57in centershot recurve that shows shaping it. I don't know how to post pictures on here but you could check out acs bows they have some pictures of it in the tuning section.

[Apex Predator]

Great job!  A lot of folks needed to see this one.

[ChristopherO]

Jesse,
I had that in mind when filing away the shelf edges but went for the asthetics of a centered shelf than one more pronounced to the belly.  The arrows sit much closer than they ever did before and I am happy with the way they fly and the way it looks, too.

Marty, you've been a big inspiration to my bow working plans.  Your Apex Predator bows have a very appealing design to them.