New builder, new bow finished pics page 3...

[Apex Predator]

I've used both for Pressure strips Russ.  If your riser fades are exactly the same every time, then the thicker aluminum is best.  If they vary just a little, then the 1/16" will conform to the changes a little better.

You just have to "creep" up on the final dimensions when you are dealing with wood.  That, and fresh, sharp abrasives.

[Russell S.]

riser block trued up on my drill press spindle sander with homemade fence  turned out 1.40 wide...  drats, might chalk it up as a loss, or maybe i will thicken it up a bit with side lams.  good learning experience, happy to see minimal air bubbles and enough wood left to work with.  better then i expected.

[Russell S.]

went a head and cut a riser,  this might just work!!!  general gun season opens tommorrow,  so i am not sure how much work i will get done on it for the next few weeks,  of course there is only 12 hrs of shooting light a day!

[Russell S.]

i haven't got too much done, just got my box from kenny and am working on some tooling and the form.  here is what i built to true up my riser,  came with in 5 thousands of true.  put a vacuum box and attachment on it.  those machined right angle blocks have come in handy for more projects then any other random part i have ever bought.
 

[Russell S.]

its deer season so i am moving slow... still havent got one..  lots of does and no doe tag.  only seen one small buck, and i saw him from the back as he ran away....  i will have to work on my Indian like skills.
here is a picture of the form.  i wasnt happy with the finish i got on the wood top so i filled it with marine body filler and trued it. it will get a few coats of "epoxy" enamel paint then  lots of wax.  i have made alot of fiberglass molds and mold locked several from undercuts, i am trying to prevent that here.  i used black pant because on molds it is easier to tell if the cloth is wetted out w.o bubbles with a dark background.
 

[Russell S.]

so here is my motivation.  i found a small clearing in the middle of the woods.. it is about a 40 yd circle,  saw lots of scat, some of it not deer.  i decided to set the cam and have a look at what shows up..  in the past 2 weeks i have got more pictures of this guy and a female and cub then of deer.  they always show up between 3 and 5 pm and almost every day...  wouldn't it be glorious for my new bow's first kill to be a lovely bear.  i am keeping this spot in reserve for when my bow is ready.  might not be till spring season but i can wait.  for now i will keep watching them. this spot seems like the prefect set up....  40 yrd circle with a few trees big enough for a stand at 3 points, also there is lots of cover to put on a good stock.
 

[Russell S.]

So no pictures this time but here is the update.  built a 12X20x80 inch oven,  used the cheepest ply would i could find 6$ a sheet, it took alot of bisects and bracing to pull it "square"  bottom is insulated with 3/4" white foam.  the top has a 2 inch air gap and false top. then every thing was lined with sliver bubble wrap stuff so the sides should have an r value of about 6 and the top and bottom over 10.  4 100 watt light bulbs heat the oven over 180F in about 30 mins empty.  i got some walnut and cherry vaneirs and cut them in to lams.  then fited a nasty riser block.  I am baking my test run now.  Lessons learned:
1.  Cheep ply wood is frustrating but usable if you have enough 3/4 left from your mold to build braces.
2.  my wife's cheep walmart plastic fan cant handle heat over about 150F..  that's about where is gave up the ghost.  (she doesnt know yet.)

3)  At 45 degress in my garage smooth on is "solid".

4) after 30 mins in the over at 160 smooth on is not too much more liquid, but mixable.

5) 5 ounces of smooth on is not enough for a 3 lam bow with fiberglass cloth back.  

6) Have all our tools and lots of extra pairs of gloves layed out.  use your dry run not only for fit up, but to consider what tools you will need.  i think i went tru 5 pairs of vinyl gloves...  

thats it for now.  pics once it comes out of the oven.....

[Apex Predator]

Looking forward to the pics Russ!

[Russell S.]

so here are some pictures today has been a day of learning ending in a sore thumb and a broken limb.  it was practice wood so only my feelings (and thumb are hurt)  thats why i did a wet run!!  i really like the color skeem,  think it will be my next bow.
 
here is a pic of the oven
 
bow and form cooling off
 
bow de buggered
 
broken limb.... yea i was playing around bending it a bit...

[Russell S.]

for the record the riser is ipe with maple on the belly side, with a strip of maple in the ipe
the limbs where walnut over cherry.

[Russell S.]

here is a good picture of the riser, i think i am going to try to save it.  i will fill the parts i ground out of the back with bondo,  its all going to be sanded again, or maybe not even fill them.  
 

here you can see how it failed where i glued the center lam together ( i could only get them in 24 in lengths at the hardware store)  
 

hopefully that 20$ saves  my first real bow from failure.

[Russell S.]

well i saved the riser and am gluing up my first real bow now.  sorry no pictures of the glue up,  i am working alone here.  i did have a helper setting up last night. here is a picture of him with the "invention" we build together.
 

[Apex Predator]

He must take after his mother, cause he's a fine looking young man!  

I can hardly wait for the next installment.

[Russell S.]

baked for 5 hrs, cooled for 1 hr (oddly enough it took almost exactly the same time as the roast at i was cooking at 180!),  and its off the form!  fits both ways even, so i guess the form is true.  here are the pictures as i cleaned up the boogers i am giddy.  cant wait to shoot it!! cut it to 68" cause that looked about right, and you can always cut off more, never less. i will mark the center tonight and start sanding to the line.  I don't think i am going to even try with the band saw.

rubber bands and clamp is off!
 

here she is boogers and all!!
   

buggers and tape are off
   


here you can see when i salvaged the riser i left the walnut strips on the fades  gives it a bit more style!
   

[Russell S.]

this is as far as i got last night.  drew center line with a height gage, then checked with the laser.  off to the store this morning to get a 36" flexible ruler.\\


checking the center.
 

[Russell S.]

trapped the limbs this morning did it all on the belt sander took about 2 hrs including clean up. here is the product
 

[Russell S.]

filed small string nocks, went to sporting good store, and no bow strings over 56"  so i will have to order one to take the bow to brace,  i put the stringer on it and bent, feels good..  i did pick up some carbon arrows while i was at the store.

so i have cut the sight window and shaped the riser.  you can see the arrows in the second picture are where it still needs some work.  however it will never look semtric on the bottom because i contoured it to my hand,  just kept picking it up and feeling where it needed more wood removed.  more concerned with a comfortable shooter then something pretty..

you can see the center board in the riser, i guess i used oak, at this point i dont remember, however i dont remember having any oak that thin???
 

 

[kennym]

Lookin good Russ!!  

[Russell S.]

thanks kenny!!  
so here is where i am.  riser is shaped and sanded to 320.  nocks are lightly filed in. time to take the bow to brace but i dont have a string.  sporting goods store doesnt have any 61" strings....  my b-50 hasnt showed up in the mail yet.. what to do.
I have a shark real with 80# Dacron fishing line on it.  i have used Flemish twists for shark fishing in the past, I have a computer and for the first several thousand years of bows there was no b-50. (wife is not happy at this point, says i am going to kill my self with a home made string, so i remind here its what we used to leader those 600# tigers and she calmed down)  so i choose 6 strands figuring it was an over kill. after 3 trys i got a string the right length.  (the fishing line stretches about 1/100 and i kept coming up to way to short).  so here is the bow at brace and the up close of a fishing line bow string.

when i am done i swear i will get the good camera out for pictures
 


you can see the black piece of thread i used to keep track of the bundles.  that is a trick i thought about using with 990# SS wire. (never could find the #E thread back then)  

   

[Russell S.]

here she is getting sprayed, shot her today, little bit heavy but it will work.

the entire bow.
 

the riser
 

the tips
 

once the finish drys i will post some pics of it drawn.