Looking for a BBO build along

[recurvericky]

I know there is one on this site, but I can not find it. I am looking for a BBO build along if anyone knows of a good one.

[tenbrook]

http://poorfolkbows.com/ipe1.htm

same info applies for BBO.

Make it 1.75"-1.5" at the fades.

[Dmaxshawn]

Look in the build a longs section or the how too section.  Theres plenty in there.   Tenbrook has the materials you need also.  

Shawn

[Eric Krewson]

Yikes! 1.5" to 1.75" wide, that's a boat paddle.

I have never made a BBO over 1 1/4" wide with several closer to 1 1/8" wide. I have probably made 50 or 60 BBOs.

Bamboo lets you make a narrow bow with minimum limb mass, thats the beauty of the stuff.

If you make your bow too wide you will end up with what I call an osage belly bamboo bow with very little osage on the belly. Narrower, you will have plenty of osage on the belly and end up with an bamboo backed osage bow.

[tenbrook]

I usually go 1.5" but figured I would suggest 1.75" as this is what they suggest for width in the TBB III Bamboo Backed Osage chapter.  If it works for Mike over at Dryad can't be all that bad.  He sure seems to know BBO better then most people....At least the TBB people think so.

Thanks

Tenbrook

[J.F. Miller]

I agree 100% with Eric. I've made nearly 100 bamboo backed osage bows, and I would not make one over 1 1/4" wide. there is no virtue in doing so unless you are trying to make an extremely short bow. for bows in the 60-66" range, narrower design will maximize the potential of bamboo and osage.

[PEARL DRUMS]

I make them 1.125" at the widest. The core gets way too thin when I get too wide. Mike does some serious fasseting (sp?) on his bows that will allow a wider bow with some meat left over in the core at the end. If you decide to go wider be sure to use at least 1/4" fassets. I build mine with just a slightly round edge and not fasseted, hence the 1.125 max width.

[Roy from Pa]

66 inch bow with equal length limbs, 1 1/4 wide at flares, I hold the 1 1/4 width out 6 more inches, then straight taper to 1/2 wide at the tips. I also taper the belly wood from 1/2 thick at the handle to 3/8th at the tips. Taper the boo from 1/8th thick at center of handle to 1/16th at tips. I then induce  deflex and  reflex at glue up. I use a 3 3/4 inch high  post in the center of the handle, I place my 2 3/4 inch high mid limb posts at 15 inches in from end of limbs and use a 5 inch high end limb post. I string the boo centered on the Osage board and while clamped straight, I glue on thin pieces of wood to hold the boo when being glued up. Pad the back of boo and belly wood with something so the clamps don't indent either. I don't facet the back of the bow, only the belly.

I flip the tips starting 7 inches from end of tip 1 1/2 high before glue up.

   

   

Glued up.

   

   

Glue handle on after glue drys 24 hours, then cut out the bow when handle is dry.

   

[Roy from Pa]

End result.

 

 

[recurvericky]

Thanks for the info guys. I am building this one for my daughter. I am shooting for a 60 bow, 35lbs @ 28 inches. Yes, that is her actual draw length. She is 5'10". If I go with a 1 1/4 inch with, formula for be for the limb thickness and tapers?

[rainman]

For 35 lbs I would start with a width of 1 inch, and a thickness on the core of not more than 3/8ths.

[Eric Krewson]

For that low draw weight I would make the bow 1 1/8", 7/16" thick core at the fades dropped 1/16" every 6" down toward the tips until you get to 1/4" then hold that side thickness to the tips, somewhat rounded belly.

Hard to explain what I mean but I have a 7/16" measurement on the side of the core but rasp the wood to a pyramid shape at the middle of the limb to make my facets. My 1/4" mark at the tips will actually be only a side measurement with the osage tips as much as 1/2" thick when I first start. I Like to have a bunch of wood to work with when I start a bow.

The key here is to get your bamboo very thin or you will have trouble getting the weight off. Make every edge on your bamboo 1/16" and you will have it right.

On the bow width thing; Experience always speaks louder than observation. The TBB guys put out a good bit of questionable information but were the only game in town for info hungry guys like myself.

I have since found out through experience that the procedures in the bibles aren't the only way or even the best way to do things.

[Roy from Pa]

Eric your last sentence says a lot. TBB is a fine read, but many improvements have occurred since they were written.

[PEARL DRUMS]

I agree. I made that same statement a while back and got mugged by the faithfuls.