Is it finished?

[TroutGuide]

So this is a 58 1/2" ntn 45@27"  Osage bendy handle that has tip overlays and a little flip.
 
 
 
As you can see the bottom limb has more reflex  and the top limb is taking a little set due to leaving the bottom limb too strong and going to full draw.  I weakened the bottom limb and it seems to be better but I am not sure if there is more to be done or if I should just leave it. I was shooting for 45# and it is right on. It shoots well and is quiet and feels good. I really hope it will be fine the way it is bc I want to hunt with it this fall. But if there are problems that are going to get worse, things that just need to be fixed, or anything that will make a big difference please let me know. This will be the first I have made that didn't brake or turn out light. So what do ya think?

[Roy from Pa]

It looks very nice.

[TroutGuide]

Thanks. Anyone else want to chime in before I start applying finish?

[John Scifres]

I think I'd give that upper limb a few scrapes from midlimb out.  Does it have much handshock?

[TroutGuide]

It didn't before the last scraping session to weaken the lower limb. I have not shot it today. It was raining. I see what you are talking about on the upper limb. I do not want to lose more weight but I may hit it just a little.  

I just figured out photobucket on my I phone or I would have asked along the way.  Get ready for  the next on bc I am going to be posting every step. I made it this far by reading you guys posts so thanks!

[TroutGuide]

A couple pics of the tips. I did scrape a little bit on that outer limb. Don't see much difference but I am going to leave it alone if you guys think it will be okay just for a hunting bow. I will strive for more perfection in the future but for now I only care that I can hunt with it this fall. I am shooting very well with it already so once I get a handle on it and get arrows perfectly tuned I think I will be good. I will post pics when I get it finished.
 
 

[George Tsoukalas]

It looks good. It has bit more bending in the handle (can be shocky) that I like but everyone is different. Jawge

[TroutGuide]

Too late now. I do think I should have left the handle a little thicker,  but I'm learning. I felt it bend too much right after I overdid it.   Thanks for the input.

[Pat B]

She looks pretty good. I agree with John that a bit more off the mid to outter uppe limb.
 I leave the handle area thick when building bendy handle bows and bring the bend back into the handle at the last.

[TroutGuide]

I will work on that upper a little more. Do you think I can get that outside bending more without loosing weight?  Not sure how that will play out. Will I need to hit the entire bottom limb to match or can I just get that outer bit bending and the whole limb will work together better.   Like I said before this is my first bow to get close to weight and hold together.

As for the handle I did save it for the "last" but I was not as close as I thought. It only really bends at the end of the draw but I can feel it flex ever so slightly.

[John Scifres]

I would be surprised if you lost much weight.  A well tillered bow is more efficient and puts its weight to better use so, in the end, a couple pounds of weight will not matter much.

I love the tips.  You could probably get away with narrowing that shoulder even a little more.  I think I'd go a little straight in the taper from the full width at 9" or so to the point where your overlays start.

That's gonna be a killer bow.  If you need to bump the weight up, it's a perfect candidate for sinew IMO.  But it'll certainly shoot through those skinny Texas deer as it is  

[TroutGuide]

Thanks John. This was inspired by your posts back when I first started working on this stave. Hopefully I can finish it out and kill something with it in a few weeks.

 http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=125;t=008693;p=1

[John Scifres]

I remember.

[Buemaker]

Looking  good. Bue--.

[TroutGuide]

I narrowed the transition at the tips and scraped a bit on the top limb(need more?).  I didn't realize how much hand shock there was, much better now. Probably not perfect but it shoots nice, still 45@27. Here it is now.
   
   
Pictures by my 5yo on an iPhone so bear with me.

[TroutGuide]

Okay trying to get this put together for hunting season and I will finish it tomorrow with helmsman spar urethane unless someone convinces me otherwise, going to Lowes before lunch tomorrow. Mostly the reason for my post though is to ask if I can and should use a modern string on this bow?  The tip overlays are very thick ringed Osage they have a sliver of a ring on the outside but are basically one solid ring. Will they stand up to FF, D97,or....? Thinking of ordering a couple spools to make a string if it will work.

[John Scifres]

That'll do