Well, after months of working and trying, I have finally finished my first real bow. I'm putting the last coats of finish on it and I'll wrap everything up this weekend.
I cannot tell you how good I feel right now. I'm not a patient man, and the time and effort that I put into this project has been overwhelming at times. I've broken 2 bows to get to this one, both times I was moving way too fast and trying to do way too much with the bow too soon. The bow is NOT perfect...everything (including the tiller) could be better, but it shoots so well and I feel so satisfied knowing that I was able to succeed on this last attempt.
I wanted to take a moment to say thanks to all of you for the help and insight. I've visited this site countless times over the past few months and have learned so much from all of you.
The bow is 60" ntn and is 44# at my draw length of 27". It's made from a red oak board and the riser is laminated quartersawn white oak and brazilian walnut. I also added rattlesnake skins to the back and they turned out fantastic! I finished it all off with 5 coats of tru-oil and now am adding the Helmsman Spar. I'll be adding a grip and plate/shelf this weekend.
I don't know what it is, but I just can't stop looking at this thing. I stared at it for 30 minutes straight last night...just watching the finish dry. I've always been handy and have done lots of woodwork in the past, but something about building this bow has me captivated. I've heard many of you talk about the "addiction"...and unfortunately, I think I've got it.
Some things I've learned....
1. Flipping the tips is a good idea. The bow was straight to begin with and now has about 1.5 inches of set. Not the end of the world by any means, but I'll do it different next time.
2. Skins aren't hard! I probably put 20 hours into researching it...worried that I'd screw up my bow. I finally just did it and it was pretty simple. Now I'm looking at everything in my shop looking for more stuff to put skins on.
3. I shortened the bottom limb by 1 inch in an attempt to even out my tiller. My arrow shelf is cut 1 inch above the center of the bow. I'm not sure that this is the best way to achieve positive tiller, but the bow is extremely light, dead quiet and no hand shock to speak of...so I guess it worked out.
4. Don't shape the handle or the tips until the tillering is done!! This one could've saved me lots of time.
Anyway, I'm rambling. Thanks again to everyone on this site who has helped. I'll post pics this weekend.
Brian
Topic: Feeling Blessed! (Read 344 times)
