First bow completed!

[shreffler]

It’s been 2 months since I started, but I just finished my first bow. Thanks to Kenny M for the supplies and guidance to get started! The R/D shape looks fantastic, and the possibilities for shaping the grip, etc. are endless.

I learned so much this first time around it was unreal. Already have a good idea of what to do/not to do on the second one, but this one shoots fantastic and looks great for my first attempt with very little knowledge of what my buddy and I were doing (he built one too).

I went with 58”, 53# @ 27”, walnut riser with black glass and green phenolic accents. I can’t even describe the feeling of having it finally be completed and the fact that it hasn’t broken yet (knock on wood!) 

Will post pics shortly 

[EvilDogBeast]

Congrats!  It's a hell of a feeling isn't it?

[Forwardhandle]

Congrats ! Looking forward to the pics !

[Bvas]

Congrats!!
But it didn’t happen without pics!!!

[shreffler]

Alright let's see if this will work since it wouldn't work on my mobile. The final coat should be completely dried today, will take her out with the new string for some test spins tomorrow! I've already shot it a bunch and it shoots great. These bows are fast and shoot right where you're pointing!

[shreffler]

The only real hiccups (which is surprising considering we had no idea what we were doing, just following along with Kenny's bow build on his website):

- Accidentally made it 57" nock to nock instead of 58"
- Something slid during glue up or I sanded the riser a little off, because she came out about 2" positive tiller from the oven. I had to sand the limbs a bunch to get them bending and tillered even - probably a good thing I added some weight by going to 57" accidentally!
- I didn't put any wood on the tip overlays, just 3 layers of phenolic. It was really hard to get them shaped evenly...next time I'll definitely do 2 layers of phenolic with a top layer of wood to make shaping easier

Overall the build went pretty smoothly! Can't wait to get the next one glued up!!

[Bvas]

Overall the build went pretty smoothly! Can't wait to get the next one glued up!!

Lol. Welcome to the addiction.

Nicely done

[Forwardhandle]

Very nice glad you posted , I just made my first one to ,and working on my second glass bow ,I'm glad Kenny did that build along , for the form and the build , when I glue this one up I'm slightly modifying the form with a riser hold it was slipping around for me to ,seems to be a comon problem ,but  I aired my hose with a tire pump slowly and could adjust it and got it centered before full pressure.

[shreffler]

Yellowwood, I screwed 4 washers into the form down each side. Just drill a hole in each one and screw onto the form so you can twist it up and then back down. That helped keep the bow centered side to side perfectly, my issue was lams slipping off the Center line and being out of alignment with my riser and glass. The washers really help though, and when you pull the bow out they hammer right off if they get covered in glue.

[Forwardhandle]

I used the warshers also & clamped the riser in place but I was talking about the riser sliding foward as the hose pressure increases when clamps are released , Im making a simple clamping system that will hold the riser stationery while the hose presure increases !

[C. Johnson]

It looks great man!

Funny thing about building a bow, it becomes addictive.  Before long, you'll start having ideas and begin formulating plans to build your own designs.

For me, I like building them even more than I like shooting them.

[C. Johnson]

By the way, where did you find green phenolic?  White, black, tan, and red are all I can ever find.  I'd love to get my hands on some other colors.

[monterey]

You have built a fine bow there.  It so often seems to me that many first time bowyers learn more on their first bow than I learned on the first five!

Craig, I have that same problem of playing and planning and not enough shooting.

I too am interested in sourcing green phenolic.

[shreffler]

Thanks for the kind words guys! It was a process that I severely underestimated how difficult it would be, no doubt. I’ll be making my own design in no time!

Checkout www.alphaknifesupply.com and go to “G10”, they have a ton of different colors in various thicknesses in 11” x 8” sheets, for very cheap. Minimum order amount of $25 though, just so you’re aware.
 

[kennym]

Nice job Alex!! You came out of the 2" tiller very well.  Not sure that came about...  Had to be either a sliding riser or a taper in backward I think.  Usually the tiller is very close if limb width is close.

Great job!! 

[kennym]

"It was really hard to get them shaped evenly...next time I'll definitely do 2 layers of phenolic with a top layer of wood to make shaping easier"

If you pre taper the inner end, it helps a lot.

Then a pc of flexible rasp (emery cloth) worked like a shoeshine on tip evens things up nicely. Stay off the limb glass tho!

[shreffler]

Thanks Kenny, I will definitely do that next time.

Here are some pictures finished. I used a spray indoor/outdoor satin finish Minwax poly and the finish came out extremely nice. Was very happy (and for $8 it did 5 coats on 2 bows with some left over).

[Roy from Pa]

That is very nice..
^5 

[bigbob2]

nice effort! Anyone having trouble with riser moving in form, just drill hole under centerline in lower form and use a zip tie. Can leave it there until you take bow out of hotbox.No more worries about slipping risers.

[YosemiteSam]

Wish my first bow looked like that.

Come to think of it, I wish my last bow looked like that!

Nice job!