I thought I would share with you a project I've been meaning to do for sometime. Last summer I practiced with a Martin Pioneer Reflex Longbow exclusively. It was factory equipted with a rather large Howard Hill style straight grip and a flat shelf. I don't mind a HH straigh grip normally but this one is much deeper than those I build into the wooden bows I've made. Having small hands I enjoy an inch and a half deep grip. Less is nice, too. This particular grip was over the 2" mark with the leather grip wrap. The picture below explains it best:
This is after I removed the leather wrap.
Having never made a bow with a locator grip I decided this is the time to do just that.
Starting out on the bandsaw the first cuts were made.
Using the spindle sander in my drill press the cut was cleaned and pronounced to fit the design intended for this project's final product.
This particular bow has a one piece walnut handle but the 3 maple laminations were full length as well as the fiberglass laminate on the back so I knew it could take the removal of quite a bit of wood.
Flat shelves looks so factory production line to me and don't promote the cleanest arrow flight, either, IMHO. This particular bow, and me, needed the arrows to rest on the very front of the shelf's edge, or should I say at the back of the bow, to achieve good arrow flight. This needed remedied. While I was making sawdust it might as well be reshaped, too.
http://i608.photobucket.com/albums/tt167/WoodenBows/FG%20Longbow%20Custom%20Handle/RoundingtheSelf.jpg As mentioned above, having made a number of wooden bows the use of a file isn't so intimidating. I will note that after this picture was taken a piece of aluminum coil stock was placed over the strike area to keep the file's edge from cutting in to the window any deeper.
Once the shaping was to my liking the Porter Cable oscilating sander was employed to pretty the wood and fiberglass up.
http://i608.photobucket.com/albums/tt167/WoodenBows/FG%20Longbow%20Custom%20Handle/Sandingthegrip.jpg OK, now is the time to see if this is a better way to hold this bow. With some arrows I took it to the haybale before final sanding and topcoat.
http://i608.photobucket.com/albums/tt167/WoodenBows/FG%20Longbow%20Custom%20Handle/UnfinishedTrialRun.jpg I wish I always shot this well at 18 yards!
It seems to have tamed the kick in the hand a bit, too.
This is the finished grip and shelf after applying the SparUrethaine, strikeplate and velcroe. I left it naked for now but may add an innertube grip cover before hunting season.
http://i608.photobucket.com/albums/tt167/WoodenBows/FG%20Longbow%20Custom%20Handle/FinishedHandleStrikeplateandShelf.jpg I confess that I like it better than the original grip shape. At 1 3/8" deep it fits my hand with much satisfaction.
This was started at 6:30 am on Saturday morning (woke up thinking about this project) and all the wood work was done by 8:30 or 9:00 am. What took the longest was sanding the whole bow down to refinish. Once the grip was complete the rest of the bow requested a cleaning up.
If you've ever wanted a change don't be afraid to give it a try.
Topic: Customizing A Handle and Shelf On A Longbow (Read 533 times)
