HH bug got me ... Part One!

[Mudd]

Sounds like a jewel in the making.

It's been one of those nights where sleep is evading me.

The knee is making sure that even if I thought about it(which I haven't..lol).. well let's just say it's not gonna happen most likely unless I break down and take a real pain killer pill.
I actually hate taking those, they just about wipe my slate clean.

Thanks for taking your time to tell me all about what you've ordered.

God bless,Mudd

[Tique]

I'd like to know who did the "hinge" on Westbrooks bow too. When I ordered my Tembo I wanted a 2 piece but since I don't like the sleeve design I ordered a 1 piece. Having the option to retro-fit a "hinge" later would be nice.

[Bent Rig]

Do the 2 pieces on that "connexion" hinge come apart - like a quick hook connect hinge or just hinge back on itself ?

[Mudd]

Are there more than a couple of designs of hardware for making two piece takedowns.

The one that was on my BW wasn't either the sleeve nor the hinge but I don't know the name.

God bless,Mudd

[SpankyNeal]

Westbrook's bow is a Northern Mist. Steve uses the hinge exclusively and it's a good design! It comes apart into two pieces for transport unlike the GN hinge that does not. I owned a Liberty Contender with the hinge and liked it very much! There are some other systems like the bow bolt, and some that require tools to assemble, but some of them are also not compatible with the narrow Hill risers.

[Rob DiStefano]

for me, the best 2pc hinge is still the connexion, as on my 'hawks.  

a t/d sleeved 68" hill wouldn't fit into my coleman 36" luggage. but a connexion 68" hill would just fit.  maybe i just need to cut up a hill and do it myself ... to a tembo bow blank.

[WESTBROOK]

Kens right, its a Northern Mist Classic, Steve put the hinge in it when it was built. The overlays on the front of the riser
(normally not on a Classic) allow the hinge to appear flush. I could not even feel it there. This was my absolute favorite bow to shoot, it seemed I could do no wrong with it.

BUT..It made a  "clap" noise at the time of the shot, which turned out to be the handle opening and closing real quick(as you would open it to take it apart). The hinge was installed properly, operateted smoothly with ZERO slop. I tried every thing I could think of to put between the handles, leather, cork, gasket material..It all worked for a little while but always came back.

I attribute the noise to nothing other that a combination of a 30" draw, limb mass of a 68" Hill style bow and low tension at brace height of a Hill style bow. Your bending alot of wood on a 68" Hill bow with a 30" draw, with all that energy moving forward and coming to an abrupt stop, the low brace tension was allowing the handle to open up. And yes, I shoot heavy arrows, that all I got. I could also draw the bow 3-4" and dry fire and make the same noise.

In no way what so ever do I question Steves wormanship or methods, he's done alot of these with no issue, If he suspected anything he would have fixed it without hesitation. I just dont think the hinge is best suited for this (my)scenario.

But anyway, thats my story. I was ready to put a 3" deck screw through the handle and make it a 1 piece, it shot so well.

Eric

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally posted by WESTBROOK:
... I was ready to put a 3" deck screw through the handle and make it a 1 piece, it shot so well.

Eric

yep, that's an easy, quick fix - and still have it function as a viable t/d.  why not just do it?  recess for a small allen bolt and make that the last part of the t/d assembly function.  that's what i'd do, for sure.

interesting...and a bit disappointing.

An "extra bolt" would not bother me a bit for the convenience of the system.  I just can't imagine a good way/place to put the bolt without turning the bow into a cobble job.

I don't think it would be a difficult installation but it would be nice to do it as a part of the build like Eric said.

[Rob DiStefano]

for an experienced woodworker, not all that difficult to accomplish.  drill a 5/16" forstner bit hole from just below the bottom of the handle, where the leather grip meets the riser, at about a 15deg angle for about 1/2" to 5/8".  into that hole drill a 1/8" hole to connect the two halves of the riser.  tap the wood for a long allen bolt screw thread.  wick in thin cya to harden the wood threads - allow to thoroughly harden.  wax the bolt and screw it in.  or just use a dry wall screw - the forstner bit recess covers the screw head.

[Tique]

maybe i just need to cut up a hill and do it myself ... to a tembo bow blank.

Go ahead Rob, practice on your blank. When your done and have the technique mastered, I'll send my Tembo to you for the conversion.

[Ricker]

I ordered a Northern Mist Shelton at the Kazoo show and Steve is going to do a socket type take down for me.  I ordered it 65#@28 66" long.  I recently picked up a 57 pounder with the same specs on the classifieds and I really like it, but I would like more pounds and the ability to break it down so that one will have to go pretty soon.
Steve said he has done the socket type before but has mostly done the connection hinges.  Me personally, I much prefer the socket to anything I have ever used or shot.  If you weren't told it was there I doubt a person could tell by merely looking at the bow.

Rick, when you say "socket" is that the same thing as a "sleeve" - where the lower half of the bow is pushed into the upper half..??

[Ricker]

Tony,
It is the style Black Widow, Big Jim and Abe Penner at Cari-Bow builds....Nate Steele is doing them at Bama Bow and also Jack Harrison.  To answer your question, yes it slips together in the middle.
Very nice as it leaves the bow looking exactly like a one piece more so than the brass sleeve and I think it looks much cleaner.  The bowyer can also easily make any type of grip you prefer vs. a broomstick style that most get with a sleeve.

[Greg Skinner]

I've been following this thread since its beginning and have a few comments regarding several of the topics discussed.  

First of all about the bow blank and the connexion hinge.  In my opinion the HH blank is really the route to go.  I did my first one about 9 years ago on a 66" Cheetah blank.  There had been a thread on another forum in which someone had installed the hinge on his Wesley Special, so I decided to try it on the blank.  It turned out great and wasn't that tough to do, nor was the finishing of the blank itself.  I felt the advantage of doing it myself was that I could shape the handle exactly the way I wanted it.  I never had any trouble whatsoever with the hinge system and it was one of my favorite bows - it was about 53# @27" - too bad it got burned in a house fire 6 years ago.

After I lost that bow and the shop with which to build another, I ordered a HalfBreed from Craig, finished with a small sleeve.  I ordered it 53#@27".  Unlike Rob's experience, when I checked it on my scale it checked at 49# @ 27", which was a little lighter than I wanted.  

So, when I ordered my Tembo blank a couple of years ago I figured to get a final weight of 53-54 # I should order a couple pounds over.  So I ordered a 66" Tembo with the carbon strip on the back covered with black glass to be 56# @27".  The blank came to me marked 56# + 5.  When I checked it, sure enough it was 61# on the money.  I did alot of sanding to get it down to 57#, which was about the most I wanted to pull. I went ahead and finished it, using the Massey epoxy wipe-on finish, which, incidentally was easy to apply, is extremely tough and has proven to be a great finish.

I have been shooting that bow for two years, now, and it is hands down my favorite bow.  The only downside is it is not a TD.  So I am chomping at the bit to order another blank with which to create a TD.  I purchased a Hinge when I got that blank, but I didn't have all the equipment to install it, so I just finished that blank as a one-piece. Also, when Craig roughed out the handle he rounded the back a little too much for the width of the Hinge.  If you think you want to try the Hinge I would recommend telling Craig to leave the back side of the handle square so you have plenty of width for the Hinge.

I really like the shooting characteristics of the Tembo with the carbon and black glass.  It seems a bit snappier and faster with that set up, but the new one I order will be with either lamboo or the carmelized bamboo.

This has been a great thread and very informative.  The other area of discussion covered on previous pages was the relationship between bow length and draw length.  My draw length is right at 26 1/2 and the 66" length has been great for me.  The 68" Cheetah I got from Mudd in a trade (it is marked 60#@28" but measures 53# @27")is a very smooth shooter but I definitely notice more thump at the shot than with my Tembo. It is an older model with more back set than what Craig is using now - at least it has more than my Tembo.  Also, it feels as though I'm not getting as much out of that length of bow at my draw length as I do with the 66". I've never tried a 64" and would like to, but don't want to buy one at that length in case I don't like it.

I have some pics of the Tembo I finished but never could figure out how to post them.  I'd be glad to e-mail to someone if he would be kind enough to post them for me.

Greg, great info.  I am looking at the back of a Craig-finished riser...typically narrow and comfortable.  Take a look at the hinge take-down on the bow that Rob is holding in the pic of his profile.  He did not install it..and I'm sure he has the same thing in mind as you..start from scratch..Rob will do it up right, talented boy he is!

I also learned a metric ton of good stuff here.  This has been a great resource for many.  Interesting about the carbon...does Craig use it and, if so, what is the cost to add it?

[bicster]

I would like to thank everybody for their input on here. I have been shooting a 64" 50@28" HH Longbowman's Choice for 2 years now. I have a 26.5" draw and wanted a 66" straight grip TD bow for some time to try out. After saving my money and reading these threads I found a 66" Shelton that was owned by Okie Man and before that by Mudd. I bought this bow to try out the longer lenghth, straight grip, and string follow characteristics. I absolutely love it. I don't know if it is the grip or the string follow but I seem to be more consistent from day to day with it. Now I know what I would like to order when I get enought cash saved up again.

[Mudd]

You guys are so bad.. for me...lol

Maybe I'm easily swayed but now you've got me thinking about a take-down model.

That can't be good as it means I'll need to find one or have one of mine fixed. (more money gone!)

I thought I was in trouble when I started trying the different grips other than straight and now this.....lol

I love it!!!..lol I doubt I'll run out of new things to try for a very long time.

Thank you folks!!

PS: If any of you know of a miniaturized version of a hill style bow like a Martin "The Stick" you might point me in that direction.
Had one and and now it's memory keeps popping back up. I loved how it shot and felt. "A dwarf Hill style!"

[Rob DiStefano]

the connexion hinge on my 'hawk ...

 

 

 

 

[Rob DiStefano]

another 'hawk with a connexion and a rubber roll-down grip ...