My Next Bow - BBI (Completion Pics 09/29/08)

[JEFF B]

cool uncle bernie cant wait to see it.

[ber643]

Here 'tis:

Some judicious scraping and sanding on the edges and belly of the mid-limbs and tips today brought the limbs into what looks like a pretty nice curve to me. The bow is still pretty strong though, and I haven't been able to get a regular string on it just yet. I'll probably let it rest over night now, and see how it acts in the AM. (I'm getting anxious for the regular string and some short-draw shooting of it - LOL)


 

[JEFF B]

wow!!! that is one nice bow uncle bernie you are doing a fine job. as for me iam stock piling wood.  

[Dano]

Lookin good at this stage ol' brother.

[chrisg]

Hi Bernie, not been 'attending class' lately! But I got a note.. You have got a nice bend there and so easily it seems. The trick is to go slow and check often I think. I have been wrestling a self bow out of a mulberry tree using rasp, spokeshave and plenty of effort! NO pics though. Nearly up to long string.
We do have some very good timber merchants here and like everywhere transportation costs are pushing prices up fast, so stockpile if you can!Landscaping trees are a source too, our local trees have good potential, especially for handles and tips. The good ones for limbs don't grow near me, all down the eastern Cape. I also taught skills, (not military!) it's fun.
chrisg

[ber643]

Thanks for the look-sees and comments guys. Good luck with the Mulberry bow.

I've been looking at the pic again this AM and I think I can still see a little curve being asked for in the top limb, at mid limb - but we'll see. Gonna take some more off the edges (both limbs, mid point out to tip) to try to cut down her weight a little bit, so I can get the "real" string on her. Also plan to start shaping the ends of the handle a little, if I get a chance today.

[ber643]

Well, things were going really great with this bow. Except as previously stated it just seemed to hate to give up much of any of it's weight for my scraping and sanding efforts. Since I tend to work slow and methodical, that didn't bother me too much. I just kept nibbling away at it in passes of ten, down to five, "paths" across the width of the belly (each limb), and only 3 "swipes" on the edges when decreasing there. I was fat, sassy, and happy as a lark, even though it only seemed to be giving up a pound or so at each trip to the tillering tree - and I was wanting to get it into a regular string - but couldn't seem to quite get there.

All of the sudden, day before yesterday, the reticent little rascal made up her mind and gave it all away - like a school girl that decided she'd held out too long - and I almost missed it. Well it got pretty intimidating there for awhile when one limb went straight and the other still held a great curve, and the regular string became an easy fit. I was scurring around in terror like a young tom cat that finally got what he thought he had wanted, and then didn't know what the heck to do about it.

Happily, it all turned out OK whith slow patient caresses and careful administerings, except it did come in a little lighter than I was shooting for (36# @ 25", instead of 40#). It behaves real well, and seems to be taking it's shape pretty good now that I am able to shoot it (a lot). Never did get to do any half-draw shooting (other than a couple tenative try-outs), she pretty much went right to full draw. She was hot to trot, once she made up her mind. I can live with her weight (with the zip and impact she shows), for now -and, if I decide later I want a little more, I can always cut the nocks off, redo them, and be just about right - probably (I think). I am in the process of finishing the bow now. It burnished up real nice (with a glass whale nicknack, and a screwdriver shaft, that I use), after fine sanding, and I think she's gonna be as pretty as all of those California Girls, IMO        

Final pics in a few days, after some coats, or so, of Tru-oil. BTW, her name is "Cowgirl".

[JEFF B]

well uncle bernie i am glad it did not drop to much poundage for ya. but looking at the pics so far it is going to be a sweet shooter.          

[ber643]

Putting the finishing touchs on now and, with any luck, should have compleation pics early this week.

[ber643]

Here are the stats, in one place, and the compleation pics :

Her name is "Cowgirl" and she is a Black Bamboo backed Ipe (BBI) with darker colored Ipe for tip overlays and riser. 67" ntn 36# @ 25", 6" handle, 1 1/2" Fades, 1" wide @ fades, 3/4" wide @ mid-limbs, 3/8" wide at tips. She wears a shaved Sealskin arrow pass and a stacked leather arrow rest, with black leather handle wrap. Right now she is behaving quite well at only 4" brace height but, as soon as I run more arrows with her (and her B50 string), I will increase that to around 5-5 1/2", most likely, as that is my norm with most wood bows, if they like it.

One side @ rest:

 

Other side @ rest:

 

One side @ Brace:

 

Other side @ Brace:

 

Handle:

 

Belly @ brace:

 

Couple of Close-ups of the rest area from Belly side:

 

 

(continued)

[ber643]

Close-up of Tip:

 

Close-up of rest (Stacked and glued leather), and shaved Sealskin arrow pass:

 

Oh, I will post a Full Draw later today, as soon as possible. Today my wife is prepping (for a Colonoscopy tomorrow) and anyone who knows about that (as I too well do) will understand why I have to wait untill she feels free to get far enough away from the "terlet" to take the pics for me -    :D

[Linc]

Lookin good Bernie.     Looks like it will be a sweet shooter.

[ber643]

It really is, Linc ol' buddy, and thank you.

Here are the FD pics. Rose missed the tip a little on the frontal shot but she did pretty good for her "weakened condition" -    :D  :

 

 

[Shaun]

That frontal shot is SCARY!!! You got game face, if'n there had been an arrow on the string I would have ducked! Nice looking bow Bernie.

[JEFF B]

real nice uncle bernie. just as well ya got a lot of bush there so aunty rose dont have to run so far.  :p    :D  tell her i hope every thing goes ok.

[ber643]

Thank you, Shaun and Jeff. Rose doesn't like it when I put an arrow on the string for frontal shots, Shaun -       She also doesn't like bushes much, Jeff   :D  . It is just a precautionary check  - no indications - but she is a cancer survivor so they want to cover all bases, and thanks for the good wishes, Jeff.

[ber643]

I took the Brace height up to 5" on Cowgirl and took her out for a dark of the moon run just now. She likes it fine ( and so do I    

[Doc Nock]

Very cool, Mini-Grunt! You have really taken to this primitive stuff like a duck on a junebug!

Best wishes for the procedure for sweet Rose!

[ber643]

THE PROCEEDURE CAME OUT CLEAN - YES, I'M SHOUTING! Thanks, Doc.

Here is my "Cowgirl" at her new 5" Brace Height - and ready to ride -    

 

[Pluck Yew]

Very nice Bernie....  

Shawn...