The "So You Wanna Build a Bow?" Build-Along

[walrii]

I got two red oak boards today...

I have thickness planer.  Instead of cutting the limbs down to 15/32" after glueing on the riser, can I plane the board to 15/32" at the beginning then glue on a slightly thicker riser and feather it into the limbs like you did the recurve blocks on the tips?  Obviously, I'd only plane on the the belly side.

Thanks.

[4est trekker]

walrii: nope, bad idea.  You want the joint between the bow and the  riser block to be in the neutral plane (i.e. non-bending cross- section of the limb).  When you go to bend the bow it will try to flex in the handle region.  You're riser won't, and will thus pop off.  You might try and do several thin laminations instead of a solid riser block, but that's more work and time than just cutting the limb thickness after glueing on the block.

[fish n chicks]

Originally posted by 4est trekker:
walrii: nope, bad idea.  You want the joint between the bow and the  riser block to be in the neutral plane (i.e. non-bending cross- section of the limb).  When you go to bend the bow it will try to flex in the handle region.  You're riser won't, and will thus pop off.  You might try and do several thin laminations instead of a solid riser block, but that's more work and time than just cutting the limb thickness after glueing on the block.

Your explanation is the whole reason I have not done the same thing myself. However, I have on the bench an idea that'll hopefully prove effective. I basically took the board to my table saw loaded with a dadoe blade (I use stacks, not wobbles) adjusted to 1/4" high. The dadoe's width doesn't wuite matter. So what I did was mark where my riser fades would begin, and trimmed from my bow's tips, to the riser, but stopping before where i'd glue on my riser. Now I don't have so much work to do on the band saw. Reason being is my p.o.s. craftsman is not good for resawing AT ALL. Saving my chips for a grizzly ultimate isn't easy but it has begun baby!

This pic describes what i'm talking about... somewhat. This is post shaving and glue-up. I'm going with a little purpleheart in the riser and the recurve tips. Hope this helps some with thickness issues.

 

[walrii]

Thanks for the reply 4est.  I did finally finish reading this entire thread and found where you'd answered this question earlier.

I have a question about tillering trees.  How do the guys who put a pulley at the bottom so they can stand back and watch from a safe distance hold the bow at a particular draw length so they can study the limbs and decide where to make the next adjustments?  I've looked at several pictures on the web and can't see any pegs or attachments to hold the string in place on these style tillering trees.

[fish n chicks]

Originally posted by walrii:
Thanks for the reply 4est.  I did finally finish reading this entire thread and found where you'd answered this question earlier.

I have a question about tillering trees.  How do the guys who put a pulley at the bottom so they can stand back and watch from a safe distance hold the bow at a particular draw length so they can study the limbs and decide where to make the next adjustments?  I've looked at several pictures on the web and can't see any pegs or attachments to hold the string in place on these style tillering trees.

I used a cleat (like you'd see on boats) that I got from meijer. A simple $3 rope cleat screwed to the front of the tree's base.

[4est trekker]

walrii:  You hook the rope to the bowstring (using a d-ring, caribiner, etc.), run the rope down through the pulley, and then pull on the other end to flex the bow (attach a simple handle, loop, etc. to the end of the rope).  The point of the pulley set-up is to NOT hold the limbs at flex.  A tillering stick is pretty hard on a bow in that the bow is drawn and held for long periods of time, which can induce undue set.  A tillering tree with a pulley affixed allows you to pull the bow, study it, and immediately let off.  Also, you can watch the limbs work, something that's critically important and that is impossible with a tillering stick.  Hope this helps.

[cpk86]

hey 4est trekker.  I sent you a pm.  Desperately need help haha.

[nayand]

what size of  string did you put on yours?

[walrii]

How about if I mount a pulley-style tillering tree upside down?  I clamp the bow, back facing down, about waist high then put a pulley at the top and pull out and down on the rope, flexing the bow tips up.  I study the tiller, release the tension then scrape the limbs still clamped to the tiller tree.  Go back to the rope and repeat as necessary.  Is there a good reason the bow tips go down on a tillering tree and not up?

Thanks for all the advice - I get insatiably curious when I start a new project.

[4est trekker]

Hmmm....good thought, and good question.  Give it a shot and let us know how it works out.

[cpk86]

A friend and I are working on this together.
We are (trying to) follow this build-a-long to the tee!
This is a first for both of us and it's a blast!

Here's what we have so far...

   

   

   

We are going to start the tillering tomorrow morning (hopefully...haha).

Also, big thanks to 4est!  I've been constantly bombarding him with questions and he's been a great help!
Thanks buddy!

[4est trekker]

Looking good!  By my count it appears you went through 10 bottles of beer getting that thing glued up.  Hope you let that settle before you cut it out!    

[cpk86]

haha

My buddy makes mead and uses old beer bottles sometimes when he bottles it.

We did add to the pile a bit though  


Also,

What's the best way to use a rasp like the one I have?  I have been using it by scraping with the grain and feel like it doesn't do much at all.  Is there a better way or is this just real slow goin?

[4est trekker]

With that Sureform rasp you have to pull with the grain but with the rasp tilted at like a 30-45 degree angle.  You'll find the sweet spot where it cuts good.

[cpk86]

Cool.  Thanks, I'll try that

[cpk86]

Here's what we got today:

The tillering tree...
 

...and the shaping of the handle.
 

As far as I could tell, the tiller looked good.  Obviously the left side bends slightly less than the right, but that's what gives you positive tiller, right?  Does that look ok to anybody else?

[walrii]

I'm working on the upsidedown tiller tree.  Life has intervened and it's going slow.  Pictures to follow when I get it built.

I've seen several rule-of-thumb formulas for the minimum bow length as a function of draw length.  What about maximum bow length; is there a rule-of thumb formula for that?

Reason I ask is I found an almost perfect 8-foot red oak 1x2 in Lowes the other day.  Wasn't even shopping for wood, just walked by the oak rack and there it was.  The grain is dead straight the whole length minus the last six inches where there is a gentle curve - and the grain is that way on all four sides.  It looks like it could make a 90" bow with no trouble.

I have a 29 1/2 inch draw and would like to make a 40-45# long bow from this piece.

[walkabout]

90" is pretty long,im not sure how the pyramid styles hold to the rules of thumb but for most people with a 28 inch draw length the general consensus is 65" for longbows. i build from 1x2's and unless i build a bend through handle i shoot for 65" and even up to 72" my last bow is a bend through handle, 61 overall and it pulls 50#@27", so you should be able to get a 45# bow from a great piece of wood.

[TREESLEEPER]

Thanks 4est for the build along. Very informative. I want to build one too!

[jackthepointer]

I've got two started,if all goes well I'll post pics.My lust is to kill a deer with home made bow,arrows.Maybe 4est can show me how to make the arrows