Red Oak Board Bow

[Dublin Joe]

Greetings everyone.  I am a new member and already want to thank you for what I've learned here.

This red oak board bow is my third real attempt but the first to put any knowledge to work.  It's from the only suitably-grained 1"x2"x6' the nearest Lowe's had but I got lucky and also found an 8'er which I will cut down for my next bow.

 

I want a target bow with some zip at around 30 yards so I suppose 40# @ 30" is about right.  I draw 29" so the 30" figure is my idea of insurance.

 

 

Now that I've got my photos in place I have a description and a couple of questions for you all.

It's 70 1/4" long with a 5" riser which is 1 3/8" thick by 1 3/16" wide.  After 1" the limbs are 5/8" thick; after 13 1/2" they're 9/16" thick, and the last 19-20" they're 3/8" thick.

The limbs are 1 1/2" wide from the fades out 16" where they taper to 3/4" at the nocks.

In the tillering photo I'm using a long string which is tight but doesn't require any bending to brace.  This string is trot line material and a bit stretchy but I'll be getting a real bowstring and tillering string based on the advice you give... otherwise I'll get a Flemish twist with a loop on one end only.  In the photo it's in the 20" notch on my stick.

My cheap fishing scale says I'm pulling 17# @ 18".

Finally, there's 1/2 - 1" of set in the unstrung bow.

I've not shaped the handle so the bow doesn't fall off the stick but I have a Ray Iles mortising chisel I'll copy for an oval grip which should align the bow, my arm, and the target.

My tillering so far has consisted of removing squiggly pencil marks with my #49 Nicholson rasp then exercising the bow on the stick and repeatedly shooting an arrow.  I've maintained a rectangular cross-section and pretty uniform taper, working the belly, not the sides.  I smooth it a little with a coarse file then re-roundover the edges with sandpaper.

I don't know what I'm doing regarding the draw weight.  It gets hard enough to pull my scale down past 18" that I won't even try to see if it goes higher than that 17#.

I also need feedback RE bracing the bugger.  Oh, I'm getting a stringer as well.

Have I messed up by shooting it before it's even braced?

Given the thicknesses/widths above can I keep tillering and get a bow with some zip at 30 yards?

Thanks in advance and I look forward to reading what y'all have to say about this and all the other stuff here on the Bowyer's Bench.

[walkabout]

yea you want to hold off on the shooting till its atr least finish tillered, thats probably where alot of your set is coming from. if it pulls 17# at 18" of limb movement and the tiller is good id brace it, but first i would round your corners off. splinters will lift easily if theyre left square. keep an eye on your fades, they look a bit short. i usually build mine as long as the handle, so for example a 5 inch handle would have 2 1/2 inch fades at each side.as far as the thickness of the limbs i cant reference right now, but if you brace it after checking the tiller you might be ok. just go slowly and remove only as much material as you need, it sounds like it may be a little light already. good luck and keep us posted.

[George Tsoukalas]

There are buildalongs on my site. Jawge
 http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/

[George Tsoukalas]

Excellent job on that handle. I see it is sitting on top of the board and tapers into the board at the fades. On the limbs, both need more bending mid limb on. Jawge

[Dublin Joe]

Thank you for the encouragement, Jawge.  Your site provided me with some of the info I needed to get it to this point.

I'm going to begin tillering in earnest as the next stage of its development but should I wait until I have a proper string?  Also, with the limbs flexing down the tillering stick about 4-5" isn't it time to brace it low and leave the long string behind?

Thanks again and be warned, I've been bitten by the bowyer bug so no one is safe from my questions.

[George Tsoukalas]

I wouldn't brace until I got mid limb and on bending more. Your going to strain the inner limb area. Jawge

[Dublin Joe]

OK.  I'll post another photo once that's happening.  Thank you, again.

[Dublin Joe]

This one shows more bend; there is a yardstick in the 7" slot so I'm saying there is about 7" of movement in the limbs (at least.)  The long string is tight but there is no brace height yet.

[George Tsoukalas]

Good. I think you have the near handle bow wood bending too much so don't take anymore from there. If she feels about 5# heavier than your target weight at 10 inches of long string movement. Go ahead and brace it at around 2-3 inches from string to back. Jawge

[Rich Evans]

i agree with jawge, if you get that near handle wood bendin too much, you will surely pop it off of there.  have done it several times myself. and you can't go wrong if jawge is guiding the ship either.

[Dublin Joe]

I'll get a proper string and a stringer this weekend while I'm in Houston and brace her low.  Then 3" from handle I'll scrape to refine the bend and extend the draw.

Sound about right?  I don't yet have a scale either, so I'll not worry about weight on this bow, just getting to my 30" draw length with even limbs.

Thank you, Rich.  Jawge, again, thanks.

After the latest tillering my long string exercising was extended out to the 24" slot and putting some arrows through her was way zippier.  Standing at the tillering stick flexing my bow had me feeling like a Bowflex user and I remembered seeing Roy Underhill power his lathe with a single limb bow.  This is a cool form of woodworking, guys.

Joel

[Dublin Joe]

I just had a thought...

To undo the bending too near the handle can I apply a backing to just the central 6" or so?  It could be a strip, not even having to be as wide as the bow.  I could use a dark wood to contrast with the red and white oak and say it was for pizaz.

[Dublin Joe]

OK, guys, tell me whether any of you ever hear red oak bows creak while they're being exercised.

 

[George Tsoukalas]

The creaking could be the handle area. Check it. I can tell you how to pin it with dowels later, if you want. Tiller looks great. Keep working mid limb on. Jawge