My 2nd attempt and it is going to be a challenge!

[KellyG]

Thanks Pat B,
I have done this on that stave you gave me. Now I remember.
I just got back after going out and check on one of my soldier not in my location to see how they were doing. Now that I am I should have came on here first I just laid out the dimensions I am going to cut the bow down to. Good news is I have not cut anything yet, bad news I drew in permanent mark so I could take PICS. Well tomorrow is another day and I will getter done.
Thanks for your help,
Kelly

[KellyG]

Today I used the modified gizmo to correct my center line and relayed out the bow. I even got one side down just outside my lines. I will get the other side down tomorrow. the handel is also down to profile. I will get some pics of the mini test bow and my progress. The good news is there is some flex it the limb so far

[J. Holden]

Happy Thanksgiving Kelly!  Glad you got a chance to do some more work.  Looking forward to seeing some pics!

-Jeremy  

[KellyG]

Ok I got some more done between today and last night. I got it roughed out to at least a shape the resembles a bow. I need to file it down to my lines. I also still need to get a side profile measured out and thin to it. One tip is already at a .25" thick and the other is just a little over .5" . The handle area is around .5". I will probably go down to the .25 across the whole back except the handle and will leave it at eh .5.
Here are some PICs of it thru the process.

Here is just a PIC of one limb with all my mistakes while drawing it on. RED lines are the ones I used.

 

Here is the first limb I got close just to my lines.

 

Here is the handle near where I want it.

 

Here is Pic of one limb cut down and the other still needing to be done.

 

Next  is of me working on a limb to day

 

and yes that is a multipurpose tool I used. That and since it would be for a baby archer, I guess when it is a mine bow it will be named Gerber.

Next is one of the bow near profile.

 

I still have a lot of work. I have measured 1/4" down the side and need to start thinning each limb. To as close as I dare then file down every where to my marks. She should be bending then I hope.  Fill checks with super glue.The tiller to 25lb @ 13.5"  Then try and find a piece on one of the 3 staves and start all over on a much lager one.

Oh do you think if it turns out it would be ok for a 5yr old if I get it down to even less weight. One of my soldiers has a son almost 5, and I think it might be a good for him. We have brown paper here and I thought it might be cool if his dad and I drew on it and slapped it to the back and sent it two him.

Thanks for the help and moral boost,
Kelly

[Stiks-n-Strings]

where there is a will there is a way.

 KellyG. I got your PM on the bow swap and will get ahold of you on it some time.

 Stiks

[KellyG]

Stiks,
will do, Just thought it might be away for to get to enjoy the unknown of it also.

Thanks,
Kelly

[Pat B]

Kelly, When I build a bow I just remove wood from the belly until it bends the way I want it then reduce the weight until I get that where I want it. I generally start at about 3/4" thick(for a full sized bow) at the fade/limb point and reduce from there.
  That bow should be fine for the little one. He might need it with a bit less weight...maybe 15# to 18#@13" to 15".  Be sure to shoot this bow in well before sending it off. Better it breaks with you than the 5yo. Hopefully it won't break for either.

[KellyG]

Thanks,
Pat GI will try and get it exercised up then. While I try and get a bigger one started. I have never made any arrows and here there is a lot of cane. I may try and to make a few cane arrows with bunts or heck I have seen a lot of the nerf bullets here and glue some of them on the end. Any way thinks I am going to get more shaved off  tomorrow and will post more pics of the progress. Once I hit my goal  I will make it lighter.
Thanks Again,
Kelly

[J. Holden]

Thanks for the update KellyG.  It's looking real good.  I think it's a great idea to give it to a five y.o.  What a neat gift to receive from a dad so far away.  That's something to hold on to.  Happy belated Thanksgiving!

-Jeremy  

[KellyG]

Welcome Jeremy it is fun and plus I get a lot of needed help.

No Pics today I worked on thinning one of the limbs trying to get it down to about a 1/4 inch or so. I have one limb almost there slow going with the knife I may try and find a rasp tomorrow. I heard someone might have one in a tool kit. If not I have time. Once I get the limb down to close to 1/4  inch I will post pics. I am getting a little more flex in the limb but know where near enough to even think of a short string. I will also have to get the other limb done and plus cant forget to work on the side profile and file, scrap or sand down to my lines. I hope my next weekend to have her ready for tillering.
thanks,
Kelly

[KellyG]

Ok I have made some progress. I have thinned the limbs enough to put a string on it (long string). I am using the guts of 550 cord (para cord) I think it stretches a lot not sure. I put it on a scale and get 24 lbs at around 10" not sure how much of this is string or bow. I don't think I am getting that much flex out of the bow.
I need to dress up the side profile I should not lose too much weight when doing so. I am only less than 1/8 on either side. Then bend and gizmo the heck out of it. Try to brace 3-4" and get it to 25 lbs at 131/3".
It has not made any noises at all, but I have bent some of this wood to breaking points. It did not make any noise that I heard on the smaller splinters they just broke.
At rest on the Tree (remember this is only 34" long, a mini of the bow I want to make)
 
Pulling about 9.5 inches but I just don't know if I am getting a lot of string stretch. I may have to tie one end of the string off and measure the string; then pull and see how much is has stretched.
 
Here it is on the Scale about 8-10" but again I don't know how much is string stretch.  
 

Well I will not be doing much of the tree until I get the profile done. I have pulled it several times on the tree and on the scale. I think the left is weaker than the right. I know both have a little twist and I think it may be trying to hinge on the right limb at the fade. but hey that is what tillering is for. Feel free and correct me if I am wrong and see something I have not. I know it is not bending very far yet and you can't see a lot from the pic.
Thanks'
Kelly

[Stagmitis]

What variety of cedar is this?

[KellyG]

Stagmitis,
I have not got the foggiest of ideal. I am about 99% sure it is a cedar, buy the needles and smell. It grows over here and a lot of them have died. I found a straight stump that was over 6' with few knots, and now am trying a test mini bow. We will all see if it works out. I am hopeful at this point, as long as I do not get ahead of myself.
I may see if I can get PICs of a live and dead tree and post it heck someone may know what kind this is.
Kelly

[Rattus58]

This might be a really juvenile question, but is any wood going to work for being a bow? You hear of Yew, Osage alot as being the staples of many English and maybe North American Indian and the like, but since you can go to Lowes or Home Depot and buy a pine board.. so to speak, and make a bow out of it, is any wood going to be not good.. individual properties and all taken into account?

Much Aloha....  

[Rattus58]

Originally posted by KellyG:
Stagmitis,
I have not got the foggiest of ideal. I am about 99% sure it is a cedar, buy the needles and smell. It grows over here and a lot of them have died. I found a straight stump that was over 6' with few knots, and now am trying a test mini bow. We will all see if it works out. I am hopeful at this point, as long as I do not get ahead of myself.
I may see if I can get PICs of a live and dead tree and post it heck someone may know what kind this is.
Kelly

I like the grain of this bow of yours... whatever it is....

Aloha...  

[hova]

looks great kelly. a tip for you , over there in the sandbox , is to look for some stainless steel plate. you can fashion a cabinet scraper that will be much more forgiving on your hands . believe me , i used a swiss army knife on my first bow , and it sucked. a scraper can take off a bit of wood , and im pretty sure you can get your hands on an old file over there , and try to find someone with a torch , heat the file up , and bang it into a drawknife.


if i had funds or tools , i would send ya something. all i can send your way is mojo.

Aol Voice "You've got mojo" ....


keep your head down and your spirits high.
-hov

[hova]

and it does look like a hinge at the right fade , but what does it look like unstrung? that almost looks like set.

you using a gizmo or just eyeballing it?

[KellyG]

If I were home I have a few tools need. Harbor freight has some cheap spoke shaves and rasp. I will look around and see if  I can find something to make into a scraper but a file will be harder. I may wait on the full size version until I get back. From R&R in DEC I will send what few tools I have, I have not tried the spoke shave yet. Thanks for the tool thought and the Mojo one can never have enough mojo.
Thanks,
Kelly

[KellyG]

Ok she is a bending. Here are the PICs
First is relaxed
 
about bout 9" measured form the bell to the string.
 
10”  about 23lbs or so right looks stiffer to me and it has some tweist
 
nest are just he limbs at 10"
 

 

nest to show the limb twist on the right limb. It is there relaxed also but not as bad
relaxed
 
Drawn
 
If I have missed something let me know. I think I have noticed all the issues noted but I am just guessing.
Thanks,
Kelly

[KellyG]

oh I am now useing 2 stands of para cord. It does not strech as much and one strand broke. While I was measuring the draw and was about to run my very getto gizmo down the limb. Lucky for me I down look up and not up looking down I shot a but 3' in the air.
I thought I had just broke the bow but I have took more wood off and pulled back futher.