Bow swap build! Board longbow (Finished)

[John Lipinski]

Haha! About time I started this thread...

I'm making a board longbow. It's long; 69" NTN... Red oak, backed with paper.

I glued up a riser, glued it on, cut out the profile on the band saw, and tillered with the short string until brace height. Then, I applied the paper backing, and now I just need to finish shaping the riser and tiller it to final draw length and weight. I'm excited! Now's when I start going real slow...

I only have this picture for now, I'll probably have more tomorrow.

   

I'm going to put in an arrow shelf for this one, we'll see how this goes. If I don't like it, at the end, I'm going to start anew.

[scottm]

Looking great john!

[formerbutcher]

Good luck, just take it slow  

[1oldbowguy]

Nice, way to go John, love to see more pictures.

[KellyG]

Well John It looks like you got a good jump on it. I can't waite to see what you end up with. Your first and second attempt got mine beat.
God Bless and Happy Building,
Kelly

[hova]

definitely lookin better than my first three attempts...


-hov

[John Lipinski]

more today! Some shaping to the handle, got the tiller to a better shape and I'm getting closer to full draw. I need to start seeing what weight I'm pulling to see if I'm going to make my target; it feels light as it is... I'll find out more as tillering goes on.

The pictures are not that great; my phone has dust in its camera.

   
   
   

[red hill]

Good job, John. I like the riser accents and the shallow arrow rest. Nice.
Stan

[twitchstick]

Looking great. I like the handle.

[1oldbowguy]

As twitchstick said, the handle looks great, well done.

[KellyG]

I cant tell and I am no expert but to me the right limb is stiffer. I would remove a little wood from it and leave the other alone. Wait until someone comes on to comfirm what I am seeing or tells you I am screwy.
Happy building,
Kelly

[hova]

love the accents. havent seen that yet , and it looks like a nice way to spice up without a lot of exotic expensive stuff.

you definitely have a nack for this. im sure your recipient will love it.

-hov

[John Lipinski]

Originally posted by KellyG:
I cant tell and I am no expert but to me the right limb is stiffer. I would remove a little wood from it and leave the other alone. Wait until someone comes on to comfirm what I am seeing or tells you I am screwy.
Happy building,
Kelly

At the end of the day, both limbs were pulling evenly, but there's definitely a stiff spot from the midsection to the tips; the sections near the handle are doing the most bending as it is right now.

Hova; it's definitely low-cost. I just went over to the scrap bin and found some maple (at least that's what most thought it was--nobody was really 100% sure with such a small piece... some people think it's ash) and walnut and made the accent strips. I haven't seen anybody line them up that way, so I hope it doesn't bust apart. So far, so good, though.

[fujimo]

tillering gizmo--- the wonder tool!!!!!!!

[GREG IN MALAD]

John,
Remember, the tiller profile has to match the front profile. If that were an english long bow it would be bending too much at the fades, for a pyramid front profile it looks fine(maybe a bit stiff at midlimb). And the limb tips are supposed to be stiff.

[John Lipinski]

Originally posted by fujimo:
tillering gizmo--- the wonder tool!!!!!!!

indeed; i'm getting no markings at all by the fades, light ones midlimb and very strong marks about 2/3 of the way to the tips.

[John Lipinski]

More today!

 
 

I reshaped the handle a bit more, made it comfortable. The tip overlays got finished up today; they're walnut under oak. I have it pulling to 23" and haven't measured draw weight yet (but I'm not posting that... no spoilers!) I won't have more until thursday, probably (assuming we miss school on Wed. for the snowstorm hitting illinois).

[hova]

looks great.the handle by the way is sort of an i-beam. should be very very sturdy.


-hov

[John Lipinski]

Now, you might be saying, "what have you done to the back of this bow?"

 

well not to worry, it isn't done yet. I'm calling this one "mourning cloak" (look up mourning cloak on wikipedia if you are unfamiliar with butterflies) and I haven't finished painting the butterflies on the back of the bow. I'm hoping it will look great when I'm done, but even still it looks pretty okay as it is. Tillering is done, but I don't have a picture of it quite yet. Came in right in the middle of the weight range but took on some set. I got a few shots in before I started staining--shoots pretty good. Some hand shock but I think it will be not too bad once I get a leather wrap on the handle. I'm looking forward to getting this finished and shooting it in for a bit before I send it off.

[hova]

my fiirst couple had horrible handshock , i think it was just that the tips and outter 1/3 of the limb was too wide. the one i shoot now has no hand shock , and i thinned the tips as much as i thought was possible .


looks great , and if youre doing what i think , the back will look very nice.


-hov