"Smoke" Gets in Your Eyes

[Dick in Seattle]

"Smoke"

I've wanted to build a gray bow for quite awhile, but couldn't get the glass.  A couple of months ago I discovered a new supplier who got his glass from a different maker, and he had a few pieces of gray in .040. It turned out to be, at least in my opinion, not as nice glass to work with. The thickness was right on, which was great, but unlike the glass I usually get, this had no glaze or protection on the good side. The glue side was, as always, rough, but the the "good" side was also rough, clearly not as rough, but also clearly having glass fibers not as well protected as I'm used to. You have to be extremely careful about removing the tape after the bow leaves the form or the tape will lift glass fibers. Fortunately, I discovered this early and on an edge that would be ground off anyway. It also was not a really pure gray, there are very faint streaks of a brownish green in it. Finally, I was shooting for a 45# bow and had it dead on with just over 46# at the final sanding stage, but this glass was very sensitive to sanding, and the light finish sanding took off more than expected, leaving me with 42#. All of that said, it did make a beautiful bow, and maybe the best performing bow I have built so far. It chrono's a mid-150's average consistently, hand released from a 25" draw pulling 35# and shooting 9.4 gpp arrows. This is as good as I've ever achieved with the fastest RD bows I've owned.

I tried several new things on this bow... a new form, a new thinner overpass riser, and using a Dremel tool to make the nocks, which worked very well.

Here is the layup:
.040 gray glass
.125 lamboo, tapered .0015
.105 lamboo, parallel
.085 lamboo, parallel
.040 gray glass
power wedges and tip wedges
NOTE: core lams and power wedges were ground one piece... lams 72" and pl 24"
Riser: 18" laminated katalox
Final Specs: 68" 42@28 with moderate string follow: 5/8"
 
Here are pix of "Smoke"

  

 

  

  


 In spite of some frustrations in the building (aren't there always!), I really like this bow. I have three bows worth of this gray glass left, and I'm not sure if I want to use it or not. It really was a pain to work with, but the result isn't bad, and knowing the problems, I can probably handle them better. If I had known ahead of time what I know now, I'd have skinnied the width down more and gone for a 35@28 to shoot myself.

Dick Wightman

[Goose Gossett]

That grey is different but a good looking different!  Can't say that I can remember seeing a gray glass bow.  Very nice job!

[b.glass]

Very nice bow Dick! I like that grey!

[Trux Turning]

I like it!! Another beauty.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Cranked another good one out Dick! I think the old Panda's had grey glass? One of the old Bear models did I think.

[Stiks-n-Strings]

Nice bow Dick as usual. I always like looking at your bows, very pleasing to the eye. As far as the grey glass..... maybe a little darker grey for me but that's just what I like. I like darker colors.
 
 Stiks

[red hill]

Nice looking bow, Dick. How did you get the "good" side smooth?
Stan

[Dick in Seattle]

six coats of rubbed on finish, fine sanded or rubbed out between each.    I was talking this morning with someone else who uses this type of glass and next time, I'm gonna know to do that before the layup!  He also does not tape the glass... not too sure about that, but I like to say I'll try anything once

[Sixby]

Dick that is just one nice looking bow Bro. I really like that grey glass.

God Bless you, Steve

[NYArrow]

Dick

 You make one heck of a nice Hill bow!

[bjansen]

Nice bow Dick!

[twitchstick]

I like it! I have never seen gray glass before.

[Keenan]

Very nice bow Dick, Sounds like a great shooter. Great looking package.