Bamboo/Osage Project Follow Along **Complete W/Pics**

[SEMO_HUNTER]

I started thinking that maybe what I'm seeing is actually an optical illusion since the fade on the right isn't as gradual as the left is.
So I layed out some lines to make it easier to compare the limbs to and it appears that I'm not as far off as I thought I was.
I also colored in the fade area on the right limb so my eyes would stop focusing on that particular spot.

See what you all think.

 

[Living_waters]

Originally posted by Art B:


Just me, but I'd reduce the bow's weight to where I could get a regular string on and then judge profile from there. Folks tend to stay on the long string a little to long sometimes, which, in the end, causes them to come in under weight......Art

very good advice! that I knew but did it anyway (mine just came in about 9 under)
Dont look to bad Chris but I would put it on a short string it will change your perspective. And I would also not get crazy around the fades. Lower mid limb on right looks to need a little attention.

[StoneAK]

Man my eyes are getting bad but it looks like the right limb needs a little on mid limb  it looks really straight I am no pro though

[Blue EagleBum]

Sorry I don't have any advice to give, but I really like your design. I have a piece of osage and a hickory baking I was looking for what to do with. I believe, thanks to you follow along, i have found what I will try. It looks really good so far. I'll be watching intently.

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Yes I agree, I can see that flat area right there, but not sure how to attack it yet. If I don't do it right it may get even flatter. Tillering this style design is totally different than anything I've done so far. You can forget about the gizmo cause it rides all the way down the deflex leaving a solid mark as it goes. So I have to tiller this one by feel and looking at the pictures really helps. I can see things in the pics that I can't see while I'm standing there staring at the actual bow under tension.
I think if I work it easy and gradually bring my wt. down to just over my target wt. and then shoot it some that it will probably settle in. I hope.

I'll get it on the short string as soon as I get that right limb straightened out. I doubt there's any danger of going under wt. cause it's still fairly strong. I'll just take it slow and not rush things. I'm leaving it alone for now and pick it up again tomorrow. The cool thing about this design with the bamboo backing is that it snaps right back to it's original shape as soon as you let the tension off. Man that's cool, no set at all. This bamboo is some strange stuff, unlike anything I've ever messed with before.

Thanks for the compliments and comments, advice, ect.
Glad you all decided to follow along on this.

[Roy from Pa]

Ya need to weaken them midlimbs Elmo.

[NYArrow]

Looking good Semo. The unstrung profile does look pretty sweet. I agree the right mid limb is a bit flat.

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Thanks, I'm gonna try to fix that this evening and then start tillering it down evenly to get the poundage down where I need it. Need to make a short string for it also.
It's 60" nock to nock.

Going crappie fishing today though and take a break from bow building for a few hours.

[okie64]

You need to get the midlimbs bending more. The right limb looks a little stiffer but not enough to worry about right now. I would start scraping around 8-10" from the fades out to the tips till you can get a short string on it. Dont get too scraper-happy out around the tips though.

[Roy from Pa]

Here ya go Chris, some art work:)

 

[StoneAK]

You all are some master paint artists lol     I actually am jealous

[evildocrsx]

I think I have a different approach to the R/D.  I tiller them starting from the inner 1/3.  This gives me a chance to string the bow early and not undershoot the weight.   I noticed that if I start to tiller from the mid limb or outer 1/3 the limbs take alot of set and it becomes alot harder to tiller when it's strung at brace height.  I don't know why. but that is my experience.

[Art B]

Those are glued-in hinges Roy, so they don't count    . And those flat spots will round out somewhat when a short string is used    ........Art

[DVSHUNTER]

definitely put on the short string, but it still looks good

[Balding Kansan]

Where ya at SEMO? I'm watching this one closely because I've got an osage deflex/reflex needing tillered.

Catch any crappie?

[SEMO_HUNTER]

I'm still here, just got pounded by a hail storm. I'll have some more pics up soon, just have a few other things to catch up on first.

I'm building a string for it now so I can put it on the short string and take some pics of it then put them up for you all to look at. It's been suggested several times to see what it looks like on the short string first then go from there.

Stay tuned...........

River got too muddy for crappie so we caught a cooler full of channel cat instead.  

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Finally complete.
I worked on the bow for about 3-4hrs. last night and was fighting the mid limb on the right side not wanting to comply and I believe I can attribute that to the boo backing being thicker in that area. I almost thinned the left mid limb too much and worked on the fade on that side to straighten it out. While it's not completely perfect, I'm going to call it good enough at this point because I hit my target weight of 50# @28" exactly and it shoots great. I do have a few questions about the tips.
First one is reducing the mass on the tips. I'm going to round the ends of the tips and have actually thought about not doing any tip overlays on this bow, but I need some advice from you all that have made bamboo backed bows before. Are tip overlays really necessary, or can I simply leave them the way they are?
Second question about mass, as you will see in the following pics further down of the last 4-6" of the tip ends they are thicker because I stayed away from that while tillering. Can I reduce that last 4 or 5" of tip without effecting my tiller and draw weight?

Here's the strung profile.
 

Unstrung profile
 

Drawn to about 24" profile on tillering board
 

Group shot at about 10 steps inside my garage. Bow not properly tuned yet and I'm still playing around with my brace height. I'll get to that later when I can get outside and see how my arras fly at 15-20 yards. Not bad so far and the results are promising.
 

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Now the pics of the tips. I'd like to thin these down to blend in with the rest of the limb. Do you all see any problem with doing that?
I just don't want to lose any of my draw wt. or screw up my tiller.

 

 

[Balding Kansan]

Nice! Any handshock?

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Very little, much less than my Bear Grizzly recurve. It actually takes some getting used to because I expect it from shooting my Grizzly so much. I won't even pick up the Grizzly for awhile now that this one is complete so I can get used to shooting it and get ready to turkey hunt with it. I'm going to do some serious target pounding in the next few days.

I'm not one of those guys that can switch back and forth from recurve to longbow and be any kind of accurate with it. I have to stick with one or the other right before and during hunting season.