holmgaard hickory bow

[vampire]

I know someone out there has a layout for a hickory holmgaard bow. Could I get a copy from someone or directions for instructions. I'm a beginner and need lots of simple instructions.
Thanks,
George

[okie64]

I've built a couple of them with these dimensions:
64" tip to tip, 8" stiff handle, 1.5" wide for 16" of working limb then narrows to 1/2" wide for the last 12", belly tapers from 9/16" thick at the fade to 7/16" thick at the end of the working part of the limb and then thickens back up to 9/16" for the last 12" of limb. The thickness in the working part of the limb will vary depending on what kind of draw weight you want. The thickness dimensions I gave will give you around a 45# bow. Hope that helps.

[vanillabear?]

[vampire]

THANKS, GEORGE

[Stiks-n-Strings]

Originally posted by vanillabear?:
Here are a couple of layout pics compliments of Half-Eye, the master of the mollegabet. These are mollegabet layout pics, not holmegaard. Not sure if this is what you're looking for, but it is common to hear mollegabets referred to as holmegaards. A true holmegaard is really pretty close to a pyramid bow. I think I remember reading somewhere that it was one of the traditional bowyer's bible's that messed up and called a mollegabet a holmegaard and it has caused confusion ever since.(could be wrong about that). Anyway here are the layout pics, I hope they are what you're looking for and that they help.
 
  http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu219/sddorale/mollegabet2.jpg  

[Stiks-n-Strings]

Originally posted by Stiks-n-Strings:
 

Originally posted by vanillabear?:
Here are a couple of layout pics compliments of Half-Eye, the master of the mollegabet. These are mollegabet layout pics, not holmegaard. Not sure if this is what you're looking for, but it is common to hear mollegabets referred to as holmegaards. A true holmegaard is really pretty close to a pyramid bow. I think I remember reading somewhere that it was one of the traditional bowyer's bible's that messed up and called a mollegabet a holmegaard and it has caused confusion ever since.(could be wrong about that). Anyway here are the layout pics, I hope they are what you're looking for and that they help.
   http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu219/sddorale/mollegabet1.jpg
   http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu219/sddorale/mollegabet2.jpg  

[/b]

[razorback]

Those pics are great. One question, in the second photo it looks like there is a bump up on the back of the bow at the transition to the static section. Is this the case and how is it achieved. Might have to give one of these a shot. Which woods lend themselves to this design. Anyone know if black cherry would work.

[Stiks-n-Strings]

Razorbak,

 I built a mollie out of Hackberry and it turned out fantastic. Don't know bout cherry.

[vanillabear?]

[Eric Krewson]

I have made a few bows over the years but never one of this design.

What are the performance characteristics of this design that make it so popular?

[vanillabear?]

[rainman]

Small tips make for less handshock and more speed.

[Ken75]

the hump your seeing in this bow is caused by the relief carving n the back ...i know thats hard to believe but it is carved into the back. you would have to see the guys work.

eric , the two characteristics that make this design good is the light tips for increased speed , and the lever advantage .this design can be great if you pay attention to proper tiller and mass placement.
heres a pic to show what he does on the back of these
   

[burnt]

wow that is really cool

[dmikeyj]

That is outstanding work

[Renacs]

It seem to me the the relief carving would cause the bow to fracture.  How is that not a problem?

[Ken75]

renacs it is only possible on 1/4 sawn wood , and also not every wood could handle it . im not an advocate of carving in the backs however ive seen shot and believe its possible. this bow pictured ia a 75 lb white oak molly

[passion for knowledge]

Here's a Holmegaard style bow I made last year.

#54 @ 28" - maple. 69" NTN

Added recurve tips to a previous design that was #51 made from maple. Both have at least a thousand arrows across them. Handles wrapped with hemp twine. Purpleheart tip overlays.

Both shoot well.

The design is, apparently, forgiving in terms of the quality of the wood, due to the width of the working portion.


 

 

[LittleBen]

I don't mean to be 'that guy' but I believe holmgard and mollegebat are being confused or made to see, like the same thing.

If you look at the fragments of the original holmgard bow, there is really not good evidence that it had very narrow stiff levers.

I a, personally a believer that the holmgard was a nearly pyramidal bow, slightly wider than pyramidal to at least midlimb. What I would call an elliptical front profile.

 

[Mo_coon-catcher]

I'm of the same mindset to are from te pictures I've seen littleBen. For me, I don't see much difference in speed. But the molle design seems much easier to get low to no handshock from if the levers are properly narrowed. I mostly make them as change up to flat bows. I will say though, I think that the more dense heavy woods lend themselves to the molle design since it make te tips very light and it doesn't take much wood to keep te tips stiff. Light, low density woods like ERC and black cherry aren't near as good. Since the wood is so light anyway, mixed wth being unforgiving in how they are treated with low tension strength and Black cherries desire to fret. So with those species you are better with more workjng length. I made a ainew backed ERC molle last year. The levers had to be huge to hold up to just a 40# draw. That one took some work to get the levers stiff after the ainew backing. But it did shoot well. That's my take on this design anyway.

Kyle