horsebow building( RE-UPDATED)

[CalebNH00]

having built a few bows ( long bows) I wanted to try something harder and, having found the perfect little log to make one with, wanted to make a horsebow. the log is now split, the profile roughed out, with the specs being: 39 and a half inches long without bending the tips, inch and a half wide, half inch thick limbs, and a three fourths of an inch thick handle. the log was fairly reflexed to begin with, and i'll have to bend the siyahs next. anyone ever tried this? if so, any advice? ( I can try to post pics, but i'm new to this, not sure how to post them.)UPDATE: now  that it's all roughed out, how should I tiller it? RE-UPDATE:   it BROKE!    :(      :(      :(            :mad:  , at least I have the other half of the log.

[CalebNH00]

forgot to mention, draw is a short 24 inchs, thought that might be important.

[Pat B]

Read Adam Karpowicz's book on Asiatic horn bows. It will give you a step by step on how to make an Asiatic horn bow plus explain each step along the way.
  Are you planning on using sinew backing and a horn belly?

[CalebNH00]

nope, its all wood.  

[LittleBen]

My take is you won't be able to get much draw weight from that. What type of wood?

Best case scenario is that it's Osage in which case you might squeeze a hunting draw weight out of it if you let it bend through the handle and you're tiller is stunningly good.

For comparison I made a hickory selfbiw, recurves static tips ~4" long. 54" tip to tip, 4" rigid handle, ~1.5" wide, fairly clean tiller. Started with 3" reflex, ended about 50# @26" after substantial heat tempering and ended with .5" reflex.

You might get away with it but you'll need to do everything you can to prevent set even with 24" draw.

You might try adding laminated siyahs onto the stave to get the length to 48" or so. That's a really short bow still and you'll be in better position I think. You've got plenty of thickness at .5" for probably up to a 58" bow and still make 50#+.

[Roy from Pa]

How to post pictures link.

 http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=129&t=000228

[CalebNH00]

little ben: don't know what wood maybe ash. I would be happy even with a 30 lb bow for target shooting. also, I was planning a bend through the handle bow to make up for the lack of length. I doubt that my tiller is perfect, as this will be my  ninth bow made, hopefully second that works     .

I'll try to post some pics so it can be identified.

[CalebNH00]

      all right lets hope these post, if not then who knows?  got pics of the side, back, belly, and end grain( not in order).

[CalebNH00]

don't think they posted, can any one help?  :confused:

[WestTexan]

Caleb I started this bow back in October,it was still green and I clamped it down till I had it bent like I wanted it... Not sure I'd call it much of a horse bow tho. I'm on my iPad now and posting this and if your using photobucket just click on the IMG code link and past it in your reply.
 

[CalebNH00]

texan: nice, think mine is a little too dry now, but the other half I might be able to do that with.

i'll try to get some real pics later( hopefully   ).

[CalebNH00]

lets try some more pics, as the last ones didn't post. side profile/i.imgur.com/ back [/IMG] end grain

 hoping these post maybe you can identify it now?

[CalebNH00]

the back and belly pics didn't post(   :confused: ) so i'll re-post them.   ]

any thoughts on it now?

[CalebNH00]

now I've got all but the back   :confused:    :confused:  so lets try once more   .  

[CalebNH00]

now I find out that there's no side profile pic     , still figuring this out.

 

[CalebNH00]

writing this as the first tip is steaming.  :eek: . wish me luck!  

[CalebNH00]

little ben: how would you suggest laminating, because steaming didn't work for the tips?

[LittleBen]

Caleb, call me Ben please and if you check out my post titled "new recurve" from a week or two ago, it will have pictures of my red oak recurve.

I thin the tips too much, intentionally, so for instance if I think I need a limb which is .300" thick I think the tip portion to be bent to .175" or something. then I grind a piece of hickory or some other wood to the ramaining thicknes, in this example .125" (.127"+.125" = .300") using a caul (also called a form) which is curved liek the desired tip, glue the think piece of hickory onto the belly side of teh thinned limb, by clamping both pieces to the form. when the glue dries it will keep the bend or most of it, or some of it.

[CalebNH00]

thanks ben, you'll see on the first page that it broke  :(  ,but I'll try it on the other one.

[LittleBen]

if you're in NH try to track down some hophornbeam. Thats good bow wood.