BBI build along, my first backed bow

[Echatham]

thats a novel idea!  should i put in the shelf first?  shape the handle?

[CardboardDuck]

I personally only like shelves on my glass bows, but yeah shape your handle a little at a time until it feels right.

[vanillabear?]

[Roy from Pa]

You cut in a shelf on that bow and I'm driving up there tonight and whoopen your Navy Boy A$$. Plus your handle is not wide enough to support cutting in a shelf. Get off that high tech shelf stuff. You just made a very nice stick bow, your tiller is awesome. Glue a leather rest on the side like I showed you way above. Now you can round off the belly edges of your handle, and I still say it's too thick back to belly.
Make your handle look slim and sexy.

 

 

 

 

[Echatham]

pretty sure i want a shelf.... not going to make it too deep though.... maybe a quarter inch or 3/16 from center... what do you guys think?

[Echatham]

haha roy didnt see your post before i posted.... this might be up for debate...  you havent steered me wrong yet!

[Roy from Pa]

pretty sure i want a shelf.... not going to make it too deep though.... maybe a quarter inch or 3/16 from center... what do you guys think?

I THINK YOUR NUTS.
I THINK YOUR NUTS..
I THINK YOUR NUTS...
I THINK YOUR NUTS....

[Echatham]

ok.... well.... i know what roy thinks haha

[Echatham]

alright roy.... how do i make one o them low tech handles?!  how wide?

[Roy from Pa]

3/4 inches will suffice, 7/8th would be nice. Make it like the one I just showed ya. This is 3/4 inches wide.

 

[Echatham]

im gonna say ok.... but can ya tell me why?

[Roy from Pa]

Yes, because stick bows like you just made are supposed to be more on the primitive side, not center sissy pants shot:) Cutting a shelf in it would defeat the purpose of why you built it in my opinion. Listen to what I'm gonna tell ya Eric.

I know you want center shot because you think it will be more accurate. That is not entirely true. With a bow that is not center shot, you have to select arrows that are spined correctly. They will bend around the handle when you release the string and recover and head straight to the bulls eye.. Remember the archers paradox I told you about a long way back in this thread?

But it's your bow dude and you can make it however you want it to be. Ya don't have to listen to everything I say. And this won't be your last bow, I promise you that. But imagine in your mind how it will look with a shelf cut in it, or how it would look like the pictures I am showing you. Then you decide how you want your bow to look. Maybe I'm just pressing my ideals too strongly on you and I apologize for that.

So if you want your stick bow to look like a sissy pants bow, then cut the shelf in it.

LMAO

[Roy from Pa]

3/4 inches wide handle is 6/8th. Half that is 3/8th or 6/16th to center. You wanted to cut it to 3/16th from center. So what the hell is another 3/16th gonna hurt?

LOL, now what's ya think, Son?

[Echatham]

you make a good point. I just never shot a bow without a shelf, so i never considered not having one.... but hey, before november, i had never shot a bow without cams.... so why not give it a try right?  and as long as im going that far, i suppose i might as well leave it a flat handle like on yours... i was going to make it more pistol grip, like on my fedora longbow, but I'm all about new things... so... I'm gonna go for it. now... im gonna need some leather.... any recommendations? i could always scour the goodwill store for old purses.... oh, and hey that little wedge you have under your handle wrap for an arrow rest.. is that glued to the bow?

[Roy from Pa]

You could still do the pistol grip and I understand that as I shoot better with a pistol grip myself, that won't affect the center shot. But it should be more of a shallow pistol grip, but with the thickness of your handle back to belly, you can do more of a pistol grip.

Yes a leather grip will be sweet, why not just cut up one of your old pursers, LOL. The rest I have is thick leather, like a leather belt,  glued together to the thickness I wanted, sanded round and then glued to the bow then the leather grip wrapped around it.

[Echatham]

oh ok... what kind of glue?

[Echatham]

this is pretty much the shape of grip i want to go with :

 

[Roy from Pa]

That grip will work great. I use a tite bond trim and molding glue. Have used elmers wood glue too. Won't take much of a glue to hold it and your gonna stitch it anyways. Use a glue that gives you about 30 minutes to work the grip before it sets up.

Ya I know, how do I stitch it? LOL
Get a long sewing needle, a big one that will accept heavy thread or sinew. Get a leather hole punch and punch holes equally spaced on both edges. Have the grip cut to fit around the handle when stretched lightly, apply the glue and pull the grip around the handle till the ends meet flush. Then stitch it up while keeping the stitching centered on the center of the handle on the back of the bow like in the picture. You have to work it to keep it centered, that's why you want a glue that takes a while to fully setup.

When I get around to sending you your care package, I'll include some tanned deer hide. That stuff stretches real nice around a handle.

 

[Echatham]

Roy.... you're a sweetheart!  

[Roy from Pa]

You been drinken haven't ya?      

Eric you just made your first bow and it really looks very nicely tillered. I'm proud of you for how well it came out. You came to the right site for help and you got help, you also went along well with the kidding and joking around. That's what all the guys here do, help new guys make their first bow. There is no doubt in my mind that somewhere on down the road in years to come, you will be helping some rookie make his first bow, and you will know how I feel right now.