Robtattoo's first selfbow buildalong (ish) FULL DRAW PICS!

[Pat B]

Rob, you know you can't go wrong with Pappy and the boys at Twin Oaks although they might put you to work with the Classic coming up. I'll help you when I get there. I'll be there on the Tuesday before.

[JEFF B]

hey Bro that is looking awesome

[robtattoo]

Alrighty, got a lot done yesterday.

I had to do a lot more thinning to get it bending properly on the floor. I had to go waaay thinner than I expected.

Draw it on....
 

Aaaand.....scrape it off. Ad nauseum....
 

Until you're getting the limb bending all the way through.

Obviously I couldn't photo the bow while bending it, but this is it ready for the form....
 

I cut off the big knot in the handle. It's a non-working area, so violating a ring there isn't an issue....
 

I also rounded off all the sharp edges & corners so that the heat gun wouldn't burn them off....
 

Here it is sat on the caul. The big deflex in this limb needs to go away!
 

The other end isn't too bad, but a little reflex wouldn't hurt....
 

[robtattoo]

All oiled up & ready for the heat gun....
   

And heated until it's almost too hot to touch, then clamped to the form. This particular caul is a little short for my bow, but we made it work. It will induce 6" of reflex but it'll relax back to about 4" once it's cooled & the clamps come off....
   

After 2 hours of cooling, it comes off & we cut the string nocks. I measured 1" down from the limb tip & marked across. ½" down from that & marked across, then joined the lines at an angle & this becomes my nock....
   
   

Then onto the long string. Holding about 3" of reflex here. No bending pics yet, but I was almost at brace when I had a minor setback....
   

Pulling the bow down to about 8" on the long string, I noticed that the string loop was starting to cut into the corner of the nock & create a splinter!!!
I know to you experienced guys know that this really isn't a big deal, but I swear I nearly lost my lunch. I thought I'd killed it!
Pappy plied me with a couple of Newcastle Browns & got my heartrate back into double digits.
No problem, I just need to add tip overlays earlier than I expected!
   

I also took the time to fill all the drying checks  on the back of the bow with Superglue. Luckily none of the checks run off the edge of the bow, every one of them follows a grain line in the center of the limbs....
   

Unforunately, that's all for now. I need to lay it back on the form & pull out some of the propeller twist. That should happily get me on the short string & I can start the rawhide backing.

The system Will H showed me of creating the 3 facets on the belly is working out perfectly. Scrape in the middle flat to change tiller, scrape the sides to reduce weight. I'm scraping at a rate of 3 in the center to 2 on each side & it's coming round very evenly & much quicker than I thought. One limb is still a little stiff, but is bending nicely all the way from fade to the outer quarter. Unfortunately the nock on that limb gave up before I could get it to catch up, but it won't take much!

[Pat B]

Coming along nicely, Rob. Looking forward to following your progress and seeing your bow in a few weeks at the Classic.

[BMN]

Nice work. Looking good  

[D]

Rob that looks great man.  Really glad its coming along good.  I'm with Pat look forward to seeing it at the Classic.  Well done.

[nineworlds9]

Rob that bow is going to be awesome, I know it!  Osage selfies rock!

[Pat B.]

I'm super jealous !!!!  

Looks like you have help from the best self bowyers in the country.

And being able to run down to Pappys, I suppose it can't get much better..

Great luck on your bear hunt !

[robtattoo]

A few more steps along my journey....

Right now I've got the rawhide drying on it's back & it's drawing around 45#@25"

Rectifying the twist with wedges, heat & clamps on the form..
 

Icracked the belly doing this, but it's shallow enough that it scraped & sanded out...
 
 

That got me to brace height & ready for a proper string!
 

Shaping the grip....
 
 
 

[robtattoo]

At brace height. There's a but of an issue developing at the right mid-limb, so I'm going to stay away from that right now. It's looking like it could hinge without too much persuasion.....
 

I don't have any drawn pics (I had my hands full!)

Here I'm sizing the back ready for the rawhide...
 

[BMN]

[robtattoo]

Getting the rawhide measured & cut...
 

2 pieces cut, with the grain, & matched for thickness...
 

Laying out the supplies. With jobs like this, or skins, it saves a lot of headaches if you have everything well organized in advance....
 

After sizing the back, I apply a coat of straight glue to both the rawhide & the bow. Lay the rawhide along the limb & press ask the air out, making sure to get a good glue bond ( this takes frigging ages! ) The hide wants to slide around, lift in areas & stuck in others, but I stayed with it. Eventually the glue goes tacky enough that I can start to wrap with bandages....
 
 

I'll let it sit in an airy, air conditioned room to dry for at least 48 hours before trimming the edges.
I'll be back at Pappy's on Wednesday to finish up the tillering to 32" and them I'll shoot it for a while before working on the finish, I reckon!

[D]

Looking Great Rob.  Look forward to seeing it in about a week.

[Pat B]

Coming along nicely, Rob. See you and your new bow in a few days.

[robtattoo]

I unwrapped all the bandages after 4 hours & left it overnight to dry.

 

 

[robtattoo]

Got it all dried out today & filed the rawhide to the edges of my limbs. I've blended & sanded the edges & glue lines until I can no longer feel any transition from wood to rawhide. Tomorrow I'll get to the final tillering & my first full-draw shots! I promise I'll have some photos of it at full draw, both on & off the tree!

 

 

[robtattoo]

Well, I got her to full draw today.

60#@31" after 60 arrows.....

 

[D]

Well done Rob. Now I just hope everything goes good on your bear hunt

[Osagetree]

And then he was addicted for the remainder of his life!

Way to jump in and get'r done!

You might want to get another vise!!!! LOL!