Author Topic: Three bamboo backed bows with dye (Read 1187 times)

Sam Harper · « **on:** April 28, 2015, 07:37:00 PM »

I've gotten kind of obsessed with making knives over the last year and haven't made many bows, but last week I attempted to make four bows. One of them broke during glue up, but I managed to salvage the bamboo. These are the three that survived.

The green one is bamboo backed bamboo flooring, and the other two are bamboo backed ipe. They are 47#, 48#, and 49# at 28".

I really enjoyed making these. Sometimes I forget how much I enjoy something if I go too long without doing it. And I've decided I like making longbows a lot better than making recurves.

Green · « **Reply #1 on:** April 28, 2015, 08:04:00 PM »

I got a chance to fondle these bows at the IBO Mid America this weekend. Extremely nice workmanship. If I had been in any shape to buy.....

Sam Harper · « **Reply #2 on:** April 28, 2015, 08:15:00 PM »

You were welcome to shoot them! After talking to Bob Sarrels, I think I'm going to make some D-97 strings for them and see what difference it makes.

Green · « **Reply #3 on:** April 28, 2015, 08:20:00 PM »

Thanks Sam, but that's something I wouldn't have done without asking you, and we kept crossing paths between rounds. Hope you shot well, I thought it was an excellent tournament.

By the way, your knife work is more impressive than photos can portray.

Sam Harper · « **Reply #4 on:** April 28, 2015, 08:29:00 PM »

Thanks, Rob! I thoroughly enjoyed that tournament! I hope it happens in Austin again next year.

Roy from Pa · « **Reply #5 on:** April 29, 2015, 06:52:00 AM »

Very nice, Sam..

robin · « **Reply #6 on:** April 29, 2015, 08:26:00 AM »

Beautiful bows Sam, how is the bow built with my singapore boo holding out?

Looks like the risers fade are not really feathered into the core wood....does the core wood near the riser actually stop bending before it contact with the riser wood?

robin

Martin Schutte · « **Reply #7 on:** April 29, 2015, 09:30:00 AM »

Hi Sam Nice bows I do like the green one a lot

!!

Quick Question on the "hulk" green one on the belly wood(boo flooring)did you taper some of it or did you just slap the hole piece as is onto the bamboo back and glue it all together??

Thanks Martin

Sam Harper · « **Reply #8 on:** April 29, 2015, 10:44:00 AM »

Robin, the riser are faded smoothly into the core wood, but if you look closely, I also used power lams on the two ipe bows. That stops the bending before it gets to the riser wood.

The Singapore bow worked great for a while. I took it to 3-D shoots and shot it a lot in my sister's back yard. It was my favourite bow for a while there. Then a guy in Australia emailed me, and he really wanted the bow, so I sold it to him.

Sam Harper · « **Reply #9 on:** April 29, 2015, 10:46:00 AM »

Martin, I taper the flooring before glue up. Then I cut 1/8" off the back of it, flip it around, and glue it up, so it's basically a tri-lam bow. I did the same thing on these ipe bows after having one break during glue up while I was putting in the deflex.

Wolftrail · « **Reply #10 on:** April 29, 2015, 12:24:00 PM »

Very nice...

White hair · « **Reply #11 on:** April 29, 2015, 12:48:00 PM »

Love em. I hope to do one kina like that. Not big on risers. I like d-bows. But they are beauts.

ty_in_ND · « **Reply #12 on:** April 29, 2015, 03:33:00 PM »

Sam,

Beautiful bows! I really love the wood combos on your handles.

Two questions for you:

1) How did you do the dye/paint on the middle bow? It looks kind of wild at first (which I like!!), but it also looks like it would do the job as far as camouflage goes.

2) Do you plan ripping an 1/8" section of your limbs and flipping them more often? I'm just curious about doing it that way versus making your limb thickness thinner and adding a pre-cut 1/8" strip of the same limb material (essentially a tri-lam as well).

Thanks again for posting your latest bows!

David Flanrey · « **Reply #13 on:** April 29, 2015, 06:49:00 PM »

Beautiful bows.

Sam Harper · « **Reply #14 on:** April 29, 2015, 07:45:00 PM »

ty_in_ND,

1.) I used a small paintbrush, like one of those paintbrushes that come with the water colour kits they make for kids, only I got it at Tandy. I just randomly put brush marks all along the back. I started with light colours and worked my way to dark. First yellow, then green, then blue. By then, it looked pretty terrible. But then I did medium brown, mahogany, and black, and it looked good. I used Fiebings leather dye.

2.) On my all bamboo bows, I always cut off a 1/8" strip and flip it, but I just started doing that on my ipe bows. I don't see what difference it makes whether you use a different 1/8" strip from a different piece of wood or one from the same wood only flipped. i flip them end to end, by the way.

Sam Harper · « **Reply #15 on:** April 29, 2015, 07:46:00 PM »

Oh, I also used red.

LittleBen · « **Reply #16 on:** April 29, 2015, 09:29:00 PM »

Very nice bows Sam. I have a similar feeling lately. Really like looking at recurves, but at the end of the day I prefer making and shooting a more mild longbow like those.

ty_in_ND · « **Reply #17 on:** April 30, 2015, 09:08:00 AM »

Thanks for the info, Sam, and keep up the good work!

robin · « **Reply #18 on:** April 30, 2015, 09:47:00 AM »

Hi Sam, tks for highlighting....yes I see the power lams, beautiful bow and great job......cheers

frank bullitt · « **Reply #19 on:** April 30, 2015, 09:53:00 AM »

Real nice looking bows, Sam!

Would love to shoot one.

Yes, try a h. p. string, performance, not speed, is the reason!

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Author Topic: Three bamboo backed bows with dye (Read 1187 times)

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