SO YA WANNA BUILD A GLASS BOW ?

[kennym]

I'm going to try a complete buildalong here, bear with me....

First the form, I took a template from the kennym 62/64" bow and added an inch of reflex to the tip blending back in midlimb. Been thinking about this for about 5 years, should be long enuff...

 

Now bend a fairly stiff but flexible piece around it to make sure no dips or humps. They will show up in the bow if you don't get them out. I had to work on the template a bit for one flat spot. Used a long sanding block.
 Easier to sand the 1/4" template than the 1.5" thick form...

 

Now to the table saw and rip a pc of 3/4" AB plywood into 2 pieces 11.75" wide(so I can get 4 out of sheet)...

 

Orientation of ply to glue up so the 2 pieces work to straighten each other...

 

Plywood is never as thick as they sell it to be, so we will add a pc of 1/4" in between, have a plan for being over the 1.5" , more on that when we get there......

 

Now I mark out outside of both pcs of outside plywood with the form profile shape so I don't get screws in the way when I saw and rout it..

I mark 1" along bottom so the form ends up with the same amount above and below cut. The center mark goes on center. The template end is an inch past center so the router doesn't dig in at end , you have a place for the guide bearing to be ....

 

Flip template to other end and mark,  LOOK !!! both limbs are identical!! LOL

 

There she is, sexy curves eh???

 

[kennym]

Now for some glue and screws...

 

 

Now before the glue sets, check for straight, this one showed  straight end to end, but not corner to corner, so I clamped opposite corners down to bench a bit...

 

 

[kennym]

Waiting for glue to dry is about as exciting as watching paint dry!!  

[EwokArcher]

I'm so excited we are getting this build along. It'll be invaluable for lots of people. Words from the horses mouth right here. Bookmarked the link already!

[Buemaker]

Interesting, very good. Is your limbshape a true circle?
Bue--.

[Crittergetter]

Looking good Kenny!!

[Roy from Pa]

What's ya making, a roller coaster?

   

[jess stuart]

Great thanks for the build a long.

[kennym]

The limbshape was a true circle on the original 62/64", now the tip will gain reflex on the last 9" or so...  should have measured that!!

Roy, this will be a rocket launcher not a roller coaster, wont be able to shoot wood arrows out of it, they would be charcoal when they got to target....

You will be trying to bend yer boo like this soon....

Actually, I'm trying this to see if it changes performance without losing shootability.

[kennym]

First one will be brown glass and something for a riser, maybe bocote.....

[Bvas]

Hmmmm. Since this is a kennym design but not the original Kennym form. What shall we call it??

Kennym pro-mod    

[kennym]

2017 modified class LOL

[kennym]

OK here we go, sawing the form in half...

Notice I put something to hold the form up as it comes off saw, if you don't it's hard to stay on line....

 

 

Now line up center and the line with the bottom of template, screw template on form, and check screws to be flush or slightly below...

 

Clamp the form to something solid, gotta keep it still while routing the profile on her..

 

Set the router depth so it cuts properly with bearing on template. If your bit won't reach clear thru, no prob, just rout once and then use freshly routed surface as template for lower portion....

 

I have a curved sanding block same radius as the riser, you can also use it on the limb curves with long smooth strokes....

 

 

[Mad Max]

X 2 on pro-mod

[kennym]

Now remember the form is too thick, I haven't done it this way before, but it's easier than running it thru the thickness sander a couple dozen times...
I just moved the template down the right amount and used a straight 1/2" cut bit to narrow the edge(s) up to 1.5" ...

 

 

[kennym]

And I had a fellow call about putting curved radius in risers, so I set my el cheapo swing jig on my bandsaw and figured while I was taking pics for him, I'd just cut the back and accent cut for the riser. Found a chunk of bocote with some sapwood on a corner, which would cut off...

 

It's set on 26" which I figured out before I cut it, it needs 27" radius for the 62/64" bow...

 

 

Set the block out far enough to hit the line you want, cut the back profile first, then the accent cut...


 

 

Here she is all cut out, back profile, accent cut(simple curved accent, probably put a pc of curly something with maybe something black  in there...

 

That's all folks til next weekend most likely.....

   

[takefive]

Excellent  

[Scott F]

Keep it up Kenny - this is going to be good.
Thanks for taking the time to post this.

[Dannon]

Awesome! I ordered your plans several years ago, got the form built and  just never got around to ordering supplies to get started. Looking forward to this build a long.

[Mad Max]

Kenny- Do you pattern sand them, or just the saw cut?

I will be watching