Hickory and oak pyramid bow

[John Malone]

Well Guys I killed my red oak bow. Everything was good until I decided to make the cut in shelf a "little bigger" it threw the tiller way off. I can save it but it will end up 30# maybe.
 So now I have a 1.5 by 1 inch piece of hickory with really nice grain and will save it for a self bow in the future. Also have a piece of hickory backing 1/8 I'm going to back a piece of red oak with. I will be making a basic pyramid design shoot off the knuckle no frills. 70 inch ttt going for 50-55# or so.
 If I make the handle area 1 inch wide and it comes in at 50-55# that's a half inch from center, do you think ill be able to tune either a full length 500 or 400 spined arrow to the bow or will I need new arrows. I don't have much experience with this style of bow always shot recurves cut close to or past center. I really don't want to buy more arrows.

[Pat B]

I'm assuming your 400 to 500 arrows are carbon. I'm not saying you can't shoot carbon from a wood bow but it is a mismatch to me.      
 It doesn't matter whether a bow is center shot or not any bow can be accurate with properly spined arrows. Trying to get any arrow to shoot well is the wrong way to go. IMO  I know nothing about carbon arrows. Buy a set of wood shafts spined 5# to 10# less than your draw weight and tune them to the bow.
 I've made hunting weight selfbows that were as narrow as 3/4" at the arrow pass. As long as the fades and handle area are thick enough there shouldn't be a problem. Make the transition between handle and fade a smooth transition, thickness and width, rounding all the corners and edges and if you want a shelf, add one made from wood(a golf tee split in half), antler leather or cork.
 Generally when a person cuts a shelf into the handle/fade area they make abrupt cuts that weaken the bow in an area that gets the most strain because of the leverage of the limbs.

[John Malone]

Thanks Pat, Some nice wood arrows are my end goal but for now I'm just concentrating on becoming a better bowyer ill work on arrow smithing next. Just wondering if I will be able to shoot what I have for now. First I'm going to make this bow and see what I end up with and go from there. I have committed to following a basic build with no considerations for what I want other than basic length and approximate  weight. Until I find out what I end up with I cant even consider choosing the correct arrows anyway.

[John Malone]

Ill do pics this time although I only figured out how to post a link and not the actual pic itself.

[Jeremy Bays]

Perhaps I am overly simplifying this, but I shoot whatever arrows I have...now shooting god groups might be a different issue.  

I NEVER shoot carbon arrows off the hand as they tend to splinter when they break.  Nasty stuff in your hands.  

I see you are using a shelf so you should be ok until you get a proper matching set of arrows.  

Make the bow first and then match the arrows to the bow.
Thanks
Jeremy Bays

[BMorv]

You should be able to tune those arrows to your bow if it ends up anywhere near your intended design.  With full length arrows and different weight points and/or weighted inserts, you have a broader range than those charts on the arrow box would have you believe.
 
Long bows like a heavy arrow, and 10 grains per pound is a good start.  You can always add weight tubes if your tuned arrows come out too light.  They don't affect spine much.

[John Malone]

Thanks guys, no shelf on this one I guess you could call it a Hill style handle. Harbor Freight has a sale going today, got some Pittsburgh 6 inch bar clamps for 2.99 a piece bought 8 of them can never have to many clamps.

[mwosborn]

I have (and do) shoot all arrow material types out of self bows without a cut in shelf.  As already mentioned, you need to match your arrow spine to the bow.  The 500 should work fine out of a bow you described.  I would leave them full length and start with 150 grain head and see how it shoots.  Go from there.

BTW - I also prefer wood arrows out of wood bows, but it is just a personal preference - they shoot no better nor worse than other materials.

[John Malone]

[John Malone]

Don't mind this, almost got the picture thing fellows.

[John Malone]

[John Malone]

[John Malone]

[John Malone]

[John Malone]

I got the picture thing figured out! Those pics are of the hickory backed oak pyramid I'm doing. If your looking for a build along I'm not the one to follow, as I'm flowing some one else. The one pic is of how I taper limbs with a hand plane and a shooting board very, simple and extremely accurate. I highly recommend it to anyone who has a good plane but doesn't have or doesn't want to use table saws or band saws. It allows you total control one tiny sliver at a time down the entire length of the taper. Once you get close you can switch over to my giant sanding block, again lots of control a lil at a time.

[John Malone]

Ok guys here is what I'm thinking for the handle riser area. 10 inch riser 4 inch handle center and 3 inch fades. One inch wide at handle tapering out for two inches last one inch of fade full width but fairly thin by that point. Any suggestions? This bow will be 70 ttt 1.5 inches at widest. The handle is 1.75 inches deep

 
 

[BMorv]

You will be safe with those dimensions but a few comments. Are you saying the handle overlay is 1.75" thick?  That's pretty thick.  I normally shoot for overall from the back to the deepest contour of the handle to be 1.75".  You would only need a 1.75" overlay if you like the look or want a heavily contoured handle section.  If you plan on cutting in an arrow rest I would go a little thicker than 1" wide.  If you are shooting off the knuckle or adding a rest after you should be fine with 1" wide.

[John Malone]

Shooting off the knuckle with this one, may add a piece of leather or something. The handle area will be 1.75 thick measured from back of bow like yours, don't plan on putting much contour in it. I'm using oak for the riser but I have a beautiful piece of eastern red cedar you think that's to soft or could that work?

[BMorv]

I wouldn't trust cedar unless it's a pretty light weight bow, and even then I would go thicker and wider in the handle section.

[John Malone]

Ill stick with the oak.