Reducing Weight of Bamboo Backed & Belly Bow

[tippit]

OK this is my last post on Radical Bow Weight Reduction.  Most of my old bows are way too heavy for me...now I'm fooling around with some old self bow.  Regular all Osage or Bamboo Backed Osage are very easy to reduce weight as all you are doing is removing wood from the belly...the same way you would make a self bow.  The Bamboo backed & Bamboo bellied bow is different in that the Bamboo still has all the nodes on the surface.

I started with a Vincent Minor/Bows of Wood Bamboo backed & belly bow 66" 57#@28 wanting to reduce it to 40#@28.  First I tried to trap the sides of the limbs tapering to the belly...removed about 5#.  Now not only was the bow no way near where I needed it but it was essentially useless for me.  Since Bamboo backed Osage bows are great shooting bows, I decided to grind/smooth out the Bamboo on the belly.  Not knowing how much weight would come off grinding the Bamboo, I check the weight and tiller after several passes from 220 grit sanding belts.  I thought I'd need to remove all the belly Bamboo but weight just flew off the bow.  So the finished bow has the original Bamboo with the nodes on the back and a smooth thin layer of Bamboo on the belly.  The bow now shoots great for me...tippit

This is the back with untouched Bamboo...

Ground Bamboo of the belly...

Side view showing the difference in Bamboo thicknees from back & belly...

Final tillering @ 40#...

[Pat B]

The only way I know of is to narrow the limbs but I doubt you could remove 17#, maybe 10#.

[tippit]

Pat,
After I trapped the limbs, I ground the belly Bamboo down making it close to No Bamboo on the belly...the bow is actually 38#@28.  I didn't scrape the Bamboo, I ground it off with my knife grinder.  I didn't care if it broke or not.  I pull all the bows I reduce weight to over 30" on my tiller board.  My draw length is 27".

These radically reduced bows are only for ME!  I Do Not sell them nor do I reduce weight for anyone else...tippit

[Bisch]

You’ve sure figured it all out Jeff, when it comes to reducing a lot of weight off a bow!

Great work!!!!

Bisch

[Sockrsblur]

That's a pretty bow Jeff!

[Pat B]

Jeff, that will definitely reduce the weight. 
 I have a similar Vinson Minor bow and a boo backed osage bow made by Vinson.

[Hawkeye]

Jeff,

You are a true craftsman, in so many different media!  I respect your thought process, boldness to dive in and try, AND your execution in both knives and bows.  Great job on the extreme weight reductions you have shared, and thank you for taking the time to detail the processes you figured out.  I'm amazed at what you have successfully pulled off!

Daryl

[darin putman]

Glad it worked out for you, would love to see a full draw picture if able. Have made a few bows messed up a few more. One I'm most proud of was a bamboo back/belly osage. I missed weight on the BBO I was trying to make so added a bamboo belly and came up way over, tillered that belly just like any other wood bow and came out to be a great shooter. Congratulations on your new shooter.

[mikajay]

Hows the string follow after grounding the belly?

r.mika

[tippit]

mikajay,
String follow is the same as before...because the bamboo back is full thickness and the bow is now 19# lighter to reduce tension/string follow on a lighter belly.  It is the same as tillering a new bow and picking an end weight. 

[mikajay]

Great results!

Well done.

r.mika