2023 What did you do today....

[B-JS]

I’ve never tried a two piece with location pins and bolts before. I’d really like to see the finished product.

[Mad Max]

I'm building a 2 Piece Bow once in a while.
But i don't find the right Bandsaw Blades.
The ones for Metal hold Up and don't get dull so fast, but have to many and short teeth.
So they cut extremely slow and burn.
The ones for hardwood are death after half the Cut.

I would not have glass or carbon on the back so you can cut it into 2 pieces and then overlay it before pattern sanding. You are pattern sanding???
I like it 

Nice dovetail Kirk, how does it hold up??

The 2 piece Big Jim does looks the best , no bolts, but it needs a leather grip.
But I don't like the look of a leather grip because it hides the look of the wood.

[Crooked Stic]

Well  Centaur take makes one familiar to that that he says is black matter (G10) what you gonna cut that with?
Max maybe get you some of that wood grainfiberglass wrap. 

[Kirkll]

That’s very cool Kirk.     Millwork?

Fitting that dovetail joint with G-10 was definitely some precision millwork. Finding the right carbide tip cutters was the key element….

I did a few practice mock ups with wood before doing the riser block….

 I don’t think I’d recommend it for a hunting weight bow with a single dove tail connection. This was a pretty light draw weight bow. I think you would need two dovetails and thicker G-10 to hold up to 50-60# safely….

Take a look at Centaur’s two piece that he builds out of solid G-10 …. Of course, he calls it “Dark Matter” but I’m pretty sure it’s G-10 Garolite material.  He’s got that connection down Pat…. I’m not sure if he mills the connection with a CNC set up or not, but they are precise….    Kirk

[Longcruise]

I have always built this longbow in colored glass but this time around I tried some BP that I have had forever that I got from Kenny when BP was still making streak free!

Ako on the back and Olive on the belly.

[B-JS]

Made myself a pair of ILF Recurve Longs.
40#@28"
19" Riser, 64" Bow.
Birdseye Maple Veneer and some Carbon underneath for stability.

Decent shooters.

[Crooked Stic]

Those limbs have a long sweep hook.. what carbon did you use? Does it seem pretty peppy?

[B-JS]

3 Layers of 45/45 Fabric (90/0 Cut to 45°).
Not as stiff as my Carbon with the 45/45 in top... but it does the Job.
The lateral stability is absolutely sufficient.

[Crooked Stic]

How many jigs do it take to do a striped riser??  You ask. Three.

[Kirkll]

3 Layers of 45/45 Fabric (90/0 Cut to 45°).
Not as stiff as my Carbon with the 45/45 in top... but it does the Job.
The lateral stability is absolutely sufficient.

So you are laying up carbon fabric in your limbs with epoxy?

[B-JS]

3 Layers of 45/45 Fabric (90/0 Cut to 45°).
Not as stiff as my Carbon with the 45/45 in top... but it does the Job.
The lateral stability is absolutely sufficient.

So you are laying up carbon fabric in your limbs with epoxy?

Exactly.
You Just need to use a bit more.
I saw Whitewolf using colorfull Fabric as Veneer some years ago.
Thougt, that must also work with Carbon.
And it does.

[Kirkll]

Interesting.... You could do the carbon weave under clear glass for the Carbon bow look without it being so fragile. Carbon is a funny beast used on bows for backing. It adds strength, but just doesn't take the abuse that glass will... Where glass will splinter, carbon goes Boom!  you are done...

I've done a few bows with silk fabric under clear glass and it came out good... I had a leopard skin silk bow built at hunting weight i used for a display bow for years. Could have sold a lighter version to the girls many times. But i never could find a gal that could draw 55@28"...LOL  The guys wouldn't touch it.... I had it on display for two years all over the country and couldn't sell it. I finally had it camo dipped and sold it almost instantly.... Never told the guy it had lepard skin under the camo job.....     Kirk

[B-JS]

Yes, directly under the Glass gives the best effect
Under Veneer the effect dimishes a bit, because the Carbon ist closer to the Center.

I have built Lots of bows with Carbon Fabric unser Glass.

[Crooked Stic]

Check your PMs-------

[B-JS]

Me?
I answered some days ago?
Did the Internet eat my Response?
No new messege.

[Crooked Stic]

I found it thanks.

[John Scifres]

Heat-treated some red oak I got from a friend.  First time working red oak from a tree.  It's, um, not osage.  But I won't be an osage cultist here.  I've been out of the heat-treating business for a minute and understand all the cool kids are using charcoal nowadays.  But I'm a traditionalist and decided to use Marc St. Louis' technique from TBBIV.  Call me old fashioned if you like   He says in his chapter that red oak has a "good" response to his efforts.  We'll see.

[John Scifres]

To psych myself up for using red oak from a tree, I re-read Tim Baker's design chapter in TBBI.  I really appreciate, even today, almost 30 years after he wrote it, the straightforward way it is written.  I forget how earth-shattering that series of books was in ushering in a whole new generation of bowyers.  Hamm et all should be proud, even from above.

All that said, nary a mention of red oak.  Baker's such a snob

[Pat B]

Red oak from a tree isn't the same as red oak from Lowe's or Home Depot. To me it seemed a lot stronger and more resilient.

[John Scifres]

I hope so.  I have a bunch of it.  Boned out the log December 2 of last year so it has been in the attic for 6 months.  Seems pretty dry.  No real issues with the dry heat last night.  We'll see.  I may have scorched the back a bit.  this was a practice piece anyway but I want it to survive at least.  The 3 biggest staves I'm going to compare no heat v. using the heatgun v. the charcoal method.  Should be fun.  You got any advice on specs that have worked for you Pat?  they are 72" x 2" now so the sky's the limit.