54” Longbow Build

[JGR1269]

I haven’t done a build-along in a while so since I have a lot of time on my hands now, here we go. This will be one of my short, as Kenny would say,“coat hanger” longbows. The specs are 54” / 43#@28”. My 26.5” - 27” draw should put me right around my 40# target weight. This will be a two-piece version so I will I-beam the riser with a piece of 1/4” G10.
I sliced up a piece of Katalox and ran it through my drum sander. After gluing and clamping it’s off to the heat box to cure. While it’s curing I’ll start grinding the Bamboo limb cores and prep the glass.

[dbeaver]

Yes! I need something else to obsessively check in on 

[JGR1269]

I changed my mind on limb cores for this one. I’m going with Olive Green glass so I want the cores dark like the riser wood. I had some Black Walnut so I got the cores ground to size and scarf jointed. Tomorrow I’ll get the glass laid out and the riser cut and shaped to fit the form.

[Mad Max]

54" and Longbow don't go together
54" Short/longbow

[Burnsie]

What 2-piece system will you be using?

[Lehtis]

As above, 54” is not lb… except for vertically limited people. 65” at least…😉

[JGR1269]

This will be a fiberglass sleeve two-piece.

[kennym]

Looking good Jon !!  I like walnut lams too, seems like a quiet bow , I have to add a couple lbs to stack to make weight "usually"

Slong bows work, bro took a kids bow (that I hated profile) home and shot it a couple years back,decided to hunt with it and killed 2 bucks that fall.

42@28 , 500 grain arrow with a VPA 3 blade 200 up front. One arrow fell out ten feet from the hit and the other stuck in dirt. They work!

[Kirkll]

Using walnut lams definitely creates a limb with lighter mass weight and gives the bow potential for higher performance….. but…. This wood can vary dramatically in deflection strength depending on grain configuration and density.  I have, and I use a lot of black walnut, and there is a lot of difference between flat wild  grain material and straight vertical gran stuff.  Branch wood vs trunk milled out of the same tree can give you totally different characteristics in density, deflection, and even compression.

 1/4 sawn vertical grain walnut lams and wedges with tight grain can make great core materials.

[JGR1269]

Nothing wrong with that Kenny. I plan on putting this one to work this fall.

[JGR1269]

I glued up a pair of tip wedges with a piece of Katalox and a piece of white Core-Flex. I’m running a strip of white Core-Flex in my stack so the dark tip wedge will be sandwiched in between two layers of white.

[JGR1269]

I cut the arc on the belly of the riser and shaped on my spindle sander with a rub collar setup it to match the curve on my form. Then, I glued it up with a strip of Olive Green glass, a strip of Black Walnut, and a strip of White Core-Flex. When finished the Core-Flex will look like it splits at the fade-outs and runs through the riser. 

[JGR1269]

I also cut and glued up my tip overlays with alternating pieces of black/white/black glass and a piece of Katalox on top. Forgot to get pics of them but everything is in the heat box curing.

[Mad Max]

nice setup

[JGR1269]

Thanks Mark. I’d like to have all the fancy tools but I just don’t have the space. I work out of a tiny 10’x12’ shop I built in the back corner of my garage.

[JGR1269]

I was able to get the riser cleaned up, marked out, and shaped with the back profile jig.

[Mad Max]

Do you finish your fades on the template or separate.

[JGR1269]

I usually get them where I like them on the template. If not I’ll finish them up on the spindle sander or by hand. I have my template set up so I can slide a piece of bamboo lam cut-off behind the tip of the fade and grind it paper thin. That way the piece of bamboo takes the damage instead of the template .

[Mad Max]

 

[JGR1269]

This morning I got the tip wedges ground and the tip overlay block shaped. I’ll split it in half when I’m ready to install them. I run .001 taper on these bows so I have a 22” long .001 taper template I clamp on the form to check the fit. Everything looks good to move forward with the glue-up.