Modifying a bow ? opinions needed

[8up]

Ok after seeing this picture of Ken's modified bow. I am wondering if I could get away with cutting a Martin Stick or Bear Montana the same way. I wonder If I cut a second shelf onto the same side like he did if the bow it would hold together. My other concern would be hand shock.
Tell me what you think.

Ken's Bow
 

[Ray Hammond]

well, the limbs are, or should be tillered slightly different - top vs bottom, when the bow was originally built. If you cut a new shelf on what was the bottom of the handle on the same side of the bow as the original shelf your bow will not be tillered to shoot from the NEW shelf, so I don't understand why you would want two shelves on the SAME side of the bow???

[ZaneD]

welll it is an interesting idea. it would allow you to shoot right and left handed from the same bow, but as i also second what ray said about the tiller.

[Carbon Caster]

If the tiller is for 3 fingers under (even) or 0 tiller and the grip is in the geometric center of the bow tips and fades.  I don't know why it wouldn't work.

[8up]

Ray I would like a bow that I could shoot with either hand. So far I haven't found any new bows with the double shelves like the old Bear bows.

It can work with the right bow Ken proved that and his bow has even tiller. But after looking at pictures of the Martin Stick and Bear Montana the handles don't appear to be centered in the bow.

[Ray Hammond]

why not a shelf on either side of a riser then? In looking at that photo that bow APPEARS to have been laid up for that very purpose..if you look at the wood grain in the layered riser it perfectly matches the way its built. I suspect it was constructed to HAVE two shelves on one side with a zero tiller.

maybe it would work, Carbon...but what's the chances that the bow he has is zero tiller or three under?

Instead of messing with a bow that you have, why not build a Bingham kit bow and lay it up to be made the same way as this bow in the picture and you would have TWO bows -with at least one that you could shoot if something goes wrong with the experiment?

[8up]

Ray, who makes a modern bow with a shelf on each side? I would like one. In my other post Ken stated he took a cordless jigsaw to that riser and made the second shelf.

I was not considering it on a boy I have now, I was actually trying to figure out what to watch for on ebay.

I will try to check out the Bingham kit. Where can I find it?

[Orion]

Sup:  Don't know if he has any left, but Jay St.Charles made a limited edition of 300 mostly double shelf recurves patterned after a bow his dad made in the 50s.  Can check his website --  www.Selfbows.com. Believe he called it the Thunderbird.

[Carbon Caster]

8up,

If I am not mistaken, Ken has owned a couple factory double shelf bows, and can probably point you in the right direction.  He has been switch hitting for a while now.

[8up]

the makers of the bows Ken has had are no longer living.

Thanks

[Bjorn]

Jay St Charles has sold out the T Birds; but he could make you a different shoot 'em right or shoot 'em left bow. Especially a longbow-I did see a prototype recently if not mistaken-ask Jay about that. BTW his longbows are first rate.

[Mark Smeltzer]

Do it the way you said and just retiller, even.

Mark