Joe's Bow

April 1, 2006

I've been fooling around with wooden bows for about 10 years now.  I have owned one glass bow right at first but started making selfbows and really never looked back. Lately I've been getting a hankering for something new and looked into building a glass bow.  All the investement and money for supplies kind of turned me off though so I figured I should get one to try.  Joe said he had an Ancient Spirits Kadiak he'd trade me for a selfbow to his liking.  It seemed like a fair deal to me so we struck up a bargain. 

He wanted a 62" bow that pulled 60# at 27"

I asked him to give me a couple weeks.  That was last night.  Joe is lucky enough that my 10 year old daughter had a slumber party with 3 of her little friends last night.  That means Daddy gets to escape to the shop pretty much all night :)

So, I'm about done.  A little more tillering, sanding and some finish and she's real close.


Here she is at brace. Showing just a bit stiff in the outer third on the right (top) limb.  The tips are reflexed so it's not too far off.  Just a few scrapes away.  Left limb is a touch stiff from midlimb out.



I touched those areas about 10 times with the scraper.  Here she is at 23".  Pulling 50 pounds or so.  Same areas need a little more.   Left limb could use a bit more bend right at the fade and then at midlimb.


Here's a nifty way of more objectively judging tiller.  Draw a line from the handle to the tip using MSPaint.  It gives you some persepective.  The green marks are where I think it needs some scraping.


I gave those areas about 10 scrapes and then 10 scrapes full limb to shed some weight.  Here she is at 25".  Pulling about 60#.


Same picture marked up.  I'll give the fat green marks about 10 scrapes and then the skinny on the left about 5 to even the limbs up some.


A few more scrapes, about the same but I lost a couple pounds.  Pulling 57# at 25".


I gave it 10 scrapes outer two thirds on the left (bottom) limb and 10 on that flat spot in the outer third.  I also gave it 5 full length to lose some more weight.  Now she's coming around.  Left limb is about caught up with the right and that stiff spot in the outer third of the right is bending better.  I'll work it just a touch more and lose a couple more punds.  She's pulling 60# at 26" here.  I still have a couple pounds to lose in the next inch but that'll happen in the breakin and finish.


This is after 5 full length and a few at that stiff spot on the right.  Still just a bit off but I think I'll fix that after I get all the tool marks out and sand her a bit.


Joe wants a semi-locator handle so I went ahead and shaped that.  Feels great.  Gonna spend some time shooting her for a while.  You know, just to break her in.  I'll get some finish pics up here in a bit.

April 22, 2006

I finally got time to finish this bow.  She shoots great and looks good too.  Here's the full shot.


  The back and belly.


The handle and tip.

And full draw.

Not a great pic, sorry.