Finished Horse Bow

Message

Graeme K · #1 Post by **Graeme K** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 6:33 pm

Hi All
After shooting the bow enough to be sure it was a keeper I have now finished off the handle put a soft arrow rest and given it a coat of clear. Shooting it has confirmed my first impression that it is a pleasure to shoot and that it is the fastest bow that I own -- not that I have had a chance to chrono it but it is the only bow I have that drives the arrows completely through my target.

Graeme

#2 Post by **Stickbow Hunter** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 6:46 pm

Looks good mate. The tips look rather wide in the photos, is there a reason for this?

Jeff

Graeme K · #3 Post by **Graeme K** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 6:52 pm

Hi Jeff
Yes the tips are only slightly narrower than the limbs -- this is how the original was and I decided to keep it the same as I was concerned about the ends of the limbs twisting. I now think you could narrow them a bit but not without thickening them up which I will probably do next time --- GKL

Coach · #4 Post by **Coach** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 6:53 pm

Looks good

If ya need a Flemish String for it ,, you know , to keep in the spirit of things ,,, let me know ,, Red and Black would suit it well

#5 Post by **Stickbow Hunter** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 7:07 pm

Yep, that is understandable Graeme.

Jeff

archangel · #6 Post by **archangel** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 9:12 pm

Graeme

Congratulations - a beautiful little bow indeed! Your photos really show the nice symmetrical job you have made of the curves. How many layers of 'sinew' did you add to the back and belly? The surface on the back appears to be slightly convex.

Graeme K · #7 Post by **Graeme K** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 9:27 pm

Hi Archangel
Front and back are basically flat but there is a fair bit of radius on the edges.
There is 12 strands of rovings on the belly and 8 on the back. If you want to give it a try I can send you some over. --- Graeme

archangel · #8 Post by **archangel** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 9:30 pm

Thanks for the offer Graeme, definitely interested in getting hold of some to try out. PM sent with my details.

yeoman · #9 Post by **yeoman** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 11:10 am

Sure does look great. I love the curves!

Makes me want to try on myself...

Dave

Graeme K · #10 Post by **Graeme K** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 1:29 pm

Hi Dave
I think Guys are just naturally attracted to curvy things --- I have to admit that I find it appealing.

You should definitely give one a try --- a few people doing something different is always a good thing

Graeme

coolhippy80 · #11 Post by **coolhippy80** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 3:58 pm

i dont get it... whats it made of? i know what the rovings are (i think.... are they fibreglass strings?) but there must be more than just those on there...
lovely looking bow though.

greybeard · #12 Post by **greybeard** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 6:00 pm

Hi Graeme,
Congratulations on a job well done but more so having the determation to keep trying. A couple of questions, does the bow torque in the hand and is there much hand shock?

Daryl.

Graeme K · #13 Post by **Graeme K** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 6:02 pm

Hi CoolHippy
Interesting name - do your parents wear flowers in their hair ( esoteric reference to having lived through the sixties )

So yes there is something more than the rovings. The rovings are applied to a laminated core made from two strips of vertical bamboo flooring. Each strip is 1.5mm thick and 32mm wide and they are glued on each side of a piece of timber which forms the handle. there is a couple of short bits added to stiffen the middle and ends.
When you look at the edge it looks a lot like a modern recurve limb with a thin wooden center made of two bits with a layer of glass and resin on both external surfaces.

Hope that explains it well enough.------Graeme

Graeme K · #14 Post by **Graeme K** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 6:16 pm

Hi Daryl
Thanks for the kind words.
The bow has no inclination to torque in the hand - you can just about open your hand as you draw it and it feels like it is made of elastic during the draw. As for hand shock it makes a sharp twang on release but it does not seem to have any hand shock. I think the noise is the string contacting the recurve. I initially had string bridges on it but I got brave and tried it without them and found they were unnecessary. I was pleased as they just make the limbs heavier and slower but I know most would like having them as they look traditional.

Graeme

Chris · #15 Post by **Chris** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 7:51 pm

Graeme

can you post some pics of it being shot or at full draw?

looks very nice.

Chris

coolhippy80 · #16 Post by **coolhippy80** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 8:05 pm

hahaha, na, its just a random name i came up with once.... use it for lots of things now... if you ever see a coolhippy80 on another site, thats me.... i see now, that makes sense. very nice bow.

Jeffro · #17 Post by **Jeffro** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 9:11 pm

Nice work Graeme,ill look forward to seeing it at Roberts shoot this year if you go.

Hood · #18 Post by **Hood** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 9:13 pm

It's a work of art I tell ya, art it is.

Congrats on your fine craftsman ship mate.

If only to have the time, tools and patience to do the same

maybe one day yet.

Graeme K · #19 Post by **Graeme K** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 9:17 pm

Hi Chris
I am going to out tomorrow to have a shoot so I will try to get some photos - may also be able to chrono it with a bit of luck.

Graeme

Graeme K · #20 Post by **Graeme K** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 9:33 pm

Hi Mick
Thanks for the compliments but I am sure anyone can make a bow -- you just have to have a go -- at the end of the day it is just a stick with a string tied to it -- You really should have a go at something simple -- I reckon you can make a bow with nothing but a small axe and a pocket knife and any bow you make yourself no matter what it is like will be better than one you buy.

Graeme

Graeme K · #21 Post by **Graeme K** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 9:39 pm

Hi Jeffro
Yep I will be at Roberts -- see you then. ----- Graeme

Hood · #22 Post by **Hood** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 7:39 am

Graeme K wrote:Hi Mick
Thanks for the compliments but I am sure anyone can make a bow -- you just have to have a go -- at the end of the day it is just a stick with a string tied to it -- You really should have a go at something simple -- I reckon you can make a bow with nothing but a small axe and a pocket knife and any bow you make yourself no matter what it is like will be better than one you buy.

Graeme

Fair call, But I still need to find the extra time some how

If only there was an eigth day to the week to be declared Archery/hunting day.

I actually have a nice length of Blackwood that I'm going to have a go at makinga Boo backed longbow with the some help from Ed. Again once he and I find the time to catch up.

Graeme K · #23 Post by **Graeme K** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 5:28 pm

Went for a bit of a shoot today so I have some Full Draw photos and chrono numbers.
Shooting a 480gr arrow I got 170 ft/ sec -- from the photo it looks like I am only drawing it about 26" so it would be about 50# at this draw length. For comparison I chronoed a 50# decurve / recueve with a bamboo back and a glass belly and I got 154 ft/ sec. I am pleased with the result as it confirms my impression that it is the fastest 50# bow that I have.
Graeme

Jimmy Alexander · #24 Post by **Jimmy Alexander** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 5:28 pm

Nice bow mate

matt_d · #25 Post by **matt_d** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 5:49 pm

G'day Graeme,

Question for you about the arrow rest I can see in the pictures. Forgive me if I've missed something from an earlier post, but what is it made from and how have you attached it? Looks like a good idea, far better than a leather rest under the grip wrap.

Matt

Graeme K · #26 Post by **Graeme K** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 6:21 pm

Hi Matt

The rest is a small strip of leather with a bit pinched together in the middle and glued and the ends glued to the bow and wrapped with thread.
It is an idea I got from a us site and is referred to as a " Ferrets Floppy Rest"

Graeme

archangel · #27 Post by **archangel** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 8:21 pm

Graeme

I LOVE IT!!! So great to follow your build-along thread and see the finished product in action. This news about the speed and performance of your bow will please those of us from the Western Horde who have ordered Grozer scythians, thanks to MaylandL. Are you experiencing much finger pinch from such a short bow? I'm considering trying a thumb-ring when my bow arrives and would be interested to know how you find the release with the usual one-above two-below draw.

Graeme K · #28 Post by **Graeme K** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 8:34 pm

Hi Archangel
Finger pinch is not an issue -- in fact I had not thought about it until yesterday when someone asked the same question.
When you look at the full draw photo you can see that the included angle of the string is less than 90 deg and my understanding is that finger pinch is normally only an issue if the included angle becomes less than 90 deg.

Graeme

archangel · #29 Post by **archangel** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 8:42 pm

Thanks Graeme,

It wasn't easy to spot in the photos but sounds fair enough. By the way, I noticed in the first photo you have the bow cantered and the second it appears to be more upright. Are you experimenting with this at all? I have watched MaylandL shoot his various horsebows many times and he favours quite a good canter. I suppose at the end of the day you will take a draw that works for you and is comfortable to shoot.

Graeme K · #30 Post by **Graeme K** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 9:50 pm

Hi Archangel
If you look closely at the photos you will see that one is of me and one is my friend John. I tend to hold the bow more vertical. ---- GKL