Welcome, Guest. Please Login
SLINGING.ORG
 
Home Help Search Login


Pages: 1 2 3 4 
Send Topic Print
primitive elm bow buidalong- now with better pics (Read 16094 times)
Hellfire
Ex Member


Re: primitive elm longbow buidalong (pics)
Reply #15 - Apr 5th, 2006 at 5:09pm
 
Green wood is weaker than seasoned wood, and it takes an awful lot of set.  I couldnt get pics up the other day, and will try to soon.
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
english
Ex Member


Re: primitive elm longbow buidalong (pics)
Reply #16 - Apr 6th, 2006 at 11:00am
 
Moisture is an important factor.  However, you can begin to make your bow before the stave has fully dried.  That is how native Americans did it, and most "primitive" societies in the world.  Also, I'd like to make the point that most native bows were made from small diameter stuff - not the big logs used today, especially on the plains, where wood was a commodity that you didn't waste.  So you can use green wood of around 3 inches diameter, start making your bow, and once it's finished, wait around 4-6 weeks and your bow should be ready, depending on weather conditions and where you keep it.
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
Hellfire
Ex Member


Re: primitive elm longbow buidalong (pics)
Reply #17 - Apr 12th, 2006 at 9:18pm
 
I am very sad to say that the crown and all of the dips and kinks really interfered with thickness tapering of this elm bow. I may or may not have made a fairly severe hinge about midlimb on one bow. Maybe its just a kink and maybe its a hinge. Its not easy to notice but it seems to take more set than it ought. I will leave it somewhere nice and dry for a couple more days, maybe its just a little green. Am working on another bow like it.
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
Hellfire
Ex Member


Re: primitive elm longbow buidalong (pics)
Reply #18 - Apr 19th, 2006 at 8:41pm
 
Yep. Made a hinge. Pretty bad one too. I will shorten the bow about 4" (its about 72" long), and lower the weight to about 45# and will re tiller, and move the handle down two inches. Will have to make a new string, but thats not the most of my troubles.
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
Jeffrey
Novicius
*
Offline


I would die if i were
normal!

Posts: 2
East Texas
Gender: male
Re: primitive elm longbow buidalong (pics)
Reply #19 - Apr 23rd, 2006 at 10:56pm
 
Red elm eh? How do you like elm, uh, say...compared to osage?

Jeffrey
[url=http://oldetymesports.proboards100.com/]OLDE TYME SPORTS LINK[/url]
Back to top
 

When people are more worried about their bigmacs more than the nation, there's a BIG problem!
WWW  
IP Logged
 
Douglas_The_Black
Interfector Viris Spurii
*****
Offline


Hakkaa päälle!

Posts: 3491
Salineville Ohio
Gender: male
Re: primitive elm longbow buidalong (pics)
Reply #20 - Apr 26th, 2006 at 10:34pm
 
I was makeing a short bow, and it was comeing along great. BUT i let my draw knife get dull, took a big chunk out of it. when the bows done itll have about 25 pounds of pull Roll Eyes

Ill give it to my little brother.  Smiley
Back to top
 

i live in a maze of typo's&&&& popularity is for dolls a hero cannot be popular-Ralph Waldo Emerson&&&&DTB-master of the corny vest, and crappy carpet!
randelflagg22002  
IP Logged
 
imhellfire
Guest


Re: primitive elm longbow buidalong (pics)
Reply #21 - Apr 27th, 2006 at 8:22pm
 
making good progress on it. i'm on the schools computers so i cant login. had to stay after school- long story.

i shortened the bow to about 66", and its about 1 3/8" wide. I'm going for about 45# at 28". I have it most of the way tillered. So far only 1" of set. Its looking to be a nice pretty bow. I'm going to finish it just like Redhorse does. You guys will probably think  its gross but it works fine. You can also use cow pi$$ for finish. They used to use it to finish gunstocks around the 1850's.


http://www.bahnhofbredband.se/~wb304054/varnish.html
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
Douglas_The_Black
Interfector Viris Spurii
*****
Offline


Hakkaa päälle!

Posts: 3491
Salineville Ohio
Gender: male
Re: primitive elm longbow buidalong (pics)
Reply #22 - Apr 28th, 2006 at 10:58pm
 
hmm cool Smiley

the bow has alot more power then what i first thought. Man is it a twisty bow, Shame i let my little brother borrow the camera I wont get it back for a while Undecided
Back to top
 

i live in a maze of typo's&&&& popularity is for dolls a hero cannot be popular-Ralph Waldo Emerson&&&&DTB-master of the corny vest, and crappy carpet!
randelflagg22002  
IP Logged
 
Hellfire
Ex Member


Re: primitive elm longbow buidalong almost done no
Reply #23 - May 1st, 2006 at 9:22pm
 
It is about 50# at 28". It has taken about 1 1/2" of set, and when it relaxes a while it loses a lot of it. It is 66" long, 1 3/8" wide, 1/2" tips, and the string is dacron. I am working on a sinew string right now, but I might use milkweed instead as it is easier to use.


...

...

The lower limb is shorter. It has about 3/4" of positive tiller.
...


Back to top
« Last Edit: May 21st, 2006 at 8:35pm by N/A »  
 
IP Logged
 
CanDo
Interfector Viris Spurii
Past Moderator
*****
Offline



Posts: 1652
New England, USA
Gender: male
Re: primitive elm longbow buidalong almost done no
Reply #24 - May 1st, 2006 at 9:32pm
 
not bad, I think the asymetricalness is kind of cool.

I have a question for you (or anyone else who may answer):
One of the bows that I recently completed had taken an inch of set. Unhappy with this, I steam bent it flat, and am refinishing it. How do I minimize the amount of set that it will take? Should I construct a heatbox for it, then immediately seal it?
Back to top
 
WWW  
IP Logged
 
Hellfire
Ex Member


Re: primitive elm longbow buidalong almost done no
Reply #25 - May 1st, 2006 at 10:29pm
 
not bad, I think the asymetricalness is kind of cool.

I have a question for you (or anyone else who may answer):
One of the bows that I recently completed had taken an inch of set. Unhappy with this, I steam bent it flat, and am refinishing it. How do I minimize the amount of set that it will take? Should I construct a heatbox for it, then immediately seal it?



If your bow is medium weight, 66-72" long, and medium width ( from about 1 1/2 to 2" wide), then 1" of set is pretty good. If it is a wide bow, or low weight (40# or less), then that is acceptable. Steaming it into straightness wont do anything, as the set will come back. If you steamed it into maybe 2.5" of reflex and then toasted the belly with a heat gun you could probably get a decent flightbow, but there is a bunch of variables to judge, so if you would post weight, dimensions, draw length and a pic of the profile/tiller, and what wood type,  then that would be great, it would be way easier to judge.
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
siguy
Interfector Viris Spurii
*****
Offline


si vis pacem para bellum

Posts: 1714
connecticut
Gender: male
Re: primitive elm longbow buidalong almost done no
Reply #26 - May 2nd, 2006 at 3:10pm
 
asymetrical bows are awesome.  you know the archers in japan had bamboo bows that were up to 7 or 8 feet long?  you can bet those were way asymetrical.  looks like a great bow.

do you make your own arrows as well, or do you use modern arrows?
Back to top
 

if you want peace prepare for war&&&&my site
WWW  
IP Logged
 
Hellfire
Ex Member


Re: primitive elm longbow buidalong almost done no
Reply #27 - May 2nd, 2006 at 7:37pm
 
I make my own arrows, mostly out of pine shafts I planed out and goose feathers, but I have tried out some indian designs, like the two feather fletch. Having some luck with that, but I'm mostly sticking with three fletches.
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
lobohunter
Interfector Viris Spurii
*****
Offline


where be a rock and a
string there be a sling

Posts: 1976
Cottage Grove or
Gender: male
Re: primitive elm longbow buidalong almost done no
Reply #28 - May 2nd, 2006 at 7:41pm
 
nice work
Back to top
 
Albert Scott C bigbadwolf41 77940+hwy+99+south,+Spc+22  
IP Logged
 
CanDo
Interfector Viris Spurii
Past Moderator
*****
Offline



Posts: 1652
New England, USA
Gender: male
Re: primitive elm longbow buidalong almost done no
Reply #29 - May 2nd, 2006 at 7:52pm
 
I'll get some info and pics up ASAP (saturday most likely), thanks for the consideration Smiley
Back to top
 
WWW  
IP Logged
 
Pages: 1 2 3 4 
Send Topic Print
(Moderators: Mauro Fiorentini, Chris, Bill Skinner, Rat Man, Curious Aardvark, David Morningstar, Masiakasaurus)