Bow with bark left on.

  • Thread starter Deleted member 7654
  • Start date
D

Deleted member 7654

Guest
PMSL,
It's really 70yards away, but carefully arranged mirrors make it look closer ;)
Del
 

ChakaZulu

New member
It's looking quick anyway.

How much did you take off the nocks in the end? Also, has it kept the weights you mentioned earlier? I've just noticed that it gained 5lb from 28" to 29". That seems a lot...
 
D

Deleted member 7654

Guest
It's looking quick anyway.

How much did you take off the nocks in the end? Also, has it kept the weights you mentioned earlier? I've just noticed that it gained 5lb from 28" to 29". That seems a lot...
I took about 1/8"- 3/16" of each side of each limb tip tapering out to nothing off over about 2", and chamferred the belly edges at the tips, this isn't much but it's the portion I'd deliberately left thicker to give some meat for the nocks, I may well take more off after I've done some shooting with it up the club today.
It's the old adage 'make haste slowly'.
On the poundage, the length measurements on my rig are only in 1" increments (something else to tinker with on a rainy day), what I actually did was to wind it (very briefy) back to 45lb glance at the draw measurment and let it down. I knew I'd taken it to 45lb before so was fairly confident, but having had my sinew backed bow explode on the rig :eek: I wasn't about to let it sit there at 45lb. So it may well have been a bit over 29"...
I'll report how it goes after some field shooting.
Del
BTW I gathered the fallen Yew limb, it turned out the sap wood was still good, but overall it was too knotted/twisted without even enough clean straight timber for a miniature :(...still ya gotta keep looking. (I dumped it on the 'habitat pile' in our garden, so it will make some beetles very happy :)
 
D

Deleted member 7654

Guest
Field trial :)

It shoots really nicely, slightly more curved trajectory that my Yew bow, but over the short field distances that's not a bad thing as I can get my aiming point up a bit nearer the target on the longer shots. Our longest shot is only about 30 yards and is still closer than point blank range.
Maybe I should look at anchoring V of thumb/hand under cheek bone rather than at back of jaw bone? :scratchch ...(must be a whole discussion on that subject) as long as I keep it consistent.
Shot it for distance and it went 10 yards past a 50lb longbow!!! :)
I've taken another desertspoonfull of fine shavings off the tips and improved the nocks a tad, I may bring the bracing height up a whisker (1/2") as I felt a couple of twangs on my wrist and it's fairly low (about 5").I don't usually bother with a bracer...don't need it with my Yew bow.)
Del
 
Thanks for putting this post up, it's really good for a budding bowyer such as myself to see other peoples staves/bows at different stages. I've got two bows under my belt so far and am glad i've found this site!! Please post more pics, very interested to see how it turns out!
 
D

Deleted member 7654

Guest
Cheers, here's another couple of pics.
[/IMG]
[/IMG]
It shoots well and seems to punch above it's weight, the guys at the club were impressed by the cast from a small light bow.
I'm impressed with Birch as a timber and I'm going to be on the look out for more. I've spotted a dead(ish) stunted Silver Birch in the grounds of a nearby school, so I'll be asking the groundsman if I can take it down for them :) .
The dimensions of the bow owe a fair bit to TTBBvol 1 (The traditional Bowyer's Bible) which is a 'must have' for anyone making bows.
If you want specific dimensions or pic's ...(say nock detail) feel free to ask.
BTW, the bark is still in place and solid after several weeks shooting.
Del
 
Looks like a lovely bow! I've just got a copy of the Bowyers Bible as well, like you said it's a great book, I tried to copy the bit on how to build the perfect bow with my ash stave..however lastnight I realised that I haven't made it bend through the handle (it's only about 30lbs draw weight)!!:duh:
 

tinkerer

New member
Very nice bow. It's the first time I've heard something good about native birch as a bow wood. I had thought it wasn't worth the effort, but you've changed my mind. Was the arrow that went 170yards the same as in your video? Maybe a flight arrow will do a lot better than 180. David
 
D

Deleted member 7654

Guest
Cheers,
I was a bit surprised by the Birch too.
Yes the arrow was as per video. I want to have a play with flight arrows some time, but you know how it is...so many projects and so little time :)
Mrs Cat will want a holiday and decorating too :( (I mean the house decorated not Mrs Cat :eek:)
Del
 

Gumbob

New member
Excellent thread!

Really enjoyed reading this thread. I have always fancied TRYING to make a bow myself and this has inspired me to have a go. Its a great looking bow and looks like it shoots well too. I am a relative newbie to archery and don't quite understand all the terminology yet but I'll get there.
Just one question, are you sure its birch? Looks very much like hazel to me.

Thanks again for posting this great thread.

Regards.................Ian
 

Kae

The American
American Shoot
I must admit, I was very sceptical of any arrows coming out of that bow without the bark falling off, but I'm really please I was wrong, it's beautiful!

Will be interesting to see how long it lives (hopefully as long as any other bow).

Hmm.. could be tempted to have a go!

Kae.
 
D

Deleted member 7654

Guest
Cheers Kae, it's still shooting sweetly.
I'd recommend having a go, you should be able to find some Hazel at this time of year.
Del
 
D

Deleted member 7654

Guest
Hi Gumbob,
Yes, I think it's Hazel ... I'm sure I owned up to this mistake earlier!
The colour is what confused me, most Hazel round here is a bore silvery colour, this has a definite coppery hue.
I should prb edit the title of the thread if possible.
Del
 

Gumbob

New member
Hi Gumbob,
Yes, I think it's Hazel ... I'm sure I owned up to this mistake earlier!
The colour is what confused me, most Hazel round here is a bore silvery colour, this has a definite coppery hue.
I should prb edit the title of the thread if possible.
Del
Sorry Del, must have missed that bit. I make a few walking sticks each year and we are lucky enough to get the red hazel quite close by. Not sure how easily I will find a thicker stave though. I'm off work today though so its on with the boots and off for a look see:eek:ptimist:

All the best............Ian
 

jb.68

Member
Hi Del, sorry, only just seen this thread. Nice looking bow there. Btw, that is definitely Hazel. I made a Holmegaard style bow a couple of years back from Hazel and the bark still hasn't fallen off. :)




This is a picture of the Hazel alongside a piece of Birch. (Hazel at the bottom)



All the best
jb
 
D

Deleted member 7654

Guest
Hey JB, nice bow, nice pics of the bark too.
A lot of Hazel (easilly identified when in leaf, catkin, nut etc) seems more silvery than that and that's what confused me.
tricky business I.D'ing some of those trees.
Nice tiller rig too:).
Ta
Del
 
Top