Monday, March 28, 2005
It lost about an inch of reflex after unclamping. Glue line is pretty good, on limb has a small gap about mid limb.
Sunday, March 27, 2005
My first laminated bow glue up. It's a white oak board bow I started in 2000. It's been in the hot box for a couple of years. I glued a strip of bamboo on it. The bamboo and the rubber strap holding it on were a gift from Chris Parker. I thinned the bamboo a lot because I thought it would overpower the white oak. It was tillered with stiff tips so I put all the pressure for bending near the tips. It's reflexed 3 inches. The bottom limb is on the right. It's shorter and stiffer, so I put more pressure on that side to even out the overall reflex.
Saturday, March 26, 2005
Steaming the green wood I traded for some dry wood a while back. This wood was twisted 180 degrees. I could only get out the twist on one end. I'll have to steam again.
I made a caul out of a 2x8 the contractors threw away when they were building the new house next door. Here's all my clamps too.
Thursday, March 17, 2005
I decided I couldn't live with the kinks in the mid limbs of this bow. I already did the top limb, this is the bottom, which has a less severe kink. I overdid the top limb kink and got 2 cracks in the partial growth ring running on the belly side. I'll have to remove that and see where the poundage winds up. I may still be able to get 65 pounds. This is the second bow I've cracked from this tree. The other one just broke. It has a dark orange color and was growing in about a foot of water. It has black tar inside it that comes out when you heat it. If it don't make a hunting bow I'll start another.
Friday, March 11, 2005
Side view of Ruth's bow
Ruth's new bow
Unbraced picture of the bow I am working now. I'm shooting for 65 pounds. It has reflex near the handle and kinks mid limb, tips recurved. It was bent to one side and I straightened the longer top limb (left) to get the string to center on the handle.
Long string, pulled about 15 inches
