Ok Fellas…
I’ve always used scrapers making bows and by my work bench was this packet of different types of scrapers.One is a convex/concave one.
It is 2.5" wide though.I figure to narrow it to 1.25" because most horn bows I make are around that wide.
I figure to take these flat slats of horn and shape them.Then use the tencik tool and rope to put my joinery together.
A different way of preparing surfaces for me so I have a question of course…ha ha.
How shallow of a curve can one make the cutting surface to make it viable against the poisson effect
?As is 2.5" wide it is 1/2" deep.It would be about 1/8" deep at 1.25" wide.That would mean I would have to have at least 1/4" thick horn to start with.Can one go down to 1/16" or a little less?
Getting another scraper like this and filing in teeth for grooving might be something to do too although I’m only makng 50# bows so the need for grooves is debateable.
Indeed there is need for thicker horn, but maybe just unprocessed horn that has natural concavity already. And you are making light bows so… to be honest there are not much performance to be gained here. It is the original method though, so if that interests you, go for it!
My scrapers that i use right now have 140mm diameter. Almost 6". I think i found some paint jar or something like that to use for drawing an circle. It seems to have good amount of concavity when i have bows at 30mm wide before sinew. Its not much of hollowness actually, maybe 2mm?
If you plan to use rope and tencik with modern glue, keep in mind that the rope is for one use only. It will stick to glue.
No rest for the wicked here…ha ha.
Yea I kinda thought the benefits would be very minimal with the weight bows I’m making.Even less than splitting hairs.Not as much stress and power there I get it on higher poundage bows.The ussue of safety is the threat here to me.A bow working on the edges in concavity on it’s back can be sucseptible to failure.I really don’t see that happening on the bows I’m making here.On wider thinner bow limbs I’m sure it could be more evident.
I wonder if someone could prove the difference in higher poundage bows,but I’m sure the risk might thought to be too great there.It says examinations of old bows made of higher poundage do show the concave convex glue ups.
Kuddos to the dedication of these fellas pulling 100#'s and making them the proper way.The scraper will stay handy to me here.
This guy from India has those less processed horns also.
The bow here will get 4mm or 5/32" thick horn occupying about 30% of the thickness of the limb.
I’ve done and continue testing with these bows through the chrongraph.Shooting them in many cases thousands of times.I see no failures.I’m aware of what other bows do also.I would’nt be making them otherwise.They are fun to make plus they hold up through time.
Some old designs have been overlooked by the conglomerate corporations because it is not economically feasible to them.Replacing them with cheaply mass produced products after the almighty dollar.A trend by some bow builders has been for some time now duplicating these designs to look favorable to the public with FG.It does serve convenience and stability but the performance is not as good in the end.
Archery is a take here lose there kind of thing that would drive accountants crazy as Tim Baker has said before.
Like said I did a couple of bows some time ago with hide glue/grooving/and using the tencik.I’m a little familiar with the process.I had to have a second person hold the limb end while I was wrapping.I must say the bow seems to be unbreakable opened up.It has’nt had the tenciks on it yet.
I’ve found a fellow friend about 3 hours from me that is into turkish horn bows the old way.I’ve always respected his articulate work.Sometime I will look him up.
I have ways of avoiding a mess with hide glue or smooth on epoxy using C clamps or a tencik rope.
With glue ups using smooth on epoxy saran wrap is wrapped around the laminations before as a barrier.I use zip ties or strong spring clamps lots of times to hold things in place as it is wrapped.Removing the zip ties or strong spring clamps as I go.
C clamping the oversized horn to the core lets the squeezed out glue lay on a shelf made from the oversized horn.
After curing it’s to the table top spindle sander I go to clean it up.That a bandsaw and a table top belt sander are my only power tools.No drum sander or jointer or large 3’ belt sander.
To go there would mean to me almost an investment into a business.
I should put a vise in the house somewhere where it’s warm as it is almost below zero F now out in my tractor shed…ha ha.We finally got a good amount of snow also.Time to start up my tractor soon.I have a 3/4 mile lane to keep clean living out in the sticks…ha ha.
I think there was many reasons for traditionally to make glue surface round. They didn’t have c-lamps so they had to use rope! Flat surfaces wouldn’t have even tension with rope.
Absolutely. I find it quite reasonable that not everyone has possibility to get a hornbow but even the glassbows are made quite poorly.
Discussing with Kevin Strother, he even mentioned that the modern compound limbs are full glass. Which is funny. After all the development of materials, tapers and different more efficient configurations.
Having a warm workshop is good thing. Makes the job more sustainable mentally!
Some of the past winters i have worked in the countryside in a cold shed temperature swinging -5 to -25 degrees. So up to -13 fahrenheit. Not really that nice, but i had good winter clothes.
Table top spindle sander sounds cool! I have a big belt sander, but it doesn’t get into all those small corners.
Well I still think that poisson effect has a lot to do with it.Adam speaks about that quite a bit.I know my way of making these recent bows is not traditional.I’ll come around sooner or later.
30mm…You must really put the thickness to it getting 90 pound bows.
I shoot with a fella here occasionally at 3D shoots that has made bows for over 40 years.Starting with self to laminated and now all FG bows.Nice fella.Enjoys the sport.Never see him with a compound in hand.
He makes very good FG bows.He gets orders and sales many of them and repairs others for people also.
After we tested bows we had made through his chronograph he decided to make an FG bow with stiff outer levers with wedges and short working sections etc as he liked the performance from it also…" personally I really don’t have any idea the tapering needed etc, that goes into a good FG bow"…anyway after a summer of shooting his FG bow started going out of tiller.The material could’nt handle it.Since then he has scrapped that design idea.
I call those compounds “contraptions” openly.They don’;t like it but tough…ha ha.We are gracious to each other though.All in jest.
Of course they like to point out that my 30 yard shot is off 6"…ha ha.I do surprise them quite often though.Of course his shots are almost impeccable within an inch or two most times.
Anyway we have fun.
No no, new set is 120# and up. Haha!
I already pulled 140# and shot 128#. Need to just manage the same with the turkish siper. Its a bit tricky. Each year should pump it up +15#. Dream big!
I do shooting with FG guys too. Its nice and sometimes i learn stuff from them.
Like you said, only distinguishable thing is the accuracy. Hah. But close range we can go head to head.
I might post some pictures about my new glassbows that i’m making on the side here too. Asiatic bows, turkish shape. Only 45" long but 100-130#. Good for training flight but also for those Utah and Istanbul competitions.
Yikes.You crazy bugger!!! I guess that’s a sport for younger people…ha ha.I used to be that way but not to over 100 pounds.
I would think one needs to stay in shape continually shooting to maintain those draw weights.
95% of the FG or compound shooting boys would not know the first thing about making or fixing bows.Nor the first thing about how to design one.There are other differences also.
I find my self and horn bows are one heck of a lot quieter than the FG or compound bows.An important thing.Sometimes shots are within 10 yards and a second shot at a different deer is possible.
I’ve shot over a couple dozen large whitetails here not counting the misses…ha ha, and not one has tried to jump the string.I brain tan all their hides.One weighed 385 pounds.I have no doubt I could kill any big game animal into the half ton or more weight in the U.S. with these bows.It’s just a matter of putting the time into it.
A point dead on forty yard flat shooting bow using 12 grain arrows is more accurate for me.Of course on closer shots the point is lowered.In reverse of a slower bow.Most know one needs to marry up with a bow and shoot and shoot to get the accuracy down.
Yes I’d like to see those bows your making or better yet someone shooting them…ha ha.
I did’nt know they would allow synthetic materials in bows at those shoots.
You are quite a hunter! Interesting what you say about deer not jumping the string. Would be wonderful to have all that raw animal material! Hide, sinew, bones, anterl - not to forget meat!! Hah.
The sound of bow is somehow related to limb mass. Well designed bow is efficient and therefore quiet. Same goes for glassbows too - at least those asiatic bows i make and shoot. Recurve bows are clumsy in that sense. My hornbows weigh 330g but glassbows at same weight only 250g.
Its tough sport after 100# indeed. Bows get really fast and dangerous…
In Istanbul and also Utah flight competition there are different classes where you are allowed to shoot glass bows. In a way its interesting, because the bows pack some more performance and with good shooting and good arrow you can go really far. We shoot thumb afterall.
Still i find the hornbow most interesting. To chase the 800m.
Not near the bow hunter of others I know,but I try my best.I enjoy the challenge.The best forty years or so of my life besides farming was spent breeding/raising/training/and campaigning coonhounds in the U.S.Winning national hunts along the way.
Dogs names in record book.Plenty of trophys.
Chased hundreds and hundreds of coon/bear/and big cat in many different states.
A very exciting way to hunt.Lots of action.
Your choice also sounds like it’s something honorable to devote yourself to chasing a distance record.Not just shooting but the whole process of preperation also.
Makes the job more sustainable mentally!