Ozbow

just getting back into archery after 20 years.
having been a longbow fan for a looong time, i decided to have a crack at bow making.
i'm learning alot, but barely scratching the surface of all there is to know.

found a 'plan', tweaked it here and there, researched, found some timber that is supposed to do ok for a lam longbow and sourced it.
silver quandong backing, spotted gum belly. with help from a work colleague and Rob Nicholl of Flatline Bows (he even gave me some beautiful black palm to build up the riser, not sure i'm doing such a beautiful timber justice, but what an awesome human being!!!!)

i'm doing ok, i think. There have been problems and discoveries and things i'd do differently - there are a zillion things i've probably done wrong that i don't even realise and may never.

Rob helped me make a string and i rigged a dodgey stringer. i'm having a crack at tillering now and it's an exercise in patience, persistence and observation. it's getting better, i think, but still a way to go.

pic isn't super clear.

plan on starting to 'draw' the bow to continue tillering

black palm riser taking shape

Looking good; right limb a tad stiff? Or is it just a trick of the lines in the bricks behind?

Get those limbs evened up before you go to far or you will run into trouble later on...

Testing progress . . . Heard a tiny 'click'.
More progress testing . . . Tiny little bit of draw . . . .

Wa wa wa waaaahhhhhhh. Crack!!!!!!!! Delaminate and catastrophic fail.

Guess glue was a bit underdone after all. We thought it was. Now we know!

What sort of glue did you use for that one?

Very interested in the Quandong backing. No glass or cloth to stop splinters rising?

used techni glue, but not enough.

no glass or cloth backing no. lots to learn!

Bugger

i have timber for a second attempt prepped but suggestions for better timbers most welcome. i know there are options . . . . i'm not smart enough or timber savvy enough to read tables and graphs. suggestions that are available in far north queensland would be awesome please. the silver quandong i have seems very porous and perhaps splintery . . . . .

Pole Bamboo on the back and any native hardwood (spotted gum, ironbark etc) would to well as a belly timber... Masters usually have both of these items, gardening for bamboo and decking for the others.

Bake the bow out in the sun when its glued up and leave it a full 24 hrs before its bent.

Be sure to get your fade outs nice and shallow and fine to make sure there are no stress concentrations and you'll be well on your way.

Looking forward to seeing the next one.

Colin