chopping up a bow to make takedown

[jape]

I am seriously considering sawing my well-loved Chekmate Longhorn in half and installing a take-down bolt. It has quite a meaty grip area so should take the stresses. Does sawing such a bow cause any problems?

Longhorn05LR.jpg (17.88 KiB) Viewed 2348 times

I can only find the 'raptor' bolt system for bows though and apart from being ridiculously expensive at $US95 for a bolt and socket, I am not sure a single point screw in method would give true alignment every time.

There may be other suitable inserts or systems available that others know of from other uses?

http://www.raptorarchery.com/newstore/p ... asp?id=674

I don't think I could make sleeves for this bow, they look best for a longbow style handle.
Any ideas, warnings etc.?

[longbow steve]

I have seen a few failures with the bow bolt system, I would ask on the US sites their opinions aswell. Steve

[jape]

Thanks Steve, I must admit that after posting that I sat and thought it through and decided the accurate cutting, drilling and lining-up of such a bolt system on a pre-shaped handle of that kind would be very difficult, before even calculating the possibilities of failure due to stress. How would you get consistent, accurate lineup of the limbs?

It was a rainy day thought, finally got some rain here, just a few ml but enough to keep me indoors. Trouble is I like this bow and can't imagine being able to sell it and then replace it with a takedown unless very fortunate. Also, three-piece tried-and-true riser and limb take-downs are probably too heavy in mass for me to handle.

I still wish to explore the idea though, a six-foot tube for transport on the 'bike is possible but unwieldy.

[Stickbow Hunter]

Leave it alone would be my advice mate. If you want a take down then either buy another (which really isn't an option from what you say) or sell this bow and buy a takedown.

Jeff

[jape]

What do you use on your own bike Jeff? I know a cruiser is easier to load up than a road/trail but the length of a bow must still be a problem, especially with a passenger? I have tried a tube from passenger peg to grab handles but it still overhangs a bit more than I like. I suppose I could tie a red rag to it!

[pdccr]

Its got some lovely curves on it. I wouldnt trust myself with a bow like that but thats because im a noob

[longbow steve]

I dont think a 3 piece take down needs to be heavy Jape, just request a timber that is light to start with and adequatly reinforce it.
I will venture down this path this year with a simple 3 piece that I can fit in a pack so I will keep you posted .
I could fit my recurve on my road bike, the contour fited quite well and I could tuck one limb under my thigh so I knew it wouldnt go walk about. Steve

[Dennis La Varenne]

Jape,

That Raptor takedown system looks to be more than adequately strong to me so long as the butt ends of both halves of the bow are fitted completely flush to each other so there is absolutely NO slop.

Having said that, my guess would be that your problem will be with drilling exceptionally accurately aligned holes into which the male and female bolts would be fixed. That is the crux of the problem with your idea. I think that the required degree of accuracy needed would try even an exceptional joiner. If your bow had a straight handle, you may have gotten away with a socket setup which would be slightly easier . . . just.

The ideal situation with making a takedown is to join it at the stave stage when the degree of accuracy in fitting is a bit less because, once joined and fixed, excess material is removed based on the centreline of the long axis of the bolts. This would also work with a glass faced bow at the blank stage too. Being rectangular in cross section at this stage, allows it to be held in a vice for accurate drilling for the Raptor bolts.

Starting with a finished bow presents all kinds of alignment problems.

My suggestion would also be to leave a bow alone with which you are well pleased and see if Mr Chekmate would do you a takedown based on the Raptor bolt system, or whether he may be interested in laying you up a blank so you can halve it and do the joining yourself while it is still rectangular in section.

Dennis La Varenne

[longbow steve]

I had better clarify my post, The failures I have seen have been with timber or laminates surrounding the Bow bolt system and not failures of the bolts themselves. Steve

[jape]

Maybe not such a good idea

Thanks Dennis and Steve, 46# bow weight doesn't seem like a lot of strain for good metal/wood joint materials but I suppose it would be constantly under stress when braced and also that forces of abrupt acceleration and reciprocation would apply. I had thought of casting the grip area into reinforced plaster with a plywood surround, then cutting and drilling. I am sure more thought would supply a solution to accurate fitting but the epoxied seating of the bolt and receiver could also fail over time - however three piece recurves must also take a lot of stress and strain and they work for thousands of shots despite looking flimsy to the eye with just a bolt to secure them. Perhaps it is the design/engineering of the angles there that works.

Steve, do please let me know how you go with your experiments. One reason that I didn't want to go that route was that I want to stick to one bow that I already like but a good enough one could well replace the Longhorn. I get such good penetration at close range with this bow that I am sure it would cleanly kill any game I may get after even at 46#.

In about ten years time when the credit card is repaid I may get a Toelke whip T/D, hopefully an Australian bowyer will be making similar by then?

[Stickbow Hunter]

Jape,

I don't carry my bows on my bike - not yet anyway.

Jeff

[greybeard]

Hi Jape,

The following link may give you some ideas.

http://www.warrenarchery.com/retro-bb.html

Daryl.

[jape]

Thanks Daryl! His jig is more stable than my idea because of the wooden spacers. Still expensive at $95US but I suppose that is fair for a small run, high-tolerance fitting. Have you used them?

[greybeard]

Hi Jape,

No, I have not used them, found the site when I was doing a Google search. There may be other systems on the net that you can research.

When I get a request to make a takedown [sleeve type] bow it is done at the building stage, not retro fitted and comes at an additional cost.

Daryl.

[Nephew]

How about this, Jape? http://www.3riversarchery.com/product.asp?i=4461X

[jape]

I did various Google keyword searches and didn't find that one! Decision is not to risk it, can't afford to stuff it up. thanks though.
Craig, thanks bud, but the handle is too different a style to try and fit a 'D'shape.
Going to try some 3 piece bows one day and see if I can fall in love with one of them.

[GrahameA]

Evening All

Still expensive at $95US but I suppose that is fair for a small run, high-tolerance fitting.

If you think they are expensive try making one.

And US$95 in cheap in comparison what it would cost to get some to convert an existing bow. Lot of work and to very fine tolerances.