a bow for Ben, but he's not getting it...

[otis.drum]

another bow i finished this week. this one is for another mate, Ben. he wanted more reflex in the limbs and about 65# 80# again. however i think this bow will be my new hunter, as i like it too much to let go of at this stage

risers are the same length, but Bens bow (now my bow) has shorter wider limbs with the same thickness 2 lams of tulip oak. this bow has 6 inches of reflex fairly late in the limb and a forward handle. another 'almost recurve'
a significatly different handle. about 75#@28 and a bit shorter at 60" long. riser is 20" and shaped somewhat like a widow... here it is against Rudy's bow.

IMG_6999.JPG (164.75 KiB) Viewed 4915 times

you can see there is significatly more reflex in this bow than in Rudy's bow. double to be exact.

IMG_6958.JPG (191.57 KiB) Viewed 4915 times

a bit better shot of the handle. again bloodwood and spotted gum. fairly plain handle with no stripes and a bit of a pistol handle shape to the grip.

IMG_7023.JPG (96 KiB) Viewed 4915 times

tips are the same, bloodwood, spotty and black glass. they are a slightly different shape, plenty of dust and some string wax to top it off.

IMG_6965.JPG (51.01 KiB) Viewed 4915 times

i really like the way this one curves off the fades, and while it was a little more difficult during glue up, i think i will make a couple more along this line of riser.

IMG_7001.JPG (148.51 KiB) Viewed 4915 times

i like the long risers. i feel it works well with the bows i make. long thin fades and plenty of length left over for a large sight window and some customizing of riser shapes.

IMG_6956.JPG (184.9 KiB) Viewed 4915 times

very closely approaching 90* of string angle and bending strongly off the fades this one shoots an arrow i'm probably not quite drawing this to 28" here. perhaps around 26.5-27" draw, so i don't think this one would be good for much past 28.5-29" draw before stacking. i'm probably a bit over bowed at 75# at the moment but i'll build into it.

IMG_7028.JPG (61.37 KiB) Viewed 4915 times

the tulip oak cut like this gives some beautiful flickers of colour. the back of the bow is a different pattern. note some small air bubbles under the glass due to a rushed glue-up and not enough glue (glue going off very quick this day, perhaps a bit much hardener). not worried about the integrity of the bow due to bubbles.

IMG_6961.JPG (90.1 KiB) Viewed 4915 times

again only drawing to about 26-27" and struggling a bit after drawing and holding while i waited for her to take the photos sore arms by 'take 4'.

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a comparison shot of Rudy and Ben's (not Ben's) bows unstrung.

IMG_6979.JPG (189.86 KiB) Viewed 4915 times

that's all folks

[blu-dog]

Very impressive bows Otis... definitely going to be a line-up when you start making these for paying customers!!!

[otis.drum]

thanks blu, i like them, but i'm probably a bit bias

they are paying, just not alot materials plus about 10 bucks an hour which is more than i charged. they just forced it upon me and reused to take it back. but then again i don't think i'd work for $10 an hour doing anything else, and these boys are very good mates. both in my bridal party infact.

[Stickbow Hunter]

You certainly have been busy and obviously having a lot of fun.

Jeff

[Gringa Bows]

looking good,Otis i like the wood combo's too.................Rod

[longbow steve]

I like this one Otis, I have always wondered why Black Widow dont have a longbow with it's trademark shape. Getting them to bend down to the fades produces a good efficient bow provided it can hold together. Consider adding a power lam to beef up that area at the fades.
Nice lines on the riser shaping , you need to spend more time on the tip shaping . Steve

[otis.drum]

you're right steve, i do need to spend more time on the tips. i've never liked working on the tips. i rekon a vice would be handy

[dawallace45]

Nice work Otis

David

[Benny Nganabbarru]

Dang! I thought I was getting lucky there! You've got a real talent, Otis. Well-done!

[greybeard]

Hi Otis,

You have been busy making some nice looking bows; once you start it is hard to stop.

The bows look as though they would be fairly high in performance. Have you had a chance to put some arrows through a chronograph?

http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/26_5713.htm

Are you using [A. peralatum has a restricted distribution in North Queensland between Tully and Cooktown.]

Daryl.

[UPTHETOP]

I like the plain lines otis, and they shore look like a sturdy bow.
You have to give it up mate you cant hold onto the forever or you''ll end up like the old bowyers with a garage full of bows in the corner waiting to be worked on again.

Nice work.

Cheers Wayno

[otis.drum]

wayno, i find them hard to let go of but am getting better at it. my partner is always at me to thin the rack.

sorry Ben, wrong you

thanks david.

Daryl,
unfortunately no one (as far as i've found yet) in weipa has a chrono, and i've asked around! if postage was cheaper i'd send you a couple of bows to try out for me.

the tulip oak certainly sounds like the described. it has held up very well to everything i have thrown at it while under glass. lately i have been using two thicker lams instead of three or four thinner ones. i also like it because it's an attractive wood and don't need to put a veneer over it, and at this stage i've never had it fail. i'd love for you to give some of it a go sometime and see what you think of it

i get the wood out of the inside of the original low set mining houses up here. just boards lining the walls in some part of the kitchen from what i have heard.

i'd love to think my bows were pushing 200fps but could be 120fps for all i know. probably closer to the latter

[otis.drum]

Daryl,
i've highlighted what i can relate it to...

Scientific name Argyrodendron actinophyllum ssp. actinophyllum, A. trifoliolatum, A. peralatum .Family: Sterculiaceae

Local names Blush tulip oak, booyong, crowsfoot elm, blackjack (A. actinophyllum ssp. actinophyllum), brown tulip oak, highroot, stavewood, booyong, brown crowsfoot elm, brown oak, hickory (A. trifoliolatum), red tulip oak, red crowsfoot, red crowsfoot elm (A. peralatum)

Other tulip oaks include A. polyandrum, A. sp. aff. A. trifoliolatum, A. actinophyllum ssp. diversifolium, and A. sp. aff. A. peralatum.

Description and natural occurrence The tulip oaks can grow up to 50 m in height. The bases of large trees are usually prominently buttressed. Leaves have white or silver on underside. A. actinophyllum ssp. actinophyllum and A. trifoliolatum occur in scrubs and rainforests along the east coast of Australia.

A. peralatum has a restricted distribution in North Queensland between Tully and Cooktown.

Wood appearance Colour. Heartwood pink-brown for A. actinophyllum ssp. actinophyllum and brown for A. trifoliolatum. Sapwood not always readily distinguished. Heartwood pink to red-brown for A. peralatum, with whitish sapwood.
Grain. Grain is usually straight and open, sometimes interlocked or wavy and irregular producing some beautifully figured wood. Attractive figure on tangential face and large ray fleck on radial face are prominent features of the tulip oaks.

Wood properties Density. 800-925 kg/m3 sounds about right at 12% moisture content; approximately 1.1 to 1.3 m3 of seasoned sawn timber per tonne.

[stringnstik]

certainly is a great looking wood and bow curves accentuate well.
Nice looking combo. Wish I had the time to spend on such "chores":lol one day.
keep it up

[greybeard]

Hi Otis,

Check out the following link.

I have the F1 model and it seems to be value for money. They are made in Canada.

I got mine about 2 years ago and paid approx $120-00.

Daryl.

http://www.opticsplanet.net/shooting-ch ... 23100.html

[otis.drum]

thanks daryl, i've been looking at them for a while now. i have a few things i would like before i get one though. we are in weipa to save, and so i am on a very tight budget. infact i don't really have one. but as i sell a couple of bows i will get a few bits and pieces to make life (tradbowing) quicker and easier.

MY SANTA LIST
a vice
scales
spine jig
a number of power tools
chrono

i'm into fraud too, i always round a couple of dollars off my pay here and there that end up in my bow account
i'll get there

until then i'll just tell myself they are performing ok, and enjoy it while i know no better

[Gringa Bows]

better hope your missus does'nt read your last post about the rounding off a couple of dollars from your pay ........................Rod

[otis.drum]

better hope your missus does'nt read your last post about the rounding off a couple of dollars from your pay ........................Rod

ssshhhh

[greybeard]

Hi Otis,

I can appreciate the situation.

When I ventured into bow making [selfbows] I had a hand saw, spokeshave, some crappy rasps and sandpaper.

Although it was hard work, over a period of time the sales of selfbows and the venture into bamboo backed bows paid for all the gear needed to setup my workshop.

Is there a gun club in your area? If so they may have a chronograph that they may let you use when they set it up.

Daryl.

[otis.drum]

i have asked a couple of people at the pistol club, bowhunters club and rifle club. i continue to look out for them, but no luck yet. i'll probably buy one when i'm allowed

i've harvested some bamboo and look forward to making some more boo baked bows, but the variety that grows up here isn't the best.

[Waltron]

Nice bows Otis. you seem to be getting the nack of it.

[otis.drum]

just experimenting. testing the waters and pushing them as far as i can without breaking them (hopefully)

[dawallace45]

Otis

I've been in several pistol clubs over the years and I've never even heard of a pistol club that doesn't have a chrono , one of the first things a pistol club buys

David

[Mike-dy]

Looking good Otis, I would like to see some pics of one being glued up.
Cheers,
Mike

[otis.drum]

mike,
i nearly did a glue-along on the weekend when i glued up my next bow. but got carried away and didn't take the time to take phots. sorry maybe next time, though there would be better people to see and learn such thing from than me

it will be very different to my other bows. i've reduced the riser down from 20" to 13" and the overall bow length from my usual 62"-68" to 50" long. it meant taking the 7" out of the handle and about 4" out of each limb. i haven't decided whether it will be a short longbow (something like a super shrew classic http://shrewbows.com/shrewclassic.htm) or if i'll put some form of syahs on it. i think i will let the bow decide that. see how it goes and feels as a short short bow, though the core lams could be a bit thick for that (too high poundage/too stressed) or if it would prefer to be a semi somewhat horsebow sort of thing. i need to do a bit of research before i will attempt adding syahs to a bow though.

i will try to do a bit of a build along one of these days.

[Stickbow Hunter]

i've reduced the riser down from 20" to 13" and the overall bow length from my usual 62"-68" to 50" long......i haven't decided whether it will be a short longbow (something like a super shrew classic http://shrewbows.com/shrewclassic.htm) or if i'll put some form of syahs on it.

Sorry mate but 50" long and 'longbow' simply does not go together unless the bow was for a child but going by the rest of your post it isn't. Looking forward to what you end up with all the same.

Jeff