(click on any image to enlarge)
After I used my templates to cut the riser to shape. I glued in two curves, a 2-step process that takes 3 hours of cure time each. The riser block has to be cleaned up and re-squared after each glue-up. I think they will look great in the finished riser.
After shaping the riser further to get the perfect curves and edges, I glue the parts together and put them in the bow press. Then into the bow oven for 4 hours to cure.
When the parts come out of the oven, there is a lot of cleanup of glue, plastic, and tape.
Using more templates, plus some of my own prefs, I rough out the limbs and riser with the band-saw.
The fun and creative part is shaping the riser to get nice curves, patterns, and grip shape.
shaping the tips and filing the string grooves
shaping and smoothing the limbs.
here's the tillering step, where I make sure there is no limb twist and that the limbs pull correctly (top vs bottom).
After the first couple coats of finish, it's already starting to darken up and look nice.
and after a dozen more layers...
After completion, the bow tested at 48# and performed very nicely. So, the bow was shipped to Alaska and arrived in a timely manner.
Brandon seemed to like his bow and it looks like he can handle the pull weight. Hopefully this 18 year-old will become another archery lover and spread the joy of this hobby.
Here are the stats for this bow:
- target stats: 65" AMO, 50# @28", 2" wide limbs
- achieved stats: 48#
- .040" ULS black glass for the back
- .040" ULS black glass for the belly
- .070" hard maple parallel lam for back
- .105" hard maple tapered lam for belly (taper: .002/1")
- .255" total stack height:
- riser: 2 x 3 x 26" charcoal Actionwood
Nice
ReplyDeleteWhats the specs for this bow ?
OK, I put the expected stats on the blog. After I get it done and tested, I will update the results.
DeleteBrandon says he is already infected with the love of Archery, as is his mom. Thanks so much Monte, you do beautiful work! Your bow is a big hit among all who sees it.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I liked the at-the-range shooting picture, so I used that one. Have fun Brandon!
Deleteawesome builds! definitely going to get a kit from binghams. i was afraid to do it but it doesn't seem so bad after watching a few bows get built. Thanks for posting all of this!
ReplyDeleteHi can i ask you about what's the other of the layers? what fiberglass shoudl i use? sorry for asking too much
ReplyDeleteThe glass is made by Gordon Composites and is has special properties for bow building. There are different thicknesses, widths, colors and types (UL, ULS). Here are some examples of places that sell it. If you search, you can find more.
Deletehttps://www.binghamprojects.com/proddetail.php?prod=ULS
https://www.binghamprojects.com/proddetail.php?prod=UL
https://bigjimsbowcompany.com/product/gordon-composites-clear-glass-laminate-ul-72/
Sorry for asking too much but it’s actually order not other k misstyped can i use this type of glass instead cause it’s the only available in my place https://m.canadiantire.ca/products/productDetail/0475807P/false/false/false
DeleteThe layers, starting at the belly of the bow:
Delete1) bow glass
2) tapered lams, thickest ends in the middle
3) parallel lam
4) bow glass
I'm sorry but I can't get that URL to work.
Thanks a lot, if you have time you can check canadin tire website and then type bondo fiberglass resin ( or cloth) that’s what i am talking about. Making bow is my dream and you are the biggest inspiration
DeleteOK, I found it. So, using bondo or other types of fiberglass will not work the same. Bow glass is a specific material that has special properties required for bow building. It was engineered for this purpose. It is made by Gordon Composites and is used by all the bow makers. You can read the data sheets for the ULS and UL type glass here: http://www.gordoncomposites.com/downloads/downloads.html
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It can be purchased online from many bow supply places, and many will ship to Canada. There are probably places there that carry it. Also, if you join the tradgang forum ( http://tradgang.com/ ) and ask people in the 'The Bowyers Bench' thread, they may have even more suggestions about where to find glass and other building supplies. There is a lot of good info and great people in that group.
I will also say that there is no good substitute for using Smooth-On ( EA-40 ) for the glue on these bows. It has unique properties that allow the limbs to flex millions of times without breaking apart. It's an amazing 2-part epoxy that cures with heat. I use it in all my bow builds. It is also sold at archery supply places like Binghams and 3riversarchery.com .
Deletehttps://www.smooth-on.com/products/ea-40/
thanks a lot for your answering, my place doesn't have that products plus the price would be 5 times of the original products u showed me which is pretty ridiculous. Have you ever tried making one just woods and glues or epoxy only?
DeleteI understand. Yes, I have been working on an all-wood bow with 3 layers, but it's not done. On the TradGang group, there is lots of good info on building single-piece, and multi-layer wood bows. Bamboo is like the natural version of the glass outer layer of the bow. It works really well. Also, hickory and maple work great. The all-wood build techniques are a little different but it really will get you back to a more traditional build. I have more to learn in this area, so I not an expert by any means, but like I said there are great tutorials and info out there to learn from. Good luck and have fun.
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