another bamboo bow

[ed]

tried another one. Had a lot more trouble with tiller and ended up with what is for me an underweight bow as it pulls 38# at 28 inches and 47 at 32. Very sweet shooting bow and again I am surprised at how quick bamboo bows are pound for pound. Maybe it is that the limbs weigh so little.
This time I didn't stain the wood as when I was rubbbing it down with wet and dry I was happy with the colours that came out. It is cheap Home Hardware bamboo with a few blemishes that add character. Jarrah center and dark jarrah handle. All I have done is finish it with some parrafin wax melted in.

http://www.bujinkanadelaide.org.au/Images/Pictures/bow2/bow2fulldraw.jpg

http://www.bujinkanadelaide.org.au/Images/Pictures/bow2/bow2handle.jpg

http://www.bujinkanadelaide.org.au/Images/Pictures/bow2/handlebelly.jpg

http://www.bujinkanadelaide.org.au/Images/Pictures/bow2/topbelly.jpg

[Paul R]

Very nice Ed.

That timber combination does look great. :D

[Glenn]

Nice looking bow Ed. Maybe next time if you haven't already tried it you could back you bow first and tiller it back to your draw before gluing the belly bamboo on. I would keep the jarrah 3mm wider on each side of the bamboo so it's not overpowered by the bamboo...Glenn...

[ed]

thanks Glenn and Paul.
there are a few things I want to try again. I shortened this bow half way through the tillering and it is 67 inces long. When I put the bamboo on the belly I made it quite thin and should have left it with a bit more thickness to up the draw weight. I thinned it mostly so I could get it to bend backwards to run up the fades. Some work with the heat gun there too and you can see that in some darkening of the bamboo there.
I was also surprised to see about three inches of reflex dissapear during tillering!
The Jarrah center tapers to about 3mm and then thickens a bit for the tips. I think Glenns idea of tillering before belly lamination is a good idea as this bow remains too stiff near the fades. Still it was another rescue as I tried to tiller too quickly and had two frets, which is why I shaved it down and put the bamboo belly on. Hopefully I have learnt my lesson about tillering speed :) I will put some more pics up tonight of the tillering and glue-up.

[Paul R]

Ed by the sounds of it you are learning a lot about making those bamboo backed bows. :D

It's one of the many things that I'd like to try sometime in the future so I find your posts very interesting and who knows, they may even cut down on some of the frustration I'll no doubt face when I eventually give it a go. :D

[ed]

rathr than put it all on one thread I am putting together a web page with all my stuff ups - well the ones I took photo's of anyway.

here it is http://www.bujinkanadelaide.org.au/archery/bow2/bow2rescue-attempt.html

[perry]

I'm amazed that you are getting 32" draw from such a short bow bamboo laminations or not .I like 67"bows for my 28"draw , you gotta be doing plenty right -well done . regards Perry

[XTfreak]

Nice looking bow sir.
Bill

[emu]

Thats another nice bow there Ed nice colours and best of all it is in my poundage :lol: keep them coming mate they are getting better soon u will be flogging them off.
Cheers Emu

[ed]

thanks guys.
I am now looking at some peices of jarrah I have left and maybe one of them is good enough for bow wood. The others have cracks that run too deep and the wood is not wide enough to split along the grain.

I am looking out for some more bow wood again, and will definitely be making some more. I want to make a few just for myself - bamboo backed in the 65 to 80# range, a warbow of about 95 to 105, a recurve, and a couple of horsebows.

So there are bound to be more than a few stuff-ups like these lightweights to pass on. Missus really wants me to sell them as she says I will end up with a room full of bows otherwise ( i now have four and she has two and looking at a third). Try to explain to a woman that it is hard to let go of something you have made, as you might never see it again ! :shock: One other offer on this bow Wayne, but if it falls through you can have first option on it :)

[sparra_gump]

What does it cost you to make one?

[emu]

Cheers Ed that would be sweet if it's anything like the one at Hoods the other week it would be very sweet indeed 8) .
Cheers Emu

[dean]

can't see any pictures on your website, ed.

[dean]

can't see any pictures on your website, ed. your bow looks nice though

[ed]

sometimes my website is a little slow to upload from. I am getting a better connection soon... is it just me or do computer things all get slower with age and require you to get faster everything to keep the same overall speed. :?

Sparra - cost me $50 for 1.5 litres of glue. That should last me for about 20 to 30 bows I reckon. Then $15 for some cheap bamboo from Home Hardware - get the largest diameter you can and with the growth rings the farthest apart you can. Mine was bought for me by a mate actually and is not that good a choice and yet still worked out well.
The timber was $20 a peice from a timbe mill in Nairne in the Adelaide hills - bugger all decent timber in cities these days. There is only one mill in the city and their rates are so much more expensive they make my laugh to look at them.
So you should be able to nock them up for $30 in materials, need to get tools too though and a load of hours in mine - mainly because I have no idea what I am doing still.
Looking forward to seeing your bows then 8)

[Wareagle]

There is a guy, from the club that I belong to, south of brisbane, who gives lessons in trad bow making. his bow have imported cane on the front and back, he says the local cane nodes shape is not good. he cuts laminations from hardwood floor boards. nice bows.

[Glenn]

One of the best bamboo species is Madake, it's a very good bamboo, the nodes small and a long way apart and the bamboo doesn't step up and down as with other bamboo species, you should be able to buy it from bamboo growers...Glenn...