Monday, 12 March 2012

Looking Good... Whew!

I'm still not quite sure which bow it will become as it's probably going to come in midway between the two.
Normally I'd tiller to a specific weight, but with this bow I'm very much working to the wood teasing my way around the knots and adjusting the tiller much later than I normally would as I need to keep the tips stiff, but without over stressing the centre section.
It's now back to about 62# at 27".
I'd taken it back to 60# at about 26" previously and the outer 1/3 of each limb looked a bit stiff, this shot is after I'd taken a bit off the belly of the last third of the right limb (except the last 4" where the not and patch is). I spent a fair bit of time checking the taper was even and fussing over the back of the bow.
Whew, I've just eased off the right limb a whisker and taken it back to about 28 1/2" !
it looked like about 64# but I didn't want to hang about studying it.
Update:-
Due to superb planning, or maybe it was luck, I was able to use the string of one of my other bows and try some test shots. Most satisfactory, the grip will need a little shaping or a leather grip (built up with hard leather on the back) as the back of the bow is rather square. With my medium weight arrows (100gn on 5/16 shafts), it shot fast and true but with a hint of hand shock (possibly due to the grip being uncomfortable) I then tried my heaviest arrows 100gn piles on 11/32 shafts. Lovely and smooth, I shot about 20 through it and didn't feel in the slightest worried.
A carefull inspection of the bow showed no signs of any trouble (lifting grain, chrysals or pinches on the filled knots etc).
The tips can be reduced a fair bit to put on the horn nocks and I could maybe take 1/2" off each tip just to squeeze the draw weight back up to 65#.
Over all I'm very pleased, it's taken a hint of set, which is fine. I'll finish it off over the week and give it a good shooting in and a work out at the weekend.

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