Thursday 18 September 2014

Two Bows

The Hickory Backed Yew is finished, 60# at 28" Water Buffalo horn nocks fitted, no arrow plate or grip was required, but I've marked the arrow pass with a small burned in dot. The tiller is slightly stiff in the middle, but it that's due to the thicker section where the splice is. To ease off the inner limbs more would drop draw weight.

It shoots nicely, my regular arrows whip rather as they leave the bow as they are a bit light and underspined (about 400grain). I tried some of my 'mock tudor' arrows of 3/8" maple with 5" fletchings and 'modkin' points the flew really nicely, a bit slower, but they slammed home impressively as they are twice the weight at about 800gn. The bow feels fairly stiff, but you have to remember I'd been shooting that light smooth 35# target bow previously!





I realised why I'd left the 100# bow for a bit, the sap wood was rather thick at one tip and steeply angled at the other tip.
Viewing it fresh after a week away from it, I quickly decide to reduce the sapwood a little over the last 6" or so.
I fitted temporary nocks fitted and put it up on the tiller.
The curve looked good so I took it back to 100#, a bit nerve wracking but it's got to get back there at some point, no point pussy footing around pulling it to 50 or 60# if I'm aiming for 100#.
Middle part of the bow is flexing nicely, and I'll now remove wood from the outer half of each limb to get it coming round a bit more. The tip deflection is just about enough to brace it, but bracing a heavy bow is easier said than done, so I'll probably wait until the tips are back a tad more. It will also mean I have to file in a second string groove in the nocks to make room for a stringer.
It's dawned on me I've never actually shown a pic of using a stringer... I expect there are plenty on the web, but maybe I'll correct that oversight.

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