Monday 26 June 2023

Ridgeback ii?

 The Yew primitive I'm working on has a strange feature where the heartwood seems to swell up through the sapwood in a ridge. Pictures in books tend to show perfectly symmetrical logs with the heart sap boundary concentric with the growth rings... but real life isn't like that. I've met it before on an English Longbow, I just ignored it on that one, see this post:- 
https://bowyersdiary.blogspot.com/2012/04/weird-heartsap-boundary-emails.htmlBut with this primitive, the ridge is making the limb too stiff. I could scoop out the belly side, but I've decided to scoop out the back instead. This approach seems to be working so far!



Saturday 17 June 2023

Camera Weirdness


 The slo-mo that I took the other day was fine, but I'd taken another video that seemed to have disappeared. (hmmm).
I've just now taken some video of progress on the mkii Archer Automaton... It's not there! I take some test videos...no...not recording, but they can be seen on the camera! Arggh it's doing by head in.
I reformat the memory card... still doesn't work. Working through menu 2 there are 4 file formats... I try a lower resolution one (MP4), it works! I try AVCHD  it doesn't. I try XAVC S HD, it does... at which point I quit while I'm ahead. 

The blogger doesn't seem to let me download videos , so here's a link:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yz7GcCOfyXI

Friday 9 June 2023

100# English Yew Longbow / Warbow Nearly Finished


 Target draw length is 30", it's at 28, so it's just some scraping and easing off the tips.
then my test pilot JT can put some arrows through it on Sunday.












The stave isn't dead straight, having some reflex in the outer third of the right (upper) limb which makes it look a tad stiff.
The left has some weird undulations.
The yellow ellipse helps to show the tiller.







Sunday 4 June 2023

Rowan Primitive

 I got the bow virtually finished but having only pulled it to about 26".
I took it roving and you'll see from the pic, the tiller isn't what it should be, the left limb being a bit weak now. I'll adjust the tiller , by easing off the right, and maybe heat treat the belly.
It actually shot quite nicely, made about 170 yards with a regular arrow ~400gn and managed 215 yards with a flight arrow.