I've shot over 80 arrows through it now and I've done the arrow plate. I adjusted the grip and nocking point a bit too. I can start giving it decent coats of Danish oil every night now.The pic shows some of the features. The pith centreline and a nice blush of pinkish red round one of the knots.
Meanwhile I've been asked to make a light weight Yew longbow... one of my pet hates really, but I happen to have a skinny bit of Yew that might just do it. I've jumped in, roughing it out on the bandsaw and beavering away with a spokeshave. I'm quite optimistic despite it being some Yew that was seasoned under a leaky tarpaulin for many years and had got rather wet (not by me, I hasten to add). There is a nasty knot on one side near the tip, it was bulging up and the sapwood was all going dark, either turning to heart wood or rot, not sure which. So I've rasped it down and overlaid a long slim sapwood patch.
Been re-furbishing some arrows for the ILAA shoot next Sunday, it's a two day event, but I'm just going to the Sunday, mainly to get some flight shots with my old refurbished Yew longbow.
http://www.longbow-archers.com/keyeventsstgeorge.html
Were you able to do anything with the nettle cordage? I have tried different types of natural fiber cordage, the strongest being one madeof young acacia bark, but in my experience they turned out to weak or too thick to be a good bowstring, unless you use a really weak bow.
ReplyDeleteI've been leaving the nettles to ret down a bit in the garden pond. I'm trying to get finer fibres and make a better quality cordage. Then I'll try to make a 3 ply string for something like a 30# bow. It's a sort of ongoing low priority project. Maybe arrows from Hazel shoots with the thick end for the nock will accommodate a thicker string.
ReplyDeletemaybe, but still a lighter string would be better. I might try leaving them to ret someday and see if it makes a lot of difference.
ReplyDelete