Bits and Pieces

I've been pondering the disappointing performance of the flight bow on Sunday so I put it back on the tiller and took force draw measurements... they were very much as before plus or minus the odd decimal of a pound.
I actually took a reading at 27" which was 71.1#
So why the disappointing performance? Presumably the arrows... they didn't seem to go away very cleanly, the fact that I could see them go implies they were slow, but why? They were longer heavier and larger diameter than the previous arrow I'd tried, all of which would slow 'em down also they were possibly weaker spine (I could only use the shafts that I had available).
All in all too many variables to draw firm conclusions other than the bow is still ok (whew!)

I had a comment on the wonky warbow on Facebook from a chap who said he'd like a bow like that, something rustic. I decided to see what staves I have available. I sometimes feel a bit guiltly because I have people sort of waiting for bows, but it's a matter of matching staves to requirement. I have a couple of people after bamboo backed Yew bows and I need heartwood for those rather than staves with good sapwood, I also have a couple of people wanting primitives, not to mention warbows. Hopefully by later in the year I'll have a good bit of seasoned timber, but at the moment I only really have a couple of staves which happen to maybe suit this rustic requirement (60# @28" but going out to 29 1/2". So we'll call that 30" then!).

These staves may or may not be suitable, but I'll get 'em roughed out and see where they go. The reflexed spliced billets, may have too much reflex to go out to 30" draw as the stave isn't particularly long. The other stave may not have enough heartwood, but roughing them down will show what's there. This shows the difference between using odd limbs and billets that have come my way and buying premium staves from Oregon or Canada.
I do like to have the history of a stave, the spliced billets with the reflex are from the same batch of Yew as Wonky Warbow harvested from Newmarket in 2013.

I've also been tarting up the Frankenbow, putting a horn tip overlay onto the tip of the primitive limb. It just needs a new string and I'll shoot it. Can't wait to turn up to an NFAS field shoot and when asked what class I'm shooting, I'll say " Top limb Primitive, bottom limb Longbow!".