Splicing, Warbow, Horn bow

 Someone asked me if I'd done a video on splicing billets. i was surprised to find that I hadn't so I made one... well a series of 4 actually! (on my Del Cat Youtube channel).
I also noticed one of my mates on Facebook wanting to sell a bow to fund a new warbow...errrr, I think I've got a stave that is his that I said I'd make into a bow for him (he'd given me a primo Pacific yew stave as payment). I messaged him pronto and promised to jump straight on it... work currently in progress.
A couple of videos of that on the Youtube channel too. It's really nice that he wasn't hassling me for the bow, that way, when I remembered it, I was full of enthusiasm rather than feeling I aught to do it. That's why I only really make 'em for friends these days or do bows that really pique my interest.
Currently at 130# @ 29", so pretty close!

I've been adding a bit more sinew to the horn bow too, to correct the sideways bend on the weaker limb. That has had getting on for 2 weeks to dry out, so I'll hopefully be posting something about that next week.

 I'm doing less on here and more on the Youtube channel these days, although for some projects you still can't beat the written word and decent still images.
I've noticed the viewing figures have dropped off to, not that I'm fussed, I mostly do it as my aide memoire.
Stay safe... the second wave of covid is on it's way.

Arrow Refurb' Day

 

I broke a few arrows trying to master the thumb ring, I'd also lost some points off my "pretend medieval" ones so I spent a bit of time refurbishing them. I spliced new ends onto the broken ones using the Titebond III that I'd bought a while back, it seems more convenient than the slow epoxy. I fitted new points on them all, the points for the pretend medievals were machined by one of the guys from our club, I'd made him a new bow in short time a few weeks back and he did the points for me as a bonus... blimey they are sharp! I gave 'em a quick touch with a warding file for fear that they'd puncture the bottom of my quiver, they will dull down pretty quick once they hit the mud at 130mph a few times.
They are 3/8" maple shafts (some now have a bit of Ash V spliced onto the end, as I can't find Maple shafts any more) the fletchings are 5" shield cut, points 100gn. This gives a nice compromise between looking good and yet flying a decent distance.
There was a guy on one of the archery websites last week complaining that his new 58# bow only shot as far as his 50# ... the more I question him, the less it made sense as he said they would shoot "about 100 yards" Yet he claimed to have a 30" draw. None of it added up, then he said he had 7" fletchings and the penny dropped..., I'd met someone like him before... totally resistant to any sensible advice and wanting to shoot 1/4 pound arrows from a low weight bow because the arrows make a nice noise. 
To be fair to him, he did thank me for my advice, I must remember not to answer his posts in future.
Why do people ask questions when they have no interest in the answer and no intention of following any advice? 

The other arrows are just my standard 28" 5/16", 100gn point, 3" fletchings .
I also ordered some 11/32" pine shafts (60-65 spine) for heavier bows. Out of interest, and slightly counter-intuitively a 28" arrow made up with 11/32" shaft 100gn, and 3" fletchings will shoot substantially further than the 3/8" pretend medievals at 31" . This illustrates why matey with his 58# bow couldn't get any distance.
BTW. I've noticed that pine shafts don't seem to cut as cleanly as cedar with a taper tool (for the points), it's no great worry, just an observation.