Monday 9 July 2012

Re-working the Hornbeam

The heat treatment is allowing me to effectively step back to the roughly tillered stage where I can work on it it to give a much better shape.
To look at it another way, it's gained me about 5# in draw weight which I can now use in improving the tiller. I'll still end up with a 35# at 28" draw bow but it will be faster, more symmetrical and less stressed than it was at the first attempt.
I've been able to remove wood from the stiff areas, and by drawing along the string line I've been able to make sure I was removing wood in a way which made the bow run straighter along that string line.
There is a serious wiggle in the lower limb which is never going to be straight, but it's a lot straighter and more even than it was before. Having worked it down to a better tiller, I'm going over the heat treatment again, in the hope that areas that are now less stressed will be able to hold their shape better than before.
If I get both limbs done today they can be resting for a couple of days while I earn a crust at work.
The pic shows the string line and how it's biased to the left at the arrow pass to suit a right handed archer. The bulk of the grip (pale area in the middle) isn't far off central.
It's viewed as it would be by the archer (top limb at the top of shot).
Hopefully I'll end up with a light weight but respectable bow after a rather unpromising start.

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