Finally have time to get this bow build put up for you to look over, you may get a few ideas from it, I hope!
This will be a 64" D/R longbow , a modified bow off my original plan. I added 1" of reflex to the original bow profile.
First the lams, some walnut tapers for the core and some ambrosia curly maple veneers.
Here are the riser blocks I will use, curly ambrosia maple and black walnut
Here is my swing jig, I am going to cut an arc the same as bow back for some accents and two colors of riser wood.
Here we check the glue line with accents in riser.
Now I lay a sheet of plastic wrap on bench, apply EA-40 glue to all surfaces to be glued together, carefully clamp as shown with plastic folded around riser block. Careful to not get plastic in glue joint tho.
Now with the 2 quick clamps on and wrapped in plastic, I use 4 pieces of plywood and 2 spring clamps to hold the stock in line side to side. Then apply clamps to press the joint. Go thru clamps several times, adding a little pressure each time. As glue squeezes out they will need to be snugged up a bit more. Don't really crank them down and starve the joint tho.
There it is all glued and cleaned up.
Back to the swing jig to cut the back of riser. This bow takes a 27" radius to fit form with lams under riser that go there.
Then to the disc sander lightly moving across it, and check the riser block for square face to side.
Riser marked out and bandsawed . Note the marks at 1 and 2 inches from ends. I make the fades .065" at 1 inch and .140" at 2 inches.
Grinding fades, notice the block to back the riser with against the sander. Make sure the sander is square and so is the backer block.
Now to make 2 - 36" lams into a full length one. A simple jig for the disc sander, put the lams together and slide in, it may try to grab it so hold on to them. I grind one with the other backing it, then switch places with them and finish the other one. Try to get them ground squarely so the joint fits nice.
Now, I have an aluminum bar that is 1.5" wide, I lay it on the bench edge and lay one lam on it. Clamp that lam at the end away from the glue joint so you only have the other lam and the glue joint to worry about. You need to keep the lam straight when glued so it fits the bow form.
I lay a sheet of plastic wrap under the glue area, and on top of the straightedge.
I apply superglue to both surfaces and then fold the plastic over the joint ,making sure the joint is flush and the second lam is lined up on straightedge, lay a block of plywood on top and clamp the whole thing to bench. Let dry a minute and do the next lam. Take a sanding block to the joint when the glue is completely dry.
Here it is clamped down. I use Loctite superglue in plastic bottle for these.
Now with lams joined, we check the riser and lams fit to form. I usually do this before cutting fades on belly of riser, but didn't get pics of it so showing with fades cut. Be sure you have all lams and glass under riser that will be there at glueup. Note the little v mark to the right of clamp where I had to take a bump off riser to make it fit nicely....
Here is a good lesson on dry runs. If I had not done the dry run, this could have been a really loose glue joint, because obnce you get glue squeezing out, it is sometimes hard to tell what you have exactly. I didn't air the hose completely so you can see what happens. I'm not sure I like this style of riser fitting, will probably change it on the next bow. I ended up cutting thru the belly glass anyway so it could be a thinner back to belly riser.
And here is how I fixed this one this time, a matching pair of wedges , one from each side to help the hose squeeze it. I drove these in with the hose aired , marked the location and the wedges and put them in prior to airing at glue up. Like I said, there will be a change before another bow on this riser.
As you can see, I cleaned off part of my bench! Butcher paper taped on where the lams and glass will be, all blown off with clean air. Glue mixed, I went 1/1 with this one, some folks use 2 resin /1 hardener. No pics during actual glueup to save my camera!
Glued up, in form,aired up. Note the wedges where I needed more pressure, and the little plywood blocks I screwed on the form to hold the lams and glass in place after I taped the bow down. Be sure to loosen the blocks and get them off the hose after you air up and let set a few minutes to squeeze glue out. On forms that aren't going to get redone after a couple bows, I use fender washers drilled near an edge and screwed thru drilled hole, just swing them up enough to hold stuff in place...
Really a good idea to go in 10 or 15 lb. increments during airing up, the lams move less. I go to 70 # but lots of guys use less.
I forgot to mention putting plastic wrap on the form and then on top of bow after you tape it down. This keeps from gluing the bow to the form and hose. I understand that is hard to get separated.
In this pic, I'm wiping the excess glue down between the 2 sheets of plastic everywhere I can. Then when the bow is off the form, you just break it off instead of grinding it. The glue will be very sharp, so gloves are recommended !
Now into the heat box for 5-6 hours at 180* . My heat box lining has seen better days, another thing on the to do list!!
Here we have the bow cleaned up and even put new tape on.
This is the center of bow, so for a 64" I set my yardstick on 32" on centerline, get it centered, clamping it to the deflex and reflex to get a true measure, and mark the end so we have 32" from center. Square across the limbs here, it will help you get nocks square with each other later.
Now mark center at bow center and both nocks like so, stretch a string from nock to nock and see how they align with mark at bow center.
I set this off to the side for explanation purposes, you will rarely have one off this far. Move marks at both nocks the same amount to get string lined up with center mark. You will thank me later!
OK, now I have at the nocks, marked 5/16 each way from the center mark we found with the string. I will end up at 1/2" total width but like to start at 5/8" in case it needs tweaking a bit.
Then I go out from center 12" to get past riser fades, and clamp the yardstick to the limb from the edge of limb at this mark to the mark I measured off center at nocks. Mark ans proceed to cut or grind to the line. I refuse to cut glass with my bandsaw so I grind it on an ancient Skil disc sander with 40 grit paper. Takes about 15 minutes to do a bow, rotating so I don't get anything hot . Slow and easy and don't breathe the dust!! Get some dust collection and a mask for this operation!
Now remember the mark I squared across limb at nock 32" from center? It is on side of limb to bottom of pic, I use a 45* to start and will curve the nock groove to left (toward bow center) on bow belly. Belly is up in this pic....
I file leaving the line on the tip side , this makes the string come in 3" shorter than the bow length, so a 61" string works for me after the tip overlays are on.
Now for the belly overlays, mark and number as the curves may not be perfect. Sand to fit after bandsawing. These can be put on with EA-40 or superglue , I prefer the Gorilla with blue cap superglue available almost anywhere if not using EA-40.
Lightly score tape where the overlays end, both at bow center and tip overlays. Shown is at center.
Sand the bow glass , both at tips and center overlays, I use some 50 grit cut from old sanding belts....
Pre bevel the overlays , makes it a lot easier...
Here is the glue I like for tip overlays.
With the overlays glued in place, I go back to the sander and carefully sand the overlays back to the limb edges , then file the nocks back in. There will be glue in the original grooves , when you get them cleaned up back to bare wood in the bottom of groove you will be close .
I check groove depth at this point with calipers. About .100" is good to get the string in the groove.
Tips are roughly shaped...
An inch more reflex changes the bow braced profile a lot, about all I'd want because I don't want the string to hit the limbs.
Note the marks on limb edge, I mark off center , usually at end of fades and each 6" after that on both limbs, so I can compare measure from sting to see how the limbs are bending in relation to each other .
Going to come in around 50# @ 28" .... This is with stack for 45# on the original D/R 64" bow.
Starting to shape riser, first the grip shape, and (gasp) I cut thru the back glass to get the grip that fits me so well.
Hey, takedowns don't always have glass on the riser back.
I try to make the grip width 1" and back to belly 1.75" , here the shelf is marked out....
After a few minutes at the tablesaw, really not recommended for everyone. I cut from the back side of saw so I can see without leaning over saw after setting the blade height for center cut or slightly less. Cut part way thru and then turn bow around to do other side. If you go all the way thru first time, you risk pulling the glass loose an the other side.
Here is why I don't cut quite to center, if you can get a little radius where shelf meets sideplate, it makes it lesslikely to break there. A lot of risers that break do so in that corner.
There is the radius made with the round file. Leave enough when cutting the sight window out to be able to radius this. Also leave the shelf about the same amount high for the same reason.
Here I have some more work done on shelf, sight window and grip. Notice the tool in the drill. It is for roughing up rubber to make a tire repair. Works pretty well on shaping, variable speed cordless drill, and when you need to turn wheel the other way so you don't peel the glass loose , just reverse the drill. The glass needs to be worked into the wood always.
Also when you work the limb edges or peel tape, always start at center, or you will pull glass fibers up and ruin a bow!!
Next are just some pics of how the bow is coming along. Will try to finish the bow and build soon!!
Rounding the limb edges with emery cloth.
And some finished pictures of the MO woods bow.....
THANK YOU FOR LOOKING!! QUESTIONS? kennym@grm.net or 660 734 2113