This Weekends Project

[stovie]

In readiness for setting the Scouts the task, I made a Bamboo Bow. Took about 4 hours to complete. The shot below shows the bow about a foot shorter than the original length, due to breakage of the tips. This has increased the draw weight by about 5lbs......Will probably get them to use 4 canes rather than 5, to keep the draw weight down.

Any comments on how best to group the canes as I found this the most problematic area.

Thanks to Chris Claycombe for the article :You_Rock_

 

[Tony]

That looks very nice, how does it shoot?

 

[stovie]

That looks very nice, how does it shoot?

Slightly to the right

I'm sure this has something to do with the grouping of the canes.

Apart from that I cleared 100yds (give or take)

 

[C_Claycomb]

Do you always shoot off your thumb? There aren't a lot of people that shoot that way, despite it being traditional in the Far East. I normally shoot off the left side of the bow, over my index finger, that way if the arrow stiffness is a bit off and the arrows fly too far left I can cant the bow clockwise 20deg and make the arrows hit on the vertical line from point of aim.

I can't remember which way arrows go if they are too stiff or too springy. More fletch can help sometimes.

I really need to practice making some smaller bows like this. I have the design for 40-50lb down pat, but making lighter bows has caused quite a bit of frustration. Tip breakage is the most common problem. That first join, where you go from one cane to two is the weakest point of the bow.

I have tried duct tape and certainly on lighter bows it is a lot faster than trying to tie the canes together. Important when you have a lot of kids and have breakages to deal with. I have been surprised by how many problems can arrise trying to get even adults to make the right lashings.

Beyond having the longest canes on the "belly" side, nearest the archer, I don't know what to recommend for grouping the canes. They seem to group themselves!

 

[Carcajou Garou]

Stovie, point your lead foot a bit to the left, trial and error. CG :yo:

 

[stovie]

Do you always shoot off your thumb? There aren't a lot of people that shoot that way, despite it being traditional in the Far East. I normally shoot off the left side of the bow, over my index finger, that way if the arrow stiffness is a bit off and the arrows fly too far left I can cant the bow clockwise 20deg and make the arrows hit on the vertical line from point of aim.

I can't remember which way arrows go if they are too stiff or too springy. More fletch can help sometimes.

I really need to practice making some smaller bows like this. I have the design for 40-50lb down pat, but making lighter bows has caused quite a bit of frustration. Tip breakage is the most common problem. That first join, where you go from one cane to two is the weakest point of the bow.

I have tried duct tape and certainly on lighter bows it is a lot faster than trying to tie the canes together. Important when you have a lot of kids and have breakages to deal with. I have been surprised by how many problems can arrise trying to get even adults to make the right lashings.

Beyond having the longest canes on the "belly" side, nearest the archer, I don't know what to recommend for grouping the canes. They seem to group themselves!

Chris, thanks for getting back to me.

yes, traditionally I shoot off the right, but having tried what you suggest with the left, it certainly corrects the flight path to a large degree. Thanks It probably has something to do with the broadness of the belly (too many beers )

I made the mistake of using 6ft canes instead of trimming down 8ft canes to get a stronger tip. I realise you mention this in your article, I should have taken note You live and learn....

As for grouping, I shall experiment, but as you say, they tend to find their own home.

Do you think by trimming the longer canes down, it will help when producing lighter draw bows for the scouts, as they were barely able to draw this bow. And is there any gain in having two canes lashed for each tip?

Thanks

 

[stovie]

Stovie, point your lead foot a bit to the left, trial and error. CG :yo:

Tried this today, CG, and in combination with shooting off the left, it may certainly have helped. Thanks

 

[redcollective]

This might make interesting reading:

The Badminton Library: Archery

Theres a description in C.3 of a Japanese longbow, bound in string from top to bottom and then lacquered... could a similar application to your bundle bow make it more resistant to accidental shortening of the tips?

In response to your query about grouping Stovie, I've seen a different design where the longest cane is at the front face of the bow, with the next shortest cane one half the total length of the longest cane. There were also only three canes in this kind of config:

                O
Front:   O       Back
                O

That illustration might not make sense if you are using a different font to me in your web browser hopefully those code tags will make it display in a fixed width font.

It would reduce the draw weight? but flex more to prevent breakage? Having not built one - I'm not qualified to say.

 

[stovie]

This might make interesting reading:

The Badminton Library: Archery

Theres a description in C.3 of a Japanese longbow, bound in string from top to bottom and then lacquered... could a similar application to your bundle bow make it more resistant to accidental shortening of the tips?

In response to your query about grouping Stovie, I've seen a different design where the longest cane is at the front face of the bow, with the next shortest cane one half the total length of the longest cane. There were also only three canes in this kind of config:

                O
Front:   O       Back
                O

That illustration might not make sense if you are using a different font to me in your web browser hopefully those code tags will make it display in a fixed width font.

It would reduce the draw weight? but flex more to prevent breakage? Having not built one - I'm not qualified to say.

Stu.

Firstly, an excellent link. I own the Badminton edition on fishing, Trout & Salmon 1888. But I do not have the archery edition, so very interesting.

Second, the illustration about grouping the canes makes perfect sense, and the japanese construction of lashing and then laquer sounds a good way forward to produce a bow with less draw but remain intact.

Will definately give it a go.

Thank you. Very helpful :You_Rock_