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Wow. Just wow. That takes craftsmanship to whole other level. It's one thing for a sculptor to make a piece of art to look at. You also make it functional which is a whole other level.
Been busy in the shop
- Thread starter Jamie
- Start date
yep, glad to hear you guys are enjoying yourselves. I'm into witchcraft and secrets.
do tell. if it's too big a secret to post, send me a PM or a text.
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It’s no secret at all. I’ll send you a vid sometime. Trad archers as a whole have horrible form, this is the simplest thing to remember in order to maintain proper form and makes shooting easy and fun.
I was expecting a picture of a crossbow. I've been re-evaluating my shooting form almost non-stop for the last two years, since I got past my neck/shoulder problem and got busy shooting again. My neck/shoulder problem was caused by my work, a repetitive use injury, but had terrible consequences for my shooting. Not only did the pain and weakness from that problem rob me of drawing strength, but it caused me to develop some bad habits while I struggled to keep shooting. I've been working hard to correct them, and have made some real progress, but I've got a long way to go to get back to where I was 10 years ago, or as close as I can. Time not on my side now.
I've been shooting, at least a little bit, nearly every day for the last two months. 45lbs is a great bow weight for me to work on form and technique with as it is very easy for me to handle. shooting this light bow regularly for a few weeks has revealed quite a lot about my form, both good and bad. my form has improved and my strength is returning quickly. neck problem not aggravated at all by all of the shooting I've been doing lately. gives me hope that I can build back up to a more suitable bow weight for hunting.
while I was mulling over Brocks' advice and attempting to asses my own form (again/still) I discovered two important things; one is that my shoulder alignment is correct. the other has turned into such a monumental (and somewhat embarrassing) revelation that I can barely believe how much it improved my shooting immediately. I've been shooting traditional bows very seriously and exclusively since 1987. hard to admit that I've been doing such a simple and fundamental thing incorrectly the whole time. I can barely stop shooting because I'm so amazed by how much doing this one little thing differently affects my shot consistency. I do believe that I've found my key to better shooting. I just need to train myself to make it a habit that I don't have to think about on every shot.
shooting more has inspired me to get back in the shop, working in the shop has inspired me to shoot more now that I can physically do it and enjoy myself. this particular new bow is a product of that inspiration. I must say that I'm liking the hybrid bulbous/locator grip more every time I send an arrow, and this bow is a shooter. smooth, quiet, stable, and good cast for it's weight. everything a fellow could want in a hunting bow. I'm sure my mentor bowyer is turning over in his grave as he always viewed putting sculpted handles on wooden bows as some sort of fiberglass recurve envy. sacrilege. I see it as ushering in potential improvements to an already proven, trusted design. time will tell. after narrowing the nocks, making some minor corrections to the tiller, and shooting quite a bit the weight is 51lbs at my draw. I'll do the minimum sanding to try and keep it at 50lbs when done. I taped a temporary leather rest on as I wanted to really shoot this thing seriously today.
That is quite a change in the handle/riser
And 66” versus 61 is also quite a change
I really like the new handle!
But what did you change in your form that has made such a difference
You are really inspiring me to build another bow, but right now I am catching up on maintenance on the cabin
3 years is a long time to go with no loving care on a log home
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
And 66” versus 61 is also quite a change
I really like the new handle!
But what did you change in your form that has made such a difference
You are really inspiring me to build another bow, but right now I am catching up on maintenance on the cabin
3 years is a long time to go with no loving care on a log home
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Finger pressure and how I hook the string. Making that one minor adjustment improved my anchor and back tension simultaneously. Stronger and more stable with most of my finger pressure on my top finger. There is a little more to it, but that is the crux of it.
no paint. better, Giles?
I have some doubts about the VHT wheel paints ability to keep moisture from creeping into wood. my 45# bow has lost some zip and likely a pound or two of draw weight in this hot, humid weather. I knew I was taking a chance when I used it as the primary sealer/finish. been keeping it in the hotbox for a couple of weeks. she'll tighten back up in January, regardless.
so, I'm back to what has always worked the best. unfortunately, the polyamide epoxy only comes in high gloss. Cerakote is probably the only thing as good as, or better than this type of epoxy for abrasion and moisture resistance while remaining flexible enough to handle the bending without cracking, but it costs 5 times as much. due to Ohio's stupid ass "clean air" laws I can no longer buy lacquer flattening paste to make this material flat or matte finish. the epoxy is dry enough to sand in the pic and the dry film is about 5 mils. I'll sand/steel wool it as little as needed to get all of it properly abraded, wipe it down with liquid sandpaper for good measure and spray a few coats of the clear matte wheel paint on it to be rid of the high gloss finish for good. wheel paint adheres very well to this de-glossed epoxy. I did a compatibility test before I refinished another bow. in the home stretch with this one. probably be my new hunting bow.
I have some doubts about the VHT wheel paints ability to keep moisture from creeping into wood. my 45# bow has lost some zip and likely a pound or two of draw weight in this hot, humid weather. I knew I was taking a chance when I used it as the primary sealer/finish. been keeping it in the hotbox for a couple of weeks. she'll tighten back up in January, regardless.
so, I'm back to what has always worked the best. unfortunately, the polyamide epoxy only comes in high gloss. Cerakote is probably the only thing as good as, or better than this type of epoxy for abrasion and moisture resistance while remaining flexible enough to handle the bending without cracking, but it costs 5 times as much. due to Ohio's stupid ass "clean air" laws I can no longer buy lacquer flattening paste to make this material flat or matte finish. the epoxy is dry enough to sand in the pic and the dry film is about 5 mils. I'll sand/steel wool it as little as needed to get all of it properly abraded, wipe it down with liquid sandpaper for good measure and spray a few coats of the clear matte wheel paint on it to be rid of the high gloss finish for good. wheel paint adheres very well to this de-glossed epoxy. I did a compatibility test before I refinished another bow. in the home stretch with this one. probably be my new hunting bow.
Everytime I open this thread I smile. You are a true craftsman.
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Sgt Fury
Sgt. Spellchecker
all I need to do now is get another damn string made. this bow is one of the most pleasant to shoot I've ever made, I think. I really like the new handle. might be standard equipment for my personal bows from now on. super quiet with no adornments to the string, just a pleasant hum. will not make a sound with some mink fur on the string. no handle vibration that I can feel at all. I'm pulling it nearly 29", and it's as smooth as silk. arrahs flying nice, but I couldn't hit a damn thing today for some reason. kid with a new toy, I guess.
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Good grief Miller, that thing turned out beautiful! It’s gonna look even better laying across a bloodied carcass this fall. Nice work... again. You’re an artist brother
Extremely well done, Jamie. A true work of art. Even better that it's functional!
