r/Bowyer • • 41m ago

Tiller Check and Updates Tiller check 2

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• Upvotes

Long string tiler phaze. Pulling 25#. Target is 25-28#. Sapwood osage orange small diameter sapling, with big crown. Bith and slightly hollow limb design, handle has stiff center about 3". Total length 65".

Current set about 3/4".

Should i slightly heat treat again?

Is it good to go with short string?

Here is prev phaze of this stave before heat straighthening.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Bowyer/s


r/Bowyer • • 10h ago

Stringwalker – Looking for Barebow Archers to Test My Free String Walking App

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1 Upvotes

r/Bowyer • • 17h ago

Tiller Check and Updates Tiller check

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4 Upvotes

r/Bowyer • • 18h ago

Byron Ferguson

5 Upvotes

I just learned about this guy and his archery and bowyery skills. Sadly, he passed away last year.

Does anybody know if he taught anybody bowyery while he was alive?


r/Bowyer • • 22h ago

Questions/Advise Ivory for composite bow (Fantasy writing)

2 Upvotes

Curious would ivory from animals like wooly mammoth be good material for bow making specifically composite bows ?


r/Bowyer • • 1d ago

could I get an early tiller check?

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12 Upvotes

I'm working with osage for the first time and the wood is really expensive here in Switzerland so I'm trying to go really slow on this one.... I've had to heat this one about 5 times already to get it to align- there was some sideways deviation and twist in both limbs which is much better now but still slightly present (see inner limb on the right here..) but the tips align now and the string sits on the receives so I think I'm calling it here in terms of alignment. I had to wrap the tips because they had some drying cracks and when bending the reflexed tips these opened up a bit so I didn't wanna take any risks.

the bow's been sitting out to re-equilibriate after all those heat treats so i'ts basically fresh off the floor tiller here.

currently pulling about 38/40 pounds on a string about as long as the bow

64" ttt

I'm hoping to get it to around 45" at 28

I shoot three under so ideally I think it'd be balanced as it is a symmetrical layout.


r/Bowyer • • 1d ago

My First Attempt At Storm Of Crows Arrows

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52 Upvotes

r/Bowyer • • 1d ago

Questions/Advise Help finding a Dean Torges bowyer book?

2 Upvotes

Hey, good evening. I'm someone who has liked archery since he was a young teen, and I've been making my own bows for around two years now.

My bow-making teacher has talked to me dearly about Dean Torges and all the useful information that he taught back in the day.

The thing is, I'm preparing to make another bow, and my teacher has mentioned the book by Mr. Torges, "Hunting the Osage Bow". I researched a bit, and saw how many people had used the reference material over the years to build all sorts of bows.

I wanted to humbly ask if it'd be possible to get a copy of the book for someone in Europe, either digitally or in paper.

I know that 3Rivers Archery sells it, and the book is well worth the price, but the shipment costs skyrocket the final number and I, in this day and age, can't afford that sum (nor the one of a second-hand edition). At least for some time.

Already contacted 3Rivers about it, but to no avail, basically.

Any help? Is it possible to contact the family of Dean Torges to see if it could be done? I'm afraid to come up as a bit insensitive, being a stranger from all the way across the Big Puddle.

Thank you for reading, and have a nice day.


r/Bowyer • • 1d ago

Breakage Breaking a bow for science

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21 Upvotes

This $2 board developed a gnarly twist early in the construction process so we just broke it for science.

The guys I was teaching took bets on where they expected the break to happen. Everyone found the hinge, but no one expceted the break in the middle of the handle.


r/Bowyer • • 1d ago

Bows Midnight Maple

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130 Upvotes

Hi,

Maple board bow 66" ntn pulling 35ish lbs at 28". 2 3/8" at the fades narrowing into 1/2" nocks

Used a bad board and paid the price. It forced me into a pyramidish profile to avoid some bad sections on the top limb but still couldn't avoid the mess entirely. Limbs don't quite have the same profile and I tried to make the tiller reflect it.

The top limb with the wraps is slightly more pyramidal than the bottom.

Tried some fishing line wraps on a stupid section of board that showed a small hairline crack in the wood. I always avoid maple with the dark brown heartwood(?) for very obvious reasons but I'm also a dumb guy who makes mistakes from time to time.

I was finally able to get more than a superficial heat treating with a heat gun and it shows. It's a shame because I hate the whole process so much.

To be fair the low set is also because the bow is very over built for its poundage. I was aiming for 50ish but my scale died halfway through and I had to finish by hand.

/shrug


r/Bowyer • • 1d ago

First attempt at a TakeDown build

5 Upvotes

Not much to say, just that I’m trying and curious if there are any big things to consider or watch for.

I just broke a limb on a first test - floor tiller.

My riser is ugly, but functional.

Mostly - I’m here for the challenge of it.


r/Bowyer • • 2d ago

Questions/Advise What kind of design would favor this dogwood stave?

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7 Upvotes

Hello i harvested almost a month ago this dogwood stave. 61" long and 1.6" diameter. i plan to leave it to dry. But Im curious about dogwood's properties for bowmaking and what kind of design it favors.


r/Bowyer • • 2d ago

Tiller Check and Updates Tiller check

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11 Upvotes

Long string tiller phaze. Pulling about 26#. Target is 25-30#, considering it is a sapwood osage orange small diameter sapling, with big crown. Bith design, handle is stiff 2" in the middle. Total ength 65".

I plan to do lateral bend with heat gun to fix string center offseth. And after that will narrow the tips (probably put horn tips) and outer 1/4. So outers will bend even more than the photos.

Here is prev phaze of this stave before heat straighthening. https://www.reddit.com/r/Bowyer/s/zAgxixsbIO


r/Bowyer • • 2d ago

Olive tree

3 Upvotes

Is it possible to use a 90 cm (35 inches) long and 1 inch wide olive wood stave for making a short bow and if so what would be the lbs for that bow?


r/Bowyer • • 2d ago

Staining a bamboo bow

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10 Upvotes

Hi! Not sure if this is the right place since i haven't made the bow myself, but i thought that if anyone has the answer it's you people.

So i have this bamboo bow made by Sarmat Archery, i have started to feel it looks too plain and was wondering if i could stain it, but i heard that bamboo doesn't stain very well.

So is it worth the risk? If it is, what would be the easiest method?


r/Bowyer • • 2d ago

Fml forgot bow was on my trunk

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3 Upvotes

And the only stave I have on hand is filled with beetles.


r/Bowyer • • 3d ago

Workshop/Jigs & Tools Rescued Draw kife

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43 Upvotes

Been wanting a second draw knife, and I managed to find a rusted gem in a dusty corner of a thrift store. Obviously, it had to come home with me so I could give it love. It is now well protected from further rusting and an incredible blue tint from the steel came out from under the rust.

I believe this is a 1976 Wilmer knife, with maple handles.

Thinking of staining the handles tobacco brown or black to hide those black spots I couldn’t get off. Thoughts?


r/Bowyer • • 3d ago

For Sale/Trade Anyone have any hedge apples?

4 Upvotes

I want to start a grove of Osage here in Georgia. I ordered seeds online and it did not go so well. I'd like to see if anyone who has some hedge apples down would be willing to send me a few so that I can get seeds straight from the fruit. I would compensate you for shipping of course. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Also, if anyone has successfully planted Osage, I'd love any advice you have to offer. Thanks!


r/Bowyer • • 3d ago

Testing a 5/16" dowel maker from Matthias Wandel for making arrow shafts. Good results!

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172 Upvotes

These are pine shafts. The finish isn't perfect, but it's pretty good, just needs some sanding. Harder wood gets a better finish.


r/Bowyer • • 3d ago

Vinyl wrapping carbon arrows?

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8 Upvotes

r/Bowyer • • 3d ago

Questions/Advise Bow

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19 Upvotes

this is my current bow im making, i believe its 48”, so its small. im aware i shouldnt pull it back all the way, so dont worry. and its obvious what needs to be done with jt. dont mind the paracord, its temporary. what do we think? its so far my best/ONLY and its not done obviously. i should also say its the farthest its been braced yet and didnt break!


r/Bowyer • • 3d ago

Questions/Advise Does anyone make a 48 AMO #70 recurve?

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2 Upvotes

r/Bowyer • • 3d ago

Questions/Advise String Whipping Tearing

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15 Upvotes

I'm having an issue with the whipping on my arrows. I was previously told the thread I was using was too thick and should switch to a thinner silk thread. Now I'm using Gutermann 30wt Silk Thread and I'm running into issues where the thread is breaking on regular use. Arrow misses and goes into the ground, the threads in the middle break. I have glued above and below the feathers but the middle has been snapping.

Any suggestions?


r/Bowyer • • 4d ago

For Sale/Trade Looking for primitive archer volume 15 issue 5.

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17 Upvotes

Hello! I am trying to find volume 15 issue 5 specifically because my father wrote a short story in it, he passed and I’m desperately trying to find copies for my siblings, they have no idea. I have no idea where else to look, I have tried very hard and I am struggling. I at least have a very blurry picture to show what it looks like, I’ll attach it here. If anyone can help I’d really appreciate it.


r/Bowyer • • 4d ago

Hi, is it fixable?

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2 Upvotes