From: crookedstix
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Date: 08-Apr-21 |
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After several years of Oldbowyer and me putting up with each other's eccentricities, we've reached the point where it's time to have him build me the ultimate hunting recurve.
It will be his Orion II model, sort of; and not long ago I sent him a stick of wood that I hope will be big enough to make it. It's a piece of sugar maple...but it's more sugar than maple, as in "eye candy".
Here's the left end of the plank:
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From: crookedstix
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Date: 08-Apr-21 |
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and here's the right end...
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From: Buckeye
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Date: 08-Apr-21 |
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That will be pretty! Clear glass?
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From: crookedstix
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Date: 08-Apr-21 |
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No, it will have black glass over maple limb cores. The figured maple is just for the riser. If I’m a good, meek, and patient customer, Todd has agreed to make an I-beam riser...and will even use scraps of the pretty stuff for tip overlays. He may even give me a power lam and a pistol grip if I behave myself and don’t pester the bejeesus out of him.
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From: crookedstix
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Date: 08-Apr-21 |
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The current plan is for a 62” frame with a draw weight of somewhere around 55#. I’ve requested a speed of around 400 FPS, and he made a funny noise and said he’ll see what he can do for me.
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From: Wayne Hess
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Date: 08-Apr-21 |
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Looking forward to finished bow, crooked
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From: crookedstix
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Date: 08-Apr-21 |
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I know a lot of people--Todd included-- would want to add ornamental veneers on a bow like this, but I'm a firm believer that limb veneers are just that much extra dead weight on a limb. As I said to Todd, no lipstick on this bow--no veneers, no Pierce points, no antler tips. A beautiful wood riser with matching tip overlays is plenty of ornamentation; keep those limbs light and fast--with a power lam to boot.
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From: GLF
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Date: 08-Apr-21 |
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From: George D. Stout
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Date: 08-Apr-21 |
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Veneers don't give you any advantage anyway and just cost more money. I love colored glass also and that one will look sharp for a riser. I also love using native woods.
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From: joe vt
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Date: 08-Apr-21 |
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Very beautiful.....should be a heck of bow.
Kerry, you keeping the lipstick for yourself? ;)
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From: fdp
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Date: 08-Apr-21 |
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I'm a big fan of Maple as well.
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From: Tim Finley
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Date: 08-Apr-21 |
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I dont care what the rest of you think that dark birdseye would look gorgeous under clear glass ... Black glass is the ug in ugly !
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From: crookedstix
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Date: 08-Apr-21 |
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If I could twist Todd's arm hard enough, I'd even ask for just one tapered lam of maple as a limb core, the way Harold Groves used to do it. I've had bows with limb cores made of whatchamacallit, the fancy plywood, and they've routinely been doggy--and I think it's because of all the glue. Give me clear maple and fiberglass, and tiny tips--that's what I want for limbs.
Just FWIW, that maple board was 46" by about 6" by 7/8" thick.I bought it online from birdseyemaple.com,mand had it shipped direct to Todd, for a bit under $150.
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From: Pdiddly
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Date: 08-Apr-21 |
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Lovely piece of wood and I like the design and material choice.
Simple is good...
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From: Frisky
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Date: 08-Apr-21 |
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I like maple lams and black glass, just like the limbs on my Bear TD. I also like Birdseye maple, like the wedge in the riser of my Drake. I'll be watching this closely. However, if you want a really great bow, just get an A riser Bear with a #1 limbs.
Joe
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From: crookedstix
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Date: 08-Apr-21 |
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It's good that Frisky is weighing in on this; I know that Todd thinks highly of his opinion. He sometimes questions my judgment, so it will be good to have some backup.
He was getting some very impressive numbers from the Orion II prototype that he made earlier this winter, and I think if he goes with a power lam, this one has the potential to be even faster. It's hard to see how I could fail to take an elk with this bow, provided he actually makes it for me.
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From: Frisky
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Date: 08-Apr-21 |
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There are many reasons you could fail to take an elk with the bow. Foremost among them, being a crappy hunter and a poor shot.
Joe
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From: crookedstix
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Date: 09-Apr-21 |
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Well, yes; if you're going to start looking for other reasons. But as far as the bow goes, I should be good.
A lot depends on the weather in Illinois this spring. Among Todd's many diversions from bowbuilding is his motorcycling hobby. He'd rather be out catching bugs in his teeth than in the shop smelling sawdust and epoxy. He also fiddles around with a garden. Too many nice spring days are a serious threat to my future bow, but if we can get prolonged rains out there, I might have it in time for Colorado this fall.
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From: Oldbowyer
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Date: 11-Apr-21 |
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Geeeez Crooked my plan was to keep this thing under wraps. With what all your wanting done this thing could go south at any point in its build.
Taking a single board of wood cutting it up to make I-beams and power lams and making it look as 1 pc of wood ain't no easy task.
The way I have the board laid out now thinkin I can get the riser, I-beam, power lam and some really nice veneers to run under some clear glass. While I'm at it think I'll throw some carbon on the back. That elk will never know what just passed threw it! LOL
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From: crookedstix
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Date: 12-Apr-21 |
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If it goes south, the good thing is that you'll have me to blame it on. Don't be listening to any of these guys talking about ornamental veneers, either; I don't want some bow that needs to wear a skirt...and we won't even talk about Pierce points.
I couldn't let you operate in secrecy on such an important project; this bow is going to be a world-beater, and the world needs to know about it. I'll be checking in periodically, every other day or so, just to see how it's coming...and to reassure you to feel no pressure, LOL.
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