few questions for first horn bow
First off hi, my name is Josh.
so I just recently started my first horn bow. I have picked up Adams book, read it twice. I took a piece of air dried hard maple and cut it down into two 2x26x3/4 inch strips, which are now soaking in water to get them ready to be bent. I do have a few questions though. first off I dug around in my scrap wood bin to look for a piece of wood for the grip section. all I could find that was the right size was a piece of mahogany. will this work or is it too soft for this application?
next question is about the horn. I have spent a week looking of water buffalo horns of suitable size in the US, and have turned up with nothing. I have found plenty that are 14" along the outside curve or smaller but nothing that will work. also every one I have found outside the US that will ship here wants well an arm and a leg for them. so I had a thought. I have seen people using gemsbok horn, and I have read that it seems that because of how much you need to bend them to get them flat that its not the best choice. well I can get a good size gemsbok horn here for like $20. what if instead of heating and flattening the horn to make a wide enough strip, I do more like what the Persians would have done. cut the gemsbok horn up into strips maybe about 1 cm wide and glue multiple long strips to the back of the bow. would this work?
so I just recently started my first horn bow. I have picked up Adams book, read it twice. I took a piece of air dried hard maple and cut it down into two 2x26x3/4 inch strips, which are now soaking in water to get them ready to be bent. I do have a few questions though. first off I dug around in my scrap wood bin to look for a piece of wood for the grip section. all I could find that was the right size was a piece of mahogany. will this work or is it too soft for this application?
next question is about the horn. I have spent a week looking of water buffalo horns of suitable size in the US, and have turned up with nothing. I have found plenty that are 14" along the outside curve or smaller but nothing that will work. also every one I have found outside the US that will ship here wants well an arm and a leg for them. so I had a thought. I have seen people using gemsbok horn, and I have read that it seems that because of how much you need to bend them to get them flat that its not the best choice. well I can get a good size gemsbok horn here for like $20. what if instead of heating and flattening the horn to make a wide enough strip, I do more like what the Persians would have done. cut the gemsbok horn up into strips maybe about 1 cm wide and glue multiple long strips to the back of the bow. would this work?
this will probably not be supported by serious bowyers but -
how about using multiple pieces of horn and join them together
then wrap the bow with sinew - wont be pretty but will probably do the job
(this is not my idea but was in fact done in old bows, too)
how about using multiple pieces of horn and join them together
then wrap the bow with sinew - wont be pretty but will probably do the job
(this is not my idea but was in fact done in old bows, too)
I know what your talking about and I did thin k about that already. but for as much time and energy as I'm going to be putting into this bow, I really would like it too look as good as it will hopefully shoot. so I would prefer to not have any seams in the middle of the limbs like that.
You could always use the gemsbok but make the core/horn convex/concave instead of flat. That way you'll have enough thickness and won't need any excesssive steaming. Otherwise it would be possible to make narrow strips but tricky to get every surface perfectly butted together.
Personally i'd go for butt joints with shorter pieces of horn. It would be possible to pretty much hide the wrappings.
Personally i'd go for butt joints with shorter pieces of horn. It would be possible to pretty much hide the wrappings.
I'll have to think about doing a convex core and just keeping the horn curved. I'm really trying to avoid having to butt joint the horn in the middle of the limb. I see it as one more thing that could fail, not to mention it doesn't look all that pretty allot of the time.
well I have awhile to figure it out. just went to bend the wood for my core the other day and it didn't quite go as planned. lets just say its in two pieces now. so yesterday I just cut two new pieces that are a bit thinner (about 14mm instead of 20), hopefully when I go to bend these they will bend and not break. anyway I will start up a build thread shortly.
well I have awhile to figure it out. just went to bend the wood for my core the other day and it didn't quite go as planned. lets just say its in two pieces now. so yesterday I just cut two new pieces that are a bit thinner (about 14mm instead of 20), hopefully when I go to bend these they will bend and not break. anyway I will start up a build thread shortly.
A number of years ago Alberto (where is he anyway?) posted a bow that only had horn in the actual bending section. So much of the outer limb in a Turkish bow is not even straightening out, never mind bending.
Alberto substituted Ipe from the Kasan out and ended up with a fine bow.
A butt joint with a wrapping held the two edges together. It was a fine looking bow, as was everything that guy ever built.
Alberto substituted Ipe from the Kasan out and ended up with a fine bow.
A butt joint with a wrapping held the two edges together. It was a fine looking bow, as was everything that guy ever built.
I had a few problems bending cores to say the least in the beginning!
Soak them for at least a week in water then boil them for 90 mins, in the water not just the steam. I also rig up my heat gun so when you are getting them on the forms they don't have a chance to cool. I've also used a 1mm stainless steel strap for around the outside of the bend. When I use the strap there is no damge at all even on sharp bends. It can be done without it and is simpler but i've found that with plenty of practise it is easy enough and pretty much guarantees the cores will bend with no damage.
Google highlandhorn for a supply of buffalo horn just get the longest ones they sell.
Soak them for at least a week in water then boil them for 90 mins, in the water not just the steam. I also rig up my heat gun so when you are getting them on the forms they don't have a chance to cool. I've also used a 1mm stainless steel strap for around the outside of the bend. When I use the strap there is no damge at all even on sharp bends. It can be done without it and is simpler but i've found that with plenty of practise it is easy enough and pretty much guarantees the cores will bend with no damage.
Google highlandhorn for a supply of buffalo horn just get the longest ones they sell.
AFAIK steven tiger still self horn:
http://198.170.107.188/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=2053
Do not get put down by quality of his English. The quality of the horn is better.
http://198.170.107.188/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=2053
Do not get put down by quality of his English. The quality of the horn is better.