how about bamboo instead of horn?
would a layer of bamboo work on the bow belly instead of horn? I have one turkish bow with ash core in the works and don't have horn yet, so I would like to try bamboo.
have also two more bows with bamboo core ready for sinewing. can I leave the belly without any horn and just let the bamboo do the compression?
thanx for your answers,
stefan
have also two more bows with bamboo core ready for sinewing. can I leave the belly without any horn and just let the bamboo do the compression?
thanx for your answers,
stefan
The answer is, as always, "it depends..." (on what you want)
Bamboo as bellymaterial works quite well for my experience, but you have to take some drawbacks into account:
First, it is not as tough as horn and will get a significant set. So you have to glue it with more reflex as you want.
Second, you will not reach so high drawin-weights as possible with horn (forget about the 90#..., 60# is possible with a adequate design)
third, as it does not compress so far as horn (more "rigid") you will have to adapt your design to have some longer bending areas. The very short bending area of e.g. a Korean or turkish hornbow are not recommended ;-)
fourth, a benefit is, that bamboo is somewhat lighter than horn and it is mutch better available.
I made several all-bamboo (long-)bows up to 65# and they work great (if done right). I tried one all-bamboo bow in a design similar to the hungarian hornbow, total length ~140cm, 35#, very narrow limsb and he worked quite well. The bow is now under redesign with a sinew backing to get more than 40#.
My personal opinion is that it's worth to go with bamboo before wasting horn. I temper the bellymaterial up to a light ocker colour to get it stiffer.
You may contact me for more details.
Bamboo as bellymaterial works quite well for my experience, but you have to take some drawbacks into account:
First, it is not as tough as horn and will get a significant set. So you have to glue it with more reflex as you want.
Second, you will not reach so high drawin-weights as possible with horn (forget about the 90#..., 60# is possible with a adequate design)
third, as it does not compress so far as horn (more "rigid") you will have to adapt your design to have some longer bending areas. The very short bending area of e.g. a Korean or turkish hornbow are not recommended ;-)
fourth, a benefit is, that bamboo is somewhat lighter than horn and it is mutch better available.
I made several all-bamboo (long-)bows up to 65# and they work great (if done right). I tried one all-bamboo bow in a design similar to the hungarian hornbow, total length ~140cm, 35#, very narrow limsb and he worked quite well. The bow is now under redesign with a sinew backing to get more than 40#.
My personal opinion is that it's worth to go with bamboo before wasting horn. I temper the bellymaterial up to a light ocker colour to get it stiffer.
You may contact me for more details.
one more question: what kind of glue did you use for your all bamboo bows and how many layers?
stefan
stefan
I used epoxy. Up to four Layers of bamboo, depending on the construction. Normally I use three layers, bamboo flooring for the core, a Backing strip and for the belly either bamboo flooring or "natural" bamboo.
If you go to the competition at Egenhausen next weekend, we can meet there.
If you go to the competition at Egenhausen next weekend, we can meet there.
why not hide glue?
what exactly is flooring? those thin slats?
about where is egenhausen?
thanx,
stefan
what exactly is flooring? those thin slats?
about where is egenhausen?
thanx,
stefan
Its the same material used for bamboo parkett. There are different materials on tghe market here: one with wide stripes glued together horizontally ("boards": 2225x60 cm, ~5mm thick) and boards where the bamboo slats are glued vertically (similar dimensions, 19 to 15 mm thick).
For the glue, expoy was more versatile for me at the moment and I'm just starting to work with hide glue and to get some experience on it, so one of the next will be made with hideglue :P
Egenhausen is from Friday, 31.3 till Sunday, 2.4. You can find me at my tent (yellow from "The North Face" ), presumable in the small wood. Or ask the guys at the counter or look :shock: for someone with a brown fabric slouch hat, which may be a problem between 370 other people.... :roll: or phone me (number by pm)
For the glue, expoy was more versatile for me at the moment and I'm just starting to work with hide glue and to get some experience on it, so one of the next will be made with hideglue :P
Egenhausen is from Friday, 31.3 till Sunday, 2.4. You can find me at my tent (yellow from "The North Face" ), presumable in the small wood. Or ask the guys at the counter or look :shock: for someone with a brown fabric slouch hat, which may be a problem between 370 other people.... :roll: or phone me (number by pm)