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Horn bow ideas

2 posts2007live thread
jkekoni
I have some ideas how to make a horn bow. I post them here, so you can shot down bad ones if any, so i do not need to break horn with them.

Prior experience:
Self bows and wood composites. No sinew bows.

Core:
Laminate 2 or 3 layers of 1.5mm (0.06") wood. (2.5m thickness available?). I have bought 1.5mm (silver/downy) birch, but probably I try to get some mapple, instead.

How important is grain following is? I have understood that it is less important when using several thin layers.

Tiller core from thickness only with a sander.
(Should I have some width taper?)
Bend the core with ears and handle to full draw before sinew/horn.

Ears:
Laminate several layers(6?) of 1.5mm laminate of some light and
stiff wood. Preferably spruce(most common wood grown here, but hard to get in 1.5mm thickness), Scotch pine or lacking that birch.

I have newer succeded with wet heat and bending with dry heat will
not produce 40 degree curves from thick wood.

Alternatively glue 1 or 2 piecies of norway spruce and sandwitch them between the core laminates.

Is there a benefit for sharp angle or is a round as ok? Round is easier make by glueing with form without heat bending. It is easier to glue wood to non sharp angle, since heat is not needed.

I have made I test ear, but the glue is still wet.

handle:
Sandwitch handle between laminates. Is setback handle needed or is curved core without handle setback the same? Use some heavy easy to glue wood (Hickory?), if i have suitable scraps, light wood if not.

Should the grain follow the handle fader. I guess not because i would need 2 parts then.

Glue:
Use Casco hard epoxy for everything except sinew.
Use drying closet with 50'c for helping the epoxy to cure.
(Somewhat afraid to use higher temperatures, because i do not want
the epoxy to flow away.)

Use liquid hide glue for sinew. Air dry until it looks dry. Then use drying closet with mild temperature for the rest. No intent to spend a month between the sinew jobs.

Design:
Losely follow moskovskaya balka.

Horn:
Use water buffalo horn. How much longer the original horn is needed to be that the core? Saw the horn with band saw. Is wood blade ok? Or should is use blade meant for soft metals? Heat bend horn with heat gun and use wood and C-clamps for straghtening it.

Buy the horn and sinew from highland horn. Alternatively try to get in touch with hunters to get moose sinew. Or try to get in touch with ostrich farmers. Unfortunately I do not know anyone closely and do not like to beg materials from people i do not know.
Steven S.
I used a wood blade on a band saw to cut my gemsbok horn, but I'm not sure if buffalo horn is much different.