Warf Project
 

I've started a Warf Project for my old PSE Nova. I took everyhting off of it, and I have decided to try and make the limbs instead of convert limbs over to it. I am hoping to tiller it to around 45lbs and higher because I need at least 45lbs to be legal for deer. How should I go about that so I get it right at that poundagefor my DL? I am using white ash would for the limbs, because that is what I have around the house. I am going to remove the old camo job off of the riser and re-doit so it will match the limbs. I also want to put snake skins on the back of the limbs because I think those look awesome!!!! Will they adhere to wood with the right glue or contact cement? Please give me your comments, thanks.

RE: Warf Project
 

You know your a Redneck if you want to Warf project a old PSE Nova:D

GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!

Hatchet Jack

RE: Warf Project
 

Lmao!

RE: Warf Project
 

I wouldn't know what to tell ya redneck. I'm sure Art, Burnie and the boys can give you allot more info then I ever could on this type of project. Good luck.

RE: Warf Project
 

I've never Wharf'ed a bow, so I won't be much help with that. I've been hanging onto an old Hoyt ProVantage riser I've been wanting to turn into a Wharf, just never have got around to it.[&:]

It sounds like you mean you are making a sort ofmetal risered, takedown selfbow instead of cutting the ash into laminates and topping off with fiberglass... Am I understanding you correctly? If that's what it is, then you just get the tiller right and quit sanding when you're about 5-10 pounds from getting down to your desired weight. If it doesn't shoot into your desired weight, then you can come back and sand the limbs down some more to get it there.

I can tell youfor surethat snakeskin backings will need nothing more than a smooth coating of TiteBond II glue to stick to the limbs. Glue them on and carefully wrap Ace bandages around them to hold them in place while they dry. Be careful not to let the skins slip while wrapping the bandages around them!

RE: Warf Project
 

Good luck with the project. I'mcurious to see howwell that nova riser will work.The majorityof the newer generation compounds don't have adequate limb pocket angles to produce enough preload on the limbs. The gentleman I know that has done many a warf conversion works with just a few risermodels due to the limb pocket angles being just right.The risers he works withare from older model compounds like the Bear black bear and the Proline typhoon.

RE: Warf Project
 

If you have never made a bow, it will be a trying adventure, but can be done. I’d suggest to go with lams under glass, that way the tillering is not as hard. That is as long as you get even tappered lams. You can buy them from threerivers, rubber bow, trad gang, etc. or a host of places on the internet as well as glass lams. Buying them would be the easiest way. IF you go with solid ash, tiller to a heavier weight than you want because it will lose some weight when you shoot it in, as well, it will develop set. I don’t like ash as a bow wood, it breaks easy. It works and is easy to read the grain, but ash alone is not your best choice. Have you ever build and tillered a wood bow? If not, id suggest you do so, that way you can get and idea of how to tiller because to make a warf bow you’re going to have to do more than just build limbs. You will be making a takedown bow in all essence. I did one with a black bear riser a few years ago. I made Osage lams around action boo between glass. It was my only bow ever made with a takedown design. Are you going to go with a recurve design, reflexed design, etc.? Are you going to deflex the limbs or keep them straight off the riser. These are things to consider. If you do a recurve, you will need to build a caul to the shape of reflex. If you do a solid limb, you won’t be able to glue in the reflex, but will need to steam the limb or bend them with a heat gun and mineral oil.If you do go solid wood, id suggest doing a lam wood, that way you can simply glue in the reflex/deflex/recurve. As for glue, the best wood glue would be titebond III.If you use glass to sandwich the wood in, you will need to use a two part epoxy like urac 185 or smooth on 40. You will also need to cook it at a temps higher than you can foresee the bow ever experiencing because epoxies will soften a few degrees higher than what it cured at. I cook any of my bows that use epoxy at 160 degrees for 6 hours. Also, you will need to score the surfaces with something more than sand paper. Epoxy will not grab a smooth surface well. I use a gig saw blade in a vice.

As for the backing, it is a cool backing, and if you glue straight to wood you can use any of the wood glues like titebond II or titebond III. If you put in on glass, any strong epoxy will hold it. I have never backed with a snake skin but would use a two ton quick dry epoxy if I were to do it on wood or glass. The only consideration with using snake skin as a backing, it will not support wood (wont serve as a single wood backing), you will need to back a solid limb then put on the snake skin. Also, you will need a stringer to string the bow so you don’t booger the snake skin. Snake skin is only for decoration, a cool decoration at that.


I guess I’ve rambled enough posting my thoughts. Hope some of this will help you consider which rout you want to go.

RE: Warf Project
 

Im curious about this myself. I have used an old, 1970s modle black bear and it had deep pockets.

RE: Warf Project
 

Yes, well as for your qeustions I will try to answer them the best I can. I am using an aluminum riser and putting solid wood limbs on it for a takedown bow. I was also concerned with the limb pocket angle but did a rough mock-up with cardboardto see what it what look like. the I bent the cardboard to the Recurve style I like and traced it onto paper. I am then going to make a jig at that curve and steam bend the wood. I did not know that ash wood is prone to break I'll have to watch out for that. Yes the wood will NOT be laminated it is a solid peice for each limb that is to be bolted on in the limb pockets. I have never built/made a bow before and it looks like I have bitten off more than I can chew here but I will give it a try. Thanks guys I'll try to keep you posted.

RE: Warf Project
 

The one I had was based on a black bear riser as well. I'm not sure what year it was made. Bob Gordan modified it to accept FITA limbs with international limb fittings. It was anice shooting bow. Wish I hadn't let that one go.

RE: Warf Project
 

Ok I wrote up a big thing about this and used the fast repy (which never works for me) So I lost it all.

Basicaly Bob is the Guru of Warfing bows. I talked with him to see if an old bow I have could be done. He told me he mainly used the black bear risers. He said 90% of the ones he's done are black bear risers and then most of the others were proline and a few of other bows. I have a Proline Tradition series (same riser as tryfoon with recurve limbs. Built as a factory bow) Bob said this are good limbs. I agree the bow is fast.

My thoughts are if your going to do this it should be laminated limbs. Wood limbs may be a bit on the tricky side.
I've made 10 or so selfbows. I wouldn't take this on yet. I suggest, Like Burnie, to build a few bows and once your comfortable then try warfing.

I took a couple pics of a nova and my proline. (Bob likes this riser for the limb pocket and angles. There are just alot more black bears as I understand)

I would think a limb could be made with a built up pad area to make th agles the same.

RE: Warf Project
 

#2

RE: Warf Project
 

If you are going with a solid limb, id suggest you get/make a backing strip. You can use the same wood. This way you will not have failure in the limb by it splintering . An unbacked limb will need to follow one growth ring, or be light to insure you dont have limb failure. All you will need to do is rip a piece of your ash stock to 1/8" or less and glue it to the back of your limb. A benefit with this, you can glue your recurve into the limb with out haveing to steam it. Ive never steamed a limb, I always glue in my curves. All you will have to do is glue on your backing strip, clamp it to a caul (your recurve design you are going to make) and let it dry. It will hold the shap and is easier than trying to bend with steam or heat.
Good luck.

RE: Warf Project
 

Ok, I see what you all mean about the solid wood limbs. I may trysome laminated ones now. Im sure it can't be that hard to do. I see the difference in the limb pocket angle jason. I may have to use your idea and pad it up, but the I will have to be careful and drill the holes in the limbs on a bit of a angle so the bolts enter the threads correctly. I am probably going to try that. By the way your proline looks awesome with the snakeskins on those limbs, sweet bow. Thanks for the advice guys.

RE: Warf Project
 

If you make the laminated limbs you could build up the pad area like my pictue here to make the angle better. (sorry I didn't take the time do do a CAD drawing) Then you can drill based off the flat backside so the angle is right.


BTW thanks for the comment on my proline. I put the skins on there because I didn't like the limb color. Turned out pretty good.

RE: Warf Project
 

Ok, so when laminating limbs how do you know what poundage you are going to get. Because with the fiberglass you wouldn't be able to tiller it would you? Im going to google it ands see what kind of info I can find. So, Jason I think if I understand your drawing correctly, I should laminate in the area to be built up or add that after the limbs are made? I really like those limbs on your proline. I wonder if the nova doesn't work out, are there proline risers you can buy, by themselves or even a Black Bear I think was another riser that would work?

RE: Warf Project
 

Well, I searched google but could not find anything on laminating recurve limbs. Can someone point me in the right direction on where to find some info, Thanks.

RE: Warf Project
 

You can find proline risers and others too. I actually have another proline riser that was on this bow. I stripped it and repainted it but it didn't turn out to well, it was gold when I got it and didn't hit me as traditional. So I stripped and painted it. Unfortunatly it pealed on me. I found the one in the pic to replace it. Much better to my eye.

As for the limbs I would make the limb first and then add the angled pad. The one thing you'd have to do is stop the fiberglass where the pad starts. I would think you could make it of any hardwood as its not going to be bending.

As for the weight of the limbs I would check binghams (Sp) projects. I'll look for the website. Anyway. they could set you up with the right stuff to get you close to the weight. As long as your close I think you can do the rest with the bolts. I do know you can sand the fiberglass some just not alot.

Like I said I'm guessing. Haven't done any fiberglass bows. I hope to change that soon.

RE: Warf Project
 

So, you didn't use any fiberglass in your limbs it is just wood? And how did you glue it all up with that tapered peice in there?

RE: Warf Project
 

This guy, Hera does a lot of take downs. You might find some of his work at the leatherwall helpful. He is very talented. Heres a link to get you to the leatherwall and one of his build alongs.
http://leatherwall.bowsite.com/TF/lw/thread2.cfm?forum=23&threadid=170048&messa ges=45&CATEGORY=3

RE: Warf Project
 

This site might help you with the lam delima.

http://www.stickbow.com/FEATURES/BOWBUILDING/startbuilding.CFM

RE: Warf Project
 

Actually all I have made are selfbows. I haven't made any recurves limbs like that.

If it were me I'd try gluing up the limb up to where the tapered block would be. Stop the fiberglass there (see pic) Then once thats dry glue on the block and shape as needed.

Or you could make your form to glue it all together all at once.

RE: Warf Project
 

Sweet, thanks again guys

RE: Warf Project
 

Well, after putting a lot of thought into this, I have decided to put this project on the back burner for a little bit. I have decided to try and make a recurve bow with a Bingham project plan first. Then after I have that experience, I will try making the limbs for my riser.

RE: Warf Project
 

Sounds like a good plan.;)