Redneck Bowhunter

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.

hatchet jack

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

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

Hatchet Jack

Schultzy

Lmao!

Schultzy

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.

Arthur P

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!

Chris W.

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.

burniegoeasily

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.

burniegoeasily

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

Redneck Bowhunter

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.

Chris W.

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.