Best way to take care of a new bow

[Minnesota Mike]

Just got a new bow as birthday gift at the SEPR a couple of weeks ago. Would like some advice on the best way to care for it and any leather add-ons that make sense or help preserve the bow during use.

Thanks.

r/
MM

[Riley/MN]

Well I think the best thing would be to get it accustomed to Minnesota weather. Would you like my address to send it to?

[Minnesota Mike]

:lol:

Ohhh man . . . so funny . . . you should be on stage . . .

Understand there is one leaving town in an hour . . .

Used to have recurve back in high school/college. Was pretty good with it too. Could clip or split arrows in tight group. Stopped doing that when I realized I had to buy more arrows.

Then went upon the high seas with the Navy. One dark day Dad decided that if I had really wanted all the stuff in my room, I'd have taken it with me . . . Yard Sale!!!

Understand he sold it for around a dollar and the arrows for a dime each . . .


r/
MM

[Riley/MN]

Yeah, I stripped a '51 chevy half-ton to the frame and went off to join Uncle Sam's yacht club. Little Bro decided that he could sell the cab and make a few extree bucks, cuz Riley will never get back to that project....

Sorry for the hijack...

What kinda bow ya get?

[SAWMA]

Wax um, string and bow, keeps the string in good shape and the moisture off the bow. Flex the bow a little before you shoot, pull half draw a few times to limber her up. Don't leave it in a hot car during the summer, (Chev SS 396) temp i mean. Leather arm guard for me, if not, i'm hurtin for surtin!

[Minnesota Mike]

Got something to plink with. Just 40 lbs, hickory and cherry. Twisted style bow string.

Bow was unfinished, needed to be smoothed over for final clean up.

Will bring in card for sutler that sold it - seem to recall his name was Leroy. Got to actually meet the bow maker later in camp, made in northern AL.

r/
MM

[Uncle Russ]

One dark day Dad decided that if I had really wanted all the stuff in my room, I'd have taken it with me . . . Yard Sale!!!

Mike, Yer Dad was a very kind and intelligent man. At least he waited until you had moved out...give him credit.

SAWMA mentioned the wax, and flexing a bit before you shoot. The only other thing I might consider would be not to set it, or store it on it's end for long periods of time, and un-string it when not in use.
That, and a periodic treatment with boiled Linseed Oil is about all I know to do to keep 'em in shape.

We have a bunch of real honest to goodness bow shooters that hang out here, and I'm sure a few of them will drop by with some good "usable" advise..... 'till then, I just want to say congratulations on yer new bow...enjoy it! They can be a lot of fun.

[Fletcher]

Uncle done learned good!

Boiled (non hardening) Linseed is goo.  I use non hardening tung oil (2 or 3 coats should do for the original) than once a year.

Beeswax on the string to keep the frays dowm.  Watch for wear spots on the nock point and the loops.

Unstring and lay flat.  Limber it up easy, especially in cold weather.

Sure way to 'blow' a bow.  Take it out of a hot building in below zero weather.  String it, walk around about a half hour then reef back to full draw.

Ker-powwwwwwwwwwwww

[Minnesota Mike]

Thanks.

Have seen bows with leather hand grips and some sort of leather caps on the ends.

Thoughts?

r/
MM

[Fletcher]

I put buckskin or soft leather gfrips on most all my 'primitives'.  Looks good and improves grip as well.

Don't know what you mean by end caps.  Got any pictures of them?

[Minnesota Mike]

Unfortunately no - saw them on some bows at last year's SEPR - but since I did not have a bow at the time, did not pay any real attention . . . (hello Murphy . . .)

May have been nothing more than to protect the ends and notches until time to sting the bow. Not sure.

Any advice on what/how to add the hand grip?

r/
MM

[Fletcher]

Cut a piece of Buckskin about 1/4" to 3/8" short of wrapping all the way around. (depends on how thick the buckskin as to how much it will stretch)

Then baseball stitch in on with 2 leather needles and fine artificial sinew.  The gap should close tight and the handle not move.

A bone needle and real sinew if you are adventurous!

Or you could send the bow to me and I will put on a handle for $20 and send the bow back when I'm tired of shooting it  :oops:

You can use stiffer leather too but it is harder to stitch and much less stretch.

[Uncle Russ]

Mike, I'm not the most knowledgeable when it comes to bows, but when you wrote, "May have been nothing more than to protect the ends and notches until time to sting the bow. Not sure."..... I got to thinking that what you may have seen was the "stringer" it self.
I keep my "stringer", with its two little leather pockets that cover the end/ tip of the bow, on my bows when they're not in use, just so I don't loose it.....not that I use it all time.
I've grown lazy in my old days, and a lot of times I just use the "step-thru" method to string a bow.

It's just a guess on my part, but that is about all I could imagine you might have seen when it comes to leather on the tips.

[Minnesota Mike]

"Stringer"?

Think I may have heard of such a critter - care to ellucidate?

And you may have been right - probably should have asked - What are THOSE things? But didn't - oh well . . .


r/
MM

[Stormrider51]

A stringer is a cord with leather or nylon cups on each end.  The cord is longer than the bow.  The bowstring should be on the bow with the lower loop in its nock and the upper able to slide on the upper limb.  The cups are placed on each limb tip and then you put your foot in the middle of the cord.  The back of the bow (side away from you when you shoot) is up and your hand is on the grip.  Pull straight up.  This flexes the bow and allows you to slip the upper loop into the nock without busting a gut or damaging the bow.  The step-through and push-pull methods work but can cause injury to you or damage to the bow.  Recurves are especially likely to suffer a twisted limb unless a stringer is used.

I guess from what I read that you bought a primitive bow.  "Primitive" by my definition is one that does not contain any modern material such as fiberglass, carbon, etc.  Such a bow can last a long time if it is cared for.  Everyone gave excellent suggestions.  Draw it slowly several times before the first shot of the day.  (Good for both you and the bow.)  Don't take a bow from a warm environment to a cold one and shoot it without letting it cool down.  Never leave a primitive bow strung when not in use.  Don't stand it on its end, especially not on a concrete or dirt floor.  (Place it horizontally on a rack with the supports on either end of the grip, not out on the tips.)  NEVER allow your bow to be overdrawn!  The bowyer made it to be a specific weight of draw at a specific draw length.  Allowing your gorilla-armed buddy who draws 31" to draw your 28" draw length bow is sure to damage the bow.

You might want to order a copy of Byron Ferguson's book "Become the Arrow".  There's also a DVD out now.  That book taught me more about shooting a barebow than anything else I read.  And I read a lot.

Storm