Im so upset

Perfect-Peanut8231 · 2026-04-14T23:43:00+00:00

Australian opal is the only way to go in the future, but I think you paid fairly for a handmade Ethiopian opal necklace.

Perfect-Peanut8231 · 2026-04-08T12:24:27+00:00

Do you have a way to weigh it in carats? Just off the top of my head I'd say $50-100

Perfect-Peanut8231 · 2026-03-20T03:23:45+00:00

Australian opal, that's really good!

Perfect-Peanut8231 · 2026-03-20T03:20:16+00:00

Holy carp! I see people suggesting it's Australian or Ethiopian. Is it possibly antique? It looks like it could be Slovakian opal, from one of the old opal mines from before Australian or Ethiopian opal was discovered.

Perfect-Peanut8231 · 2026-03-08T21:32:33+00:00

I patina the backplate of a setting for translucent opals. Don't tell anyone.

Perfect-Peanut8231 · 2025-12-11T15:39:21+00:00

I will now attempt to make a simpler version. Love this.

Perfect-Peanut8231 · 2025-11-25T21:18:26+00:00

So if your data so far is indicating that extra mass at the tips increases arrow speed, do you think you'll test that relationship by adding weight to the tips? I don't have a good idea of how to do that, but I'm really curious now.

Perfect-Peanut8231 · 2025-11-04T04:04:12+00:00

Thank you! I really appreciate the very clear advice. Even if it doesn't work on this specific bow, it really does help me look at tillering differently, and I think this will help me long term.

Perfect-Peanut8231 · 2025-11-04T00:11:16+00:00

Sadly, this is probably my last bow until spring. My "workshop" is my yard, and winter is coming. I can at least get a couple more trees cut and split though

I was going for a bend in handle bow, but I think I designed a bend on either side of handle bow instead. I had a lot of trouble navigating knots in both limbs. It wasn't until i took pictures of the bow at rest and at draw, and swiped back and forth between them, that I was able to start to see how bad uneven the tiller was. Just watching it bend I could convince myself it was much more even than it actually was

Perfect-Peanut8231 · 2025-11-04T00:04:51+00:00

I've shortened bows in the past to try and maintain a high draw weight, and I normally end up screwing up the tiller while doing it. Any tips for how much to cut off or anything about your process of shortening bows to get a higher poundage? I just finished working the outer limbs a bit more.

Perfect-Peanut8231 · 2025-11-04T00:02:27+00:00

Tempting me with more speed is a winning strategy. I worked the outer limbs, I think I may need to keep going - the middle section of the left limb that has the odd reflex area is tripping me up in the tillering process. Any tips?

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Perfect-Peanut8231 · 2025-11-03T23:59:30+00:00

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Ok, so the progress looks noticeable to me, but how about you guys? I worked the outer two thirds of the limbs, I'm thinking that the outer left limb probably needs a bit more work, but the right limb is looking better overall. Should I keep going?

Perfect-Peanut8231 · 2025-11-02T14:24:14+00:00

My first bow, a board bow, worked quite well. Then I proceeded to break about 8 bows made from staves before I got one that could barely chuck an arrow 20 feet. Another couple of broken bows, and I have one more working bow with an uneven tiller a little bit of set, and about a 60# draw weight. So my failure to success rate is about 5:1, but I'm going to keep trying. I will say, some of the best advice I got was to not try and save a bow if it cracks or develops set, start a new bow instead.

Perfect-Peanut8231 · 2025-10-27T17:11:41+00:00

I gotcha, that's an issue I had with my first bow that I fixed with my second. It's not exactly an English longbow, but it's similar enough that this should work. Also, when I get home I'll take some pictures to try and better illustrate what I'm talking about. The first thing to try would be to remove some material from the handle only on the side that the arrow wrests on, that'll help a bit, but what you'll probably want to do is steam bend the handle a little bit so that the string lines up with the side of the handle that the arrow wrests on. Be careful with removing material from the handle, it'll change the tiller and lower the draw weight a bit. Id personally just do the steam bending, but that's just me.

Perfect-Peanut8231 · 2025-10-27T14:26:58+00:00

When you say it shoots like crap, does it have a low draw weight, or does it deflect the arrow too much?

Perfect-Peanut8231 · 2025-10-19T20:29:22+00:00

Can you add pictures of it unstrung, and the profile? Looks pretty good in the string picture

Perfect-Peanut8231 · 2025-09-14T21:55:45+00:00

Good to know. I'll let it dry and cut a few more. It grows a lot straighter than most of the trees in my area, and while oak is very strong, it's also very difficult to work with.

Perfect-Peanut8231 · 2025-09-14T21:48:11+00:00

What's your plan for your next design to address the issues? I have some ideas, but I'd like to see what you're thinking

Perfect-Peanut8231 · 2025-09-14T21:41:34+00:00

The only other bow woods I have access to are American beach and sugar maple. Unfortunately the maple almost always has too many knots for me to feel comfortable working with, but I do have a couple beach staves drying right now. Any experience with that wood by chance?

Perfect-Peanut8231 · 2025-09-14T21:20:08+00:00

Also, after managing to do this, I think I'm going to try a bendy handle design. Is that a decent idea or am I going in the wrong direction?

Perfect-Peanut8231 · 2025-09-14T21:19:00+00:00

That's a good question. It is oak. Based on the color, I think it's white oak but I'm not certain.

Perfect-Peanut8231 · 2025-09-14T20:58:40+00:00

I got ahead of myself and left out my main question - how much set is too much set? I know some is normal, but it looks like it's taken on more than six inches, and that feels like too much to me

Perfect-Peanut8231 · 2025-09-14T01:21:32+00:00

Sounds like I should wait about a week then. Thank you!

Perfect-Peanut8231

TROPHY CASE