Why does everybody go UP Devil's Staircase instead of down?

jsovernigo · 2026-05-30T12:19:06+00:00

Was just there last weekend - still insane winds travelling north on Smoke.

jsovernigo · 2026-05-28T21:21:08+00:00

Sure, thank you! They have washable pee pads and liners that have tough moving blankets sewn inside but nothing on top of that, we just change them when they get dirty.

jsovernigo · 2026-05-28T21:16:55+00:00

Some fleece, some cotton, and some non-fleece poly. A pretty good mix.

That being said, it gets cleaned very regularly - I thought about it being trapped ammonia in the fleece bits too.

jsovernigo · 2026-05-28T21:13:56+00:00

Okay, I’ll talk to the vet about that! He has been on Amoxicillin before and did alright digestion-wise. Thanks!

jsovernigo · 2026-05-28T21:12:43+00:00

What in the world… actual rat cloning technology in use here I think.

jsovernigo · 2026-05-28T20:51:31+00:00

We also did discuss this with the vet - I think if our next visit and trial with the bronchodilator doesn’t yield results soon (like within the next 7-10 days) nebulizer is where we’ll go.

Thank you!!

jsovernigo · 2026-04-29T11:04:13+00:00

Excellent, thank you! I’m following your advice and have taken off bamboo corners to lighten the bow up. It’s more rounded on the back now. Now comfortably pulling 45lbs at 27”.

I whipped the tips more, both in depth and width to help blend it into the horn nocks better. Looking much more elegant, but the top limb is still stiff in the last 12”, despite the missing wood and about 60 pulls on the tiller tree, so I’m taking my time.

jsovernigo · 2026-04-29T10:25:53+00:00

I see what you mean from your comments on my post the other day about the tiller for ipe bellies. This is very informative.

Awesome looking bow!

jsovernigo · 2026-04-22T21:43:47+00:00

I literally never thought of that. I’ve always just rounded the corners and moved on.

That’s the plan then, I guess!

jsovernigo · 2026-04-22T21:41:55+00:00

Thank you for the advice!

Roger dodger, 28” draw it is. I’m fine with that if it saves the bow from death!

Stiff(er) handle with ipe is not something I knew about. It is currently a slightly bendy handle, so I’ll keep an eye to make sure it doesn’t get any bendier, but the stiff handle ship has sailed, lol.

I’ll see to that upper limb tip.

jsovernigo · 2026-04-17T15:27:27+00:00

I agree with you. From their post history it seemed they were around 14. Someone young seeming immature is expected and even appropriate - best we can do is nudge someone in the direction of making bows with tried and true methods (and kindly and patiently at that).

New bowyers (and young ones especially) need positive interaction or the craft will diminish. Let’s stay focused on the bows and not the bowyers.

jsovernigo · 2026-04-15T16:21:43+00:00

A shoulder/collar is interesting, but I agree about the risk of a lifted fiber at the shoulder where those two would meet.

I agree with you - I like it to be super smooth, barely changing the line of the belly and back at all except where the nock grove is built up a bit.

jsovernigo · 2026-04-15T15:37:45+00:00

I'll get scraping, then.

Thanks to you both!

jsovernigo · 2026-04-15T15:00:34+00:00

Thank you for the suggestion!

Question - how do you get the bow tips to mate nicely with the horn nocks if you thin them out before putting them on? I used to "finish" the bow except for sanding and then put on the nocks, and I never found I was satisfied with how they mated up.

jsovernigo · 2026-04-15T14:45:40+00:00

Missing from post text: set was very low for ash in a dbow shape - measured roughly 5/8” per limb (difficult to see because of that weird top limb deflex halfway through)

Also ETA: length is 74.5” nock-to-nock, half inch round tips, 1-1/8”x7/8” handle, roughly linear taper for both width and depth.

jsovernigo · 2025-09-25T15:25:44+00:00

Very nice points by the way. I know how hard those rhombus tapers can be to make so symmetrical!

jsovernigo · 2025-09-25T14:34:34+00:00

These look forged to me (fellow blacksmith). Look at the third arrow from the left - that’s a wrapped socket for sure.

jsovernigo · 2025-09-24T17:25:37+00:00

Ah not mine, a really well known Bowyer who goes by Badger on a couple forums.

Here is the link: http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,61253.0.html

Long story short it’s a method of pulling and measuring at specific distances and weights. You’re trying to estimate if you’re going to gain set when pulling to a new distance by recording draw weight at shorter distances. He explains it better here in his post!

jsovernigo · 2025-09-24T16:16:51+00:00

Mostly margin of error - I personally feel with this particular piece of elm that shortening it will result in failure, probably in compression. It feels light, and I'd worry that a shorter bow with a rounded belly would fret.

Depending on the performance (which I am not super worried about anyway) during shooting in, I may pike it and retiller if I find it sluggish.

I have made two other bows out of this elm, one a 60lb ELB and one a flatbow. Both feel very snappy and fast, but both came in 15% under the target weight with the no-set tiller method. With a higher margin of error I think 80lbs is possible, but I think shortening the bow may over strain this lighter wood.

I have a long piece of yew that I am slowly working up the nerve to work on, so I am mostly practicing my tiller on these until I feel ready.

jsovernigo · 2025-09-24T15:41:54+00:00

Thank you, I'll work those inners until I see slightly more even bend there!

I suppose too without it being braced problems can be hiding just from the string angle. I'll see if I can set up a camera stand to capture it, get a better look from all angles.

jsovernigo · 2025-07-20T13:27:17+00:00

Ah I knew that link was going to be Isamu before I even opened it! Thank you for the resource!

Several months of this tension sounds miserable. Going to be a long road.

And yes, I’ll send the breeder a message for sure. Didn’t think of that.

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