Renegade Longbows

SHAPING THE BOW II

PAGE 4

Once the string nocks have been cut, it's time to tiller the bow. The bow limbs must draw straight back and have NO twist. The bow is pulled to 18" checking and adjusting, repeating this step until you get the desired results.

Renegade uses micarta tips on most bows. It's glued on the tips at this step and filed to the correct tip shape. The string grooves are also cut once the tips are shaped. Micarta is tough stuff and this step takes quite a while.

Here a decorative overlay being glued to the front of the riser. A light gives enough heat to get the epoxy to set. I use a Newspaper tent over the riser section to hold the heat in the area of the overlay. I usually leave this over night.

Mark the cutout for the arrow shelf and sight window. I put the shelf 1 1/4" above the center of the bow. This will place the palm of the hand at the center of the finished bow grip.

Back to the bandsaw to cut out the sight window and arrow shelf.

This step is overly simplified and more involved, than the picture shows here. Much of the beauty of the bow is determined by how the riser section is shaped. This is a very important step. I use a file and sanders to get the desired shape wanted. The arrow rest and sight window are radiused. I like this look and it reduces the drag on the arrow as it glides across the bow shelf.