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.
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