Well, this one took a bit of finagling to get it up to snuff. First, those ghastly holes had to be reckoned with. Someone had drilled two holes in the phenolic. One was pretty small and simple. The other...not so much! They had drilled sideways though the riser (presumably for some sort of elevated rest) and countersunk the rest side of the riser. After much cogitating, I decided to fill this with a countersunk allen head screw. But how to secure it? Well, being 10-32 thread, I happened to have some Riv-nuts floating around in my tool box at work (working on aircraft, those sort of things happen!) All I needed was the tail end of one, so I chopped off the last 1/4" of one, enlarged the other side of the hole, and let the screw draw it in below flush. Now, what to use for a filler for the phenolic?
I settled on clear 2 part Devcon epoxy. A buddy of mine suggested I try some black mica powder mixed in with the epoxy. It worked fine. I back-filled both holes on the coin side of the bow and let it dry overnight. I wasn't concerned with the screw head, as the strike plate would cover it.
After the epoxy had dried, I masked all around it with aluminum tape and brought it down to level using a flat double cut needle file. Once the excess was removed, I wet sanded smooth with 400 wet or dry. That dulled it a bit so the color match was no longer prefect, but adequate for my purposes.
I went after the scratches and abrasions with rubbing compound and it got most of them out. Then I went to work with polish and worked it until all the cloudiness from the rubbing compound was gone. I replaced the rest rug and strike plate with period correct white calf hair from 3Rivers (the 67-69 Super Kodiaks used white calf hair) after wiping the appropriate areas with alcohol. Then I fitted the new black and white Flemish twist string (custom ordered from Stilldub to match the bow) strung it up and set the brace height, then installed the nockset. A little bit of elbow grease and imagination saved an old, mistreated classic bow from obscurity and got it back to shooting again!
The holes in the riser were pretty ugly...
...especially this end with it's Most Heinous countersink...
...lots of scuffs and scratches on the limbs...
...but nothing some epoxy and mica dye powder can't fix.
Mixed enough epoxy and tinted with the black dye to fill the holes, and filled them using a tooth pick.
Countersunk screw head in the sight window
New white calf hair rest and strike plate...
...and the end results.
"So, Captain...how does it shoot?", you're asking...
Well, good enough for me, I reckon!
Ruh Row...
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Please keep hunting posts to Traditional Bow Hunting. No canned or high fence hunts or stories allowed. Please be respectful of fellow members and helpful to those with questions. Treat others like you like to be treated. There is a Japanese word that I try and model my life after.
GAMAN: patience..dignity..restraint.
Please keep hunting posts to Traditional Bow Hunting. No canned or high fence hunts or stories allowed. Please be respectful of fellow members and helpful to those with questions. Treat others like you like to be treated. There is a Japanese word that I try and model my life after.
GAMAN: patience..dignity..restraint.
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Re: Ruh Row...
Aim small, miss small!
- Greg Felty
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Re: Ruh Row...
Great job on the bow
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
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Re: Ruh Row...
Thanks, Greg! I probably could have done a more precise job on the epoxy fill, but honestly i wanted to get-r-dun and shoot it...and most pleased that I did! I figure I can always go over them again and I'll have all winter to do it if I choose.
Aim small, miss small!
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- Site Admin
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Re: Ruh Row...
Aim small, miss small!
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Re: Ruh Row...
A follow-up coat of automotive carnauba wax really brought out the shine!
Aim small, miss small!