Nevra, with all due respect, you are apparently very ignorant of what it takes to build a composite bow. I'm telling you this from someone who build bows.
I defy you to show me how in the world a composite bow can be build in one day and a week. A self bow of wood, perhaps, if you use dry heat to create the recurved ends, but if using steam, factoring in the drying time of the wood, a day is not long enough.
For a composite such as the Romans and Khan would have known, that is impossible, unless you are using modern materials such as fiberglass, and even then, it takes time for the fiberglass resin to cure.
We are talking about composite bows, made of a wood core, a horn belly, and sinewed back, right? The sinew alone, usually three two four courses layed on with hide or fish glue, takes many weeks to cure between courses. Some bows, such as Turkish composites, takes over a year to cure. It depends on the bow and bowyer in question, of course, but you cant do that in one day, even if you use a heat box to help speed up the curing time.
Traditionally, each component was collected at a certain time of the year. The wood was cut at a certain time of year, split, and then seasoned. The core was worked down with hand tools only, and the ears were usually made with more than one splice, and carefully hand fitted to the core. Seasoning alone takes many months to years to accomplish. the larger the log or stave used, the longer it takes to season.
The sinew is collected, dried, shredded. The bark used to protect that sinew layers, at leaet in the case of Korean bows still made today, takes a year to cure in sea water. The horn has to be collected, worked own into thin slats, and then steamed or heated to make them flat. They are futher worked thinner and thinner, and depending on the bow you are building, the are scored to help them adhere to the wooden core, then glued to the wood using hide glue, and clamped to allow the glue to cure.
In some steppe cultures, if a bow failed in battle, the bowyers was executed. That should tell you something as well about the length of time it would take to build a composite. And they didn't build one at a time, they build them in large batches. As one step is completed, it was left to season, cure, etc, and then another group of components were made.
If this person who build a composite in 7 days did what you claim he did, he did the impossible. Overall, it takes many hundreds of hours to build the bow, and more time to cure it, test it, and then, dont forget the bow string made from sinew or plant fibers, that takes a great deal of time, as well.
By way of example of what it takes to build a simple self bow, here is the steps and time it takes from a in-progress replica Mohaw recurve I am currently bulding, Keep in mind this is a very simple bow, not a composite:
Hickory half log was seasoned for over a year;
Splitting into staves using axe and wedges took about 6 hours (splitting is no fun for me
;
Debarking the stave and removing the cadmium layer using a draw knife took about 45 minutes. If I had debarked the log sooner, it would have been easier;
Working the stave to early floor tiller stage took about 5 careful hours;
Working the stave down to the stage where I can cut in the string nocks using mostly a spoke shave took another few hours;
Next I will have to steam in the recurves, which includes making a steaming form our of hardwood, and then letting it dry (wet hickory is not something I want to work with), maybe 2 weeks total;
Then tillering it will take another 6 to 8 hours, maybe much longer, as that is the time when you go glacially slow, using only cabinate scrapers and sand paper to remove minute amounts of wood.
Decorating it using earth pigments and finishing it with bear fat will take perhaps another 8 to 10 hours.
Adding the correct wool yarn handle and tip wraps (for this particular replica) will take an addtional few hours, plus time for the shellac I will use on the yarn to dry.
All that is for a simple Native American self bow. Get the picture?
Restate what you are shocked about, frater, and I can address it, perhaps.
As I said before, I am building a small wooden machine. I said that before. And I said I will post results. Good enough for you?
Finally, and with respect, Randi has already addressed the issue of "scientific evidence." I pretty positive Alan does know about this forum, but in my opionion, will never bother to step into this forum and try to defend his questionable ideas. Invite him personally and see what he has to say, then come back and tell us what he says. Tell him I said hello, too
Quote:Salve AuxArcher
AuxArcher:3ox8dywd Wrote:Actually, a well made composite bow is not an easy thing to construct, and traditionally takes years to build, if we can trust the work of still living Korean bowyers and other composite builders.
hock:
You amaze me. A composite recurve bow can be built in less than a day and a week to finish. I've personally seen this done. Do you think the soldiers of Genghis Khan waited 'years' for their bow’s to be constructed?
Quote:A small torsion machine is relatively easy to build in comparison.
Really hock: With tempered arms and iron frame when the technology of the bow powered machines was old hat hock:
Quote:What do you think the Xantan machine was used for? A child's toy? Looks very much like a lethal combat weapon to me.
Looks are looks, what can it actually do? It may well have been a Childs toy, who knows? Build and test one and let us know the results.
Quote:If you can get Alan to contribute, excellent. HE never seems to, though.
I very much doubt Alan even knows this forum exists. Even if he did, I very much doubt he would want to involve himself in debate without serious scientific evidence being provided.
Valete
Nerva