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Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Shakespeare QT Takedown Recurve



QT Takedown – A Forerunner to 
21st Century Bows
by Larry Vienneau
 

The Shakespeare QT - Quick Takedown - was distinctive in 1973. It was simple and straightforward, requiring no tools, while other manufacturers' limb lock mechanisms had fewer problems. Once it is loosened a little, it slides out, and once locked in with the opposite hand nut, it locks in very securely. There were issues with the limbs in the Bear Takedown and if they weren't seated correctly, the locking mechanism could fail. Every time, the limbs are perfectly seated and safe. QT's riser was originally designed by Phil Grable in conjunction with Ernie Root, Archery Research, and Shakespeare Archery. It is still used by contemporary bow makers today. When you see the risers side by side, you can immediately see the difference in design when Owen Jeffery redesigned them in 1975. Ernie Root and Phil Grable designed the original Golden Eagle metal riser, and the original QT riser was very similar in the axis balance area. In 1974, Owen Jeffery continued to manufacture the QT with Jeffery Archery after Shakespeare Archery closed. The riser was made from aluminum and magnesium, making it strong, yet light. During 1973-74, the risers were painted Forest Green or Gray, while in 1975-76, electrostatically allied metallic paint was applied to the risers. This bow was designed with computers. During the 1970s, experimentation with metal risers was revolutionary, and the technology was advanced for its time. The bow paved the way for the bows of the 21st century in many ways.



Lewis Kent's perfect QT takedown

Shakespeare QT Quick Takedown 1973-74. QT2 1975-76

  • Riser: M51: 1973-74 Aluminum and Magnesium, M55: 1975-76 Magnesium
  • 1973 -1974 Dark Gray or Forest Green, 1975-76 Metallic color
  • Limbs: 2 inch wide
  • 1973-74: 56”, 58” and 60” AMO
  • 1975-76: 58” 60” and 62” AMO
  • Sight window: 4 ½” inch
  • Rest: Shakespeare Hunter Rest
  • Glass: Forest Green 1973-74, Black 1975-76
  • Draw Weights: 40-55 lbs.
  • Wood tip overlays
  • * Right Hand Only

"No Tool" limb attachment


My friend Lewis Kent bought an excellent QT 1973-74. It was still in the original box; its arrow rest was not installed and showed no sign of ever being shot. 

The former owner said the bow had never shot and boxed since it was bought. Some vintage bow sellers like to use the words "mint" or "near mint" to describe their bows. Mint means flawless, unused, and pristine. There is very slight corrosion on the metal riser of this bow. The bow has never been used, so it can be called mint. Lewis got the bow from a true archery enthusiast, Dave Mayer. Dave has also been very generous in scanning and sharing his vintage archery catalogs and magazine articles.

My righty friend Lewis has another fine bow to add to his collection. As usual, I am jealous of him. I will not get a chance to shoot this QT bow properly because it was only made for right hands. My research for this article brought up one name over and over again: George Stout. His knowledge of vintage bows is impressive, but his expertise lies in Shakespeare and Root bows. His posts on most traditional archery forums are the best place to ask questions about Shakespeare bows. For his help and contribution to this blog, as well as Lewis Kent's excellent example of a QT Takedown and his help and contributions to this blog, and Dave Mayer's generosity, I would like to thank him for his continued help.


© Copyright, Larry Vienneau Jr.

All rights reserved.
 

George Stout's QT Takedown

 
George Stout's QT Takedown

Monday, June 17, 2013

Using Decals to Complete Your Vintage Bow Refinishing Project


Decals: THE FINAL TOUCHES TO YOUR BOW RESTORATION


by Larry Vienneau


Before you refinish your bow carefully measure the area where the decal will sit and measure the decal itself.




When your bow is 90% refinished, you can begin thinking about decals. If you're lucky, you just need to polish and clean it. If you're thinking about decals, you're likely to have to refinish your bow completely. If you haven't started refinishing yet, I recommend reading these tutorials before you start thinking about decals.


Here is my article on restoration:


other great tutorials



OK, now that your bow is completely prepared you can think about the decals. There is a great guy who makes the perfect decal for vintage bow fanatics like us.

Al's Decals

Al Harford, acaah@aol.com  734-856-2591. The subject line of your email should have "decals"

another new option arrow.wood@seznam.cz , name Jaroslav Kejval, Czcech Republic

The most popular decal he reproduces is Bear Bow decals, but he also offers others. He does not have a website; he makes these fantastic decals as a hobby. You can contact him by phone or email. Al told me that he had decals for my 1957 Bear Cub. The Cub was in fair to poor shape when I got it and I collect Shakespeare Root bows along with a few Bear Bows. There were deep stress cracks on the belly, a cut mark on the belly, and slivers of fiberglass were visible through the deteriorated finish on the bow's back. The riser, however, was in great condition and the leather wrap was in excellent condition, so it was the ideal candidate for Loctite 420 treatment. Loctite 420 is injected into the cracks until they flush with the fiberglass. You will have to provide Al with excellent high-resolution photographs if you want other makers' decals. (watch out for glued fingers!) Holding down the splinters on the bow's back was also helpful. This can be difficult if you don't have a bow with one of the decals. If you have a friend with that decal, you will be in luck. Otherwise, you will have to search the internet for a clear high-quality image. He prefers PDFs or TIFFs. If you are not Photoshop savvy, he will use a good-quality JPEG.


Again before you refinish your bow you need to carefully measure the area where the decal will sit and measure the decal itself.



You will need to search for logos and tweak your photos after you have them if you want to do a good restoration. Al has some Shakespeare decals, but none of the X-bow logos.

Don't worry, Al will let you know exactly how to order your decals. If not, you will have to special order them.

His shipping is very fast, once you receive your decals, read his very detailed instructions.



Your decal will come with a protective backing, set it aside; you will need it later in the process.




You will need a hard object to burnish the decal and a roll of blue painter's tape. The tape keeps the decal in place. Make sure you have lightly sanded the area with 600 sandpaper and make sure it is clean and free of dust to assure a good bond. Measure the spot on which you want the decal to be placed.



Carefully begin to burnish the decal. You will see a change in color as it transfers. Lift the decal to see if it has transferred, if not, simply re-burnish.



Next place the protective piece of paper which came with the decal over the transferred decal. Lightly burnish again. This will assure a smooth-looking decal.





Check to make sure the logos are flat with no bubbles.

Now your bow is ready for the final coats of finish.


Sometimes you might not have the time to do the bow restoration, refinishing, and then decal application. The decals have a shelf life of about 1-2 years. Older decals dry out and are hard to transfer. Monte “Inrut” from Tradrang.com posted his simple solution to dried decals: “I have a solution to the self-life problem that worked for me on the last two sets that I applied. My transfers are over one year old. I VERY lightly sprayed Elmer’s Craft Bond off the back of the transfer. I'm talking about a fine sweeping mist. I then let it dry for about 15 minutes and applied the decal as per the instruction sheet. The transfers worked just like they did the first time I bought them.”
 
Enjoy!!!!!


  
Books:
Rick Rappe- Vintage Bows 1, II, and III





Professionals Restorers:





BowDocs Bow Restoration business is now-    
Prairie Traditions Co. owned by Joe Lasch 
The Bow Hospital owned by John Rafferty 




© Copyright, Larry Vienneau Jr.
All rights reserved.