2nd bow attempt...The horny bow

[Mar]

Pictures to follow soon and I will need opinions.

[Pappy]

Can't wait.
   Pappy

[woodstick]

your a tease make us wait for pics, send them.

[George Tsoukalas]

[Mar]

I am just about ready to take this stave to the bandsaw.Wondering if I should cut it off or leave it. Horny is on the side of the bow I would like to keep and the stave has a slight twist to it.






Splitting it was a pain, came from that knotty log and have a fat end where two big knots are, reason I want to stick to one side. Stave width at handle is 1 1/4".



 
One knot I can bypass

[sailordad]

i say since ya named it the "horny bow" ya gotta try and leave it

[Mar]

yeah I don't know if I can leave it. Following the grain looks like it might have to go.

[Kirkll]

keep in mind here... i'm just getting familiar with idea of carving a bow out of one piece of wood, and i know this is a primitive archery site....but i'm curious why you would choose a piece of wood like this to do so?

Is it the challenge, or what?    Seems to me any self respecting Indian would use a knotty log like that for firewood, and find himself another tree.

i'm not being critical here bro.... just sincerely curious on your reasoning....Kirk

[Mar]

Hahaha! yes challenge. I will learn the hard way but this piece is not as bad as it seems. Maybe I'm trying to learn too much at once as in this piece I may have to try to untwist one end if I don't cut it at the first big knot. I like character.

[PeteC]

Kirk,that's just osage.In fact it's a pretty good stave,better than most of mine.  God Bless

[Mar]

Kirk,that's just osage.In fact it's a pretty good stave,better than most of mine.  God Bless

Actually it's Pacific Yew.

[Mar]

Here's a bow that isn't fun to lug around, 412# @28", made out of Holly.

[Kirkll]

Well Mar,  I'm no self bowyer, and i'm up for getting started at learning the whole process..... but if you'll pardon the pun here, i'll use an old expresion my grandad used to use on occasion..... "Son, i believe you are barkin' up the wrong tree there."   

is it just my eyes, or do you have knots running both directions in that proposed stave? is that the right term?

there is a good quesrtion for you seasoned vets.... when exactly does a piece of wood you have harvested become a "Stave".  I've got a bunch of "proposed" staves, or wanna be staves...... but....i'm quite certain some of these will end up warming my feet, rather than harvesting game.

[Hojo]

Hey Mar, outstanding tiller on that HEAVY holly bow!  I see you are trying one of those skinny strings on it....

Kirkll -- IMO, any piece of wood that you have that might eventually become a bow is called a stave.  It only gets called firewood once you decide that there is just no way that it can possibly work.  I think the important thing to keep in mind is that you shouldn't apply the 'firewood' name to a piece of wood too early.  Self-bowyers, like wood, go through a seasoning process that may eventually take them to the place where Mar is----where you WANT to take on the challenge of a challenging stave. 

Good luck with your stave Mar.  Keep us posted with your progress!

[sweeney3]

Mar,

Must have been a hoot steaming that reflex/deflex into that holly bow!  Bet you had to boil that sucker for a week!