Author Topic: Native Michigan Bow  (Read 7979 times)

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Offline John W. Cooper

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    • Bronze Bow Archery
Native Michigan Bow
« on: June 29, 2011, 10:54:21 pm »
Hello,

I just wanted to share with you guys my latest creation I whipped out while waiting for epoxy to cure on one bow and finish to dry on another.  I couldn't waste a whole day waiting! I'm confused whether this is a Pottawatomie or Ojibwa bow, but at least I know it's a Michigan native.  I still might touch up the tiller a bit on the upper limb after seeing this picture, but I'm still quite happy with it.  50"NTN, 45#@25", Ash.  It's taken 3/4" string follow after being shot in.  I'm pretty satisfied as this is my first short bow.  It's been commissioned by a local nature camp to be used in their new archery program so I tried to make it look as close to the pic in TBB as possible.  Problem is, I cut the stave 2" too short.  ::) There'll be 2 more to go along with it.  Should be a lot of fun!  Now all I have to do is make it look purdy.

~John




It is God who arms me with strength
   and keeps my way secure.
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
   he causes me to stand on the heights.
He trains my hands for battle;
   my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
~Psalm 18:32-34

Offline ErictheViking

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Re: Native Michigan Bow
« Reply #1 on: June 29, 2011, 11:01:16 pm »
Very cool John, good looking full draw. Like the cambium left on as well. Sure to make happy campers.
"He that but looketh on a plate of ham and eggs to lust after it hath already committed breakfast with it in his heart"  C.S. Lewis

Offline Elktracker

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  • Josh
Re: Native Michigan Bow
« Reply #2 on: June 29, 2011, 11:19:14 pm »
Great looking bow I bet it shoots real nice! thanks for shareing it with us!

Josh
my friends think my shops a mess, my wife thinks I have too much bow wood, my neighbors think im redneck white trash and they may all be right on the money!!

Josh Vance  Netarts OR. (Tillamook)

Offline John W. Cooper

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Re: Native Michigan Bow
« Reply #3 on: June 29, 2011, 11:26:07 pm »
Thanks for viewing.  I knew I had to have a FD pic on this site.  You see?  I learn!  This is a camp that I attended all through grade and middle school.  I couldn't stand it when they were going to have only those cheap Wal-mart bows for the kids to shoot!  In a month, I'm going to be teaching some campers how to make this kind of bow.  (at least part of the way!)  I don't shoot it as well as my long bows, but it just might take getting used to.  The early draw weight is a little bit lower as well as stacking quite severely at 25" draw.

John
It is God who arms me with strength
   and keeps my way secure.
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
   he causes me to stand on the heights.
He trains my hands for battle;
   my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
~Psalm 18:32-34

Offline Lee Slikkers

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Re: Native Michigan Bow
« Reply #4 on: June 29, 2011, 11:26:43 pm »
Awesome job as usual John!
~ Lee

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The last word in ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plant: 'What good is it?"
— Aldo Leopold
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

blackhawk

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Re: Native Michigan Bow
« Reply #5 on: June 30, 2011, 12:48:14 am »
Nice. I see Rich is rubbing off on ya. Me too ,and one of these days im gonna have to make an odawa or potowonomi like that from my native homeland.

Offline stone-over

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  • rock-climber, jeweler, bowyer, student.
Re: Native Michigan Bow
« Reply #6 on: June 30, 2011, 05:36:29 am »
Looks nice! I like that style of bow. It's cool that you get to help a local archery program out too.
"Sing as you raise your bow, shoot straighter than before"

                                                             -Zeppelin

Offline wildman

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Re: Native Michigan Bow
« Reply #7 on: June 30, 2011, 03:23:02 pm »
Very nice .   ;D
" Society your crazy greed , hope your not lonely without me"

-Eddie Vedder-

Offline MWirwicki

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  • The wood speaks to you; Listen with your eyes. GSD
Re: Native Michigan Bow
« Reply #8 on: July 01, 2011, 12:49:22 am »
Nice looking bow, John.  If you're happy with the 25" draw length that you got out of it, I would call it a bow and forego the tiller tweeking on that upper limb.  We are all still trying to make the perfect bow.  When we finally make the perfect bow, will we lose the passion?  I've decided that I'm not gonna take that chance.
Matt Wirwicki
Owosso, MI

Offline WoodBenderDW

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Re: Native Michigan Bow
« Reply #9 on: July 03, 2011, 10:41:36 pm »
That bow is beautiful. A bow doesn't have to be snakey to have "character". I hope you don't mind if I want to make a similar bow. I was wondering if you could help me out with the width at the handle and mid-limb and the thickness at handle and mid-limb? How big are the nocks? I don't remember if you posted the draw length and draw weight. Do you know if any other wood was used for this style of bow? I have hickory, red oak and white oak boards right now.

Lombard

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Re: Native Michigan Bow
« Reply #10 on: July 03, 2011, 11:08:49 pm »
Looks good from here.

Offline John W. Cooper

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Re: Native Michigan Bow
« Reply #11 on: July 04, 2011, 11:01:57 pm »
That bow is beautiful. A bow doesn't have to be snakey to have "character". I hope you don't mind if I want to make a similar bow. I was wondering if you could help me out with the width at the handle and mid-limb and the thickness at handle and mid-limb? How big are the nocks? I don't remember if you posted the draw length and draw weight. Do you know if any other wood was used for this style of bow? I have hickory, red oak and white oak boards right now.

Thanks for the compliment.  I don't mind at all!  The TBB Vol. 2 has pictures of the bow on pg. 55.  It gives the description of 1 1/4" at the handle and 54" long.  I made the points of the scallops about 1.5" There are 5 scallops per limb and they don't decrease in width very much.  I accidentally made mine 52" long (50"nock-to-nock) and was still able to get 25" of draw from it (45#).  I made mine look like the picture and the nocks were cut in to about 3/4" wide and the diamond shape was about an inch or more.  It really went against my skinny tip mantra as of late. ;) If you want a longer draw, just adjust the length accordingly.  The notes state that it's just a "white wood bow".  I think white oak would work very well.  It's almost impossible to break.  Be careful of grain run-off if you aren't using a stave.  Hickory's good too, but I'm not sure about such a strained short bow with red oak.
It is God who arms me with strength
   and keeps my way secure.
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
   he causes me to stand on the heights.
He trains my hands for battle;
   my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
~Psalm 18:32-34

Offline sadiejane

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Re: Native Michigan Bow
« Reply #12 on: July 05, 2011, 11:43:42 am »


[/quote]Thanks for the compliment.  I don't mind at all!  The TBB Vol. 2 has pictures of the bow on pg. 55.  It gives the description of 1 1/4" at the handle and 54" long.  I made the points of the scallops about 1.5" There are 5 scallops per limb and they don't decrease in width very much.  I accidentally made mine 52" long (50"nock-to-nock) and was still able to get 25" of draw from it (45#).  I made mine look like the picture and the nocks were cut in to about 3/4" wide and the diamond shape was about an inch or more.  It really went against my skinny tip mantra as of late. ;) If you want a longer draw, just adjust the length accordingly.  The notes state that it's just a "white wood bow".  I think white oak would work very well.  It's almost impossible to break.  Be careful of grain run-off if you aren't using a stave.  Hickory's good too, but I'm not sure about such a strained short bow with red oak.
[/quote]

very nice bow. love the look of those scallops. been wanting to do this too. glad to hear ya think hickory would work. have a few hickory staves sitting in the shop drying. havent ever made a bow from hickory.
there's a young gal in our bow making class. she is a card carrying potowattomie and was really excited about these bows when she saw em in  the encylopedia of native american bows arrows and quivers. she is working hard on an osage bow right now. she lost her youngest sister(maybe 20 or younger) to a car accident a few weeks ago, and seems to have lost heart in her pursuits...understandable at present. so i've been thinking i wanted to make her one of these style bows with the hickory. shes a tiny wisp of a woman, can't possibly weigh more than 90# so her draw length and weight would be pretty short/small. was thinking it would also give me the opportunity to successfully(maybe...) make my first hickory bow. wish me luck....(and a prayer for jenna and her family too if you are inclined)

thanks for the pix of this bow-outstanding!
wild women don't get the blues

Offline John W. Cooper

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Re: Native Michigan Bow
« Reply #13 on: July 06, 2011, 09:18:45 am »
I think she would really enjoy the bow.  I'll definitely pray for her.  In Jim Hamm's book, "Bows & Arrows of the Native Americans," there's a picture of a Potowatomi bow on pg. 19.  (http://books.google.com/books?id=RauN4KLB8hcC&lpg=PP1&pg=PA19#v=onepage&q&f=false I hope it's okay to post this, as only 1/4 of the book is open to preview)  It looks a little different than the one ascribed to the Ojibwa tribe in the TBB.  It might be easier to tiller this one since it basically takes away the last scallop and tapers to the tips.  From my experience, the Potowatomi bow will be a lot easier to string and unstring!  Keep the hickory in your hot car to keep it dry until it has the finish on it.  Of course let it cool before stringing, but this will prevent it from acting like a sponge.  Don't get the center bending too early since it's a little bit narrower.  Good luck!

John
It is God who arms me with strength
   and keeps my way secure.
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
   he causes me to stand on the heights.
He trains my hands for battle;
   my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
~Psalm 18:32-34