Del's First Osage

[JW_Halverson]

Looks like you sharpened your claws nicely on that ol' post of George's.  Curiosity could kill you, but the satisfaction you should feel over that bow is more than enough to bring you back.

[Del the cat]

Looks like you sharpened your claws nicely on that ol' post of George's.  Curiosity could kill you, but the satisfaction you should feel over that bow is more than enough to bring you back.

LOL 
Del

[Mark Anderson]

Del great job on this one, It looks like we were working on our first yellow wood at the same time, and even the profiles and nocks are similar. I do love your short grip section. I might want to be trying that on my next one, able to get a little more wood working for you that way. Again sir, very fine specimen from an exceptional bowyer!
Mark

[Del the cat]

Del great job on this one, It looks like we were working on our first yellow wood at the same time, and even the profiles and nocks are similar. I do love your short grip section. I might want to be trying that on my next one, able to get a little more wood working for you that way. Again sir, very fine specimen from an exceptional bowyer!
Mark

Cheers,
The short grip needed a bit of shooting and filing since I took that pic until it felt good, I find it takes a while to feel any high spots and edges which don't sit right, then a few strokes of a big old half round file and try it some more, after a while it just sits in the hand.
You are right about it getting more wood working, it's handy on those staves which you wish were a couple of inches longer.
I was originally expecting to have to build up the back of the bow with leather, but I've got it feeling right now and it shoots about as accurate and consistent as I can expect. I'll post a pic of how it looks now (once it stops raining!)
Del

[gstoneberg]

... I'll post a pic of how it looks now (once it stops raining!)
Del

I'm so envious.  I twisted an ankle last night stepping into a crack in the ground while going out to move a sprinkler in the dark.  I've never seen it this dry anywhere I've ever lived.

Anxious to see more pics Del.

George

[Del the cat]

Bit of a silly shot, I drew round my hand with a pencil so you can see how small the grip is and how it wraps over the fade. I marked the arrow pass with a line.

You can see how the splice started out 4" long and ended up 3" by the time I'd made the darned thing fit .
S'pose I should get a front view shot? and a nockshot?
Sorry about the ankle George, I just took some more pics but it's too dark in the garage and the flash made 'em too shiny.
I'll PM you a bucket of rain water
Del

[gstoneberg]

Del,

I would wrap that handle with thread to strengthen the splice.  It might be overkill, but I've never had a splice fail and I've wrapped them all.   Beautiful glue line on that splice.  Always a shame to cover a gorgeous handle.

I'll take rain any way I can get it.  Twisting an ankle at this age is no big deal.  Not sure why, but they don't swell and hurt like they did when I thought I was an athlete.  I'm glad, used to have terrible ankle problems.

George

[backgardenbowyer]

Del - the tiller and the splice look perfect to me.  Excellent work with beautiful wood.  It's a shame we can't get more osage over here - I've made one osage bow from a stave bought on the internet from Hungary (which you have seen) and I love it despite my shoddy workmanship.  The only problem I have with osage is that you have to buy it and ship it: other than that it is an amazing wood and I think an osage bow is much tougher than a yew one.

I'm still fiddling around with hazel stave you gave me at the camp - it's got a lot of propeller twist and is proving more "interesting" than I expected.

Stan

[Del the cat]

Cheers, yeah Hazel can be a bit deceptive, it's so hard to even see the grain, so it all looks lovely and straight and even until something unexpected happens.
It was a bit narrow too, but hopefully it'll make some sort of bow.
I've gathered a fair bit of Hornbeam recently from the local woods where they've had groups of kids tidying up around the pathways and some of 'em got a bit saw happy .
I'm looking forward to another primitive meet next year, I'll try and get some better staves to trade and barter.
I'll have to try to make one of thos primitive crossbows too.
Del

[Pappy]

Very nice work, tiller looks dead on and I like the short grip,I do most of mine that way.  Splice looks great. Never seen one fail that fits like that.
   Pappy

[ErictheViking]

More than just nice Del, it is sweet. I have never worked osage but it always amazes me how little wood it takes to make a 50# bow. classy job on both firsts.