Fence Post bow project...Resurrected!!

[k-hat]

I posted about this fence post i found about a year ago i was gonna use for firewood (even tried to cut a slice off with my hand saw . . . see below), and a couple months ago i decided to take a closer look, and yup it was osage.





So i began the process of cutting away all the rotten stuff and found this underneath:




She's about 2-1/4" wide down to about 1-1/2" at the end, 30" long.  Do you see a bow in there?!?! She's screaming for it

I considered finding another billet, but i really wondered if i could rip down center and splice for a symmetrical character bow.  Now, how do you mark a clear line on something as wavy and dark as this?  My solution was i put my pencil on a roll of masking tape at the center, then spun the tape to make a center line all around, pulled the tape off, and repeated till i had about 30+ inches of centermarked tape.  Then i applied the tape down the center, being careful to follow the natural grain of the wood, Presto!


Now to the bandsaw!


This is what i envisioned when i first saw her raw beauty . . .



Now there are some problem areas, a borer at the handle section:


Solution?  I conveniently laid out my splice so it came off



Did I mention this is my first splice?  Well, this is my first splice.  You more experienced folks will probly say it needs some work, but I'm ok with it


** You can see at the bottom of the above pic, and the right of the below pic where my saw reached down when i thought she was firewood.  This is gonna work into the fades and may be completely gone, or left as a beauty mark and reminder of where she came from (as if she needs any more of that)





Here is how the splice looks after working down some of the wood on the belly and the last ring on the back . . .




I went with a W splice for maximum gluing surface, even though it's more difficult.

There's a little of the old ring left on parts of the W, but it's gonna be a stiff handle so no biggie.

Here's where she stands now, you can see i induced a touch of backset in the handle with the splice, the rest of the curves are au naturale!!!





What i'm shooting for is a D cross-section bow (somewhat anyway), she's gonna be about 1-1/16" for most of the width in the limbs. 
Well, that's all for now.  I'll post more as she progresses.

[k-hat]

Forgot to mention i'm gonna fill in those gaps at the V's in the splice with some tiny wedges and glue to hopefully compensate for any weakness there. 

[lesken2011]

Thanks for all the details and pics, K-hat. It's lookin great, so far. Keep us posted as you proceed. It looks like a success story in the making...

[Sparrow]

Thats looking to be a bow,keep the postings going and good luck.  '  Frank

[crooketarrow]

 I made bow from 100 year old posts never spliced though. Looks SWEET so far. I'd just fill the handle gaps with saw dust and supper glue. I know you don't have to but a couple times when I built billet bows after glue up I drilled 2 ,1/8 inch holes in my joint and supper glued dowl pin in it.

[blackhawk]

thats lookin sweet so far

[JW_Halverson]

Talk about 'going to the mat" on a project.  You are gonna wrestle a bow outa that post come what may!

Heck, I am starting to think you might just save the sawdust and find a way to tiller that into a bow, too!  Oh yeah, you get my vote of "Scrounger of the Year".  Could someone send this guy a nice stave?

Keep posting progress!

[Will H]

Looks real good man! I've done the same thing before, even took BOM last June with the bow. Yours looks alot like mine just not quite as dark. Ill bet you get a SWEET shooter from her Good luck

[seabass]

looking good bro.keep up the good work.

[Bryce]

this is the best thread ive seen in a few weeks (sorry guys).
ive seen bows made from old doors, beams from old warehouses, flag poles, and ship keelsons. but not from an old rotten pole

kudos hope it turns out to be one of those, "holy crap" bows

[k-hat]

thank guys, really appreciate all the comments and encouragement, I'll look back on it when i start doubting myself!

JW, you are crackin me up!     FYI i did harvest some nice straight elm recently that i split on thursday, got 16 nice straight staves all nicely (and naturally) reflexing as we speak.  come summer it's gonna be on like donkey kong!!

I really do hope this turns out.  I've been sitting on the fence as to which of my current projects will be my TG trade bow, so i decided that the one i wanted to keep the most would be the one.  Well, that's this one, provided it makes the draw length and weight of the recipient

Will, I do believe you are the one that inspired this one!  I saw that last year and was blown away, and decided that when my skills were up to snuff I'd find one and get after it.  Well, i found one anyway   (actually have another that's about 80" long and bent sideways with a huge knot and gnarly, can't wait!! )

Crooketarrow:  This one's gotta be about that old.  I live in a subdivision that was once pasture, i found this on the edge where they left a grove of trees.  The fence was nowhere to be found.  I LOVE the history that's bound up in these things.  The other one i have has been through flood and fire, and who knows what else. 

Alrighty, I'll post when i've got some more done on her.  Thanks for viewing!

[JW_Halverson]

Makes you wonder how long that old post was sitting there patiently waiting for you?  Might be a good ame for the bow...."Patience".

find another post from that line and you ccould call her "Persistence".  Be a nice pair to draw to!

[Gus]

Dang It!

A Cliff Hanger!!! 

Looking forward to your Progress k-hat!

-gus

[k-hat]

Good suggestions JW, i'll definitely keep those in mind, though i have lookd for more in the same area with no luck

Thanks Gus, hopefully won't leave you hanging too long.  Hope to have'r on the tree in the next couple of days

[beetlebailey1977]

Man that is looking real good........you give me inspiration from this future bow.  I hope it turns out awesome.