After making my first bow recently for my son (
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,33085.msg436735.html#msg436735), I decided to follow Pat B.'s urging's and make one for myself. I absolutely expected it to break the first time I drew it, but thanks to the great advice from lots of excellent bowyers in postings here, I managed to get it to the point where I have put a couple of hundred arrows through it with no problems.
I just loved Dauntless' brilliant yew, sinew and salmon bow (
https://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php?topic=33077.0) and I took some inspiration from it. I will post some pics of the end product below.
Anyway, it is ash backed with rawhide with salmon skin on top (got lucky there in that the local fish processing company produces salmon fillets and were happy to give me some terrific salmon skins that would otherwise have been thrown out). I used dog treats for the rawhide and scraps of bones that our dog had been gnawing on for the nock overlays. The bow came in at 50# @ 28". It has some string follow (possibly because I put too short a string on it initially. It is 74" NTN.
The ash originally had a lot of propellor twist and retained some even after my efforts at toasting the belly and clamping it. Despite that fact it still shoots nicely and I am very happy with it.
I'd love to hear any criticisms that the great bowyers on here might have in the hope that my next effort will be better.
Finally, I should add that I named it "An Bradan Feasa" (Irish for the "Salmon of Knowledge": a mythical Irish fish) because it is backed with salmon skin and I picked up a lot lot of knowledge from you guys while I was making it.
Cheers!
