What Did You Do Today?

[bjrogg]

Deerhunter21. Yes I'm telling you that you need to go because it's amazing. It is. My wife and I totally enjoy and look forward to going and seeing everyone. I'm just me. There's a great bunch of guys and gals that will be there if I'm not. I'm still going to try as hard as possible to make it, but you know the old saying " you gotta make hay while the sun is shining ".  It's not been shining much here yet this season and I'm going to have to get my work done when it is. I'll probably do a lot while the moon is shining to if you know what I mean. I promise you won't be disappointed. It's a fantastic family. It is a must attend for my wife and I. My occupation doesn't much care about my personal schedule though. Mother Nature has her own plans and I have to deal with them the best I can.
Bjrogg
PS sure hope to see you there. Sure hope to see all my people there.

[burchett.donald]

Hey don. I fried some t'maters up and there great!

   Deerhunter, Hope you didn't hurt yourself like I did...Their on my list again soon!

    Bj, hope you have fair weather soon...

[YosemiteBen]

Working today. Heading for my dads house tomorrow for a coupla days. Then Primitive Skills Camp. Google Buckeye Gathering if you want to take a look at it. This year is a Phoenix year for camp. This is its 10th year, and recovering after the Camp Fire of last year. Lots of clean up and site assessments. Much smaller gathering than previous years due to the sensitivity of the land and the damage to the infrastructure of the site. Will still be a lots of fun. Y'all have a gooder!

[bjrogg]

Sounds like fun Ben.

Me to Don. Yesterday was beautiful. Took advantage of it. Fields are still wet but got grandpa's toy out and shot with the grandkids. Even had my wife's bow out and my youngest daughter and wife shot to. Their all still learning. They could probably use a better instructor. Everyone had fun. Especially the instructor.
Bjrogg

[Pat B]

    Kids always have great form.

[Eric Krewson]

I started making gizmos, lots of gizmos. I put out a request for figured scrap wood to make some special gizmos for the TG St Jude Auction. The more figured wood brings more money for the kids. Boy, did I get the wood, some from a bow site and some from a flintlock building site, spectacular stuff, one guy sent me 22# of highly figured gun stock cut offs.

I got a lot of curly maple, walnut, mulberry and spalted wood. The first gizmo I made was a thank-you gizmo for Roy in Pa for his more than generous wood donation.

I think this is curley mulberry, I stained the wood with iron nitrate stain to make the curl pop, blushed the stain with a heat gun and rubbed it back to highlight the color.


 

[Eric Krewson]

A lifetime supply of fancy wood, all destined to charity auction gizmos.

[bjrogg]

Very nice Eric. I'm thinking everyone wins in that one. Guys got rid of some scrap they didn't have the heart to throw away. You got a lifetime supply of just what you needed. And best of all some very worthy charities will receive some beautiful donations.
Bjrogg
PS last but not least. The new owners will probably become better bowyers.

[Eric Krewson]

Check this one out, figured walnut, another thank you gizmo for one of the donators, his wood.

 

[JW_Halverson]

If that ain't somethin', then nothing is! Nice work, Eric. And for a great cause.

[chamookman]

Very nice Eric  ! Bob

[bjrogg]

Yesterday my cousin called me. He's got a nice collection of artifacts he's found and is a big part of my addiction to my primitive endeavor.
He was asked to do a presentation to a group from the Huron County Nature Center. He had asked me months earlier if I'd bring a few things and show some modern primitive technology. I told him I would if farming allowed. The Nature Center advertised that both my cousin and I would be there. It's still to wet to do much farming and I appreciated the distraction.
My cousin has done presentations for the Nature Center before. They had a area outside that had benches for the people to sit and watch. There was a small building that was setup like a stage. We displayed or stuff on the stage and stood in front of the people sitting in the benches. My cousin did his presentation and introduced me. It wasn't a huge crowd, but it was a very interested crowd. Everyone was on the edge of their benches and asked lots of questions. I brought my target and they asked if I could shoot one of my bows. I picked up my "No Kidding" bow. It's a 48" Osage bendy with static recurves. I explained how it's a bend through the handle bow and I can make them shorter. How it fit me nicely because of my short draw and it's early string tension. I explained how we build a bow to fit a persons draw length by the length of working limbs. How we fit a bow to a persons draw weight by removing wood strategically from the belly to achieve the draw weight we want and a bend that spreads the stresses out evenly. I passed it around asking them to feel how heavy this bows physical weight was.lol it weighs 9.4 oz. I showed them the name and told them how it came to me when I hung it up next to my other bows. I explained that it wasn't a kids bow. It had a draw weight of 52 lbs at a 24" draw. I braced my bow and picked up one of my rivercane arrows. I explained how we bareshaft arrows to get good arrow flight. Why I want a arrow to straighten out very quickly because I hunt very close and want good penetration. I got everyone behind me and let my rivercane arrow loose. It's a pretty quick bow and I could hear the crowds surprise.
     I had a great time and I think everyone else did to. After the presentation everyone was invited to come up and look, touch and hold everything. Lots more great questions.

     I really enjoy doing stuff like this. I always say I'll talk to anyone who doesn't run away to fast. One lady came up to me and gave me a big hug. She said "I never met a bow nerd before" I got a good chuckle out of that one. I told her it was bowyer, but perhaps bow nerd was more appropriate.

If anyone has a opportunity to do something like this I highly recommend it. You don't have to be a expert. Some people are going to be amazed and some could care less. This particular crowd was amazed.

Pass it on and have fun doing it
Bjrogg

[chamookman]

One Bow Nerd to another, Good Job  ! Bob

[bjrogg]

One Bow Nerd to another, Good Job  ! Bob

Ha ha thanks Bob. Still get a chuckle out of that.

Sorry I didn't get any pictures
Bjrogg

[BrianS]

Glad to hear it went good for you. Very rewarding when you do something like this. You are correct in encouraging others if they have the chance to do something similar.