Well, I found a dead hickory tree on an outing to make a stone age bow, but it was already sasoned and proved too hard for the soft obsidian. So, in an effort to keep it simple, I made a hatchet bow out of it. Sanded it with sandstone and applied a coat of candle wax and a covering of pine pitch (rubbed some ashes on top of this to taake some of the tack off). The back was heavily violated with holes from bugs, but I took it slow and she held. Burnished the back with an antler and toasted the belly over a fire/coals started with the hand drill (which I'll do from now on, alot faster than a heat gun, and less scorching).
Final specs are: 67 1/2" long, 1 1/2" wide tapering to about 5/8". Draws about 60# at 26". I don't know whether it was the burnishing or the fire hardening of the belly, but this bow is a SHOOTER. A good longbow for deer and small game. Shoots right where I look. It's a bit of an ugly thing, but it seems quite at home in hand while stalking or waiting for deer
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