elderberry bows part 1/3, 52/28 (No. 22)

[missilemaster]

A very primitive looking bow, I love the coloration.  Is that handle at all uncomfortable?

[mwosborn]

I really like that one - nice work.  How do you go about drying out the elderberry staves?  Remove the bark and seal?  Leave bark on and seal the ends?  The smaller staves I have tried usually split, twist, and check quite badly.

Thanks!

[Zion]

That is an awesome bow! Top limb bends a bit more than i usually make em but if it shoots well why not lol. That handle looks really cool. These series you've been doing have been nice, keep making them!

[nathan elliot]

Another great bow from mein beliebter deutschland! Wieder hervorragende!

[Prignitzer bowman]

Simson you do great work, and this is wonderful. I made an elder bow which unfortunately chrysaled, but that was my mistake not the bows. I too would like your opinions on how to dry the staves. I de-barked and sealed mine but found that they are very prone to checking and even splitting on the sides. I think I even have a piece in my barn that I left the bark on? If not I am going to go out today and cut some in my back garden. Here in Germany we don't have this beetle, I think? Sinew backing a piece sounds like a great idea. In another thread I posted a link to a youtube video that someone had made of a cable backed elder bow, it looked pretty good.
Sehr schön Simson, Prignitzer

[simson]

Bubby: too bad the hole does fit only in diameter, so you can store only a very short arrow

Del: I always think about how to use this hole - perhaps to tie on a bow quiver  ....

Danny: I have never found a "premium" stave of elder, all is more or less twisted, also on this one (luckily not too much)
I have ignored that

Chris: I have several finishes mixed by myself ingredients are beeswax, carnauba, true terpentine, and others I don't know the English words for, but I will do some search if you are interested. These  finishes dries out to a hard and not sticky surface.

Mike: On this one is no heat treating, only slight corrections. I'm with you, this wood is good for heat treatment for sure. I believe it is also good for sinew, because this wood is very elastic - I haven't tried it till now, but think it's worthy to do

Tim: sorry no idea about the florida stuff

Bubby: what the hell is a elderberry beetle - kinda insect ??

Ryoon + misslemaster: handle is narrow and deep (to come over the hole) is is a bit rounded under the leather - so it looks sharper than it is. No problem in shooting this bow.

Mitch: drying elder is a challenge. I cut mine in spring, seal the ends, split the thicker staves, bring it down to nearly estimated dimensions with your bandsaw, coat the stave with paraffin oil, clamp it in a simmple jig to get a bit of reflex where you want it, leave it in not windy, dark corner to dry out. this wood dries extraordinary fast, I have used staves in the past after only three weeks drying.

Zion: yeah, you right and you are wrong. The two limbs comes not in the handle in a true line, this effects a different look. See the fd pic, arrow points a bit downwards, but you can see the tips bending the same amount ( compare with the lines from the boards in the background

Nathan: you are too kind

Prignitzer: Danke, Trocknen: siehe oben

[okie64]

That is a very nice looking bow simson. I love the aged look that the finish gives it.

[Pappy]

Very cool bow,you done a nice job with that one.
   Pappy

[bubby]

yeah it's a bug,

[bow101]

 The color & bark backing make it a Very primitive bow. Good stuff....

[Carson (CMB)]

You are a master Simon.  Always enjoy looking at your work.  The wide limbs flowing into that deep handle looks very nice. 

[Zion]

Aha i see now. I was wondering about that since when i saw it i saw that the tips lined up but the bend was different. Is it reflexed right of the handle a bit?

[Badly Bent]

Another great one Simon, very nice, I like the rustic dye job, your very talented at making a new creation look like an heirloom.
That hollowed pith handle is unique and the whole design of the bow looks just right for that wood. Can't wait to see the next
three.
Greg

[Bowman]

Very cool bow. I like that "old feeling look." :-)

[Buffalogobbler]

Wow, that is a really neat bow the hole is cool and I like the cherry bark backing.

Kevin