Author Topic: Finished hop hornbeam bow  (Read 15349 times)

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Offline Badly Bent

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Finished hop hornbeam bow
« on: December 11, 2015, 07:32:53 pm »
Made a couple hhb bows in the past month, here's the second one and I'll post the other soon. Had to take all the pictures of this one inside because my camera went wacko and won't work in natural daylight suddenly.
This one is 59"ntn and 47.5# at my 24" draw. It is 1- 5'16" wide at the widest part of the limbs and came from a tree that was roughly 8" diameter. A few months ago Halfeye sent me the halved log of this tree which held six exceptionally clean and straight staves of bow wood within. Thanks again Rich, this stuff is a pleasure to work with my friend.
On this one I tried to make the finish resemble the wood trim in my 105 year old bungalow home, (I like old stuff).  Maybe its good that I took the photos indoors so you guys can tell me if you think it worked. :D  The handle wrap is cotton sting and my attempt there was to do a pattern that resembled a wool trade blanket. When I finished the bow I brought it home to show the wife and her first remark was that the handle looked like a pendleton blanket, so I guess I got the handle look I was going for, at least in her eyes. ;)
This one shoots pretty smooth and is whisper quiet. Thanks for taking a look.
I ain't broke but I'm badly bent.

Offline Badly Bent

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Re: Finished hop hornbeam bow
« Reply #1 on: December 11, 2015, 07:35:31 pm »
a few more
I ain't broke but I'm badly bent.

Offline RyanR

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Re: Finished hop hornbeam bow
« Reply #2 on: December 11, 2015, 07:50:51 pm »
Sweet looking bow Greg. The fades on the belly side look really nice. What did you color it with?

Offline Drewster

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Re: Finished hop hornbeam bow
« Reply #3 on: December 11, 2015, 07:54:18 pm »
Whoa baby, that is one truly handsome bow.  How did you do those light colored edges?  I really like that look.  Exceptional!
Drew - Boone, NC

Offline steve b.

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Re: Finished hop hornbeam bow
« Reply #4 on: December 11, 2015, 07:54:59 pm »
A great bow.  What am I seeing regarding the dark front and back and the light colored edges?  I like the handle a lot.

Offline half eye

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Re: Finished hop hornbeam bow
« Reply #5 on: December 11, 2015, 08:01:10 pm »
Greg ya outdid your bad self on that bow....That full draw pic is a real thing of beauty sir. I'm thinking I ought to send my bows to you for finish work as well, what ya think? 8)
rich

riverrat

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Re: Finished hop hornbeam bow
« Reply #6 on: December 11, 2015, 08:05:23 pm »
thats a nice bow! Tony

Offline Marc St Louis

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Re: Finished hop hornbeam bow
« Reply #7 on: December 11, 2015, 08:06:54 pm »
Very well done.  I also like the pictures you have on your walls
Home of heat-treating, Corbeil, On.  Canada

Marc@Ironwoodbowyer.com

Offline Thunder

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Re: Finished hop hornbeam bow
« Reply #8 on: December 11, 2015, 08:16:39 pm »
Nice work!
"The two most important days in your life are the day you are born...and the day you find out why."  Mark Twain

Offline JonW

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Re: Finished hop hornbeam bow
« Reply #9 on: December 11, 2015, 08:43:29 pm »
Greg that is exceptional work as always man. Your bows are always cool my friend 8)

Offline Badly Bent

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Re: Finished hop hornbeam bow
« Reply #10 on: December 11, 2015, 09:29:44 pm »
-Ryan- the belly side is just black gel stain, really makes the grain on the belly pop on hhb. It looked more brown on the back side so I ended up going over that area with some burnt sienna and then some black oxide ground earth pigments rubbed into the wood to darken it more.
-Drew & Steve- the light color edges and the circle & dot designs were done by scraping off the finish with a razor blade to expose the wood underneath. I do this before putting the clear finish over everything.
-Thanks Rich but your finish work impresses me more than my own. Got a sister to this stave done covered with the snake skin you sent as well, will try a get pics posted this weekend. Great bow wood you sent me, many thanks.
-Thanks Tony, Marc and Thunder
- Thanks Jon, this is the second bow I've made from hhb, have  been wanting to try it again since the first.
I ain't broke but I'm badly bent.

Offline Weylin

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Re: Finished hop hornbeam bow
« Reply #11 on: December 11, 2015, 09:40:32 pm »
I love everything about this bow! but I especially like the design on the back. Really nice work. I want to try some hophornbeam.

Offline bubby

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Re: Finished hop hornbeam bow
« Reply #12 on: December 11, 2015, 10:46:34 pm »
Great bend , outstanding finish, i think you nailed that craftsman look you were going after Greg, stellar bow and your house rocks too😉
failure is an option, everyone fails, it's how you handle it that matters.
The few the proud the 27🏹

Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: Finished hop hornbeam bow
« Reply #13 on: December 11, 2015, 10:53:27 pm »
Yup, yet another bow from you that I cannot pick a single nit from!  Dang, you build what I like!
Guns have triggers. Bicycles have wheels. Trees and bows have wooden limbs.

Offline Knoll

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Re: Finished hop hornbeam bow
« Reply #14 on: December 12, 2015, 12:11:04 am »
Looks like it absolutely belongs in one of those Chgo bungalows! Finish also appears to match perfectly at least one of the wall hanging frames.  So, when's open house scheduled?
... alone in distant woods or fields, in unpretending sproutlands or pastures tracked by rabbits, even in a bleak and, to most, cheerless day .... .  I suppose that this value, in my case, is equivalent to what others get by churchgoing & prayer.  Hank Thoreau, 1857