Lilac sliver and first ever arrow

[upstatenybowyer]

Howdy gang,

Thought you might like to see this lilac bow, as it's wicked narrow but still packs a wallop; a testament to the quality of lilac as a bow wood. I've shot it at least 100 times and it's smooth and fast.  It's made from a 1" diameter shoot that was growing in the middle of a large bush.

As for the arrow, it works great but isn't much to look at. I made the shaft from a Doug Fir board using a homemade jig on my bandsaw. Got the feathers from the craft store and they're fletched with sinew. The point is a masonry nail held on with pex pipe (not very primitive I know).  It's a start though!

Bow...

64" ttt
60# at 27" (Didn't expect to get that much weight from the shoot at all)
purple heart overlays

[upstatenybowyer]

4 more...

[selfbow joe]

Nice looking BOW!

[DC]

Nice bend, I like that one.

[Limbit]

Nail arrowheads are how the aboriginals here in Taiwan do their arrows...at least for the last 80 years or so. Sort of funny to see considering how primitive their bows are, but it sort of makes sense to use and fits well with the bamboo shafting they are using.

[ksnow]

Very cool. Nice bend on that piece. I am going to have to keep an eye out for a suitable piece of lilac. Every old farmhouse around here has a row of lilac bushes in the yard.  Nice job on the arrow, not "ancient" primitive, but modern "abo".

Kyle

[---GUTSHOT--->]

Pretty cool lilac bow and nice bend

[upstatenybowyer]

Thanks for looking guys. Limbit, that's interesting about the nails. I'm going to look around for a more primitive way to fasten them on.

[Hawkdancer]

Nice looking bow!  I can see the headlines now "Middle shoots missing from Lilian bushes all over town, no suspects, but many smiling bowyers noticed"!   Might try a pine tar/pitch glue with a sinew wrap for the point.
Hawkdancer

[upstatenybowyer]

Nice looking bow!  I can see the headlines now "Middle shoots missing from Lilian bushes all over town, no suspects, but many smiling bowyers noticed"!   Might try a pine tar/pitch glue with a sinew wrap for the point.
Hawkdancer

lol. thanks for the point idea!

[leonwood]

Nice bow! And good drawweight for such a small stick!

[BowEd]

Very nice lilac bow and the poundage from it too.Drying it as touchy as plum wood?You've done quite a few different type woods by now.

[Pat B]

Cool little lilac bow and great weight for such a small stave.

[Hans H]

cool and nice bow, many pounds for that little stick, like it
Hans

[upstatenybowyer]

Gotta give it to lilac. Don't think I could have gotten the 60# from such a sliver with many other types of wood.

Ed, lilac is indeed touchy. I pulled the bark off the shoot, roughed it out, slathered some school glue on the back and ends and clamped her down. No checks!