Osage Flatbow for Squizzy - "Wedgie"

[kbear]

Made this one for a good friend. He is fairly new to archery, and is ambidextrous but prefers to shoot off a shelf. I think he is scared of splinters!

66" ntn, from W jointed billets
42# at 28" on the "short nock"
1 3/4" out of the fades, pretty much a pyramid profile
Buffalo horn overlays with "long" and "short" nocks
Kudu horn tip rests and strikers
Gloss Tru-Oil finish
Kangaroo leather grip
14 strand Dacron double loop Flemish Twist string


The top limb has a natural deflex about 10" from the end which in hindsight I should have removed before finishing. I imagine Tru-Oil wouldn't take the heat very well, so it's going to stay....... ho humm.......

That's an Australian Wedge Tailed Eagle burned into the top fade........ They have been know to attack sheep, goats, kangaroos, dogs, hang-gliders, drones and people!


2019-09-07_03-06-58 by korey Aitkenhead, on Flickr

2019-09-07_03-07-26 by korey Aitkenhead, on Flickr

2019-09-07_03-07-19 by korey Aitkenhead, on Flickr

2019-09-07_03-07-05 by korey Aitkenhead, on Flickr

2019-09-07_03-07-12 by korey Aitkenhead, on Flickr

2019-09-07_03-07-35 by korey Aitkenhead, on Flickr

2019-09-07_03-07-41 by korey Aitkenhead, on Flickr

2019-09-07_03-07-48 by korey Aitkenhead, on Flickr

Disclaimer: This bow is not intended to be used for the purposes of harming sheep, goats, kangaroos, dogs, hang-gliders, drones or people!

Okay....... Maybe drones. I don't like drones.

[burchett.donald]

   Really nice work Korey...Nice bend, balance and the unstrung profile speaks for it' self...
                                                                                                                                    Don

[Santanasaur]

What a nice bend and the woodburning looks great too. Sweet bow

[Marc St Louis]

Nicely done

[Josh B]

Nicely done sir!

[PaSteve]

I like the dual shelf. Nice bow. I'm sure your buddy will like it. Good job.

[Hamish]

Nice work Korey.

Were the billets Aussie grown, or from the USA?

[kbear]

Nice work Korey.

Were the billets Aussie grown, or from the USA?

Thanks Hamish! From the US. Not cheap at all once postage is considered. I bought six sets of billets back in 2017. Came to US$552.30 including shipping. They are about ready. Got some more just recently as well, including some Elm, Hackberry, and Hickory. The Hickory unfortunately had dry rot and my first hickory bow exploded in spectacular fashion. I am not going to waste my time with the second Hickory stave. It has the same look and feel to the first. The Sapwood has like a greyish tinge, and it feels a little "chalkey".

I do know where there is some Osage not too far from here, but it is a heritage listed site.........

[bjrogg]

Nice bow Korey. To bad about the hickory.
Bjrogg

[SLIMBOB]

Nicely done!

[ohma2]

  like that one for sure.

[Hamish]

There is  quite a bit of osage around in Australia if you keep your eyes and ears peeled. A lot of it is on heritage listed properties because the settlers liked, it for hedgerows and fencing. I know where there are some seriously big trees, some dead standing. They are too big and potentially dangerous for me to tackle, without a tractor and some winches.

I fear a lot of this good wood, will get bulldozed, due to the growth in housing. If you know the development is going on you can usually get in before the bulldozers come. I have picked up some good wood that way.

[Sagebrush]

Very nice work.  Tiller looks great.

[Parnell]

Don't see many bows like that, very interesting.  Also very interesting to see it on a Kangaroo hide, I'm figuring?  Too bad about the Hickory. 

Haven't really thought about it much before but is there much "invasive" tree growth in the different regions of Australia?  What are they?
Do you all have to contend with American trees growing over there and are they removed through management?

I live in South Florida so we have melaleuca and casuarina trees that are considered highly invasive.

Anyhow, nice bow and an interesting post.

[Hamish]

 Invasive trees in Australia. Some places consider osage invasive, I haven't seen an area where they are a problem, I wish they were more invasive. A friend of a fiend works in land conservation, says they sometimes spread on river banks due to the fruit floating down river.

I have seen black locust spread, due to suckering, but I don't think its declared as a weed. Its used quite a bit for shade on farmland for sheep and cattle.

There is some talk about Mesquite being a problem in Queensland. I think it was introduced for stock to graze on. Another pretty timber that can be put to good use as craft wood.

Willow is considered a weed by many. Not so much that it is invasive, but that it is non native and certain people think this is terrible, and that they must be removed and replaced with natives. Willow looks beautiful in the landscape, and does a good job of protecting riverbanks from erosion.

Chinese elm is considered a pest tree in some areas too.