Gift bow for my son’s friend (recurve/straightbow)

[aznboi3644]

My son is 7 years old and his best friends birthday party is this Saturday.  He’s a kid that loves the outdoors and lives out in the sticks so I figured a stick bow would make his day.

I whipped this up quickly a couple days ago.  Gave it a quick heat treat over the coals.  It’s got some character.  It made it from a 3/4” diameter viburnum branch I cut last fall.  While heat treating ther must have been some moisture in the center near the handle area and a really fine longitudinal crack appeared.  I filled it with CA and wrapped it in sinew dipped in hide glue.  Then coated the sinew with waterproof wood glue.  It will get a simple pine pitch/grease finish heated in today and a paracord handle wrap.

The bow is 56” OAL AND draws around 20lbs @ 24” and has taken 1/2” set after unbracing.   I’m making a set of 3 arrows today to go with it. Simple target arrows with fire hardened points and goose feather fletching.

This boy has three older brothers that are gonna be super jealous lol

[Deerhunter21]

great bend in the lower limb upper limb im too inexperianced to say but it looks great too!!

great job!!

[TimBo]

So the top limb is to the left in the photos, correct?  That threw me off for a minute!  Nice job on a cool stick bow.

[aznboi3644]

Correct Timbo.  The top limb is the recurved limb on the left side of the unbraced and braced photos.  It looks stiff at full draw but it is just the recurve opening up. 

[Hawkdancer]

Real nice!  That boy is going to have to keep his brothers away from it!  Just remind them the max draw length is 24"(or less)!
Hawkdancer

[aznboi3644]

Yes of course I will tell him about the max draw of 24”.  I am also marking the arrows at 24” with a sinew wrap bump. 

The infamous floppy rest and paper/ca glue nocking point.

[Deerhunter21]

I put that type of rest on my first bow!!! i think it fell off though...

[aznboi3644]

This rest shouldn’t fall off.  It’s trapped under the paracord handle wrap.  This boy couldn’t wait to get home and shoot this thing.  Actually that’s the first thing he did when he got home.   I have no idea
Why the picture is sideways.  It’s oriented correctly on my phone.  Weird.  Now on to make my son a new set of arrows.

[TimBo]

Yep...I would say he likes it!

[rps3]

Two different bows in one makes tillering a challenge. Looks good.