First try at Osage

[Muskyman]

As some of you know I been fooling around with a piece of Osage that I grabbed from my scrap pile. With the tiny growth rings. Well I finally decided enough is enough and started making it into a bow.
I’m probably going to back it with rawhide but, here’s a few pictures of where I’m at. I did glue a piece on the riser for my handle and fades with Titebond 3. Not the worst fit for a file job, for me anyway.

[Muskyman]

Couple more pictures

[Muskyman]

Last one

[Muskyman]

Better picture of riser

[organic_archer]

Nice! Make sure the fades dib after the riser so you don’t risk popping off the handle! Thin ringed osage still makes a fine bow. I back them with rawhide, not because they “need” it, but because it protects those thin rings against the inevitable dings/scratches.

[Muskyman]

Not sure what you mean by (dib) ….And I’m planning on rawhide for the back. If you have checked out my post on chasing a ring it will be obvious to you as to why I’m putting a backing on it.

[superdav95]

Looks good mike.  Keep us posted on your progress.  Rawhide is the way to go.  It’s fairly cheep and easy enough to do to provide protection.  I’d use tp3 if you’ve got it.  Just get the rawhide good and soft and wet.  Towel dry then coat it and the back of the bow with tb3 and apply the rawhide.  I do half at a time like many others here do.  Lay the hide down on your bow back as you would glue it.  Size it up for length you want and trim it.  Apply glue to one half of hide and one side of your bow lay it down.   Then fold the unglued half over on to the half you just glued down and repeat with glue applied to both limb and hide.  Pretty easy.  You can prestretch it even if you want to and wrap it with some strips of old t shirt material or something that breathe but still hold it down.  Some guys back string the bow then apply them.  While the wraps are on I use my thumbs to smooth out any areas of excess glue or spots were it bubbles and work them out to the sides.  I do this entire length of bow to get it all down good.    I take my wraps off after about an hour or so to inspect it.  You can leave them on too bunt any pattern left from the wraps become more permanent the longer you leave the wraps on and the glue fully dries.  Taking them off before fully dry gives you an opportunity to smooth out some of those patterns or line in the hide surface.  Best of luck with it. 

[bradsmith2010]

like the rawhide too

[Muskyman]

Going to try and order some rawhide after work and voting tonight. I’m assuming I should put it on before I tiller? Looking forward to getting it together and seeing how it turns out.

[superdav95]

I’m sure you can do it after too but I tiller mine then back.  Any fine tuning after is usually slight. 

[Muskyman]

Thanks Dave. I’ve watched several videos of people putting it on a bow and I don’t think anyone ever said when they put it on.. Makes since now that I think about it. Hoping to get back to work on it soon.

[Muskyman]

Did a little more work on my stave today. Took the limbs down to about 65 thousandths. It’s got some bend in the limbs but there was some places that had some reflex so I got the heat gun out and heated and clamped it down. I’m not sure if I got it straight or not yet. I left it clamped down to my bench. Wasn’t sure about how much heat to put on it so I figured I’d go slow and if it needs more I’ll try again..

[Muskyman]

Seems to have straightened out pretty good. Going to try and work on getting it to where I can get a string on it this week. Then work on trying to tiller it.. I have some rawhide coming in the next day or two. After I get the backing on it, and if it doesn’t break then or before I’m planning on painting the back. And I have some elk leather I’ll probably make a handle with.

[superdav95]

Good stuff. Keep us posted on your progress. 

[Muskyman]

Got a little more work done on my bow today. Floor tillered it and cut in nocks and  got it on a long string. Did some scraping and quit before I got to carried away and did something stupid. Gonna try and work more on it this week.