What not to do, a perfect example

[osage outlaw]

Some of that fiberglass drywall tape should turn that into a fine hunting weapon. 

[WhistlingBadger]

Steam some recurves into it and I'll be impressed.   

[BowEd]

Over the years it's amazing what happens with bow making.Tools and forms used too.
I've got a 45" long/stiff handled 3/4" wide sliver of osage that got my first attempt of sinewing on it from well over a decade ago.Well before making any amount of self bows or learning how to tiller correctly just using a tillering stick.
I thought it quite the accomplishment to get those slight bends on those tips.
Gave it a nice rawhide covering too.
I remember it drew 50#'s at 20" draw.I figured this is it.I'll be ready to kill deer.
I think I made a string for it from artificial sinew.
Did'nt wait but about 2 weeks for the sinew to cure.First draw after sinewing scared the bejesus out of me from all of the cracking going on from the hide glue.
I filled the voids in the sinew job with hide glue.



It's been a long road but lessons learned.

[Pappy]

You have come a long way Chris, looks a lot like my first and the description of the build sounds a lot like me also, cut a hickory, shaped it to look like a bow,put a string on and took wood off till I could pull it, it didn't break and I was so proud. Ugly as sin but did shoot, the next several didn't fair as well.
 Pappy

[bentstick54]

When you’re lucky, you’re lucky. This is a perfect example of experienced bowyers passing information on to help the inexperienced learn. We learn from what “ Not to do “ as much as the “ What to do “. Thanks Pearl Drums.

[George Tsoukalas]

Thanks, PD. LOL.  95% of my on line bow related interactions are to keep others from making the same mistakes I did... many mistakes.

Jawge

[Stixnstones]

Certainly is a peach there buddy. Its cool ya held on to it for all these years. Definetly better than my first few attempts

[bassman211]

My first 4 hickory bows all broke. I had no help, and did no reading on bow building. I was using the belly wood for the back, and the back wood for the belly. After I figured that out I was making them to wet with 2 to 4 inches of set. That was the good old days. I still have ,and shoot some of those bows for fun, and memories. Pearly my dad would have called yours a beauty honey.

[Selfbowman]

My second bow man it’s ugly., But it had a shelf.🤠🤠I know that’s why it was so ugly. 🤠🤠Gave it to the guy that provided my first Osage log. He finally broke it stringing it over his knee.

[bassman211]

You went from that to building world class bows eh Arvin. It has been one hell of a ride .

[Selfbowman]

Yes Brad it has and in 16 years I have met a passel of great people