Osage ELB attempt, am I on the right track? Finished bow"Lox" 95llbs@30"

[Ruddy Darter]

Hi Pat B, I'm going to be a while doing the finishing details so I did a quick vid now, sorry about the light, and I'm not checking if any lunch is in my beard, i couldnt see my positioning with sun glare on the screen  , "Lox" feels very smooth and springy to draw, and looking forward to loosing some arrows, I've got some that should work well.
https://youtu.be/ZZsG9LXc4wE?si=BvPOFnoai8KU5JO5
 R.D.

[superdav95]

Looks really good!  It looks stout for a bare finger draw!  wow. the bend looks very good and not much set if any it appears.  wekk done

[ajooter]

Very impressive all around!!  Can't wait to see the finished product.   Where do you get your horn for the nocks if you don't mind me asking?

[Ruddy Darter]

Thanks superdav95, I'll have to own up to wearing a leather finger tab  ,
Thank you ajooter, I did get my horn tips from Scotland, Highland Horn was the name but I believe he retired some time ago. I did buy a big bag off him at a very cheap price. Shire Archery supply the two tone ox horn, and Richard Head longbows also sell cowhorn tips, but there not cheap like they used to be able to get.
I just finished final shaping the horn nocks and sanding to 320grit, I'll finish with wire wool once I've done sanded/wire wooled the bow.
 R.D.

[Ruddy Darter]

Here's the finished bow "Lox" 95lbs@30". I just finished the third coat of danish oil, I sanded the shellac coating on the back with 320grit/fine wire wool to get a good key for the oil.
I layed in a horn arrow pass with a flat disc of amethyst within it, with gold leaf on the back of the amethyst for added lustre, it didn't quite come out as nice as I had envisioned.
Gold leaf "Lox", and the comic book nerd got the better of me and I put on some gold leaf Wolverine claw marks X (I like to have a mark there for drawing reference to help me keep my shoulders down when starting a full draw).
I wanted to let the oil cure for a few days before I braced/draw the bow, I hope to add a vid of a couple of test arrows some time over the weekend.
It's been a long haul with this bow, from importing the "green" stave back in September 2021 and seasoning it with copious amounts of superglue in the splits/checks, I am obviously well pleased I got a bow in the end. I couldn't of done it without the helpful advice throughout "Lox's" journey, so many thanks, I'm very grateful.
 All the best,
 R.D.

[superdav95]

Wow what a bow!   Just gorgeous.  Well done ruddy.  I love all the little touches.  Can’t wait for the vid. 

[Muskyman]

Nice bow RD I like it. Lots of nice character. I couldn’t draw it though. Maybe I could shoot it with my feet, maybe.  Interested in seeing the video as well.

[Hamish]

Turned out, really beautifully.  Some nice character too. A bow to be proud of.

[Ruddy Darter]

supadav95, Hamish, Muskyman, thank you very much.
Here's the video I said I would post, and of the very first arrows, (if anything went wrong then I'd of recorded it for prosperity ,  ).
They are only short draws, shooting at a 30 metre distance target 🎯.
I was nervous taking the draw any further in the vid and holding it on draw for long to start out with, so apologies for any poor form, and the danish oil still feels a bit toffee like.
The arrows are 31" length, 3/8" diameter, weight 53g spined at 85lbs'ish save the last arrow 59g, 12mm and spined at 110lbs'ish.
 The bow is very punchy and I shot a few more arrows on a fuller draw, the heavier arrow worked very well on a fuller draw.
Overall I'm pretty happy 
 R.D.
https://youtu.be/DhO_ws-UUgE?si=il4x4F4aogQxeUwV

[superdav95]

Awesome!  Love the hat too.  Completes the look!  Looks like a great shooting bow.  Well done.   

[bjrogg]

Nice bow Ruddy. I like it. Sweet bend.

Bjrogg

[Pat B]

You done good, RD. She's a real beauty.   

[Ruddy Darter]

Thank you very much everyone,
This has been a great educational project for me, and has given me a nice jolt of confidence for future bow making. I think Osage is my favourite bow wood, I would mostly use it if it were readily available over here ( I hope yew doesn't start giving me a harder time now I wrote that  , I love yew too!).
I got one more stave of this, 68" and stouter with thick rings and seems a fair bit cleaner. I will look forward to a spring project with this one. Thanks again,
 R.D.

[GlisGlis]

impressive bow!  very well done
your hat need a feather in my opinion tough 

[Ruddy Darter]

Thank you GlisGlis, and advice taken 
 R.D.
...had a few more arrows with a fuller draw at 50yards with the new ash arrows I made and they work well together...