Meare Heath bow

[bassman211]

Ya Dave looking forward to shooting the bow that you made that  Will B has.  He is quite the hunter, so it will be later on. Yesterday I cut a handle to deep trying to get the limbs lined, and it broke in two, so this morning I made a metal handle for it , and have one limb fit. In about 10 minutes I will be in the basement fitting the other limb, and keeping my fingers crossed that the limbs line up the way they should.

[superdav95]

Ya Dave looking forward to shooting the bow that you made that  Will B has.  He is quite the hunter, so it will be later on. Yesterday I cut a handle to deep trying to get the limbs lined, and it broke in two, so this morning I made a metal handle for it , and have one limb fit. In about 10 minutes I will be in the basement fitting the other limb, and keeping my fingers crossed that the limbs line up the way they should.

I’ve heard that he’s a good hunter.  I did ok this year but didn’t get the one I was after this year.  Too many clutter and little twigs between me the deer of choice.  Almost like he knew where to be.   lol.  He mentioned he enjoyed shooting it.  Good luck on your build!   

[Will B]

Glad you are staying busy Bassman. I will try to come by and take some photos and post them for you.

[bassman211]

You are the best Bill.

[bassman211]

Pictures:

[bassman211]

Pictures

[bassman211]

Pictures

[bassman211]

My daughter came by this after noon, and posted the above pics for me. Bill do your hunting, and later on this winter we will build a couple bows together. Thanks for your kindness. Hope the pics show how massive this bow really is.

[superdav95]

Very nice indeed.  It’s long!   Well done

[bassman211]

Thanks Dave. It was a fun build.

[medicinewheel]

Nicely made!
Thanks for the pictures!

[Will B]

Very nice Bob! 

[Hawkdancer]

Dang!  Now I got to get off my duff and start on my yew stave!  The British report I read about the MH said that it was fairly fast and quiet, with little hand shock ar 43# and 28", right around my preferred weight, although I have a 26" draw!  Nice job!
Hawkdancer

[Del the cat]

Well I felt a need to build, and experience shooting one, and  if I were to build another one it would be from birch which is a less dense much lighter wood. When you hold this one in your hand it fells like a small oak tree. I have made some Sudbury bows that felt to heavy in the limbs, and to light in the handle, and  redesigned them to suit me. This design has more wood through the limbs, so I don't think it will be a pleasant shooting experience, but so far it is a fun bow to build. I just built a series of Osage plains bows , so this is a drastic switch. This bow is said to be an enigma maybe for good reason. thanks for the replies. Bob.

Sometimes you just have to give it a shot.  Yew is a pretty dense wood too isn't it?  (I've never had the opportunity to work with it)  Makes you wonder.  Maybe the original was made to club animals and enemies to death instead of shooting them.

Yew is not dense. it is relatively light.
Del

[willie]

Paul Comstock liked to build wide bows, and used birch to build some of them.  It can be good bow wood if  belly heat treated the right way,

right way?  do you heat treat birch any differently from other white woods?