Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Rick in AK on November 30, 2008, 10:32:23 pm
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Hi,
I have kinda re-energized my bowbuilding again and wanted to say hi. I have lurked here off and on over the years and built a few bows along the way. Just finished up with a hickory board bow last month and am working on another now. With the new one I tried something new by building a caul and putting in some reflex with a heat gun. Worked fairly decent. and want to cut down on the string follow a bit. We will see how it turns out after the tillering process.
So anyway, I live up in Alaska north of Anchorage so was also wondering if there were any other Alaskans on the site building bows. Anyone else familiar with buillding bows out of birch?- our most common and only real hardwood around.
later,
Rick
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you only have birch? no maple, i thought that was practically everywhere
nice to meet you by the way, the names Zander
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Not any maple that I have seen or know about. Perhaps down in southeast AK along the coast.
Rick
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well, never used it myself but have seen bows successfully made with it
Zander
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Nice to meet you.
Another builder lives in Alaska indeed.
I believe he also build a bow of birch, which he was having most success with kenai birch.
Also, his name on the forum was something similar to Ak bowman? I not sure...
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Hi and welcome! I myself live on the arctic circle in Finland, and I have also made bows from Birch. Here are a few main things I have figured out: Make the bow longish, about 66" should work fine. and the limbs should be flat and quite wide.
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Mr. Rick in AK,
Will be building my first longbow this winter, if everything goes as planned.
We have -32 degrees below 0 (F) this morning. Looks to be a fine day!
Best Wishes,
WindWalker
Sawmill Creek, Alaska
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Hello brother, I am not from Ak .. live in Wyoming... was in Ak last summer and can't wait to go back... some great country... Hawk
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Welcome, Fishoona on here is also from Alaska.
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Hey guys,
thanks for the replies. Good to see that there are a few others up here making shavings and driving their wife crazy with all of this bowmaking madness. Did some tool sharpening today. Scrapers and spokshave getting ready to start working the hickory board bow I got in the works.
Windwalker- Where abouts is sawmill creek? Not familiar with it.
take care,
Rick
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Welcome, Rick. I'm not from Alaska but I've been there. :) Jawge
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I prowl around SE every year from Juneau to Yakutat. Fishing and helping my brother pack out his annual moose.
Except for birch, I've never seen anything that one could use for a self bow. A finnish native recommends birch and he is right...make it wide.
PS HomeDepot has good red oak for bows. Your local lumber yard might have Ipe and such for specialty woodwork.
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thanks guys,
I'll most likely wait till summer to cut a nice birch and get some real staves drying up. Good points on the long and wide. Looked again at the TBBs and they said almost the same thing. Until then its the lumber yard for me. I need to check out a specialty hardwood dealer in Anchorage and see what they have.
Rick
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Hey Rick.
Its been a loong time since Ive been on the forum, too much work not enuff play. Its good to see a fellow Alaskan on here. I live on the Kenai, and my brother in law(AK Bowman) lives down here too. We have been playing arround with the birch for a while and have had mixed success. He made a cool bow from Kenai Birch that he left the bark on. It shoots good but took a bit of set, I think he posted it here someplace. Ive had the most luck with cutting birch up by Fairbanks or further north even. Seems like alot of the birch that grows on the peninsula twists as it grows. I think that it is because of the super dense spruce thickets and they have to fight for the sunlight, but a friend of mine thinks its because the area I get mine from the wind is always blowing off a glacier and forces the trees to twist. Like evryone has said wide flat limbs seem to be the trick, birch does make a good bow wood and heat treating the belly seems to help with belly compression problems too.
There is a guy I met on Paleo Planet named Fiddler49 thats lives in Spenard I think. He is a good dude and uses birch as well. If your ever down on the Kenai look me up. Good luck.
Moose
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Yall have crab apple up there too! At least it grows on some of the islands. I thinks its better than birch.
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Hey ! I am down south right now,but will be back home in Hoonah the last week in Jan. Good to hear alaskans on the forum. Frank
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Welcome back,I think you will find the caul and heat gun will help in the string follow ,at least it dose on ours. Keep us posted on how it works out.Sorry don't know anything about Alaska. :) ;)
Pappy
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I knew the "fish on" handle may have something to do with Alaska. I'm not sure if its used in the lower 48 but for those un accostomed to Alaska combat fishing you need to yell fish on so all of the other combat fisherman around you pull up their lines so when your salmon runs it doesn't run across the lines causing a big mess and a lost fish.
take care,
Rick