Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: greenstick on June 22, 2009, 10:28:02 am

Title: Decent Hackberry Rawhide Bow
Post by: greenstick on June 22, 2009, 10:28:02 am

  Another Hoosier made bow out of the old Hackberry tree on my land in Northern Indiana. Here are some pictures from bent stave, steaming,to rawhide and finishing. This one was a very stubborn bow that did not want to be straightened. After steaming the bow looked good, but even after finishing it still resorted back to its bent ways a little. In the end it's still a decent bow at 60" long,47#@28"(http://[img width=450 height=600]http://i664.photobucket.com/albums/vv9/dunstan88/Hackberry3bow005.jpg)(http://i664.photobucket.com/albums/vv9/dunstan88/Hackberry3bow005.jpg)(http://i664.photobucket.com/albums/vv9/dunstan88/SteamedHackberry007.jpg)(http://i664.photobucket.com/albums/vv9/dunstan88/Hackberry3bow001.jpg)(http://i664.photobucket.com/albums/vv9/dunstan88/Hackberry3001.jpg)(http://i664.photobucket.com/albums/vv9/dunstan88/Hackberry3004.jpg)(http://i664.photobucket.com/albums/vv9/dunstan88/3hackberrybowFinished001.jpg)(http://i664.photobucket.com/albums/vv9/dunstan88/3hackberrybowFinished004.jpg)(http://i664.photobucket.com/albums/vv9/dunstan88/3Hackberrybowfinished.jpg)[/img]Thanks to all of your help from this forum and P A magazine. 

Title: Re: Decent Hackberry Rawhide Bow
Post by: Pappy on June 22, 2009, 12:02:29 pm

Nice looking bow,Hackberry will make a nice bow,very light in the hand to boot. :)
   Pappy

Title: Re: Decent Hackberry Rawhide Bow
Post by: DanaM on June 22, 2009, 12:08:28 pm

Looks like it came out just fine, well done eh :)

Title: Re: Decent Hackberry Rawhide Bow
Post by: OldBow on June 22, 2009, 12:26:22 pm

Very nice job. Quite the steamer you've got rigged up. Bookmarked, too, for June BOM fun.

Title: Re: Decent Hackberry Rawhide Bow
Post by: Parnell on June 22, 2009, 12:33:24 pm

Lot of info in those pictures - I'm interested in the steam pipe you've got.  Gonna make something like that soon.  Thanks for sharing.  Bow looks real nice, too.  It's got some character, for sure.

Title: Re: Decent Hackberry Rawhide Bow
Post by: greenstick on June 22, 2009, 02:05:05 pm

Thanks guys, each bow can be such a good teacher. And the steamer was thrown together out of scrap duct out of necessity.(http://[img width=800 height=600]http://i664.photobucket.com/albums/vv9/dunstan88/SteamedHackberry011.jpg)(http://i664.photobucket.com/albums/vv9/dunstan88/SteamedHackberry011.jpg)[/img] If I would have had bigger pipe than 6" I would rebuilt it better, and put wires through the pipe to keep the bow off the bottom. 

Title: Re: Decent Hackberry Rawhide Bow
Post by: chessieboy on June 22, 2009, 05:48:09 pm

I made a steamer similar to that one. You dont need wire, just a chunk of 2X4 or what ever you have laying around. Put a piece at each end and the stave will stay up out of the water that collects in the pipe.

Bill

Title: Re: Decent Hackberry Rawhide Bow
Post by: redwasp on June 22, 2009, 07:18:33 pm

very nice,  I like it alot. Steamer is cool too. where does hackberry grow ( states ), I would love to try some. I heard it was like Hickory what did you think?

Title: Re: Decent Hackberry Rawhide Bow
Post by: George Tsoukalas on June 22, 2009, 07:46:53 pm

Very nice work. :) Jawge

Title: Re: Decent Hackberry Rawhide Bow
Post by: greenstick on June 22, 2009, 11:34:51 pm

  This was the second bow that I've made out of Hackberry, both seem to be good strong bows. My book says it a North American tree,and easy to spot by it bark.www.leaftoronto.org/node/291 (http://www.leaftoronto.org/node/291)

Title: Re: Decent Hackberry Rawhide Bow
Post by: sulphur on June 24, 2009, 02:15:22 pm

hackberry grows everywhere in east texas.  its my second favorite (after osage) wood for bows.  Hack will certainly surprise you with its performance and versatility.