Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: loefflerchuck on June 25, 2009, 02:09:08 am
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Here are 2 of about half a dozen sinew, incense cedar miwok replica bows I have been experimenting with the last couple years. The first one is 41". It pulls 42# at 23". The second is 37" and pulls 46# at 22". Bolth bows have 2 ply sinew strings and like the origionals the knocks are made of molded sinew that extends past the wood. The arrows are cane with live oak foreshafts that cast over 150 yards from bolth bows.
Incense cedar seems to work great with sinew. I am finding out that the limbs are far superior the trunk. Almost like a different wood
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That full draw is amazing. Is it the wood, sinew, or a combination of the two that lets you pull so far on a short bow like that?
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it's the sinew. Incense cedar will not tolerate that kind of strain, but there is a reason it was preferred by central California Indians
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Very nice,lots of bend in a little wood.Great job. :)
Pappy
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Those are some pretty impressive overdraws. Is Incense Cedar a heavy wood? The wikipedia page states the wood is quite soft.
150 yards from short bows like these is pretty respectable too. Do you have any plans for decorating these works of art?
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Looks primitive to me. Impressive full draw and bookmarked for June Self BOM fun. Thanks for participating.
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Wow!! Very cool little bows, and Holy @#*$ do they ever bend! Gotta love that sinew backing... makes sticks into bows! I love the sinew nocks, as well.
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I love short bows like that, the ash ones that I've made ended up with chrysalls but it may be that I was going for a traditional draw length instead of short 22" draws.
Maybe they'll shoot and last awhile if I don't push them.
I really like the two you've made.
Where do you get the incense cedar from?
VB
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Excellent work!! Looks like the real thing....and they work well too. Wow. :)
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That is some impressive bow building. Really nice work.
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Good looking bows! And wow - that bend is very impressive!
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very,very impresive. got all the bend you could didn't you? nicely done.
chuck
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HEy Loeffler,
I've seen several original Sierra Miwok bows, and I think they were also made of incense cedar (though I'm not sure). The ones I saw had flat bellies and rounded backs (probably due to the fact they were made from small diameter limbs). Every original one had a three ply sinew string. They also had a very narrow strip of braintanned deerskin that wrapped around and around the loop of the string to protect it from abrasion. They also had the same very narrow strip of braintan that wrapped around the limb, right at the arch of the recurve (I'm assuming to silence the sound of the string slapping against the belly side of the recurve when it was shot). Don't take my post as trying to critique your work...I'm just trying to pass along what I've seen, just in case you were trying to make an exact replica. If you don't care to copy the originals that closely, then you can just ignore everything I just posted.
But that's a sweet looking bow nonetheless, and amazing full draw pic. That thing takes a hell of a bend! Great job!
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Looks like outstanding work to me.
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wow i love that arc, well done
how does the unbraced profile look?
cheers,
Jamie
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To answer a few of your questions, yes incense cedar is a light wood and quite soft. Soft to the point that when unbraced and traveling with it, the sinew string will scuff up the smooth sanded wood. As far as the decoration. I modeled them after the original I was able to inspect from the Lowie museum of anthropology in Berkley. The handles are wrapped with a thin strip of brain tanned deer hide. The bow was covered with a black stain that I think was a diluted pitch that probably somewhat watterproffed the sinew and camouflaged the bow. I wouldn't go any further than that.
The cedar was cut in the western sierras. there is allot around there.
There is one picture of the bow unbraced. It is almost flat but has a very slight bit of string follow after being shot at full draw quite a few times. Before the bows were strung after the sinew was cured they held about a 4" reflex. I am experementing with even more sinew less wood and limb bows right now to see if I can keep the reflex after shooting.
And Billy. Can you tell me where you saw these Miwok originals. I have only been able to inspect and measure 1 in Berkley. it like the photos I have seen had a rounded back and belly like a lemon cross section. I have never seen one with a flat belly, and a random cedar bow I made with one broke. California Nutmeg was the other preferred wood. Thanks for the info on the string to. I saw a photo of a bow that had a brain tanned wrapped handle and looked like it had it on the re-curve to, but on close inspection it was a sinew wrap, I do this to keep the sinew from pulling up when drying
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Awesome little bows!!Great job! God Bless
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Great looking bows!
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looks like it would make a seet Fligght bow too :)
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whollywuheh!!! dats some serious bending :o Well done eh :)