Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: broad_head on February 09, 2010, 10:31:20 am

Title: Hawthorn bow
Post by: broad_head on February 09, 2010, 10:31:20 am
Hi All
           I posted this bow a while ago to asking for advise on tillering. The Hawthorn stave this bow came from would really like to have been a left-handed, but with a bit of persuasion with steam and clamps I got it to be a right-handed. As you can see it is a very odd looking bow. The handle area split quite badly during the drying process so I filled the cracks with two-part epoxy glue. The bow has been shot quite a few times now with no problems. The stats are 68 inches overall length. Draw weight 42lb @ 27 inches.
               Peter (UK)


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Title: Re: Hawthorn bow
Post by: kylerprochaska on February 09, 2010, 10:34:11 am
I love the character of this one! what did you use for your strike plate?

Ky
Title: Re: Hawthorn bow
Post by: radius on February 09, 2010, 10:34:35 am
wow, man...even i wouldn't try that one!

you live in the UK???  there are yew trees growing everywhere!
Title: Re: Hawthorn bow
Post by: parspektiv on February 09, 2010, 10:36:48 am
Wow! I really like it! This is just the kind of bow i would like to build. How does it shoot? Hand shock? Accuracy?
Title: Re: Hawthorn bow
Post by: Josh on February 09, 2010, 11:30:57 am
I think it looks pretty awesome, lots of character!   ...it might be bending a little bit more in the top fade than in the rest of the limb but it is kinda hard to tell for sure.  My hat's off to you sir for working such a difficult piece of wood.     :)  -josh
Title: Re: Hawthorn bow
Post by: Keenan on February 09, 2010, 11:37:45 am
 Peter, You did fantastic on a very challenging stave to work. Dips and dives are very tricky to not be fooled when tillering and you did great. Looking at your unbraced pic shows that you have really nailed the tiller and made every part bend in perportion just right, Congratulations.
Title: Re: Hawthorn bow
Post by: DanaM on February 09, 2010, 11:51:27 am
Dang thats a crooked stick :o Well done on a tough stave :)
Title: Re: Hawthorn bow
Post by: Pappy on February 09, 2010, 12:14:54 pm
Great looking bow on one narly piece of wood.Them are the kind of pieces that make you wonder,why do I do this. ;) :) They say good wood make a better bow but bad wood make a better bowyer. :)
   Pappy
Title: Re: Hawthorn bow
Post by: medicinewheel on February 09, 2010, 01:17:27 pm
Doubtlessly really special!
Title: Re: Hawthorn bow
Post by: bobnewboy on February 09, 2010, 02:00:47 pm
Blimey Peter, my piece of hawthorn (now drying) looks like a board compared to that!  That is a real 3-dimensional puzzle.  Nice work as always.
Title: Re: Hawthorn bow
Post by: markinengland on February 09, 2010, 05:55:19 pm
Peter,

Great bow. Seeing the pics I can better understand the tiller and what a good job you have done.

Having seen you shooting it last week I can also say it spits the arrows out at speed as well.

You should post more of your bows.

Mark in England
Title: Re: Hawthorn bow
Post by: OldBow on February 11, 2010, 03:07:29 pm
Quite the accomplishment, I'd say. Bookmarked under Feb Self Bows for BOM fun, too.
Title: Re: Hawthorn bow
Post by: dwardo on February 11, 2010, 03:42:11 pm
Lovely job on such a head bandging bit of hawthorn  ;D
 I have tried to split a Hawthorn sapling and it was so twisted and interlocked it ripped its self apart. Next time i will try a saw!
What was the width of the tree/sapling this was taken from and was it split or sawn/hatchet?
Also it checks and warps like no other wood i have seen when drying.

Sorry for all the questions but i have been meaning to try a Haw bow for a while it seems like lovely wood.

(Leon. UK)
Title: Re: Hawthorn bow
Post by: adb on February 11, 2010, 04:41:33 pm
When I first looked at your full draw pic, I tought "Oh my God... what terrible tiller..." you have a major hinge in the top limb at the fade!!
But after scrolling down to the rest of the pics, I'm amazed. What a wonky stave, and what a super job on a piece of wood I'd probably pass up!  ;D
Title: Re: Hawthorn bow
Post by: recurve shooter on February 11, 2010, 10:34:40 pm
When I first looked at your full draw pic, I tought "Oh my God... what terrible tiller..." you have a major hinge in the top limb at the fade!!
But after scrolling down to the rest of the pics, I'm amazed. What a wonky stave, and what a super job on a piece of wood I'd probably pass up!  ;D
''

exactly my thoughts.  ;D
Title: Re: Hawthorn bow
Post by: broad_head on February 12, 2010, 10:03:32 am
Thanks for all your kind comments.

Parspektiv – The bow shoots quite well with no hand shock but it seems to be quite fussy about arrow spine

Ky – The strike plate on this bow was made from cow horn

Leon – I make all my hawthorn bows from small branches, this one was about 2 ¼ inches in section. I try to select wood that has grown in an oval section, which hawthorn seems to do, and bandsaw the stave to near size. As you say this wood does warp and split badly, especially if you de-bark and keep in full section, knots are especially bad,
                           Peter (UK)