Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: ricktrojanowski on March 24, 2010, 11:40:54 pm

Title: Mostly primitive Hop Hornbeam longbow (lots of pics)
Post by: ricktrojanowski on March 24, 2010, 11:40:54 pm
Mostly except for the bandsaw, steel tools, and tung oil finish ;).  This is made from a piece of Hop Hornbeam that RyanO gave me.  This is the first time I worked with HHB and I really like it.  It shoots quick and has a nice springy feeling.    It is 56" NtN, 51# at 27".    The limbs are 1 1/2" wide for 2/3 of the length, then tapering to 3/4".   The bottom limb has a bit of a kink, but most of it came out with some dry heat.  The handle wrap is from a piece of egg tanned buckskin laced with some of  'dat famous DanaM U.P. sinew.  The string is a two ply sinew string that I also made from U.P. backstrap sinew.  Finish is Tung oil, over a light staining of Black Walnuts.   Thanks Ryan for the great piece of wood, and Dana for always keeping well supplied in sinew.

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Title: Re: Mostly primitive Hop Hornbeam longbow (lots of pics)
Post by: ricktrojanowski on March 24, 2010, 11:43:17 pm
A few more

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Title: Re: Mostly primitive Hop Hornbeam longbow (lots of pics)
Post by: iskummulak on March 24, 2010, 11:46:46 pm
Just one word, "sweet".  Greg
Title: Re: Mostly primitive Hop Hornbeam longbow (lots of pics)
Post by: knightd on March 24, 2010, 11:56:08 pm
I like it..  ;)
Title: Re: Mostly primitive Hop Hornbeam longbow (lots of pics)
Post by: RG on March 25, 2010, 12:03:12 am
Great job I like it

Ron
Title: Re: Mostly primitive Hop Hornbeam longbow (lots of pics)
Post by: George Tsoukalas on March 25, 2010, 12:15:05 am
Very nicely done. Jawge
Title: Re: Mostly primitive Hop Hornbeam longbow (lots of pics)
Post by: Jesse on March 25, 2010, 12:17:20 am
I dont like it
































I love it :o Awesome bow. perfect tiller. And a sinew string! :o very cool 8)
Title: Re: Mostly primitive Hop Hornbeam longbow (lots of pics)
Post by: Timo on March 25, 2010, 12:30:50 am
Very nice tiller! Good job. ;)
Title: Re: Mostly primitive Hop Hornbeam longbow (lots of pics)
Post by: El Destructo on March 25, 2010, 12:32:47 am
                                      Only One Word Rick................SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET............. ;)
Title: Re: Mostly primitive Hop Hornbeam longbow (lots of pics)
Post by: FlintWalker on March 25, 2010, 12:48:01 am
The first word that popped into my mind...even though it's already been said. SWEET!
Title: Re: Mostly primitive Hop Hornbeam longbow (lots of pics)
Post by: sailordad on March 25, 2010, 12:56:20 am
beautiful bow
LOVE that tiller

i have some hhb i plan on working this summer
wann amake a me a sinew string  ;D
Title: Re: Mostly primitive Hop Hornbeam longbow (lots of pics)
Post by: Pat B on March 25, 2010, 01:39:59 am
Very cool bow Rick!!!  8)  Looks like a real shooter. Tiller is outstanding!
Title: Re: Mostly primitive Hop Hornbeam longbow (lots of pics)
Post by: hedgeapple on March 25, 2010, 03:03:17 am
Very nice bow, Rick.  I hope my iron wood bow turn half the good.
Title: Re: Mostly primitive Hop Hornbeam longbow (lots of pics)
Post by: medicinewheel on March 25, 2010, 04:17:36 am
Great tiller, nice bow!
It's a Meare Heath type, right?
Title: Re: Mostly primitive Hop Hornbeam longbow (lots of pics)
Post by: Pappy on March 25, 2010, 07:31:25 am
Very nice bow,tiller looks great,HHB is a great wood and you did that piece justice.  :)
   Pappy
Title: Re: Mostly primitive Hop Hornbeam longbow (lots of pics)
Post by: cowboy on March 25, 2010, 07:49:34 am
Nice one Rick!  Love that tiller!!
Title: Re: Mostly primitive Hop Hornbeam longbow (lots of pics)
Post by: DanaM on March 25, 2010, 07:52:48 am
Rick you absolutely nailed the tiller on that one, I love your bows nice clean looking death dealers :)
Title: Re: Mostly primitive Hop Hornbeam longbow (lots of pics)
Post by: half eye on March 25, 2010, 09:12:37 am
That thing screams "primitive", very sexy, like the other guys said clean, simple, and efficient and thats hard to get in one package......but ......I allways been a sucker for them pin knocks.
Rich
Title: Re: Mostly primitive Hop Hornbeam longbow (lots of pics)
Post by: Parnell on March 25, 2010, 09:13:19 am
That sure is a beautiful bow.  That length D bow is my favorite design of all.  It's simplicity is what it's all about.
So, you going to do another in time using stone tools? ;D
Title: Re: Mostly primitive Hop Hornbeam longbow (lots of pics)
Post by: youngbowyer33 on March 25, 2010, 09:36:30 am
that tiller is awesome
Title: Re: Mostly primitive Hop Hornbeam longbow (lots of pics)
Post by: Canoe on March 25, 2010, 11:32:57 am
Howdy Group,

That HHB bow looks, well, SWEEET!!!

SIMPLY  DEADLY!!

(I'd like to see a close up or two of that handle, if you could.)

All the Best,
Canoe
Title: Re: Mostly primitive Hop Hornbeam longbow (lots of pics)
Post by: John K on March 25, 2010, 11:54:37 am
Looks great Rick ! I really like the pin nocks and the tiller couldn't be better !!
Title: Re: Mostly primitive Hop Hornbeam longbow (lots of pics)
Post by: OldBow on March 25, 2010, 01:19:00 pm
Excellent work and bookmarked, too, for March Self BOM fun.
Title: Re: Mostly primitive Hop Hornbeam longbow (lots of pics)
Post by: Josh on March 25, 2010, 01:21:36 pm
Nice Bow Rick, you really nailed the tiller on it too.  Looks perfect.  :)
Title: Re: Mostly primitive Hop Hornbeam longbow (lots of pics)
Post by: venisonburger on March 25, 2010, 01:27:15 pm
Great looking bow Rick, the tung oil finish fits this bow. Are you bringing it to the classic?
VB
Title: Re: Mostly primitive Hop Hornbeam longbow (lots of pics)
Post by: JackCrafty on March 25, 2010, 01:44:47 pm
Very cool 8)
Title: Re: Mostly primitive Hop Hornbeam longbow (lots of pics)
Post by: aero86 on March 25, 2010, 02:02:59 pm
thats awesome, how does it shoot?  i want a short bow like that.  ive got 2 long bows, and like the cast, but i want a shorter bow..
Title: Re: Mostly primitive Hop Hornbeam longbow (lots of pics)
Post by: Dauntless on March 25, 2010, 09:38:01 pm
I could stare at that tiller job all day.  Well done!
Title: Re: Mostly primitive Hop Hornbeam longbow (lots of pics)
Post by: billy on March 25, 2010, 09:41:54 pm
perfect tiller rick, you did a great job on that one.  Sinew strings aren't easy to make, so that is an added bonus.  Great job buddy!
Title: Re: Mostly primitive Hop Hornbeam longbow (lots of pics)
Post by: ricktrojanowski on March 25, 2010, 10:29:29 pm
Thanks for all the kind words guys.  I appreciate all the help I've gotten from all on this site.

Medicinewheel-  Not sure if it is a Meareheath or not.  I just kind of had a picture in my mind what I wanted it to look like and went for it.

Aero86- It shoots nice, It is a snappy shooter.  Shorter bows are a bit tougher to shoot accurately, but much easier to hunt with in my opinion.

VB-  I doubt that I'm going to make it to the Classic :(.  I did make it with that intention.  I'm going to make a decision about going in the next week or so.  Or should I say the Tax man is going to be making that decision for me. >:(

Canoe- I put up a close up of the handle.  I meant to post it with the original post but forgot.

Parnell-  I'm planning on it.  I started one but it got so twisted that I had to give up on it.   The beginning stages are on the "how to" section under " stone age Witch Hazel".  I'm going to start again on one this summer and complete it.


Thanks again for all the compliments.  Especially you Jesse. :D

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Title: Re: Mostly primitive Hop Hornbeam longbow (lots of pics)
Post by: El Destructo on March 25, 2010, 10:53:40 pm
Man ...I am glad that the Tax Man isn't making My Decision...cause I have to pay In another 3,500...on top of what Me and the Wife paid in all Year long...thats what kills you ...when you have no deductions any more........ >:(
Title: Re: Mostly primitive Hop Hornbeam longbow (lots of pics)
Post by: jonathan creason on March 25, 2010, 10:58:38 pm
That's one killer looking bow.

I've got a question about hophornbeam.  Is this the tree also known as ironwood?  The bole of it looks like a flexed forearm or something.  If so there's a ton of it behind my parents' house.
Title: Re: Mostly primitive Hop Hornbeam longbow (lots of pics)
Post by: sailordad on March 25, 2010, 10:59:52 pm
Mike, dont say that
we have been putting off doing ours,just for that reason
im scared to see what i'll have to pay in


hophorn beam is one of many known as iron wood
i believe what your thinking of is muscle wood,not sure
Title: Re: Mostly primitive Hop Hornbeam longbow (lots of pics)
Post by: El Destructo on March 25, 2010, 11:03:37 pm
Yep...thats it...Hop Hornbeam/Ironwood...Carpinus caroliniana 


not to be confused with American Hornbeam/Musclewood/Blue Beech.....Ostrya Virginiana
Title: Re: Mostly primitive Hop Hornbeam longbow (lots of pics)
Post by: venisonburger on March 26, 2010, 08:51:50 am
Rick, I'm hoping it works out for you, you're definately one of the people I look forward to seeing. But I understand the cash thing. Good luck.
VB
Title: Re: Mostly primitive Hop Hornbeam longbow (lots of pics)
Post by: Jude on March 26, 2010, 05:33:41 pm
That tiller is about perfect, isn't it?  Wow :)  Daddy likes

Hophornbeam and hornbeam are close relatives and really similar wood, but Hophornbeam grows much bigger and straighter.  I used to see it more in the deeper woods among the Maples and Beech.  I found hornbeam more on the edges along fields, and it was much more schrubby in it's growth.  I've only seen a couple that were large and straight enough to make a bow out of.  Hornbeam has smooth gray bark that shows off the "muscle" appearance really well.  Hophornbeam has shaggy bark, so you don't see the muscling as well.  They are both really tough woods, and you'll be sharpening your chainsaw pretty often if you get into alot of it.  I made a hornbeam staff once, about 66" long, and 1" to 1.5" in diameter end-end.  It could support all my weight suspended from the middle, and hardly flexed, with me weighing 200# at the time.  It was way to heavy for a walking stick though :P
Title: Re: Mostly primitive Hop Hornbeam longbow (lots of pics)
Post by: Dane on March 26, 2010, 06:50:39 pm
Beautiful bow, Rick! Maybe I'll have a chance to see it at the NEPSG, if we both make that event.

Dane
Title: Re: Mostly primitive Hop Hornbeam longbow (lots of pics)
Post by: ricktrojanowski on March 26, 2010, 09:46:02 pm
VB I hope so, You had me laughing for weeks. ;D
Dane-  I know I'll make it to CT.  I'll bring it to shoot all the ticks with.
Title: Re: Mostly primitive Hop Hornbeam longbow (lots of pics)
Post by: jamie on March 27, 2010, 02:55:02 am
nailed it buddy. string angle just under 90 and every part of the limb working. exactly what i like . beautiful. how bout i stick to arra heads and you build the bows from now on.  ;D
Title: Re: Mostly primitive Hop Hornbeam longbow (lots of pics)
Post by: ricktrojanowski on March 27, 2010, 06:47:07 am
nailed it buddy. string angle just under 90 and every part of the limb working. exactly what i like . beautiful. how bout i stick to arra heads and you build the bows from now on.  ;D
The way I knap, this might be a good idea.  ;)
Title: Re: Mostly primitive Hop Hornbeam longbow (lots of pics)
Post by: Deo on March 29, 2010, 04:08:43 pm
It's a beauty.I Love a good simple design. Good tillering job, hope my next bow comes out 1/2 as good.