Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: George Tsoukalas on June 04, 2010, 09:09:16 am
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My daughter's husband is in the Air Force and is currently stationed in Germany. He's a career officer. Thank God my wife and I were able to visit this past spring. We spent 3 weeks with the with a side trip to Paris and Munich. They are renting a place that is brand new with uncompleted landscaping. When we arrived I noticed some great looking shoots just laying in the yard and already cut. The wheels started turning. I cut them to size, hand straightened them and bundled them up. No feathers though. I should have brought some with me. My daughter always shot with me when she was a kid. Wouldn't it be nice to make her some arrows and a bow so she could shoot a bit while there? More to follow. Jawge
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Well, I had a knife so that was no problem. I had to buy some sandpaper. My daughter had a saw which we used to cut some bow wood in the pouring rain. You's think I'd pick a straight piece. But no! I gotta do things the hard way. A visit to the BX garnered some sewing thread, a feather duster and a hatchet. Anyway, I cut the self nocks with saw, knife and sandpaper. I had no points but I pounded a roofing nail into point end and wrapped some polyester twine around the point for reinforcing and form more weight. I made her 3 arrows. The feather duster feathers are wrapped on with sewing thread and coated with glue. I ended up buying some polyester twine at a local lumberyard. That's the red wrapping at the point. Jawge
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v331/Jawge/No%20Way/IMG_4364.jpg)
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I have no idea what the arrow wood is. Kathy has to tune them to the bow as they are a bit stiff. I showed her how to wrap the sandpaper around the shaft and reduce the spine by sanding. I just ran out of time. I had to work outside and most of the time it was raining while we were there. The weekend I arrived I cut some bow wood as I mentioned. We think it was chestnut. It's a nice wood. I've never used it as the American chestnut trees in New England all died in the 60's from some kind of disease. Jawge
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I roughed out the bow asap using the hatchet and a 4 in 1 rasp. I bought a nice rasp at the lumberyard when I bought the twine to use when the stave dried sufficiently to become a bow. I twisted up a Flemish string. We went from stave to bow in less than 3 weeks. Kathy has a great eye for tiller. She used to help me when she was a kid. Anyway, after I strung it I'd draw it part way in front of her and she'd help me decide where more wood removal was needed. Here's the bow braced. I did no heating and bending that recurve shape is natural. Jawge
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v331/Jawge/No%20Way/IMG_4358.jpg)
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Cool arrows,can't wait to see what you come up with on the bow. That is called using what you have to work with. :)
Pappy
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Cool bow,I was typing while you was posting that.Very nice.
Pappy
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That is a super cool bow George!
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No Way has a bit of a set back in the handle too. The nocks were cut with a knife and a triangular file. We were tillering out this bow the last day I was there. Nicks were removed with the knife and sandpaper. Kathy will finish it with grease. She wants to keep it as natural as possible. Here's the bow at full draw. She'll get it her draw of 22 in. It's 47 in ntn I believe. I have no idea what the draw weight is. It's a bit heavy for her but she'll pull it back. She hasn't shot for awhile. The handle wrap is the same red polyester twine I used for the string. Jawge
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v331/Jawge/No%20Way/IMG_4362.jpg)
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My daughter and I had fun making this bow and cutting the wood. Just like old times when she would help me as a kid. I still remember her grabbing her bow, a fistful of arrows and heading out to our backyard range. Shooting for the unabashed pleasure of it all. I've always tried to approach archery as a child would. I just got out and have fun. The same as when I was a kid. Well Kathy is no longer a kid; nor am I. Father and daughter. Both a couple of kids. Thanks for looking, my friends. Jawge
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great job Jawge..I really like the ingenuiity! but more importantly I love the fact that you and your daughter are still making memories together. That's just awesome! I hope my 1.5 year old daughters will want to play bows'n'arras with me when they are as old as Kathy.
Good job Dad!!
J
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Very cool story and I know what you mean about a kids world.The tiller turned out nice to boot.
Pappy
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Thanks, Parnell. I'm glad you like it. Thanks, Pappy. Give some kids a ball and bat. They go out and have fun....and then the adults arrive LOL. I just go out and have fun. I make bows and arrows because I enjoy the activity. Thanks, Diligence. I'm sure your daughter will love archery too. Jawge
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Cool story Jawge! No matter where you are you take your passion with you ;D. I bet that'll spike some interest from the neighbors over there..
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cowboy, thanks. Joni and I don't speak German but my daughter and her husband do. They both attended the military language school in Monterey prior to his first tour in Germany years ago. Communication with the neighbors was difficult. I noticed a few raised eyebrows as they walked by as they saw me working away at the bow. I also noticed a lot of friendly waves. Good people. :) Jawge
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I forgot to mention that this is a sapling bow with a pretty good crown and no appreciable sides the. The back of the bow is half moon shape. Gotta go plant some stuff. That's my other hobby. Jawge
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To cool Awesome bow
Thanks Leroy
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Nice bow Jawge! :)
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Jawge, what a great story, and a great outcome, using the materials and tools you were limited to on the visit. The bow is beautiful. I hope you don’t mind my saying I sensed a bit of wistfulness in there, too, but you sound very proud of the woman your daughter has become.
I also got nostalgic to go back and visit Germany. I was there in mid 80s. We operated around Augsburg and Kempton (and spent time in Munich, too, great city), and you found out what I did – you get rained on a lot. They told me you will grow gills by the time you leave, and they were right :)
The Germans are terrific people, too. Some of the best PA contributors are from Germany.
The food and beer is awesome, too. I should mention that. This weekend I’ll have to make up a batch of home made Spezi to go with pork schnitzel and spaetzle. Spezi was a regional drink when I was there, and kind of strange , but it grows on you. Hopefully you got to try it.
Dane
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Great bow and story George.
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George that is A piece of Art Thanks.Phillip
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Excellent, you can't keep a bowyer idle for long, it's just as well you found that timber before you started turning the furniture into a bow! ;D
Del
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That is awesome George.A great bow and arrow set, and all done "a far piece" from the home shop. I like it a lot. God Bless
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You do that kind of work on vacation, feel free to come visit me ANYTIME!!!
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Thanks, Stoker and Josh! Thanks, Dane. I sure do miss my daughter. But my other daughter lives here in town so that's good. I'm proud of both of them. Never heard of Spezi. My daughter's neighbor did bring over some homemade schnaps before we left. I haven't opened it yet but he gave us a sample from another bottle. Strong stuff. Thanks, barrage and bowkee.Del, LOL. I couldn't find a red oak board at the lumberyard. Thanks, Pete and Rhinodude. Glad you all like it. I forgot to mention that the reason why I named this bow "No Way" is because no way did I think it would be a bow. Thanks. Jawge
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That's cool!
I should have known, I would have send some feathers; may have brought them along eventually...
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Thanks, Medicinewheel. It was fun improvising. Jawge
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Both the story and the bow are great. I love the natural profile of that bow. That sapling was destined to shoot arrows. Nice work to both of you.
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Thanks, Rick. Jawge
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That's a pretty awesome story with a nice bow at the end. Really doesn't get any better than that.
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great story and bow jawge
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Jawge that bow is character! WOW for a natural shape it sure looks recurved. Nice work!
Cheers!
Russ
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Jawge that bow is character! WOW for a natural shape it sure looks recurved. Nice work!
Cheers!
Russ
My Goodness!!!
I am Speechless...You put a capital "C" in character BOW
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Thanks, Ken and gmc. Glad you like it. Jawge
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Thanks, Russ and Okie. I never thought that stave would make a bow but I'm glad it did. Jawge
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Thanks, Scott. I'm glad you like it. Jawge
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Jawge, There's not much I can add that hasn't been said. It looks like you bent that bow with heat. Remarkable bow and natural shape.
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And I was wondering what you were going to do in Germany.. :D Very cool thread and bow Jawge..
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mullett, I know it does but sometimes the good Lord provides us with good bow wood. Like I said the whole time I was building this bow I just kept saying now way, no way. LOL. Rich, my friend, how are you? Kathy and Brian got sent to Germany else I'd be visiting again. That was a good visit Jon and I had. Thanks again for taking us around. Glad you like the bow. Jawge
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That is an inspiring illustration of resourcefulness and passion (for your daughter and bowyering/archery). Thanks for sharing!
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Grits, that is so nice of you to say that! Thank you. Guess who's coming back for her cousin's wedding this month and guess who is going back with some properly fletched arrows and a B 50 bow string? :) Jawge