Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Gordon on April 01, 2007, 02:33:12 am
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How many times have we all wished we could have a second chance, a do-over, one more time? Another shot at that elk we passed up on opening day because…well it was opening day and surely we'll get another. Another chance to ask that cute girl you had your eye on all year to the senior prom. An opportunity to take back something you said that you wish you hadn’t.
About a year ago I made a vine maple bow for friend who had long dreamed of owning his own. Rick had no expectation that I would make him one and so when I presented it to him he was ecstatic. From that moment on I don’t think he ever used another bow. He babied that bow like it was his most prized possession. It made me feel pretty good.
One evening I got a call from Rick. He was beside himself and practically in tears. It seems he had placed his bow on the roof of his car and then drove off. When he realized what had happened he frantically drove back but it was too late. Someone had run the bow over and it was badly mangled. By the time Rick was done detailing the damage I told him it didn’t sound like it could be repaired.
A few months passed and I met up with Rick at a meeting of local bowyers. He brought the bow with him and showed it to me. It was pretty bad with multiple limb factures, a partially broken tip, and heavy gouges on the back and belly. I brought the bow home with me and laid it on my work bench. Over the next couple of weeks I kept coming back to it and holding it. Even though it was badly damaged it still felt like a bow – it possessed a certain spirit. I decided that I would try to bring it back to life.
First I had to do something about the fractures. I mated the splinters and aligned the edges of the cracks. I then shot superglue into the works and using clamps, squeezed the cracks tight. The gouges on the back were too deep to take out so I backed the bow with rawhide. I also wrapped one of the limbs with serving thread at the point where a crack ran against the grain and off the edge. I put a similar wrap on the other limb to make things symetrical. I sanded the damage off the belly and retillered the bow. I was pleased to only lose about 5 lbs in the process. The damaged tip overlays were replaced, the rawhide covered with snake skins and the bow refinished. The specs are as follows: 62” ntn, 1 5/8” wide tapering to 3/8”, cocobolo tips, elk-hide handle with Strunk style wrap, 50# @ 27”.
I named the bow “2nd Chance”.
(http://mysite.verizon.net/res0oeio/Rick2/Rick2_1.jpg)
(http://mysite.verizon.net/res0oeio/Rick2/Rick2_2.jpg)
(http://mysite.verizon.net/res0oeio/Rick2/Rick2_3.jpg)
(http://mysite.verizon.net/res0oeio/Rick2/Rick2_4.jpg)
(http://mysite.verizon.net/res0oeio/Rick2/Rick2_5.jpg)
(http://mysite.verizon.net/res0oeio/Rick2/Rick2_6.jpg)
(http://mysite.verizon.net/res0oeio/Rick2/Rick2_7.jpg)
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Gordon, this story just reinforces my belief that primitive archers are the best folk that I have ever met.
I know how easy it is to do something like your friend did. I'm forever misplacing stuff. I think its a sympton of our hectic day to day lives.
You did an awesome reconstruction on his bow, I'm sure he will carry "Second Chance" with a greal of love and pride.
Your one of the good guys Gordon.
DanaM
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Wow, Gordon!
A fine bow and a lot of mystic (standing up from the death ;)).
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awesome recovery. i particularly like the red accents on the black wraps. the bow is a beauty.
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Got any pics of the damage? You did a great job fixin' her up!
This would make a great story for the magazine if you had enough before pics to tell about how you did it. Nice job.
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You did a marvelous job Gordon. I'm sure your friend will be happy. Justin
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Minuteman,
I wish I had taken before pictures, but to be honest, I didn't really think I could pull it off so I didn't bother.
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Excellent work with the rebirth of this bow, Gordon. Your original gesture is what makes our hobby(for lack of a better word) so rewarding but your attempt and ultimate success with this gem sets us above the rest of the pack. I can't imagine a glass backed bow or a wheel bow surviving such an ordeal or their bowyer even attempting such an undertaking.
This bow obviously didn't want to die and apparently, because of your attitude and determination, will carry lots of medicine for Rick and I know Rick appreciates it...and I, as a member of this community, salute you for your effort and success.
This is a good example of why my corner of shame exists. One never knows what tomorrow will bring. A second or third look at what we see as a failure can, and in many cases does, become something better than we origionally imagined.
Pat
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Simply amasing Gordon. Certainly it may have been easier to build him another bow from scratch yet I'm sure it would not have meant as much to him. As some of us have been talking about on the freindship bow. there is always a certain amout of problem solving that takes place when building a bow.To be able to take a shatter bow and make it new again and still to be a work of art,,,well that is some incredible talent. You a very gifted bowyer
Sure wish you would have done a step by step repair.That would have been a great article for the PA magazine. Congratulations on your success. Keenan
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That's some amazing work Gordon. 2nd chance has some serious MOJO behind her, just hope you wont have to call her 3rd chance. Justin
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Dang, that's nice!!! :o
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Awesome work Gordon...you brought her back froma certain death. Your friend is a very lucky man.
R
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Wow :)
Awesome story and bow!
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Gordon,
That is not only a great story, but a truly gorgeous bow! I want to build ALL of my VM's to the exact form of that bow. When can we hook up for some bow building?
Send me a PM and let's meet up! We can start by going stave hunting and then you can share your advice and thoughts on bow design and construction. Maybe afterwards we could also post a VM build along and share your skills with the rest of us neophytes!How does that sound?...
Joe (in Beaverton)
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Gordon, that's a great story, and an amazing bow. Love that profile at brace and full draw-do you by chance have an unbraced profile photo of it?
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Can't imagine it looking better before it's rebirth. It even has a new heart. One of honor.
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I presented the bow to Rick yesterday morning. Shortly afterwards he took it to the range to try it out. I called him in the evening to see how it went and he just gushed about how good the bow felt and shot. I think he's glad to have his baby back ;D
Joe, I did not realize you live so close. I will certainly contact you.
Hillbilly, I'll go through my pics this evening and see if I took an unbraced profile shot. I was in kind of a hurry when I took the pics of the new bow so I may have neglected to take a pic at that angle. If so, I may have an unbraced of the original bow - the profile didn't change between the two.
Thank you all for your wonderful comments!
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Nice save Gordon and a beautiful bow on top of that,I love it when a plan comes together. :)
Pappy
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What a fine bow for my first bookmark for April Self Bow of the Month - Thanks - OldBow
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Good save Gordon..... :)
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This bow really grabs me, I don't want people to think I'm attempting to single out one of us on this site above the others, there are other bows that I find exceptional, but theres something about the shape, color, total package that gives me something to aim for when I create. I'm learning as I go, hopefully someday I can end up with something like what I see here.
VB
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Hillbilly,
Unfortunately I neglected to take an unbraced side shot of the refurbished bow before I gave it to Rick. I did, however, find such a picture of the original. The before and after profile were unchanged.
(http://mysite.verizon.net/res0oeio/ricky/ry04.jpg)
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VB thank you. What a nice compliment. :)
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thanks, Gordon. :)
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What a cool story, great job on the recovery. I don't think my bows look that nice the first time around :) I wish you had some photos of the bow before the repair, I would like to have seen the damage.
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Excellent job. Way to go.
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Do you have a pic of the bow in it's first life? It would be really nice to be able to compare them. I am sure it's first life was something, but 2nd Chance is something else!
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What a wonderful story to see in the morning. You made my day. Both by reminding me about how a bow is really "alive," and by being a good friend. Thanks.
Gabe
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:o
She's beautiful.
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This bow really grabs me, I don't want people to think I'm attempting to single out one of us on this site above the others, there are other bows that I find exceptional, but theres something about the shape, color, total package that gives me something to aim for when I create. I'm learning as I go, hopefully someday I can end up with something like what I see here.
VB
Dito!
Would love to see this bow in real!
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Great looking bow Gordon, amazing fix, Love the tiller on that baby.
VB
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Wonderful job Gordon! It looks great. God Bless
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Well, I didn't expect to see this bow surface again as this post is a couple of years old. Coincidently I met Rick on the range last Saturday and he was shooting "2nd chance". I'm happy to report that the repair job has held together and the owner is still happy with his bow. He's getting a little older (aren't we all) and can't quite pull as much as he used to, so I'm making him another bow this winter that draws less. "2nd Chance" will then be reserved primarily for hunting.
Don, you probably shouldn't put this one up for October BOM because it was previously entered.
Thanks (again) for all the nice compliments. I'll try to find a picture of the original bow and post it.
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Steven,
Here are a few pictures of the bow before the accident:
(http://mysite.verizon.net/res0oeio/Rick1/ry05.jpg)
(http://mysite.verizon.net/res0oeio/Rick1/ry04.jpg)
(http://mysite.verizon.net/res0oeio/Rick1/ry16.jpg)
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I love the near mid limb mild recurve like that, it's quite....sexy!!
Does a recurve like that put less strain on the wood that a typical recurve? Or am I completely off and that's actually some sort of reflex or deflex.........
Nate Danforth
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Nate,
The profile of this bow would be properly called a reflex/deflex (r/d). I suspose an r/d design would result in a little less strain than a recurve of similar length given that the working limbs would be somewhat longer.
Gordon
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Don, you probably shouldn't put this one up for October BOM because it was previously entered.
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Well, I really think this is so special, maybe even caused more problems than making a new bow, that it is my personal BOM anyway! ;D ;D ;D
Wouldn't see why it shouldn't be on...
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Gordon,
Great story, great save, and the bow looks great as well!
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Frank, I am humbled by your compliment.
Thank you all for the nice comments.
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Thanks for posting the "1st life pics". How many times have we all thought, "I would love to come back to this earth again in another life, but I would like to remember what I learned in the first life." Looks like your bow did just that. The 1st life was special, but "2nd Chance" came back building on the first. And it came back even better. I agree with the other post, no matter if it is BOM or not, not many carry a story like that. It's a great looking bow and a "total package" with the history. Now, about that hat.... ::)
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Frank, I am humbled by your compliment.
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Naah, don't be shy! You know I love your bows! ;D ;D ;D
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Nice work Gordon, a great looking bow. Justin
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Absolutely, positively, without doubt, gorgeous! Work like that is nudging me ever closer to making my first one myself. I am still in the curve though.