Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: gmc on July 31, 2010, 04:50:59 pm
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I got to say that Mulberry is one of the better woods that I've used. I worked this stave all week under very humid conditions and it performed quite well. I would call this wood Osages little brother. I did find that it checks something ferce and it splits well but not straight. Removing the sapwood is much like Locust and seemed to scrape pretty well. I would estimate the gravity of this wood very close to Hickory being a bit under.
I used all heartwood, most of the sapwood was checked pretty bad, dropped one ring under for the back.
Anyway, I thought about a bow that could deliver a good punch at a shorter draw if needed in thick brushy, tight conditions.
Nothing fancy. Here is some information on the bow:
Red Mulberry
57'' NTN, 1 3/8 widest, 3 inch fades with a 4 inch handle,
65 lbs. @ 28
16 oz
Linen Wrap
B-50 String
Linseed Oil Finish
A few pictures:
(http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh213/colevy/frontprofile-1.jpg)
(http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh213/colevy/sideprofile-1.jpg)
(http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh213/colevy/midlimbshot-1.jpg)
(http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh213/colevy/bellytip-1.jpg)
(http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh213/colevy/mFulldraw-1.jpg)
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Dang that's nice. Tiller looks great on it! Got it bookmarked for July Self BOM too. :)
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that is super! Tiller is bang on!
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Did you use hemp or jute for your handle wrap? I used jute twine on my last one and it turned out to look almost exactly like that. I really like your handle. :)
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Thanks, Guys!
Josh, it's linen. The same stuff used to make bow strings, it has a 40 lb. breaking strength. I bought a big spool of the stuff and have wrapped more handles than made strings. I normally seal it with shellac.
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Mulberry makes a good bow wood and you have done it proud! 8) I love the round tiller also.
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Super job!
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I bet that slaps an arrow. All of its nice.
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Looks great! Nicely done. Jawge
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Very impressive! that is a powerful little bow
god job!
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Nice bow my friend. Keep it up. I think you make about three bows to my one. But whatever you are doing, you are doing it right.
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Wow, you got a lot out of that short piece of wood!
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gmc , really nice ,but thats what ive come to expect when i open your threads ! excellent tiller
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Hey, thanks for all nice comments on the bow guys.
Prof, sounds like you need to pick up the pace a little ::).
Gordon, yes, I am getting a lot out of that piece of wood, I tend to make them earn their keep ;D. There was a big dip in the grain close to midpoint on the stave so I centered the dip in the handle and trimmed the ends. That's the only way that it could have worked. Actually, the handle area was set back in the stave about a 1/2 inch.
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Thanks for the really nice comment, Ken.
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Magnificent!!
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Thanks, N2 !
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Another fine bow my friend. I got to get over there and shoot some these. Let's see you have white oak, an osage sappling and now the mulberry that I've not handle yet.
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Sweet Bow....and Simple is what I like....... ;)
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Thanks, Dave. The bow rack is always open. :)
Thanks, El. I like'em simple, too.
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gmc that is a sweet looking bow. Excellent tiller. And to get that much poundage out of that short stick is really impressive. Did it take much set? And is there any hand shock to speak of. Thanks for sharing. Dean
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That is a fine looking bow, very simple and clean. Great job!
Alan
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Nice bow. Tiller looks perfect!
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That is one great looking bow, awesome tiller.
jamie
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Thanks everybody for comments on the bow!
Dean, it took some set. I have a picture prior to starting in the roughed out stage to give you an idea. It's hard to measure with all the rolls in the grain along with the set back area in the handle. The tiller tree told me 1-inch and then after strung for awhile and test shooting an 1 1/2 total so I heat treated and then re-tillered. I will normally add some heat about half way through the process but I wanted to see how this wood preformed as I have 7 or 8 staves left. After heat treating it has a 1/2 of follow unstrug that disappears over 4 or 5 hours and the natural reflex I will never get back. The bow comes back pretty flat. I didn't flip the tips on this bow or heat in anything prior. I tried heating one tip to match the natural flip in the other but it didn't seem to cooperate so I left it alone.
I was worried about hand shock with handle being set back a litte but its bending enough through the handle and balanced pretty well that I don't feel anything on release. That was a concern.
What impressed me most about this wood was its ability to stand-up to humid conditions. I know this stave had to be in the 12 or 13% range with all the humidity here in Ky. over the last couple weeks. I built this bow right in the middle of it being off work and desperate to build a bow having the available time.
Here's the picture of the roughed bow prior to starting. To answer your question, 2 inches would be my guess based on the picture. You can see that handle area was a challenge throughout the process. Hope this helps, Dean, and thanks for your interest.
(http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh213/colevy/roughedout.jpg)
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Great bow, I like the beautiful simplicity of it.
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wow, nice bow! maybe one day i can make a bow that nice and short!
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Love it, the lines are sweet, perfect tiller, great job! My kind of bow.
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Thanks, Justin!
Thanks, aero86!
Thanks, Ronbow!
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Sweet little bow,very nice tiller,simple but effective. :)
Pappy
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That is a mighty fine looking bow. Mulberry is one of my favorite woods, also.
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Wicked good tillering, very nice.
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I built one recently and it is the quietest sweetest shooter I got...that sucker has a mind of its own and seems to throw the arrow exactly where I want..LOL..gut