Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: loefflerchuck on August 04, 2010, 11:56:47 pm

Title: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: loefflerchuck on August 04, 2010, 11:56:47 pm
  This an exact replica of a Modoc bow from the second half of the 19th century. The bow is 36" juniper with 4 layers of sinew applied in 2's, 2 weeks apart. The bow pulls 56# @ 18". I always like to add how it shoots. It shot a 25" arrow, drawn 18" 186 yards. The bow has a heavy early draw weight. In conjunction with this the bow takes an immediate reflex when unstrung after being taken to full draw repeatedly.
 The paint is all earth pigments I have collected while walking about. One of the pictures has the paint. A red clay like soil. the white- a soap stone like rock, and the black, charcoal from juniper shavings from this bow. The paint was mixed with hide glue for binder.
 The tips and handle are wrapped with rawhide, and the string is 2ply deer backstrap. These little bows are no joke!

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Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: NTD on August 04, 2010, 11:59:17 pm
That is a NEAT bow!  Amazing bend you've got going on that thing. 

Just reread this...186 yards with an 18" draw... :o :o  That is incredible.
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: Gordon on August 05, 2010, 12:00:45 am
Now that is a really cool bow.
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: Pat B on August 05, 2010, 12:02:09 am
Very cool little bow and like Nate said...Amazing bend!!!  8)
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: rileyconcrete on August 05, 2010, 12:06:45 am
Havent seen you post a bow in a while but man when you do it is a hit.  Love the short bows, and this one is awsome.  great tiller and great paint job.  All you need now is a buck.

Great bow.

Tell
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: loefflerchuck on August 05, 2010, 12:11:56 am
Riley. This is a contender for hunting season. I haven't decided which bow to use yet this year. Still a few bows left to make before the season
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: colejack3 on August 05, 2010, 12:30:37 am
That is awsome! :o
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: profsaffel on August 05, 2010, 01:08:10 am
Oh, God bless you sir, for creating such a fine bow. I commend you on your choice of design as well as the implementation. Excellent work and thanks for sharing!
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: medicinewheel on August 05, 2010, 07:05:13 am
Incredible bend on that bow!
Really like everything about it!!!
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: Del the cat on August 05, 2010, 10:22:33 am
Beautiful work, nice to have that performance info, it gives a frame of reference, great from such a short bow and short draw.
But damn you, you just made me add another bow to my 'to do list'  ;D
Del
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: Josh on August 05, 2010, 10:50:19 am
Very nice bow, tiller looks perfect which is not an easy feat on such a short bow.  Got it bookmarked for August Self BOM fun too.  :)
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: gmc on August 05, 2010, 10:51:03 am
This little bow is quite the eye-catcher. The artwork looks great, tiller is picture perfect. It would be nice to see what this fine bow looks like in the hand fully drawn. Very nice, thanks for posting.
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: elk country rp on August 05, 2010, 11:38:27 am
makes it hard to choose its best feature- great design & artwork, all natural ingredients, perfect tiller, outstanding performance......
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: adb on August 05, 2010, 12:46:24 pm
Wow! What an incredible bow. Your willingness for authenticity is appreciated. I, and I'm sure others, can understand the amount of work that has gone into this bow, and I tip my hat to you on a job well done!
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: Barrage on August 05, 2010, 12:55:07 pm
Wow...
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: RyanY on August 05, 2010, 01:10:55 pm
That is so cool. Glad to see people keeping those relics alive. Great Job.
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: JackCrafty on August 05, 2010, 01:34:51 pm
Wow...awesome job!  Good to hear it shoots well too.  :)
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: Parnell on August 05, 2010, 05:50:18 pm
Super job!  Very inspirational!
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: jonathan creason on August 05, 2010, 05:54:57 pm
Wow...

Took the words right out of my mouth.  That bow is awesome.
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: fusizoli on August 05, 2010, 06:50:47 pm
Great work, perfect tiller! Next time work a bit more on your pigment to make it more powdery but this is not a criticism  ;)
Like it very much!
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: blair on August 05, 2010, 07:52:27 pm
That is totally outstanding.
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: loefflerchuck on August 05, 2010, 09:17:41 pm
Fusizoli. I always like criticism. That's how you learn. I did get the paint to a fine powder. Could probably do a better job, but the problem was in the hide glue jelling to quick, and when you put heat to it the water evaporates from the glue and solves nothing. I think making a bigger more watery batch of pigment kept at the right temp might be the way to go.
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: mullet on August 05, 2010, 09:49:09 pm
 Very, very nice. I love the authenic art work.
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: El Destructo on August 06, 2010, 12:59:51 am
Sweet Paddle Bow
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: PaulN/KS on August 06, 2010, 02:37:53 am
That's a great looking little short bow. The use of authentic materials for the bow,string and decoration is inspired Sir.
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: Traxx on August 06, 2010, 04:07:14 pm
Cool Beans.
I really like the bow,but are you shure of the tribal designation?It looks more Yurok,Karok or Hupa than Modoc to me.Modoc people,typically used a bow with,"Pyramid" shaped limbs rather than a "Paddle bow" shaped limb.
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: Traxx on August 06, 2010, 08:18:38 pm
Here is a typical old Modoc Bow.
http://www.kumeyaay.info/whoswho/bios/gb/7blackhoofbow.html
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: loefflerchuck on August 06, 2010, 08:37:46 pm
Thanks Traxx.
The original could have been mislabeled. It was a bow listed as 1875-1885 Modoc. It was at auction. It looked as if the original had bent tab nocks. Tipical of the tribes you described. The nocks on mine are tapered and slightly flipped, Modoc style. This is just a reproduction. For it to be a Modoc bow I would have to belong to the Modoc tribe.
I have seen the Modoc bows like you posted. They are widest above the handle instead of mid limb. I have also seen some  that were shaped like this.
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: n2huntn on August 07, 2010, 12:21:37 am
Amazing
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: zenmonkeyman on August 07, 2010, 02:15:47 am
I'm glad you take criticism well, because I have a problem with this bow:  It makes me totally jealous.  Now, if you aren't mad at me for offering MHO, I'd like to request a Youtube link of it being shot?  How about it?

Keep em coming! 
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: George Tsoukalas on August 07, 2010, 09:28:55 am
That bow came out great. The tiller is excellent. Jawge
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: Alpinbogen on August 07, 2010, 09:55:26 am
Really, really great work!  I love seeing bows that are completely au naturale.
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: loefflerchuck on August 07, 2010, 09:28:55 pm
 Monkeyman.
Just started building a sight heartwoodbows.com. It should be up and running in a couple days. That may be a good video to post. I'll let ya know
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: chasing crow on August 07, 2010, 10:04:49 pm
Great work! The art done with earth pigments...wow!
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: ricktrojanowski on August 08, 2010, 07:54:26 am
Your work always impresses me, but this one is over the top.  That is a really beautiful bow, and the actual primitive pigment paint work is outstanding. 
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: PeteC on August 08, 2010, 08:59:45 am
Nice bow,and I really like the primitive paint job. God Bless
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: bowkee on September 02, 2010, 03:54:10 am
missed this one , many compliments thanks for sharing :) ;).Phillip
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: beetlebailey1977 on December 07, 2010, 10:13:49 pm
Oh man that is a awesome little bow....and it packs a punch.
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: Pappy on December 08, 2010, 06:07:44 am
Great looking bow,don't know how I missed this one.Great tiller,lots of bend from a short piece of wood. :)
   Pappy
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: Cameroo on December 08, 2010, 09:31:08 am
I missed this too, must have been before I joined P.A.

That's amazing, inspiring... and everything else that's been said already :)
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: d frana on December 08, 2010, 01:28:06 pm
Nice work, and all primitive materials.  The cedar that grows here is really a juniper and I should cut some and give it a try.
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: juniper junkie on December 09, 2010, 10:14:15 pm
great job on this bow. I have made a couple of these little short bows and they have incredible speed. my problem is shooting them accurately. I am not used to a short draw. you did a great job on the paint as well. juniper is suprisingly elastic if you leave some sapwood on. how much of this is heartwood? again..good job.
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: loefflerchuck on December 10, 2010, 03:03:34 am
Thanks, all. And Juniper junkie, I left all the sapwood on.
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: Gaur on December 10, 2010, 09:28:59 am
Really cool bow.  how much sap wood is there?
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: swamp monkey on December 12, 2010, 06:27:43 pm
Marvelous craftsmanship.  Excellent.  Simply Excellent.
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: Stephen Zachary on December 17, 2010, 08:24:25 am
Awesome bow . My question is how do you shoot these short bows . I have a 28 inch draw, can youexplain the technique  for shooting these short bows, thanks
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: ohma on December 17, 2010, 09:29:10 am
that has always been my favorite type bow, i just cant shoot a bow that short so i make mine 58"to 60" so i can draw them to my full draw length. man that one realy made my day,thanks for posting that one.
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: loefflerchuck on December 17, 2010, 11:55:16 pm
Thanks, and Stephen, instinctive shooting is the same as zen archery. You concentrate on your target or kill and if you are "on it" that shot it hits it's mark. I would never take a shot from more than 20 yards though.
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: Stephen Zachary on December 18, 2010, 03:03:11 am
Thanks for the  answer ,, my accuracy really drops after 20 yards. This being the case i will nbot take a shot unless its well inside that  range.
Title: Re: Modoc sinew backed juniper
Post by: wodpow on December 18, 2010, 09:40:07 pm
That bow makes my finger hurt just looking at it it must really have lots of
   early power to cast a arrow that far. I made a 47"sinewed bow and draw it and just touched my lip with my thumb and after about ten shots my finger were crying from all the pinching that string was doing. I bet that little bow really bit's