Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: gstoneberg on December 02, 2010, 11:22:48 pm
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Normally I love working around knots in osage. This one got to me though. First, there's a trough right down the center of the stave. Then, when I chased the ring up to the knot, instead of rising to go around it, the ring dipped lower before dividing and going around. One side stayed high and the other went low. I've never seen that before. I could have finished the rest of the back in the time it took to work around this knot. Lots of scraper work.
(http://72.64.80.21/gks-pictures/knot-1.jpg)
Still need to clean up tool marks. Wore me out.
(http://72.64.80.21/gks-pictures/knot-2.jpg)
Anybody else have knots that gave them fits??
George
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They all give me fits but I love the challenge. ;D Knots will teach you patience too.
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Yep,it take a lot of time on them. Looks like you done a good job on that one. The worst I ever had was 3 nail bow a built a few years back,it took almost a day to clean up 3 or 4 inches of limb,the good news is it makes most anything else seem easy. ;) :) :)
Pappy
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Switch to a curved scraper for the nitty gritty chasing. You are getting a dip on one side and violating the other side. I use curved shavehooks. jawge
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Wow Pappy, that's a messy one for sure. Jawge, you wouldn't have a picture of that curved shavehook would you? I was lamenting the curve in my scraper wasn't tight enough. Is it the high side where I got too deep? That's where I started around the knot and the trouble began. Looks like I need to hit the flea markets for some more old tools. More patience, I'm afraid I'm a slow learner Pat. ;) Thanks guys.
George
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man thats wild. i had a stave back in early summer that had the same invert and trench. yeah a whole day just setting on the deck picking at it with a small knife blade.but when it all came clean youd thought i had won the lottery.
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... yeah a whole day just setting on the deck picking at it with a small knife blade....
Sounds like a fine way to spend a day, maybe a beer and a sandwich just to round it off.
I like the way that bench has BENCH writen on it, mine is so covered with tools, maybe I should write that on mine too so that I can find it.
Del
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It actually says Pappy's Bench,not that keep any of the other folks off it. ;) ;D ;D I ust a little french curve scraper on most of that concaved work,lot of Osage has that,also some little wood picks to work down in the knots and holes,you can get lost in time working on them,I love it, You wake up a few hours later wonder where the time went and you got it done. :)
Pappy
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Del, I don't think anybody sees the background like you do.lol
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It actually says Pappy's Bench,not that keep any of the other folks off it. ;) ;D ;D
...yeah I used your bench to re-glue a tip overlay that came off last year while shooting the 3 D course at the Classic. Think I used your Super Glue too. You weren't around but I DID try and find you to make sure it would be okay. O:) O:) You got a nice set up there. :)
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I'm so unobservant. I should have seen that on Pappy's bench and thought of some interesting comment... I do envy a bench that has everybody wanting to come and work on it. Some day I need to see that one in person.
I do get lost working on bows, but it's normally at the tiller stage. I used to search out bows with big knots so I had them to work but lately I've gone with clearer wood...or so I thought. Part of my problem is that I let myself get behind on getting out staves that people are waiting for. I have a stave for Mr. Halverson and this one for youngbowyer. Then there's the Christmas exchange project to dream up and work plus I need to make arrows for my new takedown and worst of all, my boss thinks I should keep coming to work. :o The audacity of it. But, y'all are right, there is great value when you get after a challenging piece of wood and it takes your mind off the cares and schedules of the day. It's good to be reminded of that in this hectic time of year.
George
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I once had a mulberry stave that gave me 2 years of fits. I got thru the sapwood and bark to yellow wood easy enough, but then had a pile of pin knots to deal with. I screwed up hitting a single growth ring 6 separate times.
One day I was out at a local picnic area up on Nemo Road in the hills. Nice place to work on bows, shady, nice creek running through, plenty of fresh air. I screwed up the growth ring yet again and was so mad I threw the whole stave into Boxelder Creek, packed my stuff, and got ready to leave. Not good enough. I waded into the creek, grabbed the stave and beat it on a big ol' pine tree to break it. Wouldn't break. Threw it back in the creek and drove off. Got halfway home, turned around and went back to get it outa the creek so I wouldn't be fined for littering or leaving trash. Started on it again a few months later, screwed up a couple more growth rings and pitched it in a ditch by my house. Went back a few weeks later and dug it out...been hit by the hiway department while mowing.
Eventually got it to a single growth ring and drew out the shape of the bow. Ended up with 22 pin knots in the two limbs. It tillered really easy and I ended up giving it to a 15 yr old kid from Nebraska that I knew from Rendezvous. Since nearly every pin knot was paired with another and all the pin knots were raised, it was referred to as the "T*tty Bow". Poor kid blushed for weeks over that bow.
Yup. Fits. Had'em.
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Wow, that's persistence. I think I'd have given up. My Nebraska mulberry sure had clusters of pin knots that were a pain. I agree though, the little ones don't mess with the tiller at all. Back then I was really bad at doing knots so I just cut them off at the bow's back and sinew backed. The bow I made in John Strunk's class was a mulberry, it was unbacked.
Are you talking about the Nebraska Traditional Archers rendezvous? I'm a life member up there and did their web page for awhile. The site in Fremont they've been holding it at is about 15 miles from the acreage we left to move to Texas. I went to nearly all of their rendezvous and worked at a few of them. I miss those guys.
George
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Them bows will make you or break you! ;D
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@ JW
I love that story. ;D
I'm currently working on a Yew stave, it's got lovely tight grain, but twists and turns more than a politican's promise.
I've steamed it about a dozen times, it's got some hairline longitudinal cracks, but it's pretty as a picture and if it ever becomes a bow, I just know it will be quick. Everytime I think I've got it staight enough I notice some other bend has sneaked back in >:(
Del
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Sure. Jawge
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/osage.html
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Thanks Jawge, now I know what to look for when I'm tool shopping. I'm not sure I've ever seen one of those but I'll be looking.
George