Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Badger on June 17, 2007, 11:50:58 pm

Title: All show no go! Osage self bow
Post by: Badger on June 17, 2007, 11:50:58 pm
    Here is a osage self bow I made from some twisted up osage billtes I got on e ebay for $5.00 took a little bit of heat to get her lined up. Maintained about 2 1/2" reflex from an original 4 1/4 natural reflex, had to use some heat to get 1" of my reflex back. Bow is a very sweet shooter but for some reason a little on the slow side for all the reflex it has. I do enjoy shooting the bow however so decided to make it a keeper. Just did a simple linen wrap on the handle and will finsih with bee's wax. I like to leave my outer limbs about as stiff as I can get away with and I think with all the starting reflex and stiff outer limbs I may have softened up the working limb a bit too much. Steve

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Title: Re: All show no go! Osage self bow
Post by: tom sawyer on June 17, 2007, 11:55:35 pm
Nice profile on the bow Steve.  How long is it?  That is a bow that would benefit from sinew in the working section.

I have sinew on my mind, just processed some tendons and am wanting to sinew a 52" osage bendy handle bow.









Title: Re: All show no go! Osage self bow
Post by: jignfrog on June 18, 2007, 12:11:05 am
Badger

It looks good. What does it pull. Specs and all that? 

Ron
Title: Re: All show no go! Osage self bow
Post by: Justin Snyder on June 18, 2007, 12:23:36 am
Nice looking bow Steve. It's kind of funny how we get attached to certain bows.  Justin
Title: Re: All show no go! Osage self bow
Post by: Badger on June 18, 2007, 12:30:28 am
I forgot the specs, 64" long, 53#@28". Steve
Title: Re: All show no go! Osage self bow
Post by: Pat B on June 18, 2007, 12:37:55 am
She is a looker, Steve. ;) Looks like you are only using about 1/3 of the limb. I would have expected considerable set in that area but was surprised to not see any.  Interesting. Pretty, sweet but just a little slow. Two out of 3 ain't bad! ;D   Pat
Title: Re: All show no go! Osage self bow
Post by: Ryano on June 18, 2007, 12:43:07 am
Nice Steve! Reminds me of one I made last year...... 8)

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Title: Re: All show no go! Osage self bow
Post by: koan on June 18, 2007, 12:44:38 am
Full draw looks sexy! ( the bow) :P...get your minds outa the gutter.....Brian
Title: Re: All show no go! Osage self bow
Post by: jpitts on June 18, 2007, 12:49:23 am
Beautiful curves Steve. Have you shot her thru a chrono?
Title: Re: All show no go! Osage self bow
Post by: huntersim on June 18, 2007, 01:33:27 am
Nice looking bow badger.

Have you compared a bees wax finish to paraffin?
Title: Re: All show no go! Osage self bow
Post by: Dan Perry on June 18, 2007, 01:59:51 am
Steve,

It looks nice.  If you like shooting it and are accurate, Keep it and enjoy it.  Every bow dosen't have to be a flight bow, ;)

I can't tell how wide the lims are where it works.  You think the wood started to break down then?  I did the same thing with a short osage, reflexed, static recurve bow,  Sinew backed.  I don't remember what happened to it.  It was a dog!  Built it in the mid 80's.  Even though it was sinew backed, I think it was too narrow, and too heavy at the tips.

Dan
Title: Re: All show no go! Osage self bow
Post by: Badger on June 18, 2007, 02:17:15 am
Dan, I have noticed that some of the osage i get from west kansas, or nebraska seems to never really give me the tight compression osage I get from the south, or even from places like Illinois. Some of the best osage i have worked with has come from ohio, and illinois. This wood came from kansas, osage is one wood I try to pay attention to where it comes from. The growth rings looked good and the width demensions were generous although it did come in a tad lighter than what my little formula says I should have built it at. Steve
Title: Re: All show no go! Osage self bow
Post by: OldBow on June 18, 2007, 01:45:13 pm
What a dandy! Got you bookmarked for June Self Bow of the Month for sure.
Title: Re: All show no go! Osage self bow
Post by: Marc St Louis on June 18, 2007, 05:48:59 pm
Nice bow Steve.
Title: Re: All show no go! Osage self bow
Post by: DCM on June 18, 2007, 06:14:50 pm
Nice bow Steve.  Good to see you posting some stuff.  Looks like you matched the tiller to the natural bow shape, straighter outer upper limb to account for the extra reflex there.  Makes it look like the idea tiller for a short limbed bow. 

How wide?
Title: Re: All show no go! Osage self bow
Post by: Badger on June 18, 2007, 06:19:08 pm
Dave this is 1 3/8 wide. Lately I have been going quite a bit wider on my osage bows than I used to especially near the handle and first 10" outside the fades. Using slightly rounded bellies. Steve
Title: Re: All show no go! Osage self bow
Post by: mullet on June 18, 2007, 08:04:21 pm
  Nice bow Steve,Are the limbs as thick as they look in the picture?It sure looks like it ought to be fast.What you mentioned about osage from the mid west,is similer to what I have run across with mulberry from northern states.The wood feels lighter and less dense than the mulberry I cut in Fl.Ours acts more like Osage.
Title: Re: All show no go! Osage self bow
Post by: cowboy on June 18, 2007, 08:13:20 pm
Man you've posted some killer bows. I'm just sittin back soaking it all up ;D.
Title: Re: All show no go! Osage self bow
Post by: Dan Perry on June 19, 2007, 03:00:22 pm
Steve,

Are the outer limbs light?  If so, have you run real light arrows through the cronograph with it?

Dan
Title: Re: All show no go! Osage self bow
Post by: Badger on June 19, 2007, 03:08:39 pm
Havent tried light arrows yet Dan, but the bow has that soft feel that bows get when they have been overstressed a bit. It had the very crisp feel up to about 24" and then I could feel with each 1" of draw a slight softening. This is always a dead giveaway to me. Here is the original view before I started tillering, too much reflex right out of the handle, limbs had to make a u turn  just to get braced, really hard on the limbs and tends to kill them a bit. Steve

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Title: Re: All show no go! Osage self bow
Post by: Dan Perry on June 19, 2007, 03:44:38 pm
I really like the bow next to it.  It looks like it is a sweet shooter.  What is the wood?  Very white in the picture.

I think you are right about the osage bow.  Once it softened up, that was it.

Dan
Title: Re: All show no go! Osage self bow
Post by: Badger on June 19, 2007, 04:02:14 pm
Dan the lower bow is hickory stav 72" long, The moisture was just a bit higher than I thought so I am letting it dry out a bit more, around 8 1/2% right now, otherwise the bow is finshed. I thought it was dry but I could get it to come around to a low enough mass so I checked my moisture and at that time it was close to 11%. from 11% tp it's 8.5% it has gained about 7# draw weight. Hickory really gets mushy when wet. Steve
Title: Re: All show no go! Osage self bow
Post by: AndrewS on June 19, 2007, 04:52:30 pm
A nice bow, Steve!

And if she is a good shooter she don't need to be a fps-killer ;)



a agree with you in fact of hickory!!!
Title: Re: All show no go! Osage self bow
Post by: Asiertxu on July 02, 2007, 06:13:43 pm
Thatīs a REALLY COOL BOW Steve!!... 8)...VERY NICE BOW INDEED my friend!!... :D :D...
Keep the good job fellow!!
Cheers...
Asier.
Title: Re: All show no go! Osage self bow
Post by: George Tsoukalas on July 02, 2007, 09:03:26 pm
Nice bow, Badger. Guess they can't all be screamers.
Title: Re: All show no go! Osage self bow
Post by: George Tsoukalas on July 02, 2007, 09:20:20 pm
So she took 2.75 in of set? 4.25+1-2.75? I'm thinking she wanted to be a bit wider say 1.5 particularly if you were not pleased with the ring structure. But I'm sure she's shooting quite well. I know how particular you are. :) Jawge