Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Del the cat on August 14, 2011, 01:36:53 pm
-
This is a lot of firsts for me, so be gentle with me.
First Osage.
First spliced billets.
First static recurve.
I shot it for the first time today and it still needs some final tweaking and I may add a leather grip, the arrow pass has been relieved by an extra 1/8" to match my arrows a bit better and I adjusted the string grooves and nocking point. She shoots pretty well (better than me!)
Once it's all finished I'll sign it and name it 'Texas' from whence the billets came (thanks George).
47# @ 28", I'm aiming for 45# so I've got a few pounds to play with.
64" ntn, with a short grip in Del style :D, with the heel of my left hand overflowing onto the curve of the fade. No arrow shelf and not much cut away at the arrow pass, all a tad ELB ;).
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp195/Del_the_Cat/Website%20stills/100_1372.jpg)
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp195/Del_the_Cat/Website%20stills/100_1375.jpg)
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp195/Del_the_Cat/Website%20stills/100_1376.jpg)
I guess my splice isn't too shabby for a first attempt (to be honest the other side isn't as good :'(), the last pic is upside down, so slight cut away for the arrow pass is bottom right.
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp195/Del_the_Cat/Website%20stills/100_1373.jpg)
I'm very impressed with Osage, although it did give me a few splinters and couple of worrying moments. Very different to Yew but great to work and it certainly loves the scraper.
Del
-
You did a great job on your series of "firsts" Del! Well done!!! 8)
-
Golden :)
Did the Osage bug bite ya? You jonesing for more?
-
Yup I got Yeller fever ;D.
I couldn't believe how bright the sawdust was comin' off my badsaw, it was like the sherbet we had as kids. (No I didn't taste it ::))
The term 'Jonesing' gets lost in translation, but presumably means fishing or scroungeing? I did a trade for some Yew, which is in short supply, I'm jealous of that huge haul of Osage that Osage Outlaw hauled out... mind there was a few day hard labour involved. (It was too far for me to go and help!)
Del
-
Del, "jonesing" is the same as withdrawals...as in addictions!
-
Del....jonesing means to crave something badly like a smoker needs his cigarette or a drug addict needing his drug ;) sounds like you are. This might help ya,I just harvested almost 20 staves worth o yeller wood yesterday >:D and I want more :laugh:
-
Del,
That splice is "purfect" and that tiller looks really well done, maybe ya can see better than me :o really a very nice bow, just like your others, sir 8)
rich
-
You da man Del! Looks good!
-
Well done Del! Osage or not, its a sharp bow.
-
Nice Del, I especially admire your splice! Myself, I dabble with other bow woods but, osage is my mainstay.
-
Wow! That really is a super bow, Del. Great tiller. Jawge
-
Thanks for the comments guys. Here's a close up of my short style grip, it's more comfortable than it looks honest :).
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp195/Del_the_Cat/Website%20stills/100_1380.jpg)
Del
-
Lovely Del. Your first splice is better than my last of many. You did that wood proud. Full draw looks perfect to me. I've been anxious for you to post since that teaser pic you sent. It was worth the wait. ;D
George
-
Totaly good bow Del!
-
Looking good Del...the bow i mean ;D
/Mikael
-
Nicely done Del. The tiller looks perfect.
-
Del, great job on a lot of firsts; fine looking bow!
-
Great job Del. That yellar wood is something special. Danny
-
I'd pay a dollar to test drive that baby....
Nicely done.
-
Looks good....wish my firsts came out as well!!
-
sweet bow Del, I'm working on my first osage, gifted from George, it's really nice wood to work ;D, Bub
-
That is a damn fine tiller. Very well done.
G
-
Del, sweeeeeetness!
It's fun stuff this Osage, huh? Like it better than Yew?
-
Del, sweeeeeetness!
It's fun stuff this Osage, huh? Like it better than Yew?
Sometimes things are just different, not better, not worse.....just different. That's my take on it anyway.
-
Thats a beauty! Well done as usual!
Josh
-
Del, sweeeeeetness!
It's fun stuff this Osage, huh? Like it better than Yew?
I like it for being different, it's not better as such it's nice to ahve a different feel and of course we make the bow to suit the wood.
I started out using the 'recipe' from TBB1. OF course that soon went out of the window as I had to use the wood I had, one billet was clean and fat with one little character wiggle, the other was fairly narrow where it had been split out. Then I decided to play with flipping the tips and experience and feel took over (plus a few words of help and encouragement from George).
If I was only going to be allowed one wood for the rest of my life I'd be hard pressed to choose. I think the fun is in trying as many timbers as possible.
I'm certainyl pleased to have used Osage at last, I remember reading about it as a kid (with no money and no internet) and thinking what the heck is Osage? ;D
Del
-
Sweet!
Yellow wood is not so often in England isn't it? ;D
Congrats for the "first" meet with her >:D ;D
GMC I'm the second after U! ;)
-
Beautiful bow, Del! Nice job on all "firsts".
-
Looking good Del, sweet bow. Osage is super nice to work with in my opion. Another cool thing is that it gets darker with age/sunlight. In a couple of years it really start to look good.
I know where there are 2 osage 'trees' in England.....my greenhouse!
-
Looks very nice, Del. I was just reading last night that Osage wood and fruit were part of the first Lewis and Clark findings shipment back to Washington for Jefferson. Lewis noted how highly regarded the wood was by the natives, that they would travel hundreds of miles to obtain it.
Your bow has a great profile!
-
Looks like you sharpened your claws nicely on that ol' post of George's. Curiosity could kill you, but the satisfaction you should feel over that bow is more than enough to bring you back.
-
Looks like you sharpened your claws nicely on that ol' post of George's. Curiosity could kill you, but the satisfaction you should feel over that bow is more than enough to bring you back.
LOL :laugh:
Del
-
Del great job on this one, It looks like we were working on our first yellow wood at the same time, and even the profiles and nocks are similar. I do love your short grip section. I might want to be trying that on my next one, able to get a little more wood working for you that way. Again sir, very fine specimen from an exceptional bowyer!
Mark
-
Del great job on this one, It looks like we were working on our first yellow wood at the same time, and even the profiles and nocks are similar. I do love your short grip section. I might want to be trying that on my next one, able to get a little more wood working for you that way. Again sir, very fine specimen from an exceptional bowyer!
Mark
Cheers,
The short grip needed a bit of shooting and filing since I took that pic until it felt good, I find it takes a while to feel any high spots and edges which don't sit right, then a few strokes of a big old half round file and try it some more, after a while it just sits in the hand.
You are right about it getting more wood working, it's handy on those staves which you wish were a couple of inches longer.
I was originally expecting to have to build up the back of the bow with leather, but I've got it feeling right now and it shoots about as accurate and consistent as I can expect. I'll post a pic of how it looks now (once it stops raining!)
Del
-
... I'll post a pic of how it looks now (once it stops raining!)
Del
I'm so envious. I twisted an ankle last night stepping into a crack in the ground while going out to move a sprinkler in the dark. I've never seen it this dry anywhere I've ever lived.
Anxious to see more pics Del.
George
-
Bit of a silly shot, I drew round my hand with a pencil so you can see how small the grip is and how it wraps over the fade. I marked the arrow pass with a line.
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp195/Del_the_Cat/Website%20stills/100_1384.jpg)
You can see how the splice started out 4" long and ended up 3" by the time I'd made the darned thing fit ;D.
S'pose I should get a front view shot? and a nockshot? ::)
Sorry about the ankle George, I just took some more pics but it's too dark in the garage and the flash made 'em too shiny.
I'll PM you a bucket of rain water ;)
Del
-
Del,
I would wrap that handle with thread to strengthen the splice. It might be overkill, but I've never had a splice fail and I've wrapped them all. Beautiful glue line on that splice. Always a shame to cover a gorgeous handle.
I'll take rain any way I can get it. Twisting an ankle at this age is no big deal. Not sure why, but they don't swell and hurt like they did when I thought I was an athlete. I'm glad, used to have terrible ankle problems.
George
-
Del - the tiller and the splice look perfect to me. Excellent work with beautiful wood. It's a shame we can't get more osage over here - I've made one osage bow from a stave bought on the internet from Hungary (which you have seen) and I love it despite my shoddy workmanship. The only problem I have with osage is that you have to buy it and ship it: other than that it is an amazing wood and I think an osage bow is much tougher than a yew one.
I'm still fiddling around with hazel stave you gave me at the camp - it's got a lot of propeller twist and is proving more "interesting" than I expected.
Stan
-
Cheers, yeah Hazel can be a bit deceptive, it's so hard to even see the grain, so it all looks lovely and straight and even until something unexpected happens.
It was a bit narrow too, but hopefully it'll make some sort of bow.
I've gathered a fair bit of Hornbeam recently from the local woods where they've had groups of kids tidying up around the pathways and some of 'em got a bit saw happy ::).
I'm looking forward to another primitive meet next year, I'll try and get some better staves to trade and barter.
I'll have to try to make one of thos primitive crossbows too.
Del
-
Very nice work, tiller looks dead on and I like the short grip,I do most of mine that way. :) :) Splice looks great. Never seen one fail that fits like that. :)
Pappy
-
More than just nice Del, it is sweet. I have never worked osage but it always amazes me how little wood it takes to make a 50# bow. classy job on both firsts.