Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Around the Campfire => Topic started by: gstoneberg on December 10, 2012, 02:54:09 pm
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Have y'all ever burned out on your bowmaking? I've always loved to build bows and even more enjoy helping somebody build their first bow, but lately I'm struggling to go out and work on the bows I have in progress. Even shooting my self bows has lost it's allure. I'm sure part of my problem, being the gregarious type, is that I've not made a friend in the neighborhood I can build bows with since moving to Dallas. Maybe I should post on Craig's list...Bow Making Friend Wanted, $1. :) Hasn't helped that I've had a tough deer season. I've had 3 shot opportunities at legal deer (we have antler restrictions here), shot under a beautiful buck that was further out than I thought; missed a doe when my lower limb smacked the tree stand; and didn't even get an arrow off at the deer last Sat morning when I was distracted by a crow that landed 10' from my ground blind. How often do you get the chance to shoot a crow with a self bow? Anyway, I sure wish the old desire to crank out bows would come back.
George
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I'm the same way George. I get Burt on bows and focus on knappin then turn around 6months later and drop knappin and start building bows ;)
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I think you can burn out on just about any hobby. I agree with Will H. If I feel like I am burning out on one thing, I will set it aside and concentrate on something else for a while. It really seems to help. I am getting burned out on bowhunting right now. I live where there are antler restrictions and so I have not even got to draw on a deer yet this year. I have had several small bucks within 15 ft of my stand, but I cannot shoot because they have too few points. Its rough when I am wanting to get my first selfbow kill, and can't shoot. But that said, we only have a month of bow season left here, and I have not touched a bow to work on since early Oct. so I am about ready to start working on bows again. Give it a few months and work on something else, and hopefully you will want to get back to bowmaking.
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I think I have the cure for you George, go and pick out the nastiest, bug infested stave you can find in your stash and then spend a few days just looking at it trying to see the bow hidden inside. Then wait until the mood strikes you just right and I bet you will tear into that thing with a cloud of yellow dust all around.
I think you should try the craigslist idea. You might be supprised by the response you get. Just be careful inviting strangers from the internet to your house.
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George, I haven't built a bow in almost a year. :( I haven't hardly shot bows much lately and never even hunted this year. :o I had the day off of work today due to rain so I have spent a few hours in my shop getting back into it. It sure feels good to do so. Just like getting frustrated while building bows walking away for a while will get your mind back into it, I promise. ;)
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Yeah, burn out creeps in when it stops being fun. I've talked to a couple guys who have hit deer with blunts just to say in practice. Now that sounds like fun! >:D
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i feel your pain george, never have had someone to work on bows with, or knap for that matter, if i get burnt on bows i'll knap or get some steel out and make a knife or something else, that's why i dont build bows for the christmas xchange, just want to do something differant, but the fire allways comes back, Bub
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Thanks all. Clint, I'm just packaging my worst stave to send to Sleek because that's what he asked for. You're right about strangers these days. I think everybody's right, I need a break. Even flint knapping isn't tripping my trigger the way it was. :( I already have a new project to work on. :) There's an old gas golf cart sitting derelict at my deer lease and I just got permission this morning to trailer it home and bring it back to life in the shop. That'll be a nice diversion. Have to find a way to get some osage in that build. ;) Maybe somebody'll need some help building a bow this winter. That always gets me excited.
George
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Just about the same situation as you G, you could allways take-up hunting deer with a cinch. I gaurantee it'll get ya in the mood >:D Do what ya feel like, lifes too short not to.
rich
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G-berg, I get the same thing, run that trapline for about 6 weeks an I'm burned out, been nice weather for trapping so as soon as I pull feel guilty because I'm wasting good weather, also big difference between checking traps an trapping, picked up my knapping tools an got a few this week, got a bow half finished from last winter, soon it will be snowing an i'll start on the bow again. The trapline turns into a job because of 7 days a week checking kinda like milking cows, no breaks no vacation days. Next trapping season I'll be all fired up to try an hit it hard for as long as I can :D :DBob
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bob has it right about having to do it makeing it seem like work, thats why i dont sell bows, if i gotta do something i dont want to, Bub
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Yes sir George. That's why I have 12+ bows left unfinished. It's been awhile since I completed one and need to at this point. When I'm inspired again I will hit hard. Go break some rock until you're in the mood to work a bow ;)
Tracy
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I burned out on making bows a few years back. Luckily, I discovered crossbows, but will get back to making self bows one of these days. Time is so limited, that is one of the big issues I always face.
Dane
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I've got two bows almost finished, another real close, and 4 more half way finished. It's hard to get motivated when it's hunting season here and I haven't had a shot at a deer in three states with a bow or gun. Maybe that's why I'm working on walking sticks, powder horns and scrimshawing.
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I understand how you feel, too. Go futz around with the golf cart so that you can haul my lazy butt around hunting hogs when I get down there!
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i wish i was closer to you.i need all the help i can get.getting a grizzly 14" bandsaw this week.i was burned out drawknifing all of my fat staves by hand.i got burned out real quick and didn't want to work on any.maybe with the saw it will ignite the fire in me again.don't worry,i am sure you will get the fever again.it is in your blood.
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I hear ya,I try not to let that happen by just move from one project to another,Arrows/trade points for a while,then a knife or 2, then on to some hide tanning and then back to bows, with some hunting in between, I use to hunt hard every day of the season,it turned into a job,Now I hunt only when I really want to. Never stay at any one thing to long. :) A few friends around does help to keep you motivated ,but I seem to do most of my bow work, at least on my own stuff when I am by myself. :) :)
Pappy
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Build a type of bow you never have. Maybe it will challenge you and change your mood. A true static recurve usually pulls me out of my funks. Its easy to get complacent on straight bows of any length after 4-5 dozen of them. Make yourself a 58" sinew backed static recurve and see what happens.
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I took 8 years off from archery. Got real into decorative iron work, knives, furniture, fishing, fly tying, backpacking, canoeing and probably 100 other things. I just always needed a project and I am always looking for a challenge. Now I have A REAL CHALLENGE, 2 daughters 2 1/2 and 6 months. The only free time I have to myself is playing with wood in my garage and that helps me keep my sanity.
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Thank you all. It is heartening to see that what I'm going through is not unique to me. And paulsemp, the problem for me is that I'm just the opposite. I have lots of time now to pursue building bows. Our kids are grown and moved far away so it's just the wife and I here. I built this big shop for bow building and have amassed all the tools I need. Right now there's enough osage stacked in my yard and on my wood racks to last the rest of my life. My wife is a serious quilter and cuts me tons of slack when I get to building a bow or knapping. Nothing stands in the way of my building any bow I want...except me. But, I just don't have the drive like I used to. And that's not just with primitive archery, it's with many areas in my life. I suppose that's part of the aging process. So that's why I posted, to see if it happens to others and whether it might come back. And if I can sum up what I've read, it sounds like all of us have ebbs and flows in our pursuit of hobbies. That's encouraging to me...to think that I can take a break and it'll be there when I get the itch again and I'm pretty sure I will. So, I've bought a little R/C electric helicopter and am having a ton of fun flying around the living room. I haven't flown an R/C plane for 20 years. My wife is scared to death I'll start up that hobby again. ;D ;D
Thanks,
George
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Maybe its time to get some of those little blue pills George ;D
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Clints on to something George!
If that doesnt work....try yew.....I guess its like marshmellows to work with....
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Maybe its time to get some of those little blue pills George ;D
:o :o That's not the drive I was referring to... :o :o
If that doesnt work....try yew.....I guess its like marshmellows to work with....
I know Pearlie, I once turned a yew bow from a 50 pounder to a 30 pounder in 2 strokes of a draw knife. That's one reason the beautifully straight piece I have has sat waiting for a year.
George
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Only built a few this year, but I totally understand. I also love bowhunting, use to have every gadget there was available.....then found primitive bows. I look for bow staves more than hunt half the time, and enjoy taking out a newby more than killing something myself. I think I get more of a adreniline rush from watching a newbie than killing myself these days. Bottom line EVERYTHING gets old at some point.
VMB
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George,
I sure was glad to read this. I'm sorry that's going on, but it's a rut.. Burn out or whatever you call it.. I burned out on snake skinning/prepping skins this summer and I kept at it.. This summer it was no longer a hobby, but a means to pay for my deer lease. I ended up selling enough skins to pay for my lease, deer corn and such, but it came with a price.
It became work. It's a nasty nasty thing to skin so many snakes and I literally felt sick to my stomach and took a few days to recover each time i got back at it. Not to mention that I got in a bind owing folks rattler skins that I couldn't come up with. That really didn't help..
I know my comments haven't been about bow making, but that's what I do and I can certainly relate. I've asked myself several times, "what's wrong with me? I don't want to skin and prep snake skins? Will it ever go away?"
I hope so because nothing makes me happier than to see a snake skin Diego and I skinned and prepared her in Texas adorning a bow in a far away state.. Far far from this country we call Texas ;D
Cipriano
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Maybe you could toss an ad in the local paper and see if you can get 4-6 folks together to give lessons to? You have a surplus of staves and nice shop. Its easier to talk about it than to pull a draw knife! You never know, teaching others may reignite the fire.
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Teaching others always gets me going PD, that's a good idea. I think I'll do that. Thanks Cip and VMB, I so understand.
George