Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: The Gopher on August 26, 2013, 12:17:07 pm
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Here is a bow i have been working on off and on for a while. I got this stave from a friend who cut it with the best intentions but never got around to it, so for the last 8 years it sat outside on top of his shed, don't ask me why he put it there. I trimmed an end off and saw awesome growth rings so i thought what the heck i'll give it a try. Once i got through most of the cracks and checking i was getting a little skinny on wood. There are a lot of challenging features of this bow, knots swirly grain, a spot where a branch was shooting off, waves, etc. This was the most character i have worked with. Because I was limited in width due to removing all the checks, i left it as long as i could.
It is 69" tip to tip, and came in at 43# @ 26". The finish is 3 coats of superglue rubbed on with a glove, this is the first time i have used CA on a bow as a finish and am happy with it so far. I didn't use any heat on this to correct it since i honestly wasn't sure that it would survive past floor tiller. Aside from all the lumps and bumps it was really a very "straight" stave and literally took zero set, it goes right back to flat after unstringing.
The character made it difficult for me to tiller, hopefully it isn't too bad. it is still in one piece so i am happy with it.
(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b194/MN_Littles/100_7513_zps2c638cf0.jpg) (http://s19.photobucket.com/user/MN_Littles/media/100_7513_zps2c638cf0.jpg.html)
(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b194/MN_Littles/100_7512_zpscda079ec.jpg) (http://s19.photobucket.com/user/MN_Littles/media/100_7512_zpscda079ec.jpg.html)
(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b194/MN_Littles/100_7517_zpseea3126e.jpg) (http://s19.photobucket.com/user/MN_Littles/media/100_7517_zpseea3126e.jpg.html)
(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b194/MN_Littles/IMG_20130825_131030_237_zps795283ff.jpg) (http://s19.photobucket.com/user/MN_Littles/media/IMG_20130825_131030_237_zps795283ff.jpg.html)
(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b194/MN_Littles/IMG_20130825_131113_606_zps169e9b58.jpg) (http://s19.photobucket.com/user/MN_Littles/media/IMG_20130825_131113_606_zps169e9b58.jpg.html)
(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b194/MN_Littles/IMG_20130825_131057_143_zps29094929.jpg) (http://s19.photobucket.com/user/MN_Littles/media/IMG_20130825_131057_143_zps29094929.jpg.html)
(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b194/MN_Littles/IMG_20130825_130958_414_zpse56b80ff.jpg) (http://s19.photobucket.com/user/MN_Littles/media/IMG_20130825_130958_414_zpse56b80ff.jpg.html)
(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b194/MN_Littles/IMG_20130825_131017_826_zps7336b2bd.jpg) (http://s19.photobucket.com/user/MN_Littles/media/IMG_20130825_131017_826_zps7336b2bd.jpg.html)
(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b194/MN_Littles/IMG_20130825_131136_354_zps73bcd9f2.jpg) (http://s19.photobucket.com/user/MN_Littles/media/IMG_20130825_131136_354_zps73bcd9f2.jpg.html)
(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b194/MN_Littles/IMG_20130825_130654_454_zps55b0bdef.jpg) (http://s19.photobucket.com/user/MN_Littles/media/IMG_20130825_130654_454_zps55b0bdef.jpg.html)
(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b194/MN_Littles/IMG_20130825_130751_190_zps56cdcca9.jpg) (http://s19.photobucket.com/user/MN_Littles/media/IMG_20130825_130751_190_zps56cdcca9.jpg.html)
(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b194/MN_Littles/IMG_20130825_131242_114_zpsb26f8f76.jpg) (http://s19.photobucket.com/user/MN_Littles/media/IMG_20130825_131242_114_zpsb26f8f76.jpg.html)
(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b194/MN_Littles/IMG_20130825_131610_137_zpsab298423.jpg) (http://s19.photobucket.com/user/MN_Littles/media/IMG_20130825_131610_137_zpsab298423.jpg.html)
(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b194/MN_Littles/IMG_20130825_131642_397_zps84e3bc99.jpg) (http://s19.photobucket.com/user/MN_Littles/media/IMG_20130825_131642_397_zps84e3bc99.jpg.html)
(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b194/MN_Littles/IMG_20130825_131635_899_zps9169d982.jpg) (http://s19.photobucket.com/user/MN_Littles/media/IMG_20130825_131635_899_zps9169d982.jpg.html)
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Holy hinge batman!!!! >:D
Seriously you did pretty good on that stave ;)
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Now that's what you call seasoned wood.Nice job.
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Heck of a job. Love those character bows.
I don't see a hinge, but with these type of bows you really have to watch it draw (e.g. continuous, not still frames) to see whether its bending evenly.
If anything it might be a hair stiff on the inner 1/3 of the upper limb, but I would leave it. How does it shoot?
Nice work man, why to find a stave in that old log.
Gabe
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nice bow, love the charactor in it.
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Pictures, 5 and 6 from the top show the "knee" in the upper limb. I was leary of trying to get that spot to bend too much, even though it looks like a terrible hinge, i think it is actually a little stiff.
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I like it! Alot! Way to read the wood!
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Cool bow and well done!
Thats a characterbow if i ever saw one. :o
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Nice!
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SWEEEEEEEEEET!
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Pictures, 5 and 6 from the top show the "knee" in the upper limb. I was leary of trying to get that spot to bend too much, even though it looks like a terrible hinge, i think it is actually a little stiff.
I think you are reading that pseudo-hinge correctly, it's a knee in the wood and is there to throw folks off! Little or no set, eh? And yet some people do not believe in a difference between seasoned wood and dry wood. Good work, Gopher, major props to you!
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Heckuva bow, gopher!
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Man that's a beauty! Way to read that wood.....what's the wrapping for on the top limb?
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Wow! Nice work. Now ya just gotta stick a deer with it 8)
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Great work. You did that knee up right. Way to work it!
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Thanks guys! This is easily the most challenging bow i have done, I took my time and didn't rush anything. It's amazing what an incredible tool patience is!
Randman, the wrap is where a check was nearly running off the limb, i felt better wrapping it, even though it survived through tillering with no wrap.
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Great work Gopher, a really cool bow. This is one of the things that attracted me to self bows, the fact that you can take a weathered piece of osage and get it to bend into a functional bow and hunt with it. I started my journey with selfbows by working with 65yr old fence post of osage.
You made a thing of beauty outta that piece man.
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Nicely done! You handled the character well. The only thing I would suggest is to keep an eye on that knot that runs 3/4 of the way across the belly in pic 5. If that starts crushing out, it will fold up like a cheap suit. Unless of course the actual knot is gone and that is just where the grain curled around it. That being the case, it should be fine. Sure is pretty! Josh
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Yeah, that spot has been on my radar from the start, there is also an area of swirly grain just above the handle that I will continue to watch. both of these areas had several treatments of superglue during the build, fingers crossed!
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Looks cool, hope it lasts many shots for you.
I second patience being a great tool, I seem to set it down and lose it now and then.
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Nicely done! You handled the character well. The only thing I would suggest is to keep an eye on that knot that runs 3/4 of the way across the belly in pic 5. If that starts crushing out, it will fold up like a cheap suit. Unless of course the actual knot is gone and that is just where the grain curled around it. That being the case, it should be fine. Sure is pretty! Josh
That curly grain is sure eyecatching...must be a pleasure to keep your eye on it.
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Looks cool, hope it lasts many shots for you.
I second patience being a great tool, I seem to set it down and lose it now and then.
Haha, sometimes i don't just set it down i loose it in a pile of shavings, only to be found when the frustration of another broken bow forces me to sweep the garage!
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Very nice bow.