Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Jim Davis on June 16, 2014, 06:00:25 pm

Title: Take-down hickory-backed Osage
Post by: Jim Davis on June 16, 2014, 06:00:25 pm
Just finished my latest take-down. This one is Hickory-backed Osage. I got permission to cut some trees, but almost all the wood has paper-thin rings, is twisted 90 degrees in the length of a stave or is otherwise not good bow wood.

It got me  thinking that I have been getting too much of that kind of wood and some of it is dry. It came to me that I could just make short boards out of some of it and back it with hickory. The elasticity of wood is almost all in compression  anyway.

So, I sawed, jointed and ripped some three-foot lengths to about 9/16" thick, glued 1/8" thick hickory to what would be the backs, then glued blocks of Osage to the bellies where the handle and fades would be.

Then I turned the handle ends round in my lathe (leaving the hickory back at the surface of the round part), fitted them to the screw-together sockets I made (sixth set now) and tillered the limbs.

Of course there was lots of waiting time while the glue dried and fussy work  on the lathe to get just the right slip fit that left room for a film of epoxy.

The bow is  66" nock-to-nock and 45 pounds at 28 inches. It has about an inch and a quarter of string follow when first  unbraced.

It's quick and shoots like all my other round-handled bows. If I support the bow, rather than grip it, I can shoot a wide range of spines without  spreading them all over.

Now for the photos.

Jim Davis
Title: Re: Take-down hickory-backed Osage
Post by: Jim Davis on June 16, 2014, 06:06:46 pm
More
Title: Re: Take-down hickory-backed Osage
Post by: PEARL DRUMS on June 16, 2014, 07:08:36 pm
Nice bow Jim~!
Title: Re: Take-down hickory-backed Osage
Post by: Will H on June 16, 2014, 07:14:22 pm
Love it!
Title: Re: Take-down hickory-backed Osage
Post by: tallpine on June 16, 2014, 08:03:43 pm
Nice work, I especially like your take down fixture. Is it much heaver than a regular sleeve?
Title: Re: Take-down hickory-backed Osage
Post by: JonW on June 16, 2014, 08:08:04 pm
Nicely done Jim.
Title: Re: Take-down hickory-backed Osage
Post by: Crogacht on June 16, 2014, 08:34:27 pm
Looks very very good. What did you use for the screw-in part?
Title: Re: Take-down hickory-backed Osage
Post by: Jim Davis on June 16, 2014, 09:27:57 pm
Nice work, I especially like your take down fixture. Is it much heaver than a regular sleeve?


It is heavier, just as a guess, 4 to 6 ounces heavier??

" What did you use for the screw-in part?"
I made the parts from steel tubing and bar stock that I machined to be a snug fit in the tubing pieces. I welded the solid stock  in the tubing, drilled and tapped one end in the lathe, then turned and threaded the mating part, also in the lathe.

I'm afraid this take-down method isn't DIY deal, unless you have a metal lathe and welder and know how to use them.

Title: Re: Take-down hickory-backed Osage
Post by: Crogacht on June 16, 2014, 09:33:06 pm
Interesting, thanks :)

I DON'T myself, but I know people that do. Might be a fun one down the track a bit  :laugh:
Title: Re: Take-down hickory-backed Osage
Post by: Hamish on June 16, 2014, 09:39:27 pm
Nice work all around. What are the outside dimensions of the handle?
I'd very be surprised if you didn't have a lot of interest from people wanting to buy handles to try on their own bows.
                    Hamish.
Title: Re: Take-down hickory-backed Osage
Post by: Carson (CMB) on June 16, 2014, 10:04:45 pm
Nice bow all around.  Very cool take-down hardware. 
Title: Re: Take-down hickory-backed Osage
Post by: Jim Davis on June 16, 2014, 10:20:52 pm
Nice work all around. What are the outside dimensions of the handle?
I'd very be surprised if you didn't have a lot of interest from people wanting to buy handles to try on their own bows.
                    Hamish.

The tubing is 1.25 outside diameter. The leather is pretty thin, maybe another 1/16th  of an inch to the diameter.

Title: Re: Take-down hickory-backed Osage
Post by: TRACY on June 16, 2014, 11:39:06 pm
Very nice work both metal and wood!

Tracy
Title: Re: Take-down hickory-backed Osage
Post by: bow101 on June 16, 2014, 11:44:53 pm
The simple twist of the wrist is just to cool  8)  good stuff
Title: Re: Take-down hickory-backed Osage
Post by: Jim Davis on June 16, 2014, 11:52:44 pm
I misremembered about the diameter. It's 1.25" not 1.125.  Will change it above, to avoid misunderstanding.
Title: Re: Take-down hickory-backed Osage
Post by: lostarrow on June 17, 2014, 12:06:09 am
 8)
Title: Re: Take-down hickory-backed Osage
Post by: Pappy on June 17, 2014, 05:12:15 am
Very cool,nice job. :)
 Pappy
Title: Re: Take-down hickory-backed Osage
Post by: Gsulfridge on June 17, 2014, 07:58:26 am
Ingenious design.  I like that.
Title: Re: Take-down hickory-backed Osage
Post by: burchett.donald on June 17, 2014, 09:04:59 am
Nice take-down Mr.Davis, really nice...Like your sleeve 8)
                                                                                      Don
Title: Re: Take-down hickory-backed Osage
Post by: blackhawk on June 17, 2014, 09:11:07 am
Nice one Jim...I still haven't turned me a set...guess I'm lazy  :-\ or just burnt out turning all day,n last thing I wanna do on my time off is turn more metal  :laugh:
Title: Re: Take-down hickory-backed Osage
Post by: Aaron H on June 18, 2014, 05:10:54 pm
That's pretty sweet.  Is that just plain carbon steel?  How many threads per inch did you use?
Title: Re: Take-down hickory-backed Osage
Post by: Jim Davis on June 18, 2014, 07:15:37 pm
That's pretty sweet.  Is that just plain carbon steel?  How many threads per inch did you use?

Yes, plain carbon mild steel. I used 3/4-10 tpi. I have another set to try with 3/4-16.

7/8-14 would be nice,  but I don't have a tap  that size and don't want to single-point the internal thread--too much time.

Jim
Title: Re: Take-down hickory-backed Osage
Post by: Marc St Louis on June 18, 2014, 10:05:23 pm
Pretty slick.  Certainly not your average takedown
Title: Re: Take-down hickory-backed Osage
Post by: Aaron H on June 19, 2014, 01:22:17 pm
Yea, I would think fine thread would work best with threads that short
Title: Re: Take-down hickory-backed Osage
Post by: Jim Davis on June 19, 2014, 01:30:25 pm
Yea, I would think fine thread would work best with threads that short

There are possible problems either way. A fine thread is harder to  start and easier to cross-thread.

Both seem to be plenty strong. I'm having fun with these. This bow is very obedient.

Jim