Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: sleek on January 22, 2015, 10:49:05 pm
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So I was working a gun show and this fellow approaches me with an old rahide backed bow missing its white horn nocks. The rawhide is delaminating and he wants me to repair it. Plan is to steam the back with a tea kettle and work the back off with dental floss with a sawing motion. I need to preserve this backing to reuse it. I dont know the species of wood but it aint osage or mulbery but has the aged osage look and smells sweet when fresh cut. Any ideas on who made this bow or the wood type? Its 71.5" long. Pics to follow.
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(http://i1092.photobucket.com/albums/i411/rocketernally/20150122_204908_zpspom519qo.jpg) (http://s1092.photobucket.com/user/rocketernally/media/20150122_204908_zpspom519qo.jpg.html)
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(http://i1092.photobucket.com/albums/i411/rocketernally/20150122_204920_zpszeh5wwcg.jpg) (http://s1092.photobucket.com/user/rocketernally/media/20150122_204920_zpszeh5wwcg.jpg.html)
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(http://i1092.photobucket.com/albums/i411/rocketernally/20150122_204929_zpscb9cymm8.jpg) (http://s1092.photobucket.com/user/rocketernally/media/20150122_204929_zpscb9cymm8.jpg.html)
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(http://i1092.photobucket.com/albums/i411/rocketernally/20150122_205000_zps7rdv2zra.jpg) (http://s1092.photobucket.com/user/rocketernally/media/20150122_205000_zps7rdv2zra.jpg.html)
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I am supposed to get this bow shooting again. Im going to get it to brace. I told him id let him know if its safe or not in my opinion, but he would have to pull it himself. Its 71" long and he has a short draw length so its probably gonna be fine.
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I restored almost the exact same bow while I was in Nevada :o The tips and back were fine, guy just wanted a new string and a few coats of tru-oil and it was fine, apparently it had seen occasional use and had been stored properly.
I could be wrong, could be coincidence, it just looks so much like the bow I worked on.
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Looks like lemonwood...
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The guy who requested I fix it for said he was given it as a gift from a friend of his who found it in a flea market. Did it have white horn tip nocks?
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Yep, dark streak through the top nock. No idea where the guy got it, and yeah it was lemonwood.
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Its possible its the same. It lives in Missouri now.
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I seen this bow first hand. It's a very interesting bow. At first glance I thought it was yew but I've never actually seen yew but once. It's shaped with a very rounded belly just like an ELB.
I think vinemaplebows posted a lemon wood bow last fall. Not sure the wood is the same color. But not sure. Patrick
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I've only seen one lemonwood bow in person and it was probably from the 30s, what makes it look like lemonwood here is how fine the grain is, you can't see any early/late contrast on the belly side. They also didn't do a lot of edge grain bows with other woods back then, lemonwood staves were just boards regardless of ring orientation.
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Lemonwood is my guess too.
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It's Lemonwood. Bob
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What was the draw weight and length on the bow you worked on huisme? Also how long ago was this?
I got the raw hide off one side and found a small splinter. Im guessing thats why it was applied to start with. Gonna superglue it down and reapply the hide with tight bond III. Hide glue was used on this to start but I want water proof.
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Because this rawhide is already trimmed to size, should I just glue it right back on or soak it and restretch it back on?
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I really don't know the draw anymore... I kept it in mind working on it but I just drew a line on a shaft and used that as my reference, eventually didn't worry about it. The guy's draw was 27", I think maybe 35-40#?
It was about four months ago, northeast Nevada in the high desert. The tips really didn't seem to be at risk so maybe it was just very similar to this bow.
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Too bad we dont know who made these. Maybe the same guy if they are that similar.