Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Bojahu on May 16, 2018, 12:18:43 am

Title: First bow in a long time, Unbacked Hickory #55@28
Post by: Bojahu on May 16, 2018, 12:18:43 am

Hello every one, this is my first thread. I've been making bows since I was a kid, but have been in school for a long while and didn't have the time or the space to make a bow. So this is my first attempt in 6 years. I don't have much hardwood here in eastern Idaho to cut staves from so I decided to use a hickory board I picked up at Home Depot. I put some slight recurves in and toasted the belly. Ended up 70 inches long (about 68 nock to nock) and draws #55@28. Also added an arrow pass made from a piece of white tail deer hoof. Tips are about as wide as a pen so it shoots really fast and sweet with no hand shock. Took about a half inch of set after putting 100 arrows through it.

Title: Re: Hickory #55@28
Post by: Nasr on May 16, 2018, 12:21:48 am

really pretty bow welcome back hope to see more from you.

Title: Re: First bow in a long time, Unbacked Hickory #55@28
Post by: Bob W. on May 16, 2018, 06:04:09 am

Very nice , looks like a shooter to me!

Title: Re: First bow in a long time, Unbacked Hickory #55@28
Post by: Pappy on May 16, 2018, 06:17:17 am

Nice bow, glad to see you are back at it.
 Pappy

Title: Re: First bow in a long time, Unbacked Hickory #55@28
Post by: Aaron H on May 16, 2018, 07:09:59 am

Great introduction.  That's a mighty fine looking bow.  Nice profiles, nice bend, and nice finish.

Title: Re: First bow in a long time, Unbacked Hickory #55@28
Post by: rps3 on May 16, 2018, 07:34:30 am

Looks pretty perfect from here. An unbraced pic would round out your post.

Title: Re: First bow in a long time, Unbacked Hickory #55@28
Post by: Carl Galvin on May 16, 2018, 07:46:36 am

Nice bow. What finish did you use?

Title: Re: First bow in a long time, Unbacked Hickory #55@28
Post by: ksnow on May 16, 2018, 07:54:03 am

Looks like you haven't missed a step in your time away.  Great looking bow. Very nice finish job. If you ever find yourself in WI, I can help out with the hardwoods.

Kyle

Title: Re: First bow in a long time, Unbacked Hickory #55@28
Post by: Bayou Ben on May 16, 2018, 07:59:35 am

Smooth lines on that bow, and I like that profile.  Very nice.

Title: Re: First bow in a long time, Unbacked Hickory #55@28
Post by: upstatenybowyer on May 16, 2018, 08:51:15 am

Looks very nice to me.   :OK

Title: Re: First bow in a long time, Unbacked Hickory #55@28
Post by: Billinthedesert on May 16, 2018, 08:55:38 am

Well you certainly have talent. Really nice job and beautiful tiller.

Title: Re: First bow in a long time, Unbacked Hickory #55@28
Post by: leonwood on May 16, 2018, 12:55:14 pm

Textbook boardbow! Really clean, looks great and I bet it is smooth at that length

Title: Re: First bow in a long time, Unbacked Hickory #55@28
Post by: PEARL DRUMS on May 16, 2018, 01:00:55 pm

Real nice bow.

Title: Re: First bow in a long time, Unbacked Hickory #55@28
Post by: bjrogg on May 16, 2018, 01:06:53 pm

Appears to be just like riding a bike. Doesn't look like you forgot anything. Nice tiller, nice bow. Welcome to PA.
Bjrogg

Title: Re: First bow in a long time, Unbacked Hickory #55@28
Post by: BowEd on May 16, 2018, 05:09:26 pm

Nice lines on your bow.Your string work loop taper is nice too.

Title: Re: First bow in a long time, Unbacked Hickory #55@28
Post by: Bojahu on May 16, 2018, 06:16:21 pm

Thanks guys, I appreciate all the positive feedback. Haven't been able to find any one in person who really appreciates the art of primitive archery, so it's nice to hear from folks who get it. Haha makes me feel sane . I will try and get an unbiased pic up at some point. As for the finish on the bow, it isn't anything fancy. I sanded down to a 120 grit finish then warmed up the limbs and thoroughly applied olive oil (its all I had at the time) after that I took some polishing paper i picked up some time back (think it is actually meant for metal) I soaked the polishing paper in a little oil and went over the whole bow a few times with it. Makes the wood feel smooth as silk. Normally is burnish after sanding but the polishing gave it such a nice finish I just stopped there.

Title: Re: First bow in a long time, Unbacked Hickory #55@28
Post by: Bojahu on May 16, 2018, 07:29:46 pm

Here are a few more pictures I had on my phone. Thanks again for all the feedback guys.

Title: Re: First bow in a long time, Unbacked Hickory #55@28
Post by: Hamish on May 16, 2018, 07:33:39 pm

Lovely job. It looks like it has come to life straight from the pages of the Bowyers Bibles.  Well done.

Title: Re: First bow in a long time, Unbacked Hickory #55@28
Post by: Springbuck on May 18, 2018, 03:57:15 pm

Looking good to me!  The big box stores in my area don't carry hickory or maple.

  BTW, have a look for large mountain mahoganies in your area.  I've seen some on the south end of the Sawtooths I mean to go get some day.  Should be plenty of juniper, too. 

Title: Re: First bow in a long time, Unbacked Hickory #55@28
Post by: Bojahu on May 18, 2018, 05:22:53 pm

I'll have to keep an eye out. Seems the only halfway decent bow wood I can find in the mountains is birch and down along the snake there is a lot of choke cherry and hawthoron, but they are all to short knarrly and twisted up that I haven't found one that would make a decent bow. I spoke to a couple tree trimmers yesterday though and they agreed to help me out. They told me they have some box elder that fits the parameters I'm looking for but I've heard that it is too brittle to make a bow.

Title: Re: First bow in a long time, Unbacked Hickory #55@28
Post by: burchett.donald on May 18, 2018, 05:34:03 pm

     Excellent craftsmanship and a really nice balanced bend...
                                                                                             Don

Title: Re: First bow in a long time, Unbacked Hickory #55@28
Post by: selfbow joe on May 19, 2018, 10:27:31 am

Nice looking bow

Title: Re: First bow in a long time, Unbacked Hickory #55@28
Post by: gfugal on May 27, 2018, 12:31:09 pm

Quote from: Bojahu on May 18, 2018, 05:22:53 pm

They told me they have some box elder that fits the parameters I'm looking for but I've heard that it is too brittle to make a bow.

I've been wanting to try boxelder. According to the wood database it has good compressive qualities , but isn't that dense. I wouldn't make a selfbow out if it, but maybe with a backing like sinew, elm, maple, or hickory it could work. I think you would have to treat it like juniper. If you do end up trying it, let us know how it goes.

Title: Re: First bow in a long time, Unbacked Hickory #55@28
Post by: ntvbowyer1969 on May 28, 2018, 04:52:22 pm

Very nice clean bow. Great shape to the bow. Great job.