Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: leonwood on May 30, 2018, 02:24:35 pm
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A few weeks ago I got an osage stave from a friend of mine. He cut it narrow to get rid of all the cracks. Cracks kept appearing so he did not want to risk it and gave it to me.
I chased about five rings to get to a decent back, still some drying cracks remaining but since it is osage I decided to leave it like that.
The stave was relatively straight but had huge propellor twist. With all the cracks, a few knots and the prop twist I decided to play it safe and go for a low stressed reflex/deflex design.
Steamed some deflex in the handle and removed some of the propellor at the same time and started tillering.
The reflexed tips where steamed in after first brace. I always do this after bracing the bow so I know for sure both limbs are even and I can string the bow up without any problems after recurving the tips. (You need to make sure both recurves are exactly the same of course)
Now I wanted just a reflexed bow but the tips kinda look like recurves when the bow is strung. They open at full draw like I wanted to so I just left it like this.
I heat treated the bow and tried to correct some more of the prop twist but it did not really work out and I did not want to heat it too much with all the cracks in the belly so I left it like that. The tips needed some correction to line up. Unbraced it looks a bit weird with the prop twist but it lines up perfect when braced and drawn.
Top limb looks a little stiff mid limb. There is a big knot there with a concave spot in the back right after it and a drying crack really close to the side. That spot scared me so I left it stiffer on purpose.
This bow took me a lot of effort to get right and since it is my first and only piece of osage I decided to put my only snakeskin on it. It is a cobra skin I got from a friend of mine when I gave him a bow. He bought it more the 20 years ago.
I usually don’t make arrow passes but on this one I inlayed a piece of buffalo horn to match with the tips.
I have made a lot of laminated reflex/deflex bows but this is my first rd selfbow and I am pleasantly surprised by the smoothness and speed. It shoots as wel as my last few laminated rd’s so I will definately try some more rd selfbows! (Working on a yew rd already)
// specs
Wood: Osage
Length: 65” nock to nock
Max Width: 1.2 inch
Draw weight: 50#@28”
Backing: Cobra
Nocks/arrow pass: Buffalo horn
Handle: Leather from old jacket
String: 8 strand fastflight
// side
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1729/41729560534_86cf3f4995_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/26zuUvC)
// top
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1728/41729559354_d68b265864_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/26zuUah)
// braced
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1759/41729561464_16ae9bc669_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/26zuUME)
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/885/42452668221_7a90314f56_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/27Fp2ex)
// prop twist
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1743/42452667681_30f712457c_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/27Fp25e)
// handle
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1732/41729560884_87c93d262a_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/26zuUBE)
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/885/41729560284_0f83b96ac5_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/26zuUrj)
// fade
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1731/42452667881_bd7a1b7a1e_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/27Fp28F)
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1755/41729561894_44558dbab0_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/26zuUV5)
// cobra
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1733/42452667991_6193eaf25c_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/27Fp2az)
// tips
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/901/42452667041_77ef40f3a4_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/27Fp1Tc)
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/882/41729559904_dacc1250a2_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/26zuUjL)
// sunny, just for fun pic
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/898/42452667361_dc2b0173a6_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/27Fp1YH)
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1752/42452667511_21f1c47777_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/27Fp22i)
// full draw in the backyard today
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1733/28585664148_8d11afa65e_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Ky213q)
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Beautiful bow, looks like you did that osage justice. Very cool looking skins and strike plate Awesome pictures too as usual.
I bet your friend wishes he'd of kept that stave now
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Nice clean osage R/D. I love the skin(s).
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Great looking bow!
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Very cool!
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That is very nice Leonwood. You have some patience on the detail finish work, it looks awesome. It does look like a recuve, but it doesn't matter what it's called, it's a great bow.
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Very Nice bow, great tiller and finish!
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Awesome bow....love those skins!
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Yes, that is a great looking bow, excellent job!
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Looks beautiful and those skins are very cool. Is your string 8 strands total?
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You did a beautiful job on that one.Charcaterish type bows have a way getting liked.Good tiller and very nice finish work also.
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Beautiful work as usual Leon. Very impressive how you got everything lined up with those reflexed tips and all. :OK
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I can only repeat, what the others already said: beautiful bow! Very nice bend and the stave wasn’t easy to work. The Cobra skins add a lot of cool factor, too! The only thing I don’t like is the piece of wood or light colored horn you used as an arrow shelf. It’s rather edgy and looks a little like you just stuck it in as an afterthought. But that’s just high level criticism... ;)
Well done!
Greetz
Torsten
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beauty !!
it's an awesome bow. I like all about it. great attention to details and gorgeous skin :OK
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Great bow leonwood - a real pleasure to watch. In the meantime your friend maybe regrets his decision... 8)
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Beautiful, that osage is such a nice colour!
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Thanks for all the compliments guys, I really appreciate it!
@Torsten: You are right about the arrow rest! I felt the same so I did remove part of it yesterday and put the leather handle wrap a little higher so it is almost invisible now 8)
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Sweeet bow Leonwood.
Bjrogg
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That's a great looking bow. Excellent job!
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Beautiful bow in all aspects, love that style, probably my favorite. ;)
Pappy
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Beautiful Osage Bow Leon, I bet she shoots as good as she looks!
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Beautiful bow. Looks like a smooth shooter
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Beautiful bow! Now I'm wondering where I can get some Cobra skins.
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Thanks for the compliments again guys! I have been asking around for some more cobra skins but it looks pretty hard to get them for now...
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Balanced in the hand...Nice work
Don
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Beautiful work. Your attention to detail is very noticeable.
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Awesome work as usual!!
SS
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Balanced in the hand...Nice work
Don
Thanks! And glad you noticed that ;D I pay a lot of attention to balance, I basically tiller the last 4 inches by feel and looking in the mirror (my backyard window) just to get the right feel in the hand.
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Such a beautiful bow... ...why didn’t you enter it in the BOM-contest? :-\
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Such a beautiful bow... ...why didn’t you enter it in the BOM-contest? :-\
Thanks! And to be onest... did not think about it, maybe I enter it for the next one though
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Great looking bow! Mike