Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: bjrogg on May 29, 2019, 07:53:17 am
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This is a HHB bendy with static recurves. I cut this tree about four years ago from my farm. It's from the same tree I made the bow I shot my first selfbow buck from. It was standing less than thirty feet from where I was standing when I let that arrow loose. This stave had a nasty kink in it. HHB isn't as easy to manipulate with heat as Osage but it's not impossible. I did some serious heating and straightening. Then I steamed in the recurves. This was one of my therapy bows I worked on to help keep my mind off the wet fields I couldn't plant. I'm usually not working on bows in late March, April and May. I went through a lot off wood during that time frame this year.
I took it off the caul and it lost a bit of its recurves and reflex. I worked on another bow for a few days till I thought this one was reacclimatized and then I tiller it out to 52@24". It seemed pretty snappy, but I was disappointed that it lost so much recurve and reflex when I took it off the caul. I decided to steam in the recurves again and set them with dry heat this time. I gave the belly a really good black toasting. I was much happier when I removed it from the caul this time. It gave up a little but kept enough to satisfy me. I scraped off the charred belly but it still was pretty dark. It had gained weight and I got it back to 52@24" again. It really seemed snappy now.
I shot it in and then decided to do some finish work. I put whitetail Antler on the tips. It had a nice brown stain on its back already from when I first harvested the stave before I sealed its back. It needed a little more. I had a snake skin I got from Clint. It really looked a little boring without a lot of pattern. It was something he threw in extra with the deal. He's a great guy to deal with. I only had one skin and nothing to match it. I decided to cut it right down the center of its back. The skin was pretty wide and the bow was kinda narrow. It fit almost perfectly except for one kink I had to patch a little sliver in. As soon as I put it on the bow and whipped the scales off the pattern came to life. It's a really translucent skin and the stain on the bow really made its pattern pop. It's really my favorite snake skin backed bow I've done. I asked Clint and he thought it was water moccasin.
I had to come up with a name for my therapy bow and it suddenly popped in my head. I decided to call her "Burnt Offering". I took her to Marshall and shoot the coarse several times. Gave her a good work out shooting the poachers round and she really shot flat for the bear across the pond.
Hope you all like her . I sure do.
Bjrogg
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Like that a lot! Those antler tips are very cool. BOM work!
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Thanks Slimbob. I know Simson and Druid got a couple dandies. Thought they might like a little friendly competition. I thought I had my profile pictures all resized but I can't get them to post. I'll try to get them up as soon as I can.
Bjrogg
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Nice job BJ!
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Thanks DC. I think I got my pictures ready now. Here's the last four.
Bjrogg
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That's a beautiful bow you did a great job.
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Nice bow bj! Was that the bow at the marshalls with the cracks in the recurves that you were working on? Its beautiful!
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Thanks deerhunter21. No this is the one I shot in the bear across the pond. It's the one I let you shoot by the pavilion that first night. I believe you said it was the first time you ever shot a selfbow.
Bjrogg
PS I didn't finish the one you were thinking of yet. I got it ready to string now though. Most of those cracks on the belly side of the statics are gone now. Just a little cosmetic stuff.
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thats beautiful,,, very nice congrats
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Very nice "offering", BJ! :BB. I like those antler tips!
Hawkdancer
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Excellent little bow, BJ. Well done. :OK
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Nice looking bow BJ. Glad you could keep yourself busy during the poor weather. Let's sure hope it turns soon.
Kyle
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very nice, like her
Hans
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I like that tiller!
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Great job Brian. That bow came out really nice. Love the name, too.
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That's a great looking bow BJ. I'm glad I got to see it in person.
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I like that one a lot! Great job!
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Thanks Slimbob. I know Simson and Druid got a couple dandies. Thought they might like a little friendly competition. I thought I had my profile pictures all resized but I can't get them to post. I'll try to get them up as soon as I can.
Bjrogg
What are you talking Brian, no chance to compete with your bow. You did great, profiles and finish are top notch - I like it very much and I'm pretty sure make the race. Would like to work some day with HHB, we have only some similar woods here in Germany.
Again, awesome work. Good to have more entries in BOM.
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nice bow. Seems like every bow you make is better than the last.
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Thanks Jerry And Pat
Kyle I'm feeling so blessed now that we were able to sneak in our sugarbeets, corn and soybeans. We worked really hard at it when we had the chance. A lot never got a chance yet. It's been raining and wet here again but I just took my dad out to see if the last field of beets I planted came up and it looks like it's going to. Still a little cold for the corn and soy yet. Hopefully everyone else can get crop in soon.
Thanks Eric. It sure feels like its tillered good.
Thanks Steve I always feel more attached to them when they tell me their name.
Was great to see you Clint. Wish it could have been for longer. Would've liked to shoot the coarse with you. Hope everything went well for your daughters graduation.
Thanks WillB
Simson ThankYou so much for all the inspiration you have given me and so many others. You do such fine work and I very much respect your opinion. I truly would love to meet you and make some shavings together some day.
Thanks Jeff. I think that's because I'm still learning.
Thanks everyone for looking
Bjrogg
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Bj,
Lovely bend and balance...I really like the skins...Excellent craftsmanship
Don
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Hey bj, that's one killer bow. It's pretty obvious you needed very very strong medicine. Hope the skies have cleared up again - also here in europe we had lotsa rain and there was snow on begin of may. Still there is hope and the first summerdays are predicted for the weekend. Wish you a good planting season! cheers
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BJ that bow is a stunner, everything about it really speaks to me from the static tips to the bendy handle to the grouse tip overlays. Bows like this one are what inspire me and are where I want my designs to end up.
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What a beautiful little bow, the tiller looks amazing!
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Nice bow and well named.
Burnt Offering is the first bow I heat-treated and wrote about for PA in early 2000, it was an Elm recurve
Well done
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Thanks Don, I remember seeing a few really nice bendies you've done.
Simk this is strong medicine for me. I'd be going crazy without it. You can really see people starting to get depressed and grumpy from all this rainy weather. The sun did come out for awhile today though and my sugarbeets actually kinda like this yecky weather. Best of Luck with your country's planting season to.
NZnuka im honored that you are inspired by my bow. I understand as I have been inspired by so many others. ThankYou sir.
Airkah ThankYou, I hope your working on another of your creations. I'm looking forward to seeing it.
Marc Thanks. I didn't realize that was the name you gave that Elm bow. It almost seems impossible, but I think I remember hearing that bow shot something like 245 fps? I would never have been able to heat treat it like that without inspiration from you. It really did perk up a already perky bow.
Bjrogg
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Another fantastic, all around great looking bow.
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Ohh now i can say personally that this bow is AWESOME!
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Great little bendy! I always like your tillerwork. This bowmaking thing is great therapy ;D
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Simson ThankYou so much for all the inspiration you have given me and so many others. You do such fine work and I very much respect your opinion. I truly would love to meet you and make some shavings together some day.
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Yep, that would be a lot of fun! You just need to swim over the pond ...
(I have 3 working places & benches in my garage!!!! and some hundred staves)
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ThankYou rps3
Russell. I remember the look on you and your dads face when I shot it. I also remember the look on your faces when you shot it. I'm pretty sure mine had a big smile to.
Leonwood you are a fine bowyer. You have learned well. I remember seeing your first bow and knowing it was going to be a BOM. Thanks and I think we both take the same medicine.
Simson. If it ever warms up enough I might practice in the big lake till I think I can make it across the pond. I'll bring my rubber duckie.
Bjrogg
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Hey there my friend, sorry it took me so long to get a chance to comment on this one. I'm rounding the last bend of the annual game of tag if you know what I mean.
First thing's first, that tiller is spot on. I love the tips, skins and grip too. She looks as though she's just completely disappear in the woods. I'll bet that wasn't accidental. ;)
Awesome bow )P(
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Thanks Jeff. I don't think it took that long for you to reply. Less than 24 hours for sure.
I'm sure your ready to play tag. You get the school year over and then the shavings will really fly. If you can make it to my neck of the woods my offer always is open. Have a great summer buddy.
Bjrogg
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Bjrogg, so did you really heat treat until a bit of char was on the belly? My current hickory project I think (my scale has walked off...) is going to come in a bit light so your "heavy" heat treat has me interested. I have treated the stave once already to a nice marshmallow tan/brown but I think I did it too early maybe as that was a full 1/8th" worth of wood ago. I am guessing/assuming my first heat treat did not go that deep? Or not much deeper...I have purposely not been drawing it too much yet as I didn't want to compress the belly before I could get a second heat treat on it.
Thanks for your thoughts. Paul
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Yes Paul I did. It seems to me HHB likes a good toasting. I also wanted it to set its recurves and hoping to get a little reflex. Usually I end up scraping most of the dark colors away when I tiller but I decided to give this one a second heat treat after I had already tillered it once. I'm not sure how hickory is with heat. I know it performs better in dry conditions. I think the heat treatment helps compression in certain woods and I think hickory is a bit poor in compression. I'm really not a authority on this stuff though. All I can say is what I've tried. I can usually feel the difference in the wood when I'm scraping it. It scrapes much harder where it's been treated. Other than the chard stuff.
Bjrogg
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You been cranking out some real high class stuff. Very nice bow all around. Sure do like the tips on this one, they fit right in with the skins.
Mike
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ThankYou rps3
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Simson. If it ever warms up enough I might practice in the big lake till I think I can make it across the pond. I'll bring my rubber duckie.
Bjrogg
Haha, like the rubber duck idea. We have a rubber duck race competion at a river here nearby my home. So when you come we can take part and see how fast is the American duck. Hopefully your duck is as yeller as osage :OK :OK :OK
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ThankYou rps3
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Simson. If it ever warms up enough I might practice in the big lake till I think I can make it across the pond. I'll bring my rubber duckie.
Bjrogg
Haha, like the rubber duck idea. We have a rubber duck race competion at a river here nearby my home. So when you come we can take part and see how fast is the American duck. Hopefully your duck is as yeller as osage :OK :OK :OK
Ha ha. Simson, glad you have a rubber duckie race. Yes my American duckie is yellow like Osage. I'm guessing he's actually born in China though if you know what I mean. Pretty sure those German duckies would leave him in their wake.
Bjrogg
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Very very nice far better than any of my few creations
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Very very nice far better than any of my few creations
Thanks Delta Wolf. It took me about sixty bows to get here. Keep at it. It'll come. I'm still very much learning.
Bjrogg
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Well, after a long thinking about BOM selfies - I know which one will have my vote. It was a tough decision between two, because the other one is also a fine looking bow and made also from beautiful wood … but the profiles on this one aren't to beat.
PS for Brian:
I did an intensive medical inspection of my rubber duckie, and believe it or not, it seems she was also born in China . So maybe yours and mine are sisters?
Keep on making extraordinary bows and training rubber duckies
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PS for Brian:
I did an intensive medical inspection of my rubber duckie, and believe it or not, it seems she was also born in China . So maybe yours and mine are sisters?
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Imagine that!! It is a small world isn't it.
Bjrogg
PS for Simson I think you missed a bow there. I saw more than two nice bows with beautiful profiles
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Beautiful bow BJ. :)
Pappy
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I’m jealous! Beautiful bow and congrats!