Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Santanasaur on August 21, 2020, 07:21:23 am

Title: Self Hickory Recurve Stained with Flowers, and Build-Along Video
Post by: Santanasaur on August 21, 2020, 07:21:23 am

Here’s a recent one, from a split stave I cut early this year. The bow draws a little over 40# at 28”. It’s 60” ntn and about 1” at the widest.  I heat treated with a silicone strip and stained with various wild and garden flowers. The arrow pass is cherry bark, and there’s one in birch bark on the other side. The string is fast flight and the grip is veg tan leather, tooled with antler tines and  stained with the same flowers.

I also put together a build along video here https://youtu.be/ye4GqWDGRak.

Title: Re: Self Hickory Recurve Stained with Flowers, and Build-Along Video
Post by: bownarra on August 21, 2020, 07:34:31 am

That is a lovely bow :) Great tiller and unstrung profile.

Title: Re: Self Hickory Recurve Stained with Flowers, and Build-Along Video
Post by: Pat B on August 21, 2020, 07:53:18 am

Excellent bow, excellent execution. For a 60", 1" wide hickory recurve to end up flat is a salute to your bow building ability. Well done.  :OK

Title: Re: Self Hickory Recurve Stained with Flowers, and Build-Along Video
Post by: gutpile on August 21, 2020, 11:49:15 am

1" wide..!!! that right there is impressive...where are you located ,humidity wise?... gut

Title: Re: Self Hickory Recurve Stained with Flowers, and Build-Along Video
Post by: Santanasaur on August 21, 2020, 12:04:06 pm

Thanks guys. The bow did take a little set, about 1/2” per limb. It only  sits flat since it started with a slight amount of reflex. It was a really  good piece of hickory, dense fat rings with a low early wood ratio.

Its pretty  humid where I am in western mass, so  I was aggressive with humidity management in the hot box. Beyond that I also did a couple slow and deep heat treats  with a  silicone heating strip. the  back is slightly trapped too

Title: Re: Self Hickory Recurve Stained with Flowers, and Build-Along Video
Post by: PaSteve on August 21, 2020, 02:31:23 pm

Beautiful bow and really enjoyed your build along. Excellent execution on both the video and bow.

Title: Re: Self Hickory Recurve Stained with Flowers, and Build-Along Video
Post by: Jakesnyder on August 22, 2020, 09:25:26 am

Cant wait to see the maple bow completed!

Title: Re: Self Hickory Recurve Stained with Flowers, and Build-Along Video
Post by: Hamish on August 22, 2020, 10:27:54 am

Great bow. I really enjoyed your video too. I like your approach to staining the bow with vegetable pigments. I can attest that lily pollen makes a strong stain. 

Seriously dude, step away from the drawknife catalog:) Just kiddin, you can never have too many drawknives.

Title: Re: Self Hickory Recurve Stained with Flowers, and Build-Along Video
Post by: bradsmith2010 on August 22, 2020, 10:38:49 am

beautiful congrats :)

Title: Re: Self Hickory Recurve Stained with Flowers, and Build-Along Video
Post by: George Tsoukalas on August 22, 2020, 11:05:38 am

Wow! That is a beautiful bow with an excellent tiller. Jawge

Title: Re: Self Hickory Recurve Stained with Flowers, and Build-Along Video
Post by: Eric Garza on August 22, 2020, 07:27:05 pm

Beautiful bow and video. I am curious to learn more about how you use a silicone pad to heat treat. How long do you leave the pad against the bow for? What pad do you buy?

Title: Re: Self Hickory Recurve Stained with Flowers, and Build-Along Video
Post by: Santanasaur on August 23, 2020, 06:14:16 am

I use the silicone pad pretty similarly to how I would coals or the heat gun. the advantage is mostly in labor saving. According to the thermostat on the device, which I wouldn’t trust at all, I use it at around 200-250 f.

I’ll tinker with the temperature and time as needed, this  bow got around 220 on the dial for 45 minutes per limb, and I did that twice during tillering. Every 10 minutes or so I move the strip around.  Any areas that scorch or are  are going too fast get a scrap wood as a spacer  to buffer the heat.

The one I’m using in the video is a briskheat  3”*24” which is sold as a metal pipe thawing tool, but it was recommended to me by a luthier. I don’t really  recommend it though.  I bought it refurbished for $25 on a sale but haven’t been able to find it again at that price. Now it’s often sold in the hundreds which seems ridiculous since it’s made pretty poorly. There are much more affordable options on ebay for guitar side bending strips. You’re not really supposed to use them directly on the wood but I’ve been getting better results with the off label method.

Title: Re: Self Hickory Recurve Stained with Flowers, and Build-Along Video
Post by: Marc St Louis on August 23, 2020, 06:24:05 am

Yes very nice

Title: Re: Self Hickory Recurve Stained with Flowers, and Build-Along Video
Post by: M2A on August 23, 2020, 06:30:10 am

Spot on looking tiller there. Thats a keeper!
Mike

Title: Re: Self Hickory Recurve Stained with Flowers, and Build-Along Video
Post by: Parnell on August 24, 2020, 09:15:00 am

Very nice looking bow.  I like your grip work.

Title: Re: Self Hickory Recurve Stained with Flowers, and Build-Along Video
Post by: Hawkdancer on August 24, 2020, 12:15:07 pm

Nice work!  Interesting info on the heat pad.  Guess I will contact my luthier friend!
Hawkdancer

Title: Re: Self Hickory Recurve Stained with Flowers, and Build-Along Video
Post by: AndrewS on August 24, 2020, 12:38:12 pm

Nice bow and a fine buildalong on the vid.  (-S

Title: Re: Self Hickory Recurve Stained with Flowers, and Build-Along Video
Post by: bjrogg on August 24, 2020, 02:07:13 pm

Very nice bow. Nice pictures to. I didn’t have time to watch video yet , but I hope to soon
Bjrogg

Title: Re: Self Hickory Recurve Stained with Flowers, and Build-Along Video
Post by: Will B on August 25, 2020, 12:06:58 pm

Great looking bow!  Your video was really well done also.