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Bows / Re: Tillering advice: This thing is kinkier than...
« Last post by bjrogg on December 20, 2025, 07:36:17 pm »Really like it WB.
Bjrogg
Bjrogg
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32
Bows / Re: Tillering advice: This thing is kinkier than...
« Last post by Robert Pougnier on December 20, 2025, 06:47:39 pm »That is a heck of a bow. With that amount of character going in so many different directions it must have taken ages and lots of care to tiller! Really nice job.
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Around the Campfire / Re: Wing bone calls
« Last post by JW_Halverson on December 20, 2025, 06:32:59 pm »Wanna know some background information on that broken wing? A bird can completely heal a major bone fracture like that one in as little as 14 days. They can efficiently strip calcium from strong and healthy bones and transport it to the site of the break faster than any other group of animals with skeletons on earth!
Being egg layers, their bodies are designed with this super-power. A hen turkey lays down ALL the calcium on an egg in under 20 hours! Just a day before an egg is laid it is in that thin membrane you find on the inside of the egg. Her body ramps up, stripping calcium out of storage in her bones and depositing it rapidly on the membrane until it's finished. Human babies are almost as fast, but that's because their bodies are a maelstrom of growth hormones burning like the booster rockets on the space shuttle, and it's for a short period early in life after being born.
Yeah, birds are waaaaay cool.
Being egg layers, their bodies are designed with this super-power. A hen turkey lays down ALL the calcium on an egg in under 20 hours! Just a day before an egg is laid it is in that thin membrane you find on the inside of the egg. Her body ramps up, stripping calcium out of storage in her bones and depositing it rapidly on the membrane until it's finished. Human babies are almost as fast, but that's because their bodies are a maelstrom of growth hormones burning like the booster rockets on the space shuttle, and it's for a short period early in life after being born.
Yeah, birds are waaaaay cool.
34
Bows / Re: Birch bark backing
« Last post by Doug509 on December 20, 2025, 06:21:47 pm »The bark I have is already cut vertically in 2" x 40" strips. I cant flip it 90 degrees. I pulled it apart into 1mm thick strips. Its pretty flexible. Will try to get it thinner if I can. I'll follow everyone's advice and mount it like it grew on the tree with hide glue. If its a failure I can peel it off and sand it back to the sinew. Ill post my progress.
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Bows / Re: Birch bark backing
« Last post by Robert Pougnier on December 20, 2025, 05:47:00 pm »I've used birch bark to waterproof a bow backing. It'll work fine with either hide glue or wood glue. If you use hide glue I would size the bark with very thin glue first.
I've applied it perpendicular to the direction you have it, with the side on the outside of the tree for the outside. I split mine less than paper thin using steam and it remained pliant enough to work dry after. I expect thick bark may crack once it's bent.
I've had good luck and plan on doing it again, I think it's a great look! There are some sweet turkish and egyptian bows that were covered with birch. Since paper birch grows in neither region I would assume it's benefit was well worth it.
I've applied it perpendicular to the direction you have it, with the side on the outside of the tree for the outside. I split mine less than paper thin using steam and it remained pliant enough to work dry after. I expect thick bark may crack once it's bent.
I've had good luck and plan on doing it again, I think it's a great look! There are some sweet turkish and egyptian bows that were covered with birch. Since paper birch grows in neither region I would assume it's benefit was well worth it.
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Bows / Re: Birch bark backing
« Last post by willie on December 20, 2025, 05:25:29 pm »looks like the bark is too thick in the photos for going over sinew
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,68162.0.html
shows the use of the paperey outer bark
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,68162.0.html
shows the use of the paperey outer bark
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Bows / Re: Tillering advice: This thing is kinkier than...
« Last post by WhistlingBadger on December 20, 2025, 03:14:46 pm »Did a little shooting through the Chrono today. This bow is spitting 600 grain arrows (all I have at the moment) at 125-130 fps. For a bow that's only pulling 45#, that seems pretty fast to me. I'll have to get some 450-500 gr arrows built and see how they do.
Overall? I'm really pleased with this bow!
Overall? I'm really pleased with this bow!
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Bows / Re: Birch bark backing
« Last post by Burnsie on December 20, 2025, 03:12:25 pm »Are there examples of bows that have had birch bark applied to the back of a bow. I've thought about it often as a decorative look, similar to snake skins.
But I've always felt the birch bark would start cracking/splitting over time with the continual flexing of the bow?
I'll be watching this thread.
But I've always felt the birch bark would start cracking/splitting over time with the continual flexing of the bow?
I'll be watching this thread.
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Bows / Re: Birch bark backing
« Last post by Chumash on December 20, 2025, 03:09:52 pm »I think, you should use the bark turned to 90 degrees, if you want to back the bow.
If you want to wrap the bow, you have the right direction.
If you want to wrap the bow, you have the right direction.
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Bows / Re: Birch bark backing
« Last post by Pat B on December 20, 2025, 01:15:58 pm »If you used hide glue for the sinew use it for the bark. I'd put the bark on as it came off the tree.