"Honey Hole" Osage bow with a BIG hole!!!

[Will H]

Here's my latest creation from a stave that was given to me by Pappy as a challenge because of the large hole running through the entire stave. As it turned out it was very challenging indeed! Not only was there a big hole from a knot but a large borer hole as well... I contemplated chasing the stave down a few more rings to get through the borer hole and also thought about filling it with sawdust and glue but after looking at it for a while thought I might be able to leave it in the bow without it lifting a splinter. The hole wasnt very deep and it seemed it was made before the tree was felled. I decided to try to dig the hole out with some small carving tools until I hit yellow wood again and ended up with a deep gouge that by the time the stave was floor tillered was another hole through the bottom limb. I took a screwdriver and burnished the inside of the hole as best I could and hoped it worked. As it turned out my luck held and the stave turned out to be one of my best shooting bows to date! The string tracks perfectly down the center of the handle and it spits arrows very quick for its weight. It turned out 45#@26" 64"NTN and is backed with a couple of timber rattlers. The tips are two laminations of 100yr old osage from a fencepost and bighorn sheep that I got from PEARL DRUMS. The grip is buckskin dyed with natural walnut dye and the arrow shelf is whitetail antler. I finished it with 8 coats of high gloss spar urathane and used Gordons method of putting a satin luster to it with artificial steel wool and pumice stone. Thanks again Pappy for your generosity! LIFE IS GOOD!!! 

[Will H]

 

[Will H]

 

[Parnell]

Very nice one Will!

[carpentertimw]

  those are some big holes!!

[mullet]

SWEET! It looks better now then when I saw it. You did good, Bud.

[lesken2011]

That is quite a bow! I bet you'll get a lot of comments on that one at 3-D events! The skin is also impressive  the way it works around that hole!! Very good job!!

[missilemaster]

Great bow Will. You should Knap a point and insert it in that big hole!!

                                                Cody

[Badger]

  Been looking forward to seeing this one done. Excellent job and tiller looks great. You Twin Oakers are doing some impressive work over there. Great job Will, I really enjoyed talking with you at the classic. Steve

[Stiks-N-Strings]

Awsome Bow Will! I think I seen that one hangin' up at the Classic

[MWirwicki]

Very nice, Will.  I sure like the skin job you did on that one, not to mention the honey hole.  Hope all is well.

[blackhawk]

Sweeet will...bout time you posted it....i disagree with eddie cus i liked seeing it better in person  ....n it was cool watching you pull it two feet in front of my face to see her unfold 

[Adam]

Wow! I love bows with holes in them and that's about the coolest one I've ever seen!  Superb job on the skin around the hole too.

[DGF]

One of the coolest bows I have seen! Nice work Will! Well done.

Dan

[dwardo]

You could trip, fall in that hole and never be seen again!

Lovely stuff as usual.