Osage and Hickory Holmegaard

[radius]

Hi, everyone. 

This bow has been awhile in the making.  A couple months ago, I rec'd a huge chunk of osage in the mail, and immediately did the preliminary work on a whole bunch of bows.  A couple of them are finished.  Two BBOs, 2 setbackl/recurve bows with rosewood handles (very pretty and smooth to shoot).  And now this Holmegaard.

This one is not based on adb's buildalong, although I have referred to that thread more times than i can count.  The design is based on Dennis La Varenne's paper:  Tillering the Holmegaard Bow.  The main difference is in the way the outer limbs are shaped.  Both designs have short, sturdy handles.  They both have limbs divided in 2 sections:  inner portion bends, outer portion doesn't.  Adb's bow goes dramatically from being thin to being 3/4" thick or so.  La Varenne's design is more subtle, but still the outer limb doesn't bend.  Check out adb's thread in the how-to section.  And if you want to read La Varenne's paper, google the title.

Here are some pictures...don't have full draw pictures (only 2 arms!)...maybe one day i;ll have to build a tillering tree, eh?


Couple shots of the handle before oiling.





The outer limb.



Pin nocks...first try at these, i like 'em!



Handle after oiling






I'll try to get a full draw photo soon.


Here are the specs:

62 "  OAL

Inner bending limbs:  approx 16" each.

Outer limbs:  about 12" each

Handle:  about 6"

draws just under 50# at 28 " with NO stack.  This is apparently the main benefit of this design:  the draw is smooth from start to finish.   After having made 2 osage/bamboo bows 70# plus, and another osage, hickory recurve at 58#...this one feels like a kid's bow to me, but it slams arrows, man, slams them!

[radius]

[david w.]

thats a very fine bow

[radius]

well, thank you david w.

that's a very fine compliment

[david w.]

i really like your osage lam bows  and buildalongs

[radius]

thanks!

Do you use osage lams, too?  I started using them for 2 reasons: 

1:  With thin strips, you can have all sorts of fun with jigs

2:  Osage is hard to come by here, so I wanted to make the most of what I had.

I'm not turning back.

I've got a whole swack of yew laminations, too...god knows i'll be pumping out the bows this summer.  The archery shop where I live has spoken about making me their exclusive supplier of hand made wooden longbows.  I'm excited!  Meeting next week.   Wish me luck.

[CutNShoot]

I know what you mean about that design really slammin arras home. I built one out of an oak board with no back and it was amazingly fast for what it was. I think it's possibly one of the best design around . To be a 6 to 8000 year old design it's simply amazing.  Very nice Holmie you made there by the way.
 Holmies Rock!   

[radius]

Thanks,

Yeah, I'm gonna start making more of them.  I'm setting up a "product line" right now...and I definitely think Holmegaards will be part of it.

[radius]

the handle overlays are black walnut and cherry by the way

[Sparrow]

That's a nice lookin' bow !  Frank

[Marc St Louis]

Nice bow

[adb]

Very nice bow. Your Holmegaard interpretation is fantastic. Well done... excellent tiller.

[radius]

thanks, adb!  That means alot coming from you.  I really like this style....looks cool, smoooooooth draw, and man, do the arrows ever fly!!  I have another similarly reflexed osage/hickory stave which i was originally going to make as a simple longbow, but now i think i'll make another holmie.

[DanaM]

Looks real nice radius well done eh.

[Pappy]

Very nice,love the detail in the finish work.Good work
   Pappy