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Red oak board bow (my first hunting weight bow)

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Aaron1726:
Newbie bowyer here, this is my 4th wood bow.  First one has too much set to be useful, Second and third were lightweights.  Wanted one I could take deer hunting and so started on this one.  I was cruising the local HW store one day and decided to dig through the pile of red oak 1x2s they had.  I found gold...  nice straight grain with almost no runout, and what did was at a very shallow angle.  Plus it was already cut to 6ft long, so it was meant to be.

I followed TBB vol 2 example for a board bow layout (pyramid).  All the shaping was hand tools, small plane, sureform, and sanding block.  I added a single layer of brown packing paper to the back with TB3 just for added insurance.
 Tip overlays are buffalo from a dog chew. 

I had the bow almost finished and remembered I had saved a black snake skin from one the neighbor ran over with his tractor this summer (cause I HAD to save a skin).  Layed the skin over the bow and it was just enough to cover most of the limbs.  Never tried putting a skin on, but I think it turned out well, just used TB3 like with the paper.

60in OAL
59in ntn
1.5 in wide at fades
0.5in wide at the tips
Pulls 54lbs at 24in (yep, I'm a short guy)

Anyway, here's the bow.  Just also want to thank everyone on here, what a vast knowledge base, I would never have attempted something like this until I started reading this forum, so thanks.

Aaron1726:
Few more pics

Never noticed the pattern on the snake till it dried, but I love how it looks.

Last one is right after being unstrung, has about 1.5in of set

paulsemp:
Congratulations! Don't worry about the set, in my eyes that's great for a short piece of red oak. Very few people understand the thrill of shooting an arrow from a bow you made out of a single piece of wood. Be careful it'll suck you in!

bjrogg:
I agree with Paul. Nice bow. The set looks very even to so I would say the wood is telling you that you got everything you could from it.

Good luck with the hunting. Nothing like the thrill of taking a deer with a bow you made.


Bjrogg

bradsmith2010:
congrats,, it will kill a deer,, (-S

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