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Egyptian composite build a-long

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welch2:
I am trying to make a Egyptian horn bow like the one's found in Tut's tomb. Most of these bows have composite cores ,not sure why .My guess is that since the bows were about 1" wide and almost round ,the layered cores help make it more stable side to side. Here are my core pieces lemonwood and hickory ,with the handle's deflex steamed in.





Next I sawed the hickory in two length wise so I could glue it to each side of the lemonwood ,and tapered the lemonwood down to about 1/4" on each end . Then with a pot of warm hide glue ,glued up the core.





After drying for a few weeks ,here is the core so far.




Ralph

welch2:
Before I started on the core I split several gemsbok horns on the bandsaw ,and put them in big tub of milk .After they had soaked for a month , I pulled them out and tied them to board to straighten and flatten them.No boiling or added heat.







I let them dry out and harden back up , here they are now.





Ralph

bowmunky13:
milk ???? my only guess is the lactic acid in the milk sofftens the horn once it impregnates it? this is a fascinating bow... i might have to get a set of gemsbok horns and get started on one my self.... but milk?? for a month??? ewwwww

welch2:
If you get a really nice one you only need one horn ,after you saw it half each half becomes a limb. The milk idea comes from the Mongolian bowyer who made my ibex bellied horn bow . I normally use hide glue just thin enough to not gel , just as smelly though.


Ralph

radius:
i agree with the munky:  a month of milk is too much!!!

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