Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Horn Bows => Topic started by: mikekeswick on March 07, 2016, 03:31:58 am

Title: Decorated hornbow
Post by: mikekeswick on March 07, 2016, 03:31:58 am
Here are a ferw pictures of one of my hornbows. It's such a fantastic shooter I thought it deserved tarting up a bit. Oil paints made from natural pigments, copal varnish and 24 carat gold gilding.

(http://i492.photobucket.com/albums/rr283/mikekeswick/SAM_3045.jpg) (http://s492.photobucket.com/user/mikekeswick/media/SAM_3045.jpg.html)
(http://i492.photobucket.com/albums/rr283/mikekeswick/SAM_3046.jpg) (http://s492.photobucket.com/user/mikekeswick/media/SAM_3046.jpg.html)
(http://i492.photobucket.com/albums/rr283/mikekeswick/SAM_3047.jpg) (http://s492.photobucket.com/user/mikekeswick/media/SAM_3047.jpg.html)
(http://i492.photobucket.com/albums/rr283/mikekeswick/SAM_3048.jpg) (http://s492.photobucket.com/user/mikekeswick/media/SAM_3048.jpg.html)
(http://i492.photobucket.com/albums/rr283/mikekeswick/SAM_3049.jpg) (http://s492.photobucket.com/user/mikekeswick/media/SAM_3049.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Decorated hornbow
Post by: loon on March 07, 2016, 04:33:52 am
..Wow
Title: Re: Decorated hornbow
Post by: Aaron H on March 07, 2016, 06:15:37 am
Incredible Mike
Title: Re: Decorated hornbow
Post by: Urufu_Shinjiro on March 07, 2016, 11:10:53 am
Sexy...
Title: Re: Decorated hornbow
Post by: Aaron H on March 07, 2016, 11:29:25 am
How about a full draw?  :)
Title: Re: Decorated hornbow
Post by: bubby on March 07, 2016, 12:12:41 pm
great job Mike, i really like this style of bow
Title: Re: Decorated hornbow
Post by: Parnell on March 07, 2016, 01:23:56 pm
Oh man!  That's a different design...does it have a name?  Very pretty work.  Gotta see a full draw, please?
Title: Re: Decorated hornbow
Post by: joachimM on March 07, 2016, 05:13:24 pm
Holy crap! what a beauty  :o
need to see more of that  bow
Title: Re: Decorated hornbow
Post by: mullet on March 08, 2016, 11:35:49 am
Very, very nice!
Title: Re: Decorated hornbow
Post by: mikekeswick on March 08, 2016, 01:21:13 pm
Thanks guys. I'm quite partial to it too!
Design is sort of like a Magyar but with less reflex at the end of the working limbs. I made quite a few holmgard/molly type wood bows and kind of modified that design for a hornbow. The outer limbs on this bow are pretty narrow and light. As a bonus this design is super stable and easy enough to string. It isn't really very strained at this draw weight and doesn't show much set even after being strung all day. I think it would be more than possible to squeeze some more speed out of this design.
I'll take a full draw sometime soon.
Title: Re: Decorated hornbow
Post by: gorazd on March 10, 2016, 04:31:29 am
Very nice decoration !

Where did you buy the paint ?
Have you grooved the horn before gluing to the core ?
Title: Re: Decorated hornbow
Post by: mikekeswick on March 10, 2016, 01:50:15 pm
I made the paint by grinding pigments with a little linseed oil then mixing with copal resin varnish. I got the pigments from a shop called Cornelisons in London. Yes the core/horn have matching grooves about 12 per inch and 2mm deep. I use the method Adam Karpowzi shows in his book about Turkish bows.
Title: Re: Decorated hornbow
Post by: medicinewheel on March 11, 2016, 04:06:26 am
Love it!
Title: Re: Decorated hornbow
Post by: loefflerchuck on March 11, 2016, 02:46:01 pm
no shortcuts there. Looks great!
Title: Re: Decorated hornbow
Post by: RBLusthaus on March 11, 2016, 07:32:23 pm
Wow!   Did you use a stencil of some sort, or is your hand THAT steady?  Wow!   Would love to see a full draw.  Russ
Title: Re: Decorated hornbow
Post by: mikekeswick on March 12, 2016, 02:19:18 am
Haha! No stencils! To do this type of gilding first you make sure the surface is non absorbent, cover with whats known as a resist layer (egg white) then use a sticky medium to paint the shapes. The traditional binders are gold size, hide glue at about 5% concentration or varnish. I used varnish. So you do a small section with the design you want then wait for it to dry and achieve the correct stickiness then you lay gold leaf onto the it. The gold will stick to your medium then you can remove the rest. This leaves you with your decoration. It took me about 2 weeks doing a bit everynight.
Wait till you see my next one. I've just finished a Turkish hornbow and that one is getting the works. This bow was the first one I've ever finished like this and I learnt a lot. My next one will be much better (or at least more detailed!).
Title: Re: Decorated hornbow
Post by: sieddy on March 14, 2016, 11:41:42 am
Totally jawdropping- can't wait to see the next one (you posted pics of that unfinished earlier right?) as it looks to be a screamer! :)
Title: Re: Decorated hornbow
Post by: mikekeswick on March 15, 2016, 04:08:15 am
Cheers, it just takes a bit of patience! Yes that is the bow I posted pics of before. It's just about ready to start gilding on.
Title: Re: Decorated hornbow
Post by: ryder on March 18, 2016, 03:08:04 am
That's amazing craftsmanship. Very, very nice!  ;D
Title: Re: Decorated hornbow
Post by: medicinewheel on March 18, 2016, 07:24:38 am
How about some messurements??
Title: Re: Decorated hornbow
Post by: mikekeswick on March 19, 2016, 03:07:48 am
How about some messurements??
Like what?
Title: Re: Decorated hornbow
Post by: medicinewheel on March 19, 2016, 06:16:16 am
Length, draw length, width, thickness, taper and such...
Been looking through but can't find info.
And a full draw would be nice of course!
Title: Re: Decorated hornbow
Post by: BowEd on March 29, 2016, 10:24:29 pm
Sweet looking horn bow Mike.You like decorating yours more than I do mine.Fantastic job.Almost too pretty to shoot.....lol.I love the way they shoot too.Smooth,flat and hard hitting.I've got one going on over here again too.
Title: Re: Decorated hornbow
Post by: mikekeswick on March 31, 2016, 02:33:38 am
Length, draw length, width, thickness, taper and such...
Been looking through but can't find info.
And a full draw would be nice of course!

I'll take the photos when I finish decorating my Turkish bow.
Length is about 52inch? Drawlength is 28 but i'm sure it would go to 30 no problems. Thickness obviously varies in combination with the width taper.
Title: Re: Decorated hornbow
Post by: Jodocus on April 02, 2016, 05:07:15 pm
Well then, I'm, really looking Forward to your next!

 ;D
Title: Re: Decorated hornbow
Post by: Carson (CMB) on April 18, 2016, 05:19:17 pm
Wow Mike, incredible finish work, not to mention the bow!!! Cobal Varnish! Way to go all the way! I feel like i have been missing out. Wish they had not separated out hornbows as a new subforum.
Title: Re: Decorated hornbow
Post by: Knapper on April 19, 2016, 09:06:39 pm
Mike beautiful work. Hoping to make a horn bow for myself later this year. Maybe you can give me some pointers.
Knapper
Title: Re: Decorated hornbow
Post by: mikekeswick on April 21, 2016, 03:22:17 am
Mike beautiful work. Hoping to make a horn bow for myself later this year. Maybe you can give me some pointers.
Knapper
Beg, borrow or steal a copy of Ottoman Turkish bows by Adam Karpowzi! Then don't deviate from the methods that he describes one iota! These bows wouldn't have been made without that book.
Title: Re: Decorated hornbow
Post by: joachimM on April 21, 2016, 06:45:37 am
Ottoman Turkish Bows: the kindle or Ibook edition is available for 30 USD, and if you happen to know german, you can get a hardcopy for 33 USD (first edition) on amazon.

Still searching for an english hardcopy though...