Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => HowTo's and Build-a-longs => Topic started by: NOMADIC PIRATE on July 22, 2007, 05:33:02 am
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This will be a cronicle of the next few months in my bow building life :)
Slow motion, because I really don't have to much time to dedicate to making shavings ::)
What I have ready is, 2 guava short bows to be sinewed, one Guava flatbow, one eucalyptus ELB, one Osage, one Elm, and one Guava ELB, all of them pretty much ready to tiller, but the 2 future sinew that will need to cure.
Before I bring them in, I'll post a pictorial of how I get my wood ready.
Hope you'll enjoy ;D
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This is my Guava harvest from this week, as you can see, a 5" log is a big one :D
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/Build-along/bows045.jpg)
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First thing I do is, find the middle, and cut to length
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/Build-along/bows047.jpg)
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Next I mesure the 4" handle and the 2 1/2" fades,...this will be the last time that any kind of mesuraments are taken,...all instinctive from now ;D
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/Build-along/bows048.jpg)
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Now we follow the crown.
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/Build-along/bows049.jpg)
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Freehanding the profile.
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/Build-along/bows050.jpg)
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All the drawing done,...time to take out the Machete
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/Build-along/bows051.jpg)
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Taking it to the lines with the big knife
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/Build-along/bows052.jpg)
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Result after the Machete work, (different stave)
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/Build-along/bows053.jpg)
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Next is the coarse side of the ferrier rasp ( different stave again)
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/Build-along/bows039.jpg)
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(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/Build-along/bows040.jpg)
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(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/Build-along/bows055.jpg)
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At this point I glue overlays on (other stave again)......move to fine ferrier rasp and scraper for cleaning up.
My tips and handle will be just about fully shaped even before I'll start any bending.
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/Build-along/bows041.jpg)
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(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/Build-along/bows042.jpg)
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This brings us to the 3 bows I'll be working on first, 2 58" sinew baked, and one 64" selfbow
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/Build-along/bows046.jpg)
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4 in 1 rasp, and scraper are the tools now
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/Build-along/bows043.jpg)
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(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/Build-along/bows044.jpg)
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Ok you have my attention ;D Nice work
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keep up the good work.
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Very nice Manny, I love buildalongs and pictures. ;D
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E X C I T I N G ! ! !
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Forgot, I have a bamboo selfbow to in the works too, I will post pictures of the other bows shortly.
I'm just real busy now roughing out all those staves I just Harvested ;D
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Hey Manny, Nice work, that one stave has a bundle of reflex..the staves I have tillering dreams about. ;D
Rich
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Cant wait for more. Love build alongs. ;D Excellent work. I learn alot for this sort of thing. Thanks.
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Excellent Manny. Thanks for posting these pics. This will be very helpful for lots of folks...especially me! ;D Pat
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I'm looking forward to the rest!
Sean
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Very cool manny,looks like you have your work cut out for you.Keep us posted. :) :)
Pappy
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how do you guys shoot those twisted up things? every snake bow ive built has always been a bear to shoot. peace
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Well, no time to actually work on any bows,....I had to try put a dent on last week harvest ;D ;D...almost got there ::)
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/Build-along/bows056.jpg)
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Here's the Eucalyptus and Guava future ELBs,...don't know what to expect from the Eucalyptus, as for the Guava I'm planning to make a 80 #er
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/Build-along/bows057.jpg)
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(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/Build-along/bows059.jpg)
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(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/Build-along/bows058.jpg)
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Elm & Osage
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/Build-along/bows060.jpg)
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(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/Build-along/bows061.jpg)
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Found the bamboo stave eaten by termites >:(
and found this slightly snakey Guava stave that I forgot about, and should be cured enought to be in the mix
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/Build-along/bows062.jpg)
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(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/Build-along/bows063.jpg)
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Boy I like that last one Manny as I said before looks like you got your work cut out for
yourself.I been working on a 3 snake bow projest for several month's and it don't seem like I will ever get done so I know where you are at.Seem like it is always something with that kind of
stave,get one thing working good and something else pops up.Guess that is why I like them. :)
Pappy
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Gee, Manny that last one looks like my "Hula Girl", (especially in the handle) - only worse (or better, depending on how you look at it - :D)
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Manny, On the Eucalyptus, a backing is a good idea. Unless the fibers in the wood are real long, and usually the opposite is true I'd use a thin bamboo most likely. I have made two selfbows, one in Hawaii which followed a ring, and they shot like demons, but both exploded with no warning.
Bet the "surfer girls" like your new pad! ;)
Rich-part hawaiian ;D
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Rich, I'm planning to back the Eu with silk, watcha think ?
Pappy, Bernie, I wander if that peace will even make a bow, it looks worse in person :o ;D :o ;D
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Manny I think that you and Pappy are gluttons for self punishment ;D
Actually I'm in awe of some of the snakes you guys tiller.
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Manny, It's a good idea, but if it blows go to bamboo on the second one.
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Finally done with all those staves, I can get back to work on bows :)
Unfortunatly this morning I was going to flip the tips for those 2 sinew backings when my gun bit the dust,...well I need to buy a vice to ;D
Good thing I got this other little project going, I'm making a spear, ...planning to eventually get a pig with it, but it will be mainly the weapon I'll carry when guiding hunters ;)
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/Build-along/bows072.jpg)
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Manny, you aiming for a Victorian style longbow or an English warbow style. If warbow reduce that handle a bit and make sure it only starts bending in the handle for the last 3 inches of the bow. Bow will taper on the belly from handle to the tips where the tip width and depth will be almost 1:1. Also, there is a trick to rounding out the belly I like to use. True up the belly and sides of the bow. Then, mark every 4 inches allong each limb and figure out then draw measure the width of the bow at each point allong the limb and then find mark this at each point for the depthe on each side. Now, connect the dots. Reduce then take off the wood from the belly and true it up and make it flat on the belly. Now find the center line at each four inch increment on the belly and mark it. Connect the dots again. Here is the fun part! Round off the corners making sure not to take down the center line fo the bow. Keep the reduction even olong both sides of the bow and continue to check the floor tiller. You will have an even crown down the center of the bow this way.
Now if the tiller is off at some point after this. Reduce the crown top a bit, redraw the line and true up the crown again. This will get the large reduction done for floor tillering quiclkly while maintaining the "D" profile. When rough tillering is done only fine tiller on the tillering tree reduce bow from the sides evenly.
I'm probably preaching to the choir but just thought I would give you a heads up on how I do it!
David T
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Keep 'em coming Manny. It is fasinating to see how different bowyers approach a stave.
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Hmmmm ... wonder if the volcano goddess is going to be happy with you cutting down her trees for weapons ...??? ::)
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gpw, to answer your questions, DLNR has being trying to contain STRABERRY GUAVA ever since they lost the handle on it and it got lose in the wild.
IT's an extremely invasive plant that once takes over don't let anything else grow in it's mist, pigs help enormosly propagating it by eating the fruit than releasing the seeds in the escrements.
...so to make a long strory short,...I think PELE is happy ;D ;D
.......if there was huge demand for the wood I could get a special permit from DLNR and go eradicate island wide, how's that fro 2 birds with one stone ? ;D ;D ;D
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Back to bow work ;D
Flipping the tips and belly tempering the 2 sinew to be bows.
I'm trying some new tecniques :)
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/000_0048.jpg)
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Hoops wrong picture ::) ::)
see if this works
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/Build-along/bows073.jpg)
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/Build-along/bows074.jpg)
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All right I will bite Manny what the heck is that critter you pluged? ???
David T.
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And did ya eat it?
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And did it stay put! :o
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Mongoose, 12 yards shot as it was trotting down a game trail, dead on impact,.... just a couple of seconds of twiching.
no didn't eat it, used it as pig bait ;D
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Dont ya just love the sence of humor on this site?!?!? ;D
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Vicous looking little critter
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Mean as hell, very destructive of any ground birds,....no rabbits on this island either >:(,DLNR has tryed invane to get rid of the creature,...not a chance ::) ::)
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Spear's done ;D ;D
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/Build-along/bows075.jpg)
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(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/Build-along/bows077.jpg)
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/Build-along/bows076.jpg)
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Very nice Manny ! Now all ya need is a "hawk" an a "knife" and a loincloth ! Hunted once with spear , hawk, an knife ahem no loincloth dont make em' that big exceptin' by "Omar the Tent Maker " hahahaha ! ;D.......bob
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Now, Thats a pig sticker. Can't wait for the hunt pics! ;D Did you knap the obsidian point? Pat
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No Pat, got it from TOM (paleo) ;)
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Looks like it ought to do the trick! Pat
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Profiles are set.
Bellys are tempered.
The last remnence of bark has being scraped from the back.
Sinew is processed.
Getting ever so close to applying it to the bows ;D ;D ;D ;D
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/Build-along/bows078.jpg)
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(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/Build-along/bows079.jpg)
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(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/Build-along/bows080.jpg)
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Dang that sure is some pretty wood, especially that first pic showing the reflex. Have you figured out which glue you are going to use for sinewing? if you are using Knox or hide glue you are gonna have a ton of reflex in those staves. I hope your belly can handle it. ??? Good luck and lookin real good.
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I'll try sinewing them tonite after I drop my daughter of to mom.
I'll unveil the glue too ;)
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Should be interesting. I've never tried sinewing bows with a lot of character and would tend to avoid it myself as the sinew may pull the bow into an odd shape as it dries.
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This is a excellant build along.It lets a rookie like myself learn alot and have visuale aids for some of the things I don't understand.tradrick
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Hey Marc, that's an other reason why I decided to use TB III, ...I know the purists now will shake they heads ;D ;D
But after much consideration I feel that I can trade a bit of performance for peace of mind. that's why I got the profile at 3" reflex, I'll be happy with 1" or even after the bows are shot in !
one quote the made me really think was "It would be like incasing springs with cement"......well you see here we have a huge problem with rust "never buy a new car on the North Shore ;D"everything just rusts away really fast, ,..so I thought, the spring might not be as effective, but at least it will be there ;D ;D...what good will a super spring do me if it is all rustsed in no time?? :D :D
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Can I make a suggestion Manny? When sinewing the bow allow the bundle of sinew to be put on the bow soak in water untill its soft. I use a shallow pan and just put enough water in it to just cover the bundle. Allow it to sit untill completly soft and white in color and no longer clear. The TBIII will not soak enough into the sinew to allow it to cmpletly relax. Squeegie out the excess water from sinew and then apply TBIII to sinew before aplying it to the bow. When a layer is down aply another thin coating of TBIII over the top using your fingers.
You may also want to wrap some serran wrap arround the sinew for a day or two to retard the drying process a bit so the sinew and glue can dry at closer to the same rate. I did this with my last bow and it helped out a bit. Not as good as hide glue or Knox but it works pretty good and comes close.
Good luck!
David T
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Thanks David.
Didn't have enougth time last nite or this morning to tackle this venture, ...but I got a bit of spare time to steembend the kink in my Guava ELB
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/bows081.jpg)
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She's under doctor orders, not to move for a little while ;)
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/bows082.jpg)
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(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/bows083.jpg)
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Well maybe that will work, Manny.
I always wet my sinew before soaking and I use hot water, not so hot that it will burn my fingers though. Softens the sinew really well.
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Thanks Marc,...I will too ;)
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This is great!i cant believe you can make these bendy thing's into Bows :D.
I cut my first stave for a bow yesterday,it was a big piece of elderberry (Sambucus Canadensis) i know it's not very good for bows but i thought it would do for practacing on as i have no idea what i'm doing :D,it was only going to get chopped up anyway so why not...I cut it and debarked the whole thing,marked the bow out then went to bed,when i came home from work the next day the bloody thing was full of cracks ;D.
I should of left the bark on shouldnt I ?
Not to worry,i've got my eye on another one to ruin ;D.
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wow all thats so cool.
how is that gauva stuff for making a bow. is it as good as osage?
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Better ! ;D...............bob
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Finally found some time last nite to try my hand at this.
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/Build-along/bows084.jpg)
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Misscalculated the ammount of sinew needed ::) ::)...so i was only able to do one bow
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/Build-along/bows085.jpg)
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It will never win a prize for the prettyest job ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/Build-along/bows086.jpg)
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I liked the thinking behind the wraping,...so it will stay like this for a few days
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/Build-along/bows087.jpg)
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I'm planning to start bending this one again on october 1st,...now back to something easyer, SELFBOWS!!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Nice going Manny! I forgot to mention since I thought the sinew would be going beyond the tip and onto the belly. You may want to wrap some sinew arround the arrea where the sinew ends at the nocks to keep it from pulling up. Its not as much of a problem when it wraps arround the tip and onto the belly. Hope this helps!
David T
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Manny, If you need a bit more sinew, I'll be happy to send some. Just let me know. Pat
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Wrapped them ;D ;D
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/Build-along/bows088.jpg)
...Hey Pat, if you really need to get rid of it, I'll take some ;) ;)
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The Guava ELB came out pretty good after steembending
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/Build-along/bows089.jpg)
...forgot to mention, this is how big the tree was
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/Build-along/bows090.jpg)
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IT's Time to reflex/temper the Eucalyptus ELB
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/Build-along/bows091.jpg)
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...Well this Eucalyptus doesn't feel like it wants to bend all that easyly, I think once I get it out of the form it might spring back to the original shape ::)
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/Build-along/bows092.jpg)
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ya the eucalyptus can be some funny stuff. I wouldn't worry if it doesn't submit to the almighty heat gun..It looks like there is a very fast bow hiding in there..The fun part will be keeping it together..It's a lighter shade of wood than what I used..If it works I want to find out what species of eucalyptus it is..
Every species grows in my neighborhood..
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Hey Rich! I have heard there are something like 101 different species of Eucalyptus. There has got to be a bow wood in there somewhere. Also, its so flammable that in an emergency you could always use it as a signalling flare! ;D
David T
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More like 1001 :)
Rich, this one isn't some of the real common ones we have aroundhere, I ran across this patch wile hunting, out of curiosity since I'd never seen it before I cut one down,
If it does make a bow, I'll go take pictures of the trees.
No time to work on it today, I'll leave it in the form, probably give it one more tempering session before taking it out ;D
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Uhh!! Manny, that was sinew used to wrap the ends but put it under the serran wrap, ok? ;D
David T
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Hey D, so you're telling me that the finished bow will have wraps just under the nocks ??
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Manny, finally had the time to go all the way thru this thread....Great stuff!.....Brian
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A second tempering on the Eucalyptus, and trying to alling the tips too
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/Build-along/bows093.jpg)
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I found this stave that I tossed in the trees a wile back because of damage from grub worms, but the wood has such a beautifull dark color, that while I'm waiting I've being taking her down to dimentions, I might chase a ring on this one, but most like it I'll silk back it
view of the damage on the back
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/Build-along/bows094.jpg)
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/Build-along/bows095.jpg)
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Silk backed the Eucalyptus
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/Build-along/bows097.jpg)
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(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d124/NorthShoreLB/Build-along/bows098.jpg)
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Hey D, so you're telling me that the finished bow will have wraps just under the nocks ??
Yep! You can still put it on after you have finnished the tillering and final sanding. Since this is the area where the sinew ends its a good idead to wrap it here to keep it from pulling up and off the bow while its in tension. Its just a percausion. You could even use silk thread to hold it down too if you want. The sinew will still work either way.
I like how that Eucalyptus bow is comming along! Keep holding onto that peice of guava for me, ok? I have a bunch of stuff going on at the moment that is keeping me from sending off that check to ya. But it will be in the mail once I get a chance to send it.
David T
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Roommate is taking the computer to Colorado, see ya all in a couple of weeks ;D
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Manny be sure and save the pictures,you will be done by then.I love build alongs they
help us all. :)
Pappy
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thats really cool.
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Wow......I love the buildalong Manny. You da man....
I like that design on the silk backing too.....
I have got to make one of those forms...soon as I get my left arm back.... :o ;D
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ttt
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Did all of the photos disappear or is it my computer?