Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Stickhead on September 16, 2019, 03:05:51 pm

Title: Osage ELB Trade Bow
Post by: Stickhead on September 16, 2019, 03:05:51 pm: I finally finished this one for the 2019 trade after four, yes, four failures. It was a long, skinny stave from a 3" diameter branch I had cut and split in half. I made the other half into a pyramid hunting bow years ago, but this more troublesome half sat in my shop for about 10 years, waiting for inspiration. There wasn't enough wood for any kind of flat bow, so I went with an ELB. I blatantly stole the design from a Badger bow he built in the 90's, and which I'm fortunate enough to have in my collection.

One limb was pretty clean and straight, but the other limb had plenty of problems - knots, twists, bends, and a nasty groove dug by a bug. I was able to plug the groove with a sliver of osage and moved on. I heat corrected the problem limb enough to get the tips lined up, and straightened it out the best I could. After very gradual tillering, I got it to start bending like a bow. I've found that I really like tillering with a scraper once I get a long string on it. It's easier to make subtle adjustments, and when you're done tillering, there's hardly any sanding cleanup left to do, so you don't lose that 5# or so once it bends the way you like.

The bow is 70" ntn, and draws 54# @ 29". My T-Rex arms can't draw that far, but I exercised it to 29" on the bench, and shot it in at 25". It's 1-1/16" wide and 7/8" thick at the handle with a D-shaped profile, tapering to 1/2" x 1/2" at the tips. I left it a bit stiff around the big knot, resulting in a positive tiller, so I put the handle right in the center. Somehow, the full draw arc doesn't seem to show this as much as the braced pic, so I guess I did the right thing there.

I added some horn nocks I made from pet store water buffalo horns, a zebra-hide grip and arrow pass, and some black & white beads I made from a possum bone. (I got an old zebra hide from a friend in the antique business who gave it to me cheap since it was a bit tattered.) I added a hickory bark quiver to the package that I recently made after harvesting a bunch of hickory staves.

Sure was glad to call this one finished after all my miss-starts. Any criticism is welcome.

...Tom

(https://i.imgur.com/M2HHgpY.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/8eYSDjA.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/kqjQJof.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/XfdAWrO.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/KEyw1GW.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/1o4K70P.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/CBM6CX1.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/lPFsIEj.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/81eDzqg.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/zkawvdP.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/FwSUJ4z.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/9KNnG9V.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/ox9pVLl.jpg)
Title: Re: Osage ELB Trade Bow
Post by: Santanasaur on September 16, 2019, 03:34:23 pm: Stunning bow and awesome work. Hickory bark is awesome quiver material, the way it just curls up perfectly overnight is super useful.
Title: Re: Osage ELB Trade Bow
Post by: Pat B on September 16, 2019, 04:41:18 pm: Nice bow, Stickhead and nice bark quiver. :OK
Title: Re: Osage ELB Trade Bow
Post by: Hamish on September 16, 2019, 05:17:02 pm: She turned out really nice. Well done.
Title: Re: Osage ELB Trade Bow
Post by: burchett.donald on September 16, 2019, 07:55:05 pm: Tom,
That's a beautiful job on that character piece of Osage! Nice bend man
Don
Title: Re: Osage ELB Trade Bow
Post by: HH~ on September 16, 2019, 08:11:16 pm: Limb bow. Love it.

HH~
Title: Re: Osage ELB Trade Bow
Post by: M2A on September 16, 2019, 09:15:03 pm: That's one heck of a set. Nice details all the way down to the possum bone. That's going to make someone very happy.
Mike
Title: Re: Osage ELB Trade Bow
Post by: Josh B on September 16, 2019, 10:38:48 pm: I really like that now! Love the character and that quiver is cool as well!
Title: Re: Osage ELB Trade Bow
Post by: kbear on September 17, 2019, 02:04:46 am: Nice combo Tom. You nailed the bend, and I love the details........ Thanks for sharing!
Title: Re: Osage ELB Trade Bow
Post by: simk on September 17, 2019, 02:56:43 am: That sure is a cool stick & quiver - as already said, that tiller is spot on!
Title: Re: Osage ELB Trade Bow
Post by: hoosierf on September 17, 2019, 08:01:06 am: Awesome
Title: Re: Osage ELB Trade Bow
Post by: Del the cat on September 17, 2019, 09:10:23 am: Wow, some great character there :) ... nice to see the v patch on that groove worked out.
Lovely bow.
Del
Title: Re: Osage ELB Trade Bow
Post by: Hawkdancer on September 17, 2019, 11:28:15 am: Very nice work! On the whole package! The recipient should like that. :BB (SH)
Hawkdancer
Title: Re: Osage ELB Trade Bow
Post by: Bayou Ben on September 17, 2019, 11:38:31 am: Very nice work Stick! Beautiful full draw. Wouldn't mind at all if that showed up at my door step!
Title: Re: Osage ELB Trade Bow
Post by: Stickhead on September 17, 2019, 12:55:50 pm: Thanks for the kind words, guys! And thanks for the advice on filling that crack, Del!
Title: Re: Osage ELB Trade Bow
Post by: bassman on September 17, 2019, 03:19:49 pm: Those kind of staves can separate the men from the boys. You kicked that stave's arse. Well done.
Title: Re: Osage ELB Trade Bow
Post by: PEARL DRUMS on September 17, 2019, 04:07:10 pm: Looks good, Tom. Im glad it all worked out in the end.
Title: Re: Osage ELB Trade Bow
Post by: jeffp51 on September 30, 2019, 08:32:25 pm: Got me a little sumpin sumpin in the mail today. . .this bow looks as good in person as it does in pictures. Thank you so much.
Title: Re: Osage ELB Trade Bow
Post by: razorsharptokill on October 01, 2019, 01:52:23 pm: Beautiful work!
Title: Re: Osage ELB Trade Bow
Post by: upstatenybowyer on October 01, 2019, 03:00:28 pm: Very nice bend! Love those "holy" bows. O:)
Title: Re: Osage ELB Trade Bow
Post by: silent sniper on October 01, 2019, 07:23:06 pm: Great looking bow and quiver!
Title: Re: Osage ELB Trade Bow
Post by: Stickhead on October 01, 2019, 08:09:20 pm: Quote from: jeffp51 on September 30, 2019, 08:32:25 pm
Got me a little sumpin sumpin in the mail today. . .this bow looks as good in person as it does in pictures. Thank you so much.
Thanks, Jeff - I’m not the bowyer you are, but I hope it works out for you and your gorilla arms!