Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: stickbowbeard on February 15, 2018, 08:58:14 am

Title: My first bendy-handle bow
Post by: stickbowbeard on February 15, 2018, 08:58:14 am: Hello All,

I've been with PA for about a year, but haven't posted any bows yet myself. I've been building bows since fall 2015, and I love trying new things and new designs. I just harvested my first animal with a homemade bow last month (Osage self-bow), and that just sealed the deal on this addiction. The thing that I really love is getting the young folk into this art, and most of the bows I have made have been for children/youth.

For quite a while now, I've been wanting to try building a native american-style, bend-through-the-handle bow, much shorter than most of my bows. I got a 56" Osage stave from Osage Outlaw this last fall, around the time we were cleaning up the mess that Hurricane Harvey left here in Houston. My intention was (is) to build a 56" sinew-backed bow (first attempt with sinew backing) with slightly flipped tips to help a little with my 29" draw length. When I got the stave, I realized it was thick enough that I should be able to get a second stave out of the belly. Only problem was, at one end the growth rings converged pretty tightly over the last 10" or so, and I was afraid by just splitting it all the way, I would just make 2 long peices of firewood. So, I did what any sane bowyer would do, and took a hacksaw to the belly of it about 10" from that end and about half-way through the stave so that when the split reached it, it wouldn't continue to the other tip. This worked out, and I ended up with one nice 56" stave, and another nice 45" stave.

Now, what to do with a 45" stave? I had started building a board-bow for a 12-year-old kid I go to church with, but I thought, certainly he'd like a nice little Osage bow better. So, I went to work on my first bendy handle bow, which turned out to be great practice in preparation for the bow I'll be building for my next hunting season.

Here's the bow:
45" ntn, and 34# @ 25". Rawhide-backed for a little ensurance with that kind of a radical bend. I was really pleasantly surprised by how hard this thing shoots. I haven't chronographed it, but these arrows fly strait and fast, and when they hit the target, you know it.

Forgive the picture quality. I have a new phone, and the picture quality is not near what my old iPhone could do. I reckon I just need to buy a camera.

(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4669/39384556815_0da3b3a780_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/231h9B2)

[url=https://flic.kr/p/GeJ7Gy](https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4740/26409602408_dc81be501a.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/231h9B2)

[url=https://flic.kr/p/231h9e8](https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4623/39384555545_7bfddc8998_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/GeJ7Gy)

[url=https://flic.kr/p/231h9ji](https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4769/39384555845_314f75ffae_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/231h9e8)

[url=https://flic.kr/p/GeJ7pu](https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4621/26409601418_4753e3740a_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/231h9ji)

[url=https://flic.kr/p/231h9p8](https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4720/39384556125_ae7c5fa499_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/GeJ7pu)

[url=https://flic.kr/p/GeJ7vm](https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4769/26409601758_6c8d235fa2_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/231h9p8)

[url=https://flic.kr/p/231h9u8](https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4703/39384556415_98e597008b_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/GeJ7vm)

Also, please forgive the clutter in the background of the full-draw picture. I'll use a better background next time.

We named this bow "The Tempest" since it was built while the memory of Hurricane Harvey was still fresh (in fact, I had first approached Clint about buying this stave a couple of days before the hurricane hit).

Now I just can't wait to finish building her sister!

Thanks for looking!

Eric (https://flic.kr/p/231h9u8)
Title: Re: My first bendy-handle bow
Post by: bjrogg on February 15, 2018, 09:13:57 am: Very nice bow Beard, I love making bows for kids. That young lad is gonna be very happy.
Bjrogg
Title: Re: My first bendy-handle bow
Post by: stickbowbeard on February 15, 2018, 11:56:21 am: Thanks BJ!
Title: Re: My first bendy-handle bow
Post by: tattoo dave on February 15, 2018, 12:16:10 pm: Fantastic work! Love it.

Tattoo Dave
Title: Re: My first bendy-handle bow
Post by: NorthHeart on February 15, 2018, 12:29:02 pm: Nice looking bow, could be a rabbits worst nightmare.
Title: Re: My first bendy-handle bow
Post by: Will B on February 15, 2018, 01:07:32 pm: Great job! I love making kids bows. He will really enjoy that!
Title: Re: My first bendy-handle bow
Post by: osage outlaw on February 15, 2018, 01:29:59 pm: Wow! That looks great. I'm glad you were able to get 2 bows from that stave.
Title: Re: My first bendy-handle bow
Post by: StickMark on February 15, 2018, 02:24:22 pm: If it had four more pounds, I would hunt the Coues whitetails by ambush with that bow. I need to up my game.
Title: Re: My first bendy-handle bow
Post by: Hans H on February 15, 2018, 03:33:53 pm: congrats!, a beauty!
Hans
Title: Re: My first bendy-handle bow
Post by: stickbowbeard on February 15, 2018, 03:51:18 pm: Thank you all for looking, and for you kind comments.
Title: Re: My first bendy-handle bow
Post by: Del the cat on February 15, 2018, 04:30:11 pm: Sweet :)
Del
Title: Re: My first bendy-handle bow
Post by: Hawkdancer on February 15, 2018, 04:44:02 pm: Nice job, the lad will enjoy it, I'm sure!
Hawkdancer
Title: Re: My first bendy-handle bow
Post by: BowEd on February 15, 2018, 04:59:29 pm: Pretty darn good for a first attempt.Congrats.
Title: Re: My first bendy-handle bow
Post by: George Tsoukalas on February 15, 2018, 06:02:26 pm: Awesome bow! Well done! Jawge
Title: Re: My first bendy-handle bow
Post by: selfbow joe on February 15, 2018, 06:43:18 pm: Nice looking bow
Title: Re: My first bendy-handle bow
Post by: Springbuck on February 15, 2018, 07:31:08 pm: Oh, wow, she is a SHAWTY! Great job. As much as she is bending in the middle, that's not much set, even for osage. Pretty, too.
Title: Re: My first bendy-handle bow
Post by: M2A on February 15, 2018, 07:34:03 pm: Nice bow! Congrats!

Mike
Title: Re: My first bendy-handle bow
Post by: upstatenybowyer on February 15, 2018, 08:26:00 pm: That's a beauty! The bend looks great. (SH)
Title: Re: My first bendy-handle bow
Post by: burchett.donald on February 16, 2018, 01:32:04 pm: Eric,
Great build, short bendy bows like that are not the easiest bows to balance...They can be touchy...Looks like you put the "touch" on that one :OK
Don
Title: Re: My first bendy-handle bow
Post by: willie on February 16, 2018, 03:59:00 pm: sweet little bow. hope you have the camera/phone ready for a pic on the first outing with the recipient.