Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: dwardo on September 22, 2009, 10:34:38 am
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Ayup all,
My name is Leon (UK) and i have been lurking on this site for a while after i found a reference over on paleoplanet (great bunch of people ;)).
I have spent the past few weeks looking through all of the great threads and bows on this site. I have only been bending sticks for the past year or two so i still have a lot to learn from you lot. I thought i would kick of my first post with a new Wych elm bow to say hello. I enjoy traditional wood work in general and i am interested in primitive skills and bushcraft type stuff.
This bow is about 50lbs, wych elm (ulmus glabra) it has taken about 1.5 inch of set relaxing to about an inch. It is 2 inch wide at the fades. The tips could be smaller but i am happy with the way it shoots at the mo. Please ignore the dodgy stance and ciggie in mouth in the full draw, not much room in my garage and i never get the camera timer right ;D
Looks like a great place to hang out and talk bows,
Cheers,
Leon.
(http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o218/dwardo/finishedwychelm009.jpg)
(http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o218/dwardo/finishedwychelm002.jpg)
(http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o218/dwardo/finishedwychelm003.jpg)
(http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o218/dwardo/finishedwychelm005.jpg)
(http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o218/dwardo/finishedwychelm019.jpg)
(http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o218/dwardo/woodsmoziebites015.jpg)
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Looks beautiful! What did you use for a finish?
-Ky
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Very cool bow , welcome to P.A. always good to have a new face. And yes that is pretty cramped. I usually work in the yard really don't have any indore space. Ronnie
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Welcome to PA Leon glad to have ya. Thats a fine looking elm bow, well done :)
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its poly varnish, first time i have used it.
I usually use oil and maybe wax but i wanted an easy finish that looked shiney :)... No need for hunting camo over here :(
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I like that pic... Bow is really nice looking, hope it shoots good for you/.
Welcome to the forum
Mike
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That's a really nice bow!
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Welcome to PA. Seems like you should fit in quite well around here. ;)
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Welcome ,you will like it here.That's a fine looking bow,tiller looks good and the finish is exceptional.
Nice work. :)
Pappy
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Thanks for the warm welcome all :)
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Nice bow mate and good luck in ur ventures! Im new here and have learned quite a bit from these guys...Keep up the good work and as soon as i get used to adding pics ill put up a few of my own!!!
CHEERS!
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Welcome aboard.
Great looking bow you got there.
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welcome Leon,that's a great elm flatbow you built.Good job! I use quite a bit of elm myself. God Bless
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Nice bow!!! I really like how the growth rings are so pronounced through the handle into the fades. Finish looks great too!! Welcome to PA! :) -josh
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Welcome aboard, and that's a fine looking bow. Looks like your shop is almost as piled up as mine. ;D
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Nice job on the tiller, looks just fine. I like the back of the bow as well, leaving bits of the cambium makes it look a little "rough", gives it a nice bit of character.
Too bad about the lack of need for camo for hunting over there. Pity the crowned heads still look on you as "scurvy dogs" for shooting their deer. If you would be willing to lower yourself to visit the American Colonies, I would be willing to take you out to fulfill your true Robin Hood destiny and shoot some of our deer! Seriously. I'm sick of hitting the bloody things on the hiway and am now working towards their extinction, one steak at a time!.
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welcome on pa...
nice stick you´ve done. i like the finish. is it a oil or kinda lack?
greets herm
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thats sweet, the handle is awesome
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Leon,
Welcome to you. What a sweet looking bow. Really nice color. Thanks for sharing your work with us. I have a close connection to the UK, I have made many batches of homebrew using John Bull and Edme Malts!!! I'll have one to toast your fine bow!
Chasing Crow
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Hey Leon! - been thinking about that nock picture and i don't understand:
do you cut the nock into the BELLY of the bow,
or do you cut the nock angle backwards??
(Excuse the bad graphic!)
[attachment deleted by admin]
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Thanks again for all the comments :)
JW Halverson, i may take you up on that one day, i would love to hunt with a bow and i agree our laws are daft..
medicinewheel, im not sure what you mean. My knocks are always rubbish as i never seem to get them right and i am never happy with them. The belly in that picture is facing up. The nocks are cut into the back a tiny ammount, but mostly in the belly. The string seems to stay on without a problem but lookin at other peoples bows they seem to get away without touching the back at all. I would love to see another self bow in the flesh but it doesnt seem to be popluar around where i live. The only other wood bows i have seen are ELB`s in shops and they all have either horn knocks and are all laminates.
chasing crow, proper beer! have 2 on me :)
Bavaria, its just a polyurathane (sp?) clear varnish. It seems to work well but a few damp nights in the woods will tell..
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Oh okay, if it's the belly facing up, than the angle is right, but there is no need to cut your nock into the belly like that at all, in fact I've never seen it like that.
You can cut on the belly side as pictured below, that would give the string some guidance.
[attachment deleted by admin]
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Is that still not cutting into the sides a little? I dont actually groove the back of the bow just the sides which does eat a little into the back by default?
Thats one fine looking nock by the way ;D If you get a second i would love to see a picture of the sides and back so i can get the 3D shape in my head.
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Hi Leon
Nice bow.
Where are you in the UK? There are a few of us primitive bow makers down in the southeast and we have the occasional get-together, would be great to meet up sometime and talk bows/bush craft.
Peter (UK)
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Hi Leon
Nice bow.
Where are you in the UK? There are a few of us primitive bow makers down in the southeast and we have the occasional get-together, would be great to meet up sometime and talk bows/bush craft.
Peter (UK)
Northwest mate near chester :(
I do have access to a nice little woodland if you find you way up here at any point ;)
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Leon
Thanks for the offer, may take you up on it some day. A couple of times a year we have an event at place called Flag-Fen at Peterborough, looks to be a midway point. Have a look at our website PAAS (Prehistoric archery and atl-atl society) I think you would be interested in what we do.
Peter (UK)
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Got your fine weapon bookmarked under Self Bow of the Month fun. want to improve on the full draw image?
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Here's a couple of tip views...I was wondering about your tips as well, assumed I was looking at the belly up in the picture.
[attachment deleted by admin]
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Thanks for the pictures GregB i find it much easer to get my head around it now.
Those are very cool looking knocks i will use them as inspiration for my next ones. I have some buffalo horn and some other exotic woods i can use for the stick on bits :).
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The nice thing about that sort of nock is the combination of functional and beautiful!
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You're welcome dwardo...we're just passing it on. Frank (medicinewheel) has been one of several bowyers who's bow tips I've admired and tried to achieve their level of craftsmanship. Before long you'll probably be showing someone else how to make nice bow tips! :)
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More tips...I get a lot of mileage out of this, don't I :P
[attachment deleted by admin]
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The main thing i see is that my knock angles are way to steep and need to be a lot more shallow as yours seem to be.
Thanks again for the pics :)
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I have a build-along of how I work my tip overlays; maybe you want to check that out.
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I have a build-along of how I work my tip overlays; maybe you want to check that out.
great stuff! point me in the right direction if you would :)
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Go back to the "Main Discussion" page, the "How To's & Build Alongs". Scroll down and you'll see Franks tip build along. ;)
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Thats a big help cheers all..
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thats a nice lookking bow ther,i like the way the grains run of the handle,is she a fast shooter
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thats a nice lookking bow ther,i like the way the grains run of the handle,is she a fast shooter
Its not as fast as the birch bow i made last, probably because its a bit overbuilt and the tips are a little plump ;D SAying that the birch bow is way underbuilt and prbably wont last too long..
I didnt want to mess with this one too much as i wanted a kind of base to see what wych elm likes.
I have about 3 staves left so the others will be better,,and with better knocks lol