Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: acker on March 09, 2010, 06:07:55 am
-
I made this Elder bow a few weeks ago, Elder is a quit good bow wood , very good under compression but a straight grown peace is hard to find .
Here is the Elder bush i took the stave from
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/hollerhaselwacholdedb42opl.jpg)
well not really straight, and a long crack on the reflex side of the limb
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/hollerhaselwacholdx592h86o.jpg)
debarked it and marked the centerline
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/hollerhaselwacholdk02dnax5.jpg)
after a bit of work with the drawknife it started to look like bow ::)
well, about 2" of deflex and not straight at al
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/hollersapling019bl2k4m37.jpg)
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/hollersapling021wjczbnap.jpg)
deflex
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/hollersapling0184awjledn.jpg)
very thin rings :-\ can you see them ;D
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/hollersapling074fl5148wz.jpg)
the weight of the bow , the handle wasn't cut out at that time:
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/hollersapling022b7kre4vg.jpg)
more work with the draw knife in the handle area:
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/hollersapling02517x60pbs.jpg)
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/hollersapling030mkw5gxrz.jpg)
almost a bow >:D
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/hollersapling027ocrt2y50.jpg)
It has a few really big knots on it, must be carefull with them.
the floor tiller was easy , here first time with the string on it
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/hollersapling033xc2p51zo.jpg)
on the tiller tree
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/hollersapling03123ke5br0.jpg)
very stiff and to much draw weight
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/hollersapling032d5q4ltkm.jpg)
better, but still not good
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/hollersapling0377rmye2g4.jpg)
I'm happy with that, i know there are still stiff parts , but i don't want it to bend to much in the area where the big knots are
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/hollersapling039rg2f0ao4.jpg)
It bends slightly through the handle.
OK, time to straighten the limbs, actually i never thought that the elder would come that far because of the knots and its very very fine ringed.
with the heat pistol and a bucket of nails for weight
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/hollersapling041a89vmkpy.jpg)
Thats the way it should look like , good result.
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/hollersapling042dv0ah76s.jpg)
Now its about time to clean the workspace, tools are everywhere but not there where they should be ::)
the next step is to clean the bow to get a nice surface
i use a few different kind of scrapers ans sandpaper
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/hollersapling046oxn7wca8.jpg)
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/hollersapling049bt0wzcup.jpg)
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/hollersapling054c2xfb7m6.jpg)
handle area is still dirty
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/hollersapling057diekcoh8.jpg)
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/hollersapling058kzvqrc32.jpg)
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/hollersapling062omvglazb.jpg)
finished, now the surface is smooth and clean no toolmarks left
back
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/hollersapling059aigc1evh.jpg)
belly
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/hollersapling0611r6i8acq.jpg)
end weight
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/hollersapling068wk2di8bg.jpg)
tools I've used on the last steps
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/hollersapling064ry2b3htu.jpg)
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/hollersapling071oyam78iu.jpg)
-
the big knots have to be secured, elder likes to break at them spots after a while.
I use hemp and wood glue.
knot one
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/hollersapling002z1xdjk5r.jpg)
knot two
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/hollersapling0031rm2q8ix.jpg)
the hemp fibers, i heckle them so they will be straight and clean of knots
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/hollersapling006endfy8m6.jpg)
done:
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/hollersapling005o4kqni6y.jpg)
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/hollersapling0086cog72d9.jpg)
cut them and put the glue over the knots
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/hollersapling012vd9a3h8j.jpg)
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/hollersapling014j18t4egw.jpg)
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/hollersapling015vq0xufpm.jpg)
ad the hemp fibers and press them on with wet fingers
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/hollersapling017xwg3czki.jpg)
another layer of the fibers and more glue
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/hollersapling018zdwfptvk.jpg)
done
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/hollersapling020ijom5uzp.jpg)
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/hollersapling004qojfh2lz.jpg)
-
Very cool,can't wait to see more,nice patch work. :) Thanks for sharing. :)
Pappy
-
I will have to try elder, i use it for pipes, fire straws, whistles yet i have never considered it for a bow??
Lookin good :)
-
nice build-along, acker. looks kind of familiar to me ;)
falti
-
thats pretty cool. like the hemp patch.
-
Nice bow...I like the creamyness look of the wood
I've been trying to find hemp fiber like that...where did you get it?
-
awesome buildalong, she's looking great so far. Cant wait to see her finished up and shooting! :)
-
Nice bow...I like the creamyness look of the wood
I've been trying to find hemp fiber like that...where did you get it?
Every plumber has some ;)
@all: thank you :)
she turned out nice,
64" N/N
50# @ 26"
some finished pics:
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/saplinge047icxeqyfu.jpg)
Tip overlays are out of Palisander
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/saplinge050vp1ojntr.jpg)
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/saplinge05118eyvldr.jpg)
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/saplinge0787pxru3g5.jpg)
acker
-
I'm a newbie, but let me say that is incredible.....when I first saw that small tree with a string on it I thought "He has got to be kidding.....that is a rough bow" but what you ended up with is just crazy beautiful.
Dwight
-
Lovely piece of work. Very impressed with the hemp-work.
-
Great tiller on that bow. Awesome work. Jawge
-
Elder, is that like an Alder? Thought they were basically weeds, but you showed me something Acker. Nice bow.
-
Hey, that's a great build-a-long and a nice looking bow.
I'm a little depressed right now... I just broke my work in progress. :-[
-
LOL I can speak for a lot of us when I say "WE HAVE ALL BEEN THERE" keep up the good work try and see where u went wrong and learn from your mistakes! I went on busting 4 or 5 of them at one point but when I get stressed or start to work too fast on a bow I walk away and leave it for another day! I have one sitting there in my shop that is a Beauty and almost finished I'll get to it ;) ;) ;)
Russ
-
Way, Nice learning experience, Thanks.
-
Great job Acker, nice bow!
-
@all: thank you :)
Elder, is that like an Alder? Thought they were basically weeds, but you showed me something Acker. Nice bow.
No, Elder is Elder . ;D ;D
There are two different sorts of Elder . Black Elder (sambucus nigra) is what you want for bow building, the other one, Red Elder isn´t very good for bows.
But they do look the very same in the winter time, but it is very easy to seperate them from each other.
( click on the pictures)
Here are two limbs , red elder and black elder can you see the differents ? No?
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/thumbnail/holler003j9h2rq63_thumb.jpg) (http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/view/holler003j9h2rq63.jpg)
Just break a little limb and have a look inside.
The black Elder has a white medullary canal , the canal from red Elder is, guess what? red ;)
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/thumbnail/holler007a1ylswfb_thumb.jpg) (http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/view/holler007a1ylswfb.jpg)
Thats Elder :
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/thumbnail/holler008yw4ni9a0_thumb.jpg) (http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/view/holler008yw4ni9a0.jpg)
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/thumbnail/holler00913j457ea_thumb.jpg) (http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/view/holler00913j457ea.jpg)
Hope that helps you searching for the right tree.
Here are two other Elder bows I´ve build,
My son´s bow:
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/thumbnail/alexbogenneu013743yhlbo_thumb.jpg) (http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/view/alexbogenneu013743yhlbo.jpg)
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/thumbnail/alexbogenneu0187zvsda5u_thumb.jpg) (http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/view/alexbogenneu0187zvsda5u.jpg)
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/thumbnail/alexbogenneu008mvy3h2ux_thumb.jpg) (http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/view/alexbogenneu008mvy3h2ux.jpg)
One of mine
You alway´s have them big knots
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/thumbnail/holler162leinl029eho1dz6l_thumb.jpg) (http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/view/holler162leinl029eho1dz6l.jpg)
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/thumbnail/holler162leinl021ladf2sov_thumb.jpg) (http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/view/holler162leinl021ladf2sov.jpg)
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/thumbnail/hollerpics2006leotrxkn_thumb.jpg) (http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/view/hollerpics2006leotrxkn.jpg)
The one on the right is ELder
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/thumbnail/saplingalle30032x3pwmq8_thumb.jpg) (http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/view/saplingalle30032x3pwmq8.jpg)
here on the left
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/thumbnail/saplingalle3016b2gfp9kd_thumb.jpg) (http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/view/saplingalle3016b2gfp9kd.jpg)
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/thumbnail/saplingalle30210foqugwv_thumb.jpg) (http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/view/saplingalle30210foqugwv.jpg)
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/thumbnail/saplingalle3035xhp2koiw_thumb.jpg) (http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/view/saplingalle3035xhp2koiw.jpg)
acker
-
Nice work, I'd always assumed that with that big pithy centre and it's fast growing habit the wood would be soft...I'll have to give it a go.
This is the same Elder that we get in the UK with big bunches of creamy white flowers which turn into big bunches of black berries right? (You can make Elderflower wine...mmmm tasty)
Del
BTW. I appreciate how much work goes into taking all the photos and doing the build along....thanks for taking the trouble, great pics.
-
@Del the cat: Thank you, yes thats the black elder. Wine , jam, juice and bows we can make out of it -> cool tree :D
Gruß acker
-
Wei ghets es ihnen, Acker? Vielen Dank! Mach's Gut.
-
Great bow! I have had my eyes on a stovepipe straight elder tree for a while now... mayby it´s time to cut it down and make a bow out of it. How good is it in compression, possible to make a round belly and sinew back it?
-
Any chance of a full draw picture?
-
@Lombard : Danke , soweit gut.
@parspektiv: Elder is good under compression you can even back it with bamboo , no problem at all.
Here is one I made last Autumn backed with hickory:
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/thumbnail/hickoryhollunderes47gz5cjk_thumb.jpg) (http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/view/hickoryhollunderes47gz5cjk.jpg)
(http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/thumbnail/hickoryhollundereslqcb27fx_thumb.jpg) (http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/view/hickoryhollundereslqcb27fx.jpg)
(Hickory , ash , elder)
@Oldbow: :-[ I`ll try to....
Gruß acker
-
Thank´s acker! But it´s hard to see in the pictures, do you keep the belly flat, or is it round?
-
Wow, what an awesome build along. There's something magical about seeing something go from a tree to a bow.
Very very impressive.
-
Thank´s acker! But it´s hard to see in the pictures, do you keep the belly flat, or is it round?
It was supposed to be round but there were some failere in the belly wood so my only choice was to make a flat belly.
-
That's a nice looking bow, and the tiller looks great. I had read someplace that Elder wasn't good for bows, but there was no distinction made between red and black. Do they both make white flowers followed by bunches of red-purple fruit, or is that only Black Elder.
-
@Jude: Both of them has white flowers.
The red Elder has red fruits and black elder has black fruits.
Gruß acker
-
Excellent bow and great buildalong. the hemp fiber demo was especially neat and very nice looking. Congratulations
-
Great buildalong! Love the way the bow turned out and all the detailed steps. Also like seeing our Virginia ham being sold next to fine german wursts! ;D
-
... Also like seeing our Virginia ham being sold next to fine german wursts! ;D
Postman, the plural is 'Würste' ...great word, isn't it ... 8) 8) 8)