Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: osage outlaw on January 19, 2011, 07:10:05 pm

Title: A good day in the bow shop - Day 2
Post by: osage outlaw on January 19, 2011, 07:10:05 pm
Today the wife was working, the kids were at school, and I didn't have anything to do except spend all day in the bow shop.  My day started a little before 8:00 am.  I mounted my grandfathers old vise to my workbench so I can have two to work with.  A friend is coming by later to work on his first bow.

(http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r55/clintanders/SDC11213.jpg)

After that, I put a deer skull in to soak in some hot soapy water, then got started on chasing a ring on the back of an osage stave.  This stave is for a trade I have going on.

(http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r55/clintanders/SDC11217.jpg)

Sometime around 10:00 my friend showed up with his Hackberry bow.  I set him up in the vise and got out another drawknife.  He started thinning down the limbs.

(http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r55/clintanders/SDC11223.jpg)

I started removing the bark and sapwood on another stave.  This one is going for the same trade as the other one.  I received a full tanned deer hide plus a couple of smaller pieces.  I want to make a quiver out of it.  Don't laugh at my poor excuse of a bench.  It works.

(http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r55/clintanders/SDC11222.jpg)

After he got the limbs thinned down some, he went to the belt sander to smooth out the belly and sides a little.
 
(http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r55/clintanders/SDC11224.jpg)
Title: Re: A good day in the bow shop
Post by: 22arrows on January 19, 2011, 07:18:06 pm
Yup that was a good day ;D
Title: Re: A good day in the bow shop
Post by: osage outlaw on January 19, 2011, 07:23:16 pm
Time for lunch. 

(http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r55/clintanders/SDC11226.jpg)

This stave has some amazing color to it.  I have made 2 other bows out of this same tree and they have had the same colors, just not as much as this stave.  It should make a beautiful bow.  All of the sapwood has been removed plus a couple more rings below it.   

(http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r55/clintanders/SDC11228.jpg)

Around 3:00 my friend had to call it a day.  He did a lot of scraping and rasping and it is reallly starting to look like a bow.  We will start tillering it the next time he comes over.

(http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r55/clintanders/SDC11230.jpg)

I finished removing the bark and sapwood on the stave.  It looks great.

(http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r55/clintanders/SDC11232.jpg)

I went back to work on chasing a ring on the other stave.  I want to leave a thin layer of early wood on it so he can just sand it off and be ready to go.

(http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r55/clintanders/SDC11235.jpg)

We made a decent size pile of shavings today.

(http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r55/clintanders/SDC11240.jpg)

I had to hurry and get it swept up before the kids got home at 4:00.  I have a nice mound of shavings and scraps going.

(http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r55/clintanders/SDC11243.jpg)

Tomorrow, I will have about 4 hours to spend working in the shop.
Title: Re: A good day in the bow shop
Post by: Josh on January 19, 2011, 08:24:09 pm
looks like a fun productive day to me... got me wanting a Rice Krispy Treat too.  :)
Title: Re: A good day in the bow shop
Post by: Postman on January 19, 2011, 08:25:21 pm
That is a pretty stave - congrats on pulling a friend down into the madness with you ;D  -his bow's lookin' good
Title: Re: A good day in the bow shop
Post by: Sparrow on January 19, 2011, 11:19:38 pm
 Nice !  I got to have a couple of days like yours real soon to finish a BL i'm working on. Good pictures  '  Frank
Title: Re: A good day in the bow shop
Post by: Elktracker on January 20, 2011, 01:47:40 am
Ok im jealous I wish I could have been in the shop all day, That Osage is very pretty looking. I have a trade I hope goes through a vine maple stave for some Osage billets but havent heard back in a while this makes me want to try to get the ball rolling. Nice shop ;D
Title: Re: A good day in the bow shop
Post by: Pappy on January 20, 2011, 06:21:50 am
Looks like a good day,nothing like a day in the shop,just you and the wood. I don't get much of that anymore but when I do it is special. :)
   Pappy
Title: Re: A good day in the bow shop
Post by: Del the cat on January 20, 2011, 06:45:25 am
You've made us all jealous now!
Looks like you had a fine time. It's great to still be using that old vice, I like old tools.
Del
Title: Re: A good day in the bow shop
Post by: jwillis on January 20, 2011, 01:38:20 pm
That reflexed stave looks awesome. Jim
Title: Re: A good day in the bow shop
Post by: osage outlaw on January 20, 2011, 02:28:49 pm
The kids are home today thanks to a bunch of snow, so I haven't got any work done today.  I might be able to sneak out for a few minutes later.  Who knows, might be too much snow to go to work tonight ;D. 
Title: Re: A good day in the bow shop
Post by: nativenoobowyer86 on January 20, 2011, 03:20:26 pm
Lol, i cant wait for a rice crispy treat and some bow time! the wife and son are visiting the inlaws for the weekend so i've got lots of spare time coming up.  now all i need is a bowshop, the bow-livingroom gets messy pretty fast :)
Title: Re: A good day in the bow shop
Post by: osage outlaw on January 20, 2011, 06:41:39 pm
Way too much snow to go to work.  Guess I'll have to stay home and work on bow stuff for a couple of hours. ;D

(http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r55/clintanders/SDC11250.jpg)

I finished up the two staves for the trade.  I used the bandsaw and a drawknife to take them down a little so I can save on shipping.

(http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r55/clintanders/SDC11244.jpg)

Now to start spitting out some more.

(http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r55/clintanders/SDC11246.jpg)

I ended up with 4, including one belly split out of that piece.  I have another trade going on, I think I will use the one on the left.

(http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r55/clintanders/SDC11248.jpg)

I was looking over the 4 split staves and noticed I have a nice character split in one about 14" from the end.  That will make one unique bow if I can make it work.

(http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r55/clintanders/SDC11252.jpg)

The kids are home from grandma's house so my work day is over.
Title: Re: A good day in the bow shop - Day 2
Post by: Elktracker on January 20, 2011, 06:52:03 pm
Lucky :P nice wood
Title: Re: A good day in the bow shop - Day 2
Post by: George Tsoukalas on January 20, 2011, 11:07:13 pm
Good stuff. Thanks for sharing. Jawge
Title: Re: A good day in the bow shop - Day 2
Post by: Sidewinder on January 21, 2011, 11:51:07 am
Looks like a good day to me. I don't have a shop and do most of my work outside on a bench I built Its good to ahve a buddy thats trying to build one as well. Thanks for sharing.   Danny