Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Del the cat on March 17, 2012, 01:55:38 pm
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Having my last one explode, it was a huge relief to get this baby finished.
The wood had a nasty knot about 4" from the end and was barely 72" long to start with so I had to work around the knot to get a full length ELB.
I excavated the manky wood from the back and put a sapwood patch over it, I left it a tad wide and thick at the knot for security.
She's 65# at 28" 71 1/4" ntn
Here's that knot and patch, shows the white Waterbuffalo horn top nock too.
I've only just noticed that pin that looks like an eye below the big knot!
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp195/Del_the_Cat/Website%20stills/100_1995.jpg)
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp195/Del_the_Cat/Website%20stills/100_2003.jpg)
Here's some other detail pics, and the nice ripply top limb.
The back of the bow follows the line of the growth rings, but the sapwood is thicker one edge than the other so rings show as roughly parallel lines along the back. If I'd followed a ring the back of the bow would have been sloping across at 45 degrees rather than square. (I'll get another pic to show what I mean)
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp195/Del_the_Cat/Website%20stills/100_1999.jpg)
Filled knot showing through on the back.
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp195/Del_the_Cat/Website%20stills/100_2000.jpg)
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp195/Del_the_Cat/Website%20stills/100_2004.jpg)
And finally the one you've all been waiting for :)
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp195/Del_the_Cat/Website%20stills/100_2005.jpg)
Hope you like her.
Del
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That is one beautiful bender you have there Del! Ima definitely hafta add a yew ELB to my todo list. Master craftsmanship and expertly saved :) So do you look'r in the eye when you draw? ;)
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Here's a pic of the back, hard to show the rings patern...I've adjusted the brightness and contrast to try and show it better.
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp195/Del_the_Cat/Website%20stills/Backdetail.jpg)
Del
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sweet del..i love it :D
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Del, that bow is absolutely beautiful! And the sapwood patch... 8)
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Del, that bow is absolutely beautiful! And the sapwood patch... 8)
Cheers.
This will give you an idea of how big and deep that knot was before I rasped it down flat filled it and then patched over the top.
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp195/Del_the_Cat/Website%20stills/diggingknot.jpg)
It was sooo deep when I looked into it I could see one of our members in Australia waving to me ::).
Del
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Very nice Del
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Del, that bow is absolutely beautiful! And the sapwood patch... 8)
Cheers.
This will give you an idea of how big and deep that knot was before I rasped it down flat filled it and then patched over the top.
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp195/Del_the_Cat/Website%20stills/diggingknot.jpg)
It was sooo deep when I looked into it I could see one of our members in Australia waving to me ::).
Del
Way beyond my abilities, which really ain't saying much, but still, ;D. Del, you are the master of ELBs, beautiful work. Thats the kinda bow that I would want to be buried with, right next to my guitar... ;D ;D ;D
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Great work, Del. Very nice job indeed!!
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Wow Del, amazing work! Great work with that knot.
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Yikes! that is a sweet sweet thing to look at at. Awesome Del!
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Very nice Del. Is it English yew?
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Very nice Del. Is it English yew?
Yeah it's English Yew from Audley End house :)http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/audley-end-house-and-gardens/ (http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/audley-end-house-and-gardens/), I happened to bump into a tree surgeon who was topping out some old Yews there, unfortunately he cut a lot of it to 6' despite my asking for 7-8'. Mind he didn't charge me too much, about a tenner per log for 6 logs :)
Del
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Really nice work on that one Del. I have yet to shoot one of those yew Elbs's but I bet their butter smooth. Tiller is stellar and I love of course that sapwood/heartwood contrast. Danny
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Thanks for the appreciation guys.
For anyone who wants to see the full buildalong. It starts with this entry on my blog from March 4th.
http://bowyersdiary.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/keep-calm-and-carry-on.html (http://bowyersdiary.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/keep-calm-and-carry-on.html)
Del
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That sir is a real beauty!
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derek,i have to say that came out great....i have been watching it on your blog....i have a question for you..is the ELB and the war bow the same kind of bow...i was thinking that war bows are heavier in weight ....and the ELB is lighter in weight...is this right or wrong...thanks so much for sharing your creation...john
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derek,i have to say that came out great....i have been watching it on your blog....i have a question for you..is the ELB and the war bow the same kind of bow...i was thinking that war bows are heavier in weight ....and the ELB is lighter in weight...is this right or wrong...thanks so much for sharing your creation...john
Thanks.
The ELBs I make are pretty much like a warbow but with a lighter and a shorter draw, I'd say 90# and over is a warbow.
Warbows generally draw around 30" or more, whereas an ELb is probably going to be 28".
Some people will say an ELB is a Victorian style with a stiffer handle, but I think there is overlap between the two styles as I tiller mine 'full compass'
There was a thread about it a while back with a variety of opinions and a whole bunch of 'overthink'.
I'm not a great believer in putting labels on things. Some archery organisations in the UK insist a 'longbow' must have horn nocks... it's all a lot of nonsense. If I handed someone one of my bows, they'd be in no doubt what it was!
Del
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Well done Del!! you really get the most out of a stave ;)
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thats pretty impressive ,to get a bow out of such a piece of yew, nice tiller too
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Awesome looking bow Del. I wouldn't have thought that was possible with that knot taking up so much of the limb. I guess I will look at yew staves for sale with knots a bit differently now. I too have put the albino buffalo tips on mine and like them.
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gorgeous bow!
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Beautiful craftsmanship :)
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If anyone is going to turn yew firewood into a bow is you dell.
Lovely stuff.
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That's some beautiful work Del and it must have been a scary one to tiller. Way beyond my capabilities. On another note: I didn't know they made white waterbuffalo horn :o I thought it was antler nocks at first glance.
Julian
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Oh Del... Be still my heart... That is one beautiful bow. Sure would like to try my hand at a character yew stave. Hats off to you!
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That's some beautiful work Del and it must have been a scary one to tiller. Way beyond my capabilities. On another note: I didn't know they made white waterbuffalo horn :o I thought it was antler nocks at first glance.
Julian
Cheers.
The white (Albino) Waterbuffalo horn cost a bit more and is rather variable in colour (the very pale can look a bit anaemic), it gives the look of cow horn but is more consistent to work. I was told that cow horn tends to be layered and is prone to splitting.
Del
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Del, That is a beaut! You did that piece of yew justice. Congratulations
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What do you fill those knots with?
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Sweetness personified Del, a real beauty. I guess you know what your doing. ;) :P
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What do you fill those knots with?
Small straight knots I peg with a piece of fine grained Yew which I turn in my drill press (glued in with epoxy).
For bigger irregular holes, especially ones which don't go right through, like the one near the tip.
I make a peg (Yew) as good a fit as I can, I then mix epoxy and Yew dust (collected from the bandsaw) into a fairly dry paste (it seems to get wetter as you press it in). I load some mix into the hole and press in the peg clamping it gently in the vice. Where a knot is sound on one side it often has the tiny central pith showing, by drilling through that with a V small drill into the cavity it allows excess mix to squeeze out and ensures that there are no air pockets.
For really big irregular holes, I've filled with epoxy Yew mix to provide a foundation and then drilled clean round holes and fitted round plugs.
This was V effective on the 90# warbow, where I filled a big squareish hole and did 4 round plugs eventually leaving a filling of almost solid wood with most of the mix drilled out.
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp195/Del_the_Cat/Website%20stills/filledknot90.jpg)
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp195/Del_the_Cat/Website%20stills/excavatedknot.jpg)
It seems to be a pretty good technique, but I've only done it with Yew so far.
You can see, it would be impossible to drill clean holes without filling first.
Del
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Hey, that is pretty extreme knot filling surgery. Very cool, I like it, looks cool to!
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BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!!!! nuf said
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Another fine bow Del! As usual you manage to find answers to all the the questions the wood is asking of you. Will we see this beauty at the SPTA camp in May?
Stan
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Cheers.
Nope it will be going to a loving home shortly :).
I'll have some goodies there though.
Del
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Real nice looking bow Del. I see you have cut a piece of the back off to keep a better shape, is that something you have done before?
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Real nice looking bow Del. I see you have cut a piece of the back off to keep a better shape, is that something you have done before?
Cheers,
I patched a piece onto the back over the filled knot.
The knot was on a raised hump, so in order to patch over it (to keep a good layer of sapwood) I had to rasp it down to a decent flat area, this exposed heartwood from around the knot for about half the width of the bow.
This entry from my blog (and the next 2) shows some more pics and a sketch.
http://bowyersdiary.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/knot-work.html (http://bowyersdiary.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/knot-work.html)
It's a technique I'd used before where grain was begining to lift on the back of a bow around a small knot. This happened during shooting in.
It turned out that what looked like a small pin knot had a large rotten cavity beneath it and I was amazed the bow hadn't broken. I let in a long scollop of sapwood and the bow was fine.
Del
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Nice, I'll remember that if I ever get a piece lifting on the back.
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Del, that sir is a masterpiece ...stunning in fact!
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This beauty deserves some better photos, for sure! Beautifull work!
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She's a beauty Del.
You did a great job.
I hope to one day have the skil to accomplish such a bow....
Thanks for sharing..
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Beautiful bow,I love everything about,finish is exceptional and the tiller is dead on. :)Sweet bow. :)
Pappy