Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Dauntless on May 25, 2012, 11:01:22 am
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This bow is spliced from some thin scraps of yew I had left from a board. To get enough thickness I had to splice the thinner ends and add on a fairly long riser. I'm really horrible with hand cut splices and the whole handle is just encased in sinew then covered in leather. The yew is quarter sawn and backed with two thin layers of moose sinew then with salmon skin.
The bow is 52" nock to nock and an inch wide. The stiffened handle is 8" long, the flipped tips are 5" and the overall reflex after unstringing is 2". She draws 30 lbs at 24".
It could be considered a kids bow, I don't draw it more than 25" which makes for some "creative" shooting form.
I'm really happy how the Salmon skin turned out. One large filet from the grocery store was enough to cover the bow once cut in 4 strips. The handle is wrapped with birch bark and leather from a scrap couch. The string is sinew.
(http://i495.photobucket.com/albums/rr313/Dauntlessbows/DSCF2470.jpg)
(http://i495.photobucket.com/albums/rr313/Dauntlessbows/DSCF2468.jpg)
(http://i495.photobucket.com/albums/rr313/Dauntlessbows/DSCF2469.jpg)
(http://i495.photobucket.com/albums/rr313/Dauntlessbows/DSCF2480.jpg)
(http://i495.photobucket.com/albums/rr313/Dauntlessbows/DSCF2472.jpg)
(http://i495.photobucket.com/albums/rr313/Dauntlessbows/DSCF2479.jpg)
(http://i495.photobucket.com/albums/rr313/Dauntlessbows/DSCF2477.jpg)
(http://i495.photobucket.com/albums/rr313/Dauntlessbows/DSCF2478.jpg)
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Two thumbs up, Dauntless. Well executed and salmon skin? My hats off to you for being creative and resourceful.
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Congratulations, That came out great, Love the skins!
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Very nice, tiller looks good and love the skins. :) :)
Pappy
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"One large filet from the grocery store was enough to cover the bow once cut in 4 strips."
!!! I never knew you could do that with salmon from the grocery store!!! It turned out very nice! How exactly did you process the salmon skin? Did you dry it out? How did you apply it? MAN I have to try this...
EDIT: The bow is very sharp, but that arrow is also very nicely crafted.
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I processed the skin according to Timo's tuturial : http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php?topic=12105.0 I just didn't remove the scales with a knife since it was also removing the pattern. They came off when scrubbing with soap though.
The filet I used was pretty massive too, a good 12" long by 6" It's a good excuse to eat fish.
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Very cool all around, thanks for sharing.
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That's awesome Dauntless, my tribe used salmon skin as backing on sinewed yew bows, and I love the tiller! :) Gonna have to copy that one!
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Really? What tribe? I'd love to see pictures of such bows, google images didn't come up with much.
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Fantastic work! I love the salmon skin. Very well done. :)
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cool!
Where did you get a Yew board?
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At a specialty lumber store in Winnipeg, specifically a Windsor plywood. Something like an 8 foot board 6-8" wide with two live edges 3/4" thick for 25$. I bought the board a couple years back although I still see them regularly in that store.
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Way to think outside the box! I guess I'm headed to the fish store... ;D
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Nice bow! I love that skin. I never thought of using that before. Great idea!
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Pure artwork! Very well done and looks deadly serious in that last full draw pic - NOT a kids' bow.
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Okay, so that is cool as hell. Thanks for posting this.
Tiller is killer.
Lane
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Coos tribe, yeah I haven't been able to find much either, but there are notes that Melville Jacobs recorded with one of the last speakers of our Hanis and Miluk languages and a couple of other elders, and in there they said that we used vine maple or yew backed with sinew and salmon skin. Pretty awesome bow dude :)
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Siknew, salmon skin, leather, and yew. Sounds like a recipe for something a dog could not leave alone! Better keep that lovely killer up high.
And for that matter, better not leave it unattended anywhere near me. Though I am a little less likely to chew it up, it'll be just as gone. >:D
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Man I love the way you brought that all together. It seems to me that you salvaged alot of different elements to make a very beautiful and looks like, deadly weapon. My hats off to you on that one. Danny
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I've tought about using salmon skins and wondered how they would look, well how about great!!! You really got into the detail and your tiller looks great!!
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Dauntless, how did you treat your salmon skins. I saw this post and it inspired me to try some salmon skins. They just happened to have some real nice looking fresh copper river salmon at the local Albertson's yesterday. I skinned the fillets, and to my surprise the skin was pretty rugged. I grew up on smoked salmon and had expected sticky skin, but not tough skin. Anyway, after scraping the skins, I started rinsing them in hot water. Just as hot as my sink goes which aint blistering, and to my surprise, the skins became very delicate, tearing with the slightest of mishandling. They went from tough hide to wet paper with just a quick rinse in hot water. Anyway, I thought it was interesting and made me curious about how you prepped your skins. Also, I have eaten about 3lbs of smoked salmon in the last 18 hrs. ;D ;D ;D