Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: welch2 on September 02, 2007, 11:40:42 pm

Title: gemsbok horn filled with black locust in progress
Post by: welch2 on September 02, 2007, 11:40:42 pm

here are some of the early stage photos of a bow I've been working on for awhile .I'll take some photos of it as stands now with several layers of sinew ,if anybody is interested.

(http://www.freebirdarchery.com/images/hornbowclamps.JPG)

(http://www.freebirdarchery.com/images/hornbowclamps2.JPG)

(http://www.freebirdarchery.com/images/hornbowclamps3.JPG)

(http://www.freebirdarchery.com/images/hornbowcore1.JPG)

(http://www.freebirdarchery.com/images/hornbowcore2.JPG)

(http://www.freebirdarchery.com/images/hornbowhandle.JPG)

(http://www.freebirdarchery.com/images/hornbowhandleclamps.JPG)

Ralph

Title: Re: gemsbok horn filled with black locust in progress
Post by: Pat B on September 02, 2007, 11:59:01 pm

Ralph, This is gonna be interesting! ;)  Looking forward to your progress.    Pat

Title: Re: gemsbok horn filled with black locust in progress
Post by: Justin Snyder on September 03, 2007, 12:13:30 am

I'm really looking forward to seeing this too.  Have you done anything special to the horn butt joint to stop it from comming apart.  Justin

Title: Re: gemsbok horn filled with black locust in progress
Post by: welch2 on September 03, 2007, 12:25:32 am

Thanks Pat and Justin.

Quote

Quote from: Justin Snyder on September 03, 2007, 12:13:30 am

I'm really looking forward to seeing this too.  Have you done anything special to the horn butt joint to stop it from comming apart.  Justin

No not really ,I probably should have .I started this bow several years ago and have learned alot from it so far. I ended up protecting the splice by wrapping it with backstrap sinew and hide glue. Here is a picture of the butt joint after glue up.

(http://www.freebirdarchery.com/images/hornbowsplice.JPG)

One of the things I learned from this picture is, hot horn is very soft.

Ralph

Title: Re: gemsbok horn filled with black locust in progress
Post by: medicinewheel on September 03, 2007, 02:54:59 am

hey ralph! - looking foreward for this-one...!
frank

Title: Re: gemsbok horn filled with black locust in progress
Post by: Harrifer on September 03, 2007, 06:54:35 am

Nice work! If the devil had a bow it would look like that. Maybe you should call it your devil bow?

Title: Re: gemsbok horn filled with black locust in progress
Post by: a finnish native on September 03, 2007, 08:19:42 am

I would put more reflex when applying the sinew. this one is interesting.

Title: Re: gemsbok horn filled with black locust in progress
Post by: Hillbilly on September 03, 2007, 10:20:10 am

Ralph, as everyone else said, this is definitely gonna be an interesting project. Looking good so far, keep us updated.

Title: Re: gemsbok horn filled with black locust in progress
Post by: welch2 on September 03, 2007, 01:08:08 pm

I forgot to take pictures during the early stages of the sinewing.  :'(     But basically what I did was ,fill the remaining hollow part of the horn with sinew .After that dried for a few weeks ,I applied the first real layer of sinew ,then wrapped the handle and tips with sinew, let dry for a few months ,repeat...  It's up to sinew layer 6 or 7 now . Still not done . At this point I'm appling sinew in spots ,not layers .to even out the reflex from limb to limb ,,and to tiller.  I'll take some new pictures.

I'll warn you though ,it's not a refined Asian like horn bow ,it's getting uglier all the time . ;D

Ralph

Title: Re: gemsbok horn filled with black locust in progress
Post by: welch2 on September 03, 2007, 04:31:04 pm

(http://www.freebirdarchery.com/images/horn-handle-back.JPG)

(http://www.freebirdarchery.com/images/horn-handle.JPG)

(http://www.freebirdarchery.com/images/horn-nock.JPG)

(http://www.freebirdarchery.com/images/horn-sinew.JPG)

(http://www.freebirdarchery.com/images/horn-sinew2.JPG)

Title: Re: gemsbok horn filled with black locust in progress
Post by: medicinewheel on September 03, 2007, 06:43:10 pm

some serious reflex in this-one...  8)
frank

Title: Re: gemsbok horn filled with black locust in progress
Post by: Rich Saffold on September 03, 2007, 07:53:47 pm

Ralph, I like your originality here, and I'm sure the next sequence of photos should be very informative..

Rich

Title: Re: gemsbok horn filled with black locust in progress
Post by: welch2 on September 28, 2007, 08:49:17 pm

If you look at the picture of the belly side of the horns at the butt joint above, It was a tight fit but I seem to have used horn to close to the base .At the base the horn is thin and not as dense .So while I had the bow strung to check tiller the horn at the joint crushed it self.
 :o     I'm going to try to repair it by cutting out this section on the handle and inserting a bone or ivory piece to bridge the gap.

(http://www.freebirdarchery.com/images/horn-handle-oops.jpg)

I should have done that to start with ,but this is one of my first tries at a horn bow. I've finished a few since starting this one.This little bow has been and is a great learning tool for me.   :D

Ralph

Title: Re: gemsbok horn filled with black locust in progress
Post by: welch2 on January 08, 2008, 06:34:02 pm

I started working on this bow again .In this picture you can see where I cut out the failed section of horn,and the core beneath it.



[attachment deleted by admin]

Title: Re: gemsbok horn filled with black locust in progress
Post by: FVR on January 08, 2008, 10:27:47 pm

I am very much enjoying this thread.

Looking forward to more pics.

Title: Re: gemsbok horn filled with black locust in progress
Post by: Ryano on January 08, 2008, 11:24:32 pm

couldn't you just glue a piece of wood on the belly side of the handle to fix that weak spot?  ???

Title: Re: gemsbok horn filled with black locust in progress
Post by: welch2 on January 08, 2008, 11:36:08 pm

The horn is about  1/8" thick ,and takes about all the compression of both limbs. A very dense wood like ipe might work ,but if it failed ,because I cut out 1/2" or more , the whole bow could fly apart.

I could cut another piece of horn to go in the hole I guess . It's traditional to use ivory .Not sure why. It may be stronger than horn in compression ?

Ralph

Title: Re: gemsbok horn filled with black locust in progress
Post by: jeduffey on March 20, 2008, 11:20:40 pm

Thanks for including us on this instructive journey. I also have some gemsbok horn that got a poor start as a bow and needs a lot of help getting finished. I'm looking forward to seeing how yours is going. Let us know if you have an update.

Title: Re: gemsbok horn filled with black locust in progress
Post by: tpoof on March 22, 2008, 06:19:43 pm

Now there's a bow project you won't soon forget! ;D

I hope you bring that beast to bay! >:D

Title: Re: gemsbok horn filled with black locust in progress
Post by: welch2 on March 26, 2008, 02:50:46 pm

I cut a spacer out of a boars tusk today ,and fit it . Now gotta glue it in.

(http://www.freebirdarchery.com/images/horn-ivory1.JPG)

(http://www.freebirdarchery.com/images/horn-ivory2.JPG)


And here it is after fitting .I will file it down even with the horn after it's glued in.

(http://www.freebirdarchery.com/images/horn-ivory3.JPG)

Ralph

Title: Re: gemsbok horn filled with black locust in progress
Post by: Hillbilly on March 26, 2008, 06:04:16 pm

Keep us updated, Ralph. This is quite an interesting project- I'm looking forward to seeing the final product.

Title: Re: gemsbok horn filled with black locust in progress
Post by: welch2 on March 28, 2008, 07:20:03 pm

Well it's glued in ,hide glue ,then an ace bandage to hold it from slipping and one C clamp to pull it down snug . Steve , If I get it done ,you can shoot it at the Classic.  :)

Ralph

Title: Re: gemsbok horn filled with black locust in progress
Post by: Hillbilly on March 29, 2008, 12:10:12 am

You've got yourself a deal.  ;D