Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: LimbLover on October 06, 2012, 09:46:52 pm

Title: "Grandpa John" my Black Locust Bow
Post by: LimbLover on October 06, 2012, 09:46:52 pm: FINISHED PICS ON PAGE 2

This is my second successful bow, and my first pyramid design. I am happy to post it as I have been glued to this site for the past year, trying to learn whatever I can and admiring the works of all of you.

Here is the story…

My Grandfather is a tremendous woodworker. When he heard I was starting to build bows, he brought me to his barn and showed me a pile of black locust someone had given him. Three boards caught my eye after sifting through it awhile. They were fairly wide, enabling me to trim around the major imperfections with a table saw. Still, I wasn’t sure they would make a bow.

I botched the first, attempting to make a narrow longbow, and it came in far too light. After reading Volume 1 of the TBB, I thought a pyramid style would work the best. The limbs taper from 3” to ½” with 6” of handle. I was originally going for a bendy handle, but at 66” long I decided an elliptical tiller made more sense. The top limb is a bit weaker, but the bow shoots smoothly and accurately as it sits, and has little set (about 1-1.5”) at both limbs.

I backed with a gray silk shirt I found at Goodwill and Titebond III. I dyed the shirt with Fiebings to camouflage the limbs a bit as this will be a hunting bow. I dyed the tips black for fun..wanted them to look tempered. I finished with 5 coats of wipe-on polyurethane on the belly and a spray waterproof matte on the back. The shelf is a tapered wood dowel that sits 1” above center. I bulked the handle with leather and wrapped with twine.

It pulls 60# @ 30” and really whips a heavy 65/70 cedar with heavy tip.

I’ve named it “Grandpa John” after my Grandfather and hope to show it to him at Thanksgiving.

Thank you for looking!

(http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p65/FadedGlory77/Black%20Locust%20Build%202012/2012-10-05155454.jpg)

(http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p65/FadedGlory77/Black%20Locust%20Build%202012/2012-10-05154545.jpg)

(http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p65/FadedGlory77/Black%20Locust%20Build%202012/2012-10-05154737.jpg)

(http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p65/FadedGlory77/Black%20Locust%20Build%202012/2012-10-06134329.jpg)

(http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p65/FadedGlory77/Black%20Locust%20Build%202012/2012-10-06130422.jpg)

(http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p65/FadedGlory77/Black%20Locust%20Build%202012/2012-10-27164347.jpg)

(http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p65/FadedGlory77/Black%20Locust%20Build%202012/2012-10-05154826.jpg)
Title: Re: "Grandpa John" my Black Locust Bow
Post by: Zion on October 06, 2012, 10:41:47 pm: Seriously awesome bow! I like the tips dark like that too, it somehow adds some character to the bow. ;)
Very cool that you made a bow from the wood your gramps gave you, too.
Nice work 8)
Title: Re: "Grandpa John" my Black Locust Bow
Post by: LimbLover on October 06, 2012, 10:46:55 pm: Thanks! Here is the board actually. I forgot this one.

(http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p65/FadedGlory77/Black%20Locust%20Build%202012/2012-08-16172601.jpg)
Title: Re: "Grandpa John" my Black Locust Bow
Post by: lesken2011 on October 06, 2012, 10:53:09 pm: Nice job on that one!! 8)
Title: Re: "Grandpa John" my Black Locust Bow
Post by: criveraville on October 06, 2012, 11:33:35 pm: Nice job on her ::). I like those black tip..

Cipriano
Title: Re: "Grandpa John" my Black Locust Bow
Post by: dwardo on October 07, 2012, 07:43:42 am: Great looking bow and a nice sentiment too, good allround 8)
Title: Re: "Grandpa John" my Black Locust Bow
Post by: TRACY on October 07, 2012, 08:42:11 am: Very nice looking bow and great story!

Tracy
Title: Re: "Grandpa John" my Black Locust Bow
Post by: tattoo dave on October 07, 2012, 09:56:37 am: That turned out sweet Nick!! Hang on to that one. Lot's of good mojo in that chunk of wood, being from gramps and all. I still think ya should be hunting with it this season. You still have time to take a deer with it, show gramps the bow at thanksgiving, AND give him some meat harvested with it. ;D Nice work!

Tattoo Dave
Title: Re: "Grandpa John" my Black Locust Bow
Post by: George Tsoukalas on October 07, 2012, 10:09:53 am: That is a beauty! Your Grandfather will love it. Jawge
Title: Re: "Grandpa John" my Black Locust Bow
Post by: Josh B on October 07, 2012, 11:09:10 am: That is sweet! I like that a lot! Josh
Title: Re: "Grandpa John" my Black Locust Bow
Post by: Badly Bent on October 07, 2012, 11:28:31 am: Cool bow and looks to be a shooter. What do you think of the black locust? I personally love it as a bow wood, good in performance and a
very pretty wood to boot. Enjoy shooting yours.
Greg
Title: Re: "Grandpa John" my Black Locust Bow
Post by: LimbLover on October 07, 2012, 12:02:55 pm: Quote from: Badly Bent on October 07, 2012, 11:28:31 am
Cool bow and looks to be a shooter. What do you think of the black locust? I personally love it as a bow wood, good in performance and a
very pretty wood to boot. Enjoy shooting yours.
Greg

I love black locust. Now I haven't worked with much in comparison, just oak and hickory, but it is beautiful wood. I wish I would have left the backing off and worked it down but I really wanted this one to be successful and didn't take my chances. Both locust boards yielded bows that flexed really nice but I notice they take set easily, which is why I used that wide pyramid and worked real slow

The wood also has a lot of little tight knot clusters. Otherwise great to shave down. I'd like to work an actual stave of it down. For now I'm going back to the attic to pick some more!

I am going to hunt with it Dave. Maybe tonight!
Title: Re: "Grandpa John" my Black Locust Bow
Post by: H Rhodes on October 07, 2012, 06:51:30 pm: I think you made yourself a family heirloom! Enjoy that fine bow and good luck this season.
Title: Re: "Grandpa John" my Black Locust Bow
Post by: druid on October 09, 2012, 05:22:13 am: Great bow.
Title: Re: "Grandpa John" my Black Locust Bow
Post by: sleek on October 09, 2012, 05:51:56 am: Well sir, while I think the tiller could use a bit of touch up, I have to say, wood working skills were not lost on you. Everybody learns to tiller, but honestly, fine craftsmanship is something that just doesnt land on everybody. You have some nice skills, good job!
Title: Re: "Grandpa John" my Black Locust Bow
Post by: LimbLover on October 09, 2012, 05:13:33 pm: Quote from: sleek on October 09, 2012, 05:51:56 am
Well sir, while I think the tiller could use a bit of touch up, I have to say, wood working skills were not lost on you. Everybody learns to tiller, but honestly, fine craftsmanship is something that just doesnt land on everybody. You have some nice skills, good job!

Thanks! What should I clean up?

My tillering tree is horrid and playing tricks with my eyes. Should I pull some off the bottom limb from fade to middle third? Looks kind of stiff there. I'm real paranoid about it. I've been checking for set a lot after shooting. Left it strung for several hours a few times and checked it then too. Constructive criticism won't make me cry in my coffee. I want this bow to last.
Title: Re: "Grandpa John" my Black Locust Bow
Post by: sleek on October 09, 2012, 05:50:19 pm: Maybe its my eyes, or the porch railing making me see this, but the lower limb does look a touch stiff in the inner third. By no means does that mean the bow wont last. I would say leave it and shoot it untill you have made more and then you can figure out how to ( if you wanna ) change it. But as is, she should be fine. It is really whip tillered, meaning the tips do most the bending. There is nothing wrong with that, some folks like em that way, but most would try to get the bow to bend around the entire limb.

The bottom limb seems to bend more at the tip than the upper limb does, but that is just a symmetry thing. If too much it could be structural but, again, i think you are safe.
Title: Re: "Grandpa John" my Black Locust Bow
Post by: LimbLover on October 09, 2012, 06:08:18 pm: Thanks!

I'll keep an eye on it then. I appreciate it.
Title: Re: "Grandpa John" my Black Locust Bow
Post by: LimbLover on November 03, 2012, 10:10:23 pm: Removed the pad and relaced the grip with leather. I like this better.

(http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p65/FadedGlory77/Black%20Locust%20Build%202012/2012-11-04172019.jpg)

(http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p65/FadedGlory77/Black%20Locust%20Build%202012/2012-11-04171848.jpg)
Title: Re: "Grandpa John" my Black Locust Bow
Post by: sharpend60 on November 03, 2012, 11:57:24 pm: I like that handle better too.
Title: Re: "Grandpa John" my Black Locust Bow
Post by: LimbLover on November 04, 2012, 09:23:21 pm: Slew of new photos with the new grip.

(http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p65/FadedGlory77/Black%20Locust%20Build%202012/2012-11-04171838.jpg)

(http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p65/FadedGlory77/Black%20Locust%20Build%202012/2012-11-04171951.jpg)

(http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p65/FadedGlory77/Black%20Locust%20Build%202012/2012-11-04171800.jpg)