Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Gordon on December 02, 2012, 07:02:15 pm
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Here is a bow that I built for a gentleman that lives on the East Coast. He contacted me wanting to know if I could make him a bow to replace a treasured yew longbow that had finally given up the ghost. He did not want to go back to fiberglass and asked if I could build one out of bamboo and lemonwood like the old Howard Hill bows. Lemonwood is not easy to find, but I did have a couple of boards in storage so I agreed.
The bow is made from lemonwood and backed with bamboo. The handle and powerlam are made from black walnut. Tip overlays are made of African blackwood. The bow is 66” ntn and pulls 37# @ 28”. The bow is finished with 9 coats of Tru-Oil. This is the second bow I’ve made from lemonwood and I have to marvel at how nicely the wood works. There are no knots or grain swirls to worry about and the wood comes off in long flowing curls. I broke in the bow by shooting it and fell in love with it. It is so pleasant to shoot a smooth drawing and low poundage bow. And it does wonders for your accuracy! Now I have to make one of these for myself with my last lemonwood board.
I hope you enjoy the pictures.
(http://i793.photobucket.com/albums/yy217/gferlitsch/CorradosBow/LemonWoodBoo1.jpg)
(http://i793.photobucket.com/albums/yy217/gferlitsch/CorradosBow/LemonWoodBoo2.jpg)
(http://i793.photobucket.com/albums/yy217/gferlitsch/CorradosBow/LemonWoodBoo7.jpg)
(http://i793.photobucket.com/albums/yy217/gferlitsch/CorradosBow/LemonWoodBoo9.jpg)
(http://i793.photobucket.com/albums/yy217/gferlitsch/CorradosBow/LemonWoodBoo11.jpg)
(http://i793.photobucket.com/albums/yy217/gferlitsch/CorradosBow/LemonWoodBoo10.jpg)
(http://i793.photobucket.com/albums/yy217/gferlitsch/CorradosBow/LemonWoodBoo8.jpg)
(http://i793.photobucket.com/albums/yy217/gferlitsch/CorradosBow/LemonWoodBoo12.jpg)
(http://i793.photobucket.com/albums/yy217/gferlitsch/CorradosBow/LemonWoodBoo4.jpg)
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PERFECTO!!!!! Nice one Gordon :)
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Another perfect bow Gordon. One of these days I'm gonna have to talk you in to making one for me so I can stop drooling on the computor screen ,maybe some extra coats of Tru-oil on mine please ;)
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Looks great, nice tiller, how does it shoot with that low poundage?
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Thank you Blackhawk.
Thank you Art. Sure, let me know what you want.
Zion, with a light spined arrow it shoots beautifully. At 15 yards I can consitently put arrows within a 3" group. I can't come close to that with my hunting weight bows.
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Gorgeous. Does it have a slight reflex deflex shape in the unbraced profile?
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Your bows are stunning in their beauty, grace and quality of workmanship this one is no exception Gordon.
Greg
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Beautifull Gordon. Love the color contrast and the handle wrap is a perfect match. Tiller is perfect as always. What is the handle wrap?
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Ooooooh yeeeeaah.
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Ryoon, the owner wanted a perfectly straight bow. I put in a bit of reflex thinking that it would tiller out, but it didn't. After seeing pictures, he's okay with it though.
Thank you for the nice compliment Greg.
Thank you Keenan. The owner wanted a beavertail handle. As you know, beavertail is not very flexible and I could not get it to form properly around the handle swell. So I found some leather that "Evil Dave" gave me that had a similar texture and used it instead. I have no idea what it is however.
Thank you Bryce.
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cool bow, i've always wanted to try lemonwood
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Sweetness 8)
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So perfect. Thanks for sharing.
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Very nice as always Gordon! Everything about that bow is stunning!
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Beautiful....Amazing.....WOW....AWESOME!
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Thank you Scott. The powerlam is 18" long. The limbs taper evenly from 1 3/8" at the fades to 7/16" at the tips.
Thank you Killir Duck.
Thank you Carson.
Thank you rps3.
Thank you for the compliment Will.
Thank you Arrowind.
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Nice contrast to the bows I have seen of yours before (all works of art). The power lam and tips really pop! Nice job again Mr. F!!
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Oh My God Gordon, its Sooo beautiful!!! I am so lucky to have found you . You are truly gifted to create the great longbow and I am excited to show my daughter as well. The English Yew Wood one I had was from the great Don Adams but it was finally cracking or chrysaling as they call it and after he examined it the verdict was bad. Ive heard so much about Lemonwood as the perfect substitute and in fact I think it was a Lemonwood bow that won a famous tournament years ago. After seeing Gordons bamboo backed one he made for his friends son I knew from the pictures this guy knows how to build them.But would he build it for me? What a Gentleman! Gordon, if it looks this good on the computer screen I can just imagine holding it in my hands what it will be like ! Dons bow was made for his wife Vivian as it was called Lady. He knew I was so anxious to get going on shooting and his waiting time was long so his wife gave the ok to sell her bow to me.It was 42lbs @28. Afterwards I ended up, buying heavy weighted bows in the upper 60s and low 70s for years(big mistake!). I gave Caralyn my daughter the Yew Wood bow . I am certainly going to enjoy shooting this but it will end up going to my daughter as a sort of replacement-hence the name " LADY ". Thankyou Gordon!!! I cant wait to get it. Now tell me about that nice osage flatbow with the snakeskin backing you mentioned to me!!!!!
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Thank you Kenny.
Hey Corrado, I take it you like how the bow looks :) I'll drop it in the mail tomorrow.
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simply put an elegant bow, bub
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Very nice Gordon!
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That's beautiful, Gordon!
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I keep coming back to this topic to look at this bow. I've always wanted to work lemonwood, sadly idk where to get it.
Very spectacular bow Gordon, you do amazing artisan work.
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Great looking bow gordon. nicework
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That tiller looks like it was drawn on a CAD system.
Super nice bow for sure.
gmc
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She's a real beauty, Gordon. I think Corrado thinks so too. 8)
I'm gonna read back over this thread closely. I have a lemonwood stave James Parker gave me a few years ago and you have stirred my curiosity. I may ste...borrow a few dimensions and may make my first power lam. ??? I'll probably use hickory for the backing.
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Thank you Bubby, I appreciate it.
Thank you VMB.
Hey Weylin, thank you.
Bryce, there is a lumber yard in Portland where you can occasionally find it. But it is rare.
Thank you Dvs.
Thank you gmc. I've written CAD software before, but I don't touch that stuff when making bows ;D
Hey thank you Pat. I think hickory and lemonwood would be a killer combination. You're going to like this stuff. I guarentee it!
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Could you PM me the name of the lumber yard? Then maybe I'll stop in on my way to work or something.
Thanks Gordo!
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Wonderful work Gordon!!! and I have to agree, there is something to be said about the pleasures of a light bow :)
Well done!!!
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Beautiful as always Gordon. Always skip a heartbeat when I see another one of your bows for the first time!
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As always, a superb execution. thanks for posting :)
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Really turned out sweeeeeeet! I love that handle. ;)
Evil Dave
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Beautiful bow,nice and clean.Sweet. :)
Pappy
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Beautiful work!
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Gordon, just about the time I think I know a thing or two about making bows you post another master and I realize that I have a ways to go. Thanks for busting my bubble, lol. Really nice.
Danny
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Perfection of form and function that I have come to expect of your bows. Fine work again sir.
I have never worked with lemonwood. The school bows or my youth were lemonwood selfbows mass produced in the 40' and 50's. My understanding is that the Calycophyllum candidissimum (Dagame) was mostly imported from Cuba and dried up after Castro. Would love to find a source.
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Wow! Gordon, absolutely perfect clean masterpiece, inspiring as every bow from you.
Thank you for posting.
simson
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Thanks Gordon!
Gabe
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A real work of art,stunning! Take that board haters!
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Nice. Ya know what you might do? Assemble shots of your last 12 bows into a calander. Now there is a calander I can remember to look at.
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Thank you Coaster. These old shoulders sure did appreciate the break from my hunting weight bows.
Thank you for your kind words misslemaster.
Hey Cesar, thank you the nice compliment.
Evil Dave, thank you for the compliment and the leather!
Thank you Pappy.
Thank you Slim Bob.
Thank you for the really nice compliment Shaun. Lemonwood is so easy to work I can understand why it was used for mass produced bows.
Simson, thank you for the nice compliment.
Thank you Gabe.
Thank you bushboy. Nothing wrong with board bows - just a different set of skills involved.
What a nice compliment Prarie Bowyer. Thank you!