Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Dvshunter on March 06, 2013, 04:31:07 pm

Title: Black Locust/Rawhide Bow
Post by: Dvshunter on March 06, 2013, 04:31:07 pm: This one finally came around and decided to become a bow. This is my first piece of black locust. Dean Marlow gave me the stave at MOJAM about three or four years ago and I out it aside because of some knots that worried me. They ended up bothering me the whole time hence the rawhide backing. I was really surprised with this wood. It isn't very wide but the limbs are pretty thin and it just seemed like it wouodnt lose weight so I just let it be. It is 62@26 and hold about an inch and a half of reflex after shooting thanks to a deep heat session. The skin is there to hide the ugly rawhide that had some unpleasant discoloration. It is a timber rattler skin outlined with... You guessed it, sharpie marker to hide the rawhide, skin, wood transition. It's 62 inches ntn. The handle is deer hide from Roy laced with hemp cord. Arrow pass is the same just thinned down with sandpaper. Tips are cowhorn and don't worry, I'm almost out of it so things will start mixing up a bit on the next few bows. And now for some bow porn...

(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/IMAG1793-1.jpg)

(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/IMAG1800-1.jpg)

(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/IMAG1796-1-1-1.jpg)

(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/IMAG1795-1-1-1-1.jpg)

(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/IMAG1806-1.jpg)

(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/IMAG1803-1.jpg)

(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/IMAG1808-1.jpg)

(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/IMAG1810-1.jpg)

(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/IMAG1813-1.jpg)
Title: Re: Black Locust/Rawhide Bow
Post by: danny f on March 06, 2013, 04:33:56 pm: that is one beautiful bow. well done
Title: Re: Black Locust/Rawhide Bow
Post by: Dvshunter on March 06, 2013, 04:35:55 pm: (http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/IMAG1814-1.jpg)

(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/IMAG1815-1-1.jpg)

(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/IMAG1816-1.jpg)

(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/IMAG1811.jpg)

(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/IMAG1806.jpg)

(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/IMAG1792-1-1.jpg)

(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/IMAG1794-1-1.jpg)

(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/IMAG1791-1.jpg)

(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/IMAG1790-1.jpg)

Full draw shots will have to wait until someone can snap them for me. Hopefully tonight. Thanks for looking.
Dave
Title: Re: Black Locust/Rawhide Bow
Post by: bubby on March 06, 2013, 04:47:56 pm: very nice but something is missing, oh yeah, WERE'S THE FULL DRAW >:D, come on man we need that fix
Title: Re: Black Locust/Rawhide Bow
Post by: PEARL DRUMS on March 06, 2013, 04:54:59 pm: Sweet bow bearded marauder. I have a real nice piece of locust sitting around. You may have tripped my trigger!
Title: Re: Black Locust/Rawhide Bow
Post by: hunterbob on March 06, 2013, 05:54:41 pm: now that is a sweet looking bow. you bettter get some more of that horn for those tips . beautiful man.
Title: Re: Black Locust/Rawhide Bow
Post by: lesken2011 on March 06, 2013, 06:07:31 pm: That bow looks sweet!! 8)
Title: Re: Black Locust/Rawhide Bow
Post by: soy on March 06, 2013, 06:29:16 pm: 8) 8) 8)
Title: Re: Black Locust/Rawhide Bow
Post by: Dean Marlow on March 06, 2013, 06:34:33 pm: David
That piece of locust turned out really nice. If I remember right you gave me a real twisted piece of Osage at Mojam that year. And I thought what a heck of a nice guy giving me the most twisted piece of hedge you had there so I decided I would give you a nasty piece of locust in exchange. HA. One of the best selfbows I ever shot was a locust bow some young fellow at Mojam had. Dean
Title: Re: Black Locust/Rawhide Bow
Post by: okie64 on March 06, 2013, 06:36:55 pm: Dangit Dave, now I gotta build me another black locust bow, gave my one and only away the other day. You are crankin out some beauties! I love the color of black locust.
Title: Re: Black Locust/Rawhide Bow
Post by: blackhawk on March 06, 2013, 06:57:59 pm: Sweet shooter, and tiller looks good to me from the braced pic ;) locust is excellent bow wood..you should try it more often ;) its my 2nd favorite wood...love the stuff
Title: Re: Black Locust/Rawhide Bow
Post by: xin on March 06, 2013, 07:00:15 pm: Beautiful bow and expert craftsmanship. Thanks for posting.
Title: Re: Black Locust/Rawhide Bow
Post by: Cardboard_Duck on March 06, 2013, 08:16:49 pm: Sweet bow!!! Love everything about it!
Title: Re: Black Locust/Rawhide Bow
Post by: Badly Bent on March 06, 2013, 08:31:13 pm: WOW! Absolutely beautiful, really great craftsmanship DVS. I'm a big fan of black locust and how it performs when you get a good
one out of it and looks like you sure did there. Have to say I'm a big fan of your bows too. Keep em' coming man cause they are
just pure eye candy.
Title: Re: Black Locust/Rawhide Bow
Post by: Dvshunter on March 06, 2013, 08:40:11 pm: I had my ten year old take some pictures for me when he got home from school. He is probably better on the phone than me anyway.

(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/IMAG1822-1-1.jpg)

(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/IMAG1824-1.jpg)

(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/IMAG1817-1.jpg)

And these two are just for fun and I really like em. Same pic just cropped and overexposed until most of the string disappears.

(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/IMAG1821.jpg)

(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/IMAG1821-1-1-1-1-1.jpg)

Pearl I'm glad I've got a bunch of the stuff. I like to use other woods when I'm not working something good. (osage) I gave ya a better shot of the beard this time :laugh:

Hope that helps with your jonesen bubby.

Dean remember that stave being straight as an arrow and knot free. ??? Someone must have switched em. It was probably Brock or brad.

Thanks Chris, I plan on trying until I get a good one. :D

Thanks xin and lesken.

Sorry Okie. Didn't mean to cause so much trouble. Lol

Thanks Greg. I like the stuff to. It shot well even before I heat treated it.

E
Title: Re: Black Locust/Rawhide Bow
Post by: coaster500 on March 06, 2013, 08:50:25 pm: Dave you build some pretty bows :)

Got a piece of locust in a swap but it's still wet.......... makes me wish it wasn't
Title: Re: Black Locust/Rawhide Bow
Post by: Strongbow on March 06, 2013, 09:05:31 pm: beautiful work! I love the tip overlays and the detail work with the skins and handle. Now I just need to find a farmer around here who will let me chop a black locust!
Title: Re: Black Locust/Rawhide Bow
Post by: PaulN/KS on March 07, 2013, 12:04:59 am: Another beaut Dave.
I just cut some black locust this winter. I also have some seasoned honey locust tho so might give that a try soon...
Title: Re: Black Locust/Rawhide Bow
Post by: Will H on March 07, 2013, 12:26:07 am: Thats a beautiful bow there fella! Very nicely done :)
Title: Re: Black Locust/Rawhide Bow
Post by: Roy on March 07, 2013, 01:15:00 am: I guess it's ok:) Have a bunch of black locust here, made a few bows from it and it is nice wood to work with, very pretty grain. Heard of the belly frets but never had em on my bows. Gotta agree with Chicken Hawk, my second favorite wood.
Title: Re: Black Locust/Rawhide Bow
Post by: medicinewheel on March 07, 2013, 03:31:28 am: WOW, great bow: great detail and full draw AND beautiful pictures of it!
Like it very much!!!
Title: Re: Black Locust/Rawhide Bow
Post by: chamookman on March 07, 2013, 05:34:20 am: Two thumbs up - very nice ! Bob
Title: Re: Black Locust/Rawhide Bow
Post by: LEGIONNAIRE on March 07, 2013, 06:10:18 am: You sir are a master, great tiller and nice bow :)
Title: Re: Black Locust/Rawhide Bow
Post by: Pappy on March 07, 2013, 07:52:24 am: Beautiful bow in all aspects,Tiller to finish work, :) from you opening statements I wasn't expecting much, :-\ man was I pleasantly surprised. :) :)
Pappy
Title: Re: Black Locust/Rawhide Bow
Post by: rps3 on March 07, 2013, 09:23:50 am: Top notch, and just another push toward trying black locust.
Title: Re: Black Locust/Rawhide Bow
Post by: raghorns on March 07, 2013, 10:02:24 am: That is a beauty indeed. The one BL I built held it's reflex very well...just behaves itself.

Lyle
Title: Re: Black Locust/Rawhide Bow
Post by: johnfolchetti on March 07, 2013, 10:05:01 am: Stunning. Have had a pair of BL staves in the corner for a year.....now I need to give one a go. What do you use to polish the horn tip overlays?
Title: Re: Black Locust/Rawhide Bow
Post by: ErictheViking on March 07, 2013, 12:19:24 pm: outstanding finish work especially the tips. a beauty by anyones standards
Title: Re: Black Locust/Rawhide Bow
Post by: Sidewinder on March 07, 2013, 12:27:02 pm: Beautiful bow. I like everything about it. I haven't worked BL yet as I just harvested some late last year and have 2 staves curing in the shed as we speak. i thought I would give it a couple years before I touched it. I look forward to it though. You did that one justice for sure. Danny
Title: Re: Black Locust/Rawhide Bow
Post by: Carson (CMB) on March 07, 2013, 12:31:55 pm: Sweet bow all around. i really like your work DVS
Title: Re: Black Locust/Rawhide Bow
Post by: autologus on March 07, 2013, 12:39:05 pm: Stunning bow.

Grady
Title: Re: Black Locust/Rawhide Bow
Post by: vinemaplebows on March 07, 2013, 02:29:56 pm: Very, very nice! It's the only wood I have found so far I can't work...for some reason it makes me sick! I bet I burned up 30 nice staves because of my allergy to it! :embarassed:
Title: Re: Black Locust/Rawhide Bow
Post by: Dvshunter on March 07, 2013, 09:22:40 pm: Thanks for all the kind words guys. It seems like a lot of us have bl staves laying around! I have a few drying here at the house and some more at the farm seasoning.

Vinemaple, I hope I don't develope a reaction! I have mild one to Osage now that shows up when I'm sanding. I have to wear a mask. Yew is some nasty stuff for me as well. I can shoot it just fine though. :D just can't work it. I though I was gonna die. Luckily black locust hackberry, and elm don't bother me. Ash doesn't either.

John I just sand them down and then before I apply my finish I rub them down with a piece of leather or really anything soft even an old piece of shirt or denim.

Glad I didn't let you down pappy. Sorry I was misleading. :D
Title: Re: Black Locust/Rawhide Bow
Post by: missilemaster on March 07, 2013, 09:34:59 pm: In a word, GORGEOUS!!!!!
Title: Re: Black Locust/Rawhide Bow
Post by: seabass on March 07, 2013, 11:04:46 pm: man,you did a great job on this one.i really like the tips and you handle wrap.you nailed it.
Title: Re: Black Locust/Rawhide Bow
Post by: hammertime on March 08, 2013, 12:19:14 am: Great pics and one awesome bow-such attention to detail,amazing-Hammertime
Title: Re: Black Locust/Rawhide Bow
Post by: vinemaplebows on March 08, 2013, 03:08:11 am: Not trying to spook anyone just a heads up. Black locust has a special place in the carcinogen category here is a link... http://www.tacinelli.com/dust-containment-system/woodcarcinogenhart.pdf Yes, yew and others have the same risks BUT I have heard of many wood turners coming down with nasal cancer from what they thought excessive use of locust. I have supplied wood for wood turners for years, and this is well known...mask up!
Title: Re: Black Locust/Rawhide Bow
Post by: Eastman on March 08, 2013, 07:11:54 am: I love it! Nice work
Title: Re: Black Locust/Rawhide Bow
Post by: Buffalogobbler on April 06, 2013, 09:30:51 pm: I like it very much, the snake skin looks great.

Kevin
Title: Re: Black Locust/Rawhide Bow
Post by: FullDraw on April 07, 2013, 04:25:46 pm: Great looking bow, Dave I love the horn tips and overall finish. The tiller looks spot on.

FullDraw
Title: Re: Black Locust/Rawhide Bow
Post by: Dvshunter on April 09, 2013, 05:51:57 pm: Sorry for taking so long to respond. I guess I wasnt watching this one anymore. Anyway, Thank you all for responding with such nice compliments. It made my day again.

vmb- Thanks for posting the link. Very good info for everyone. I almost always mask up now with all wood. I didnt have to before, but I sure do now or my head pays for it later along with my respiratory system.