Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Badly Bent on June 16, 2013, 10:04:36 am

Title: birch bark backed mulberry bow
Post by: Badly Bent on June 16, 2013, 10:04:36 am
Heres some pics of one I recently finished from a split of mulberry given to me by Mr. Paul Semp of this forum and backed with some birch bark I got off a downed tree in Mich. last summer. Came in at around 45# @ 26" but then had a problem. While holding at full
draw while my wife snapped a photo I heard a cracking noise. Small hairline crack developed about 6" above the handle on the back.
I've since done a rawhide and sinew wrap there and retillered down to around 40# or less now. I don't think I'll hold a bow at full
draw for more than a second or two again after that. :D
The bows around 60" , 1 5/8" at fades and sort of pyramid taper to 9/16" wide at tips, sinew wraps at couple areas. This one is not a great shooter by any means but will make an OK target bow for an occasional archer, one of my daughters likely.
Thanks for looking :)
Greg
Title: Re: birch bark backed mulberry bow
Post by: Badly Bent on June 16, 2013, 10:07:28 am
Couple more pics;
Title: Re: birch bark backed mulberry bow
Post by: SLIMBOB on June 16, 2013, 10:25:15 am
Shame about the break.  That's the worst part of the picture takin', I just won't hold one at full draw for more than a second or so and the picture seldom snaps at the right moment.  Sweet lookin' bow regardless!
Title: Re: birch bark backed mulberry bow
Post by: dbb on June 16, 2013, 11:04:37 am
Nice bow,shame about the damage :(
I almost always love the coloring of your bows  :)

/Mikael
Title: Re: birch bark backed mulberry bow
Post by: ohma2 on June 16, 2013, 11:08:29 am
in the fifth pic, you can see what looks like a grain run off right before it goes under your wrap area. that is a nice looking bow and good pics.
Title: Re: birch bark backed mulberry bow
Post by: lesken2011 on June 16, 2013, 11:15:34 am
That birch bark makes a nice wrap! Sweet bow. Too bad about the crack. We all hate that sound!!
Title: Re: birch bark backed mulberry bow
Post by: missilemaster on June 16, 2013, 11:51:54 am
Sweet little bow Greg!
Title: Re: birch bark backed mulberry bow
Post by: bushboy on June 16, 2013, 12:47:10 pm
Looks great to me!nice one!
Title: Re: birch bark backed mulberry bow
Post by: Badly Bent on June 16, 2013, 01:01:20 pm
Thanks Slim, yeah I'm done holding at full draw for the pic ,  from now on my bow post may not show a true fully drawn bow again. :-\
Thanks dbb
Thanks ohma2, that fifth pic you refered to is the belly side, not sure it was agrain run off problem, poor tiller was the culprit I believe.
Thanks Kenny, Yeah the crack sound is sickening, even my wife said oh no when she heard it. She now recognizes the sound as bad.
Thanks Cody
Thanks bushboy
Title: Re: birch bark backed mulberry bow
Post by: paulsemp on June 16, 2013, 01:26:36 pm
another firewood bow!  boy I'm glad I didn't burn that mulberry.   looks sweet bring it next time we shoot I like to see it
Title: Re: birch bark backed mulberry bow
Post by: Zion on June 16, 2013, 01:57:11 pm
Really nice bow.
Title: Re: birch bark backed mulberry bow
Post by: mullet on June 16, 2013, 02:07:08 pm
Nice, little shooter. I like the simple, clean lines and the birch bark. I've been trying to decide to birch bark or cherry bark one I'm finishing up.
Title: Re: birch bark backed mulberry bow
Post by: Badly Bent on June 16, 2013, 02:20:53 pm
Yeah Paul that mulberry is nice, glad you didn't burn it. ;D
Thanks Zion
Thanks Mullet, I got some cherry bark to try also when the right bow comes along. This was my first attempt at a bark backing.
Title: Re: birch bark backed mulberry bow
Post by: JonW on June 16, 2013, 02:28:39 pm
That's a nice looker Greg. That backing looks cool as well. 40# is still fun to shoot!

Title: Re: birch bark backed mulberry bow
Post by: half eye on June 16, 2013, 04:04:53 pm
Dont know where the "badly bent" come from cause that pretty lookin thing definately aint got one. Fact is, that your little bows all got nice bends to 'em.
rich
PS: That grip wrap is way cool.
Title: Re: birch bark backed mulberry bow
Post by: Badly Bent on June 16, 2013, 04:24:58 pm
Thanks Jon, I like the way the backing looks too. I'll be doing another one sometime in the future with this bark.
Thanks for the compliment Rich, appreciate it, That handle was some scrap leather that I had been looking for the right bow to use it on
for some time now.
Title: Re: birch bark backed mulberry bow
Post by: bubby on June 16, 2013, 05:43:48 pm
that look's nice Greg, really like the birch bark, glad you told me to save mine, Bub
Title: Re: birch bark backed mulberry bow
Post by: okie64 on June 16, 2013, 06:14:05 pm
Great looking bow Greg and beautiful finish work as usual :)
Title: Re: birch bark backed mulberry bow
Post by: Dvshunter on June 16, 2013, 09:57:18 pm
Nice one Greg. I like that handle wrap idea. Pretty cool.
Title: Re: birch bark backed mulberry bow
Post by: Raptard on June 16, 2013, 10:41:03 pm
what did you use for that color? it looks real nice, hope one of my mulberry's can get to this level sometime.
Title: Re: birch bark backed mulberry bow
Post by: osage outlaw on June 16, 2013, 11:30:51 pm
Great job saving that one.  Looks like a sweet bow to me.
Title: Re: birch bark backed mulberry bow
Post by: H Rhodes on June 17, 2013, 04:09:33 am
Dang it!  That mulberry is some pretty wood.  Nice job saving that one.  I have wrapped several bows that made that awful sound  :(  I think that since you took it down five pounds, you could shoot that bow as much as you like and never have another problem - and forty pound bows are nothing to sneeze at.  I am strongly considering using a forty pounder this year for my main hunting bow.  My lighter weight bows seem to be a little quieter and it is much easier to draw a lightweight when your muscles are cold from sitting still a long time.    That is a beautiful bow and deserves to be hunted with.    Always enjoy seeing your work Greg.
Title: Re: birch bark backed mulberry bow
Post by: blackhawk on June 17, 2013, 08:00:22 am
Looks nice Greg :)
Title: Re: birch bark backed mulberry bow
Post by: Pappy on June 17, 2013, 08:54:29 am
Beautiful bow in all aspects. :)
  Pappy
Title: Re: birch bark backed mulberry bow
Post by: Rafael on June 17, 2013, 09:01:24 am
Good looking bow! I like it! I've never worked with mulberry before 
Title: Re: birch bark backed mulberry bow
Post by: Blackcoyote on June 17, 2013, 09:16:21 am
awesome looking bow! Love the grip and the birch bark backing...question on that, about how thick is the birch bark?

Title: Re: birch bark backed mulberry bow
Post by: autologus on June 17, 2013, 09:41:22 am
Awesome bow Greg, what process did you follow in applying the birch bark?  I am about ready to back my trade bow with Cherry bark and have done some research on the process but I am always willing to get more advice and learn as much as I can.

Grady
Title: Re: birch bark backed mulberry bow
Post by: Josh B on June 17, 2013, 11:52:12 am
That sure came out purty!  Nice work Sir!  Josh
Title: Re: birch bark backed mulberry bow
Post by: PEARL DRUMS on June 17, 2013, 01:05:40 pm
Nice work on that one Greg!
Title: Re: birch bark backed mulberry bow
Post by: Jodocus on June 17, 2013, 03:29:16 pm
Nice one, sweet lines as always.
Title: Re: birch bark backed mulberry bow
Post by: BowEd on June 17, 2013, 05:17:38 pm
Nice lines to your bow there.The birch bark is a nice touch too.Shooting those forty pounders can help improve a persons' form.I should'nt talk though my form can suck at times.
Title: Re: birch bark backed mulberry bow
Post by: Carson (CMB) on June 17, 2013, 05:58:59 pm
Greg, that is an all around beauty.  I like everything about it, especially that bend.  Too bad about the crack, but sounds like you whipped er back into shape. 
Title: Re: birch bark backed mulberry bow
Post by: Badly Bent on June 17, 2013, 08:29:36 pm
A big thanks again to all you guys for the responses. :)

@blackcoyote & Grady;  I soaked the bark for a couple days in water, glued it on with titebond III and wrapped with an ace bandage. I did
put a thin size coat of the glue on both surfaces the day before glue on. I pealed some of the inner bark off to try and get the outer bark
thin before glueing on and after glue was dry I hit it all with some medium steel wool which took off some layers of the top bark that were loose down to a sound bark surface. What remained is probably no thicker that grocery bag paper. Probably better ways to do it, don't know. This was my first attempt at it and it turned out OK
I have some left over and I'll do another in the future, also have some nice cherry bark from Carson at echo that I'm wanting to put on a bow real bad.  :)
Title: Re: birch bark backed mulberry bow
Post by: autologus on June 17, 2013, 08:57:01 pm
Thanks for the info, I will try that with my cherry bark.  I got mine from Carson too really nice bark.

Grady