Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: danlaw on December 23, 2013, 01:23:52 pm

Title: monster ocean spray
Post by: danlaw on December 23, 2013, 01:23:52 pm
debating what to do with this one.
Title: Re: monster ocean spray
Post by: Don Case on December 23, 2013, 01:31:09 pm
Before you do anything else, seal the ends!!! How long is it?
Title: Re: monster ocean spray
Post by: bow101 on December 23, 2013, 01:31:54 pm
Lol..........nice one UNreal..! Bubungous..! you could split it.  What lenght is it..?    :o 8) :o 8) :o
Title: Re: monster ocean spray
Post by: Pat B on December 23, 2013, 01:32:59 pm
Is the pith off center throughout the pole?
Title: Re: monster ocean spray
Post by: Accipiter on December 23, 2013, 01:34:50 pm
Rough that sucker out ASAP! And seal the ends! Probably you could get 2 bows out of that monster.
Title: Re: monster ocean spray
Post by: Onebowonder on December 23, 2013, 01:39:55 pm
I'd seal it up good, ...and then ship it to some poor schlub on the eastern half of this continent that has NO CHANCE of ever seeing such a specimen.   :D  That would be the charitable thing to do...

OneBow
Title: Re: monster ocean spray
Post by: Weylin on December 23, 2013, 02:03:57 pm
I bet that thing weighs 100 pounds!
Title: Re: monster ocean spray
Post by: Badger on December 23, 2013, 02:04:59 pm
  Why don't you keep half and open up the bidding on the other half!
Title: Re: monster ocean spray
Post by: danlaw on December 23, 2013, 03:12:46 pm
Is the pith off center throughout the pole?
Usually they are. Im pretty sure this one is.

  Why don't you keep half and open up the bidding on the other half!
lol. bidding is on.
Title: Re: monster ocean spray
Post by: Bryce on December 23, 2013, 04:14:47 pm
I've got a few that size. The bigger the harder they are to dry without checking. Sealing to ends it's enough with a stave that size.
Rough the bow out to floor tiller. Then seal the belly with wood glue. Especially close to the handle.
Or!
Let it check and that's you belly side:)
Title: Re: monster ocean spray
Post by: Poggins on December 23, 2013, 04:17:05 pm
I'm quite sure someone here would take that monster off your hands and tame it  ::)  ;D ;) 8).

Keep us posted when you start on it .
Title: Re: monster ocean spray
Post by: Carson (CMB) on December 23, 2013, 05:23:56 pm
That is a beauty!! 
Title: Re: monster ocean spray
Post by: Zion on December 23, 2013, 10:22:42 pm
Holy s**t! I've seen them that thick but not that straight.... good score! and yeah do what Bryce said. I've learned the hard way many times.
Title: Re: monster ocean spray
Post by: dmenzies1950 on December 23, 2013, 11:00:57 pm
Man, Thats the biggest ocean spray I've ever seen, and I've seen lots of them! That should be good for two bows easy!        Dale
Title: Re: monster ocean spray
Post by: Don Case on December 23, 2013, 11:52:32 pm
I know it's not politically correct but could we have some measurements.  ;)
Title: Re: monster ocean spray
Post by: danlaw on December 24, 2013, 01:14:15 am
I cut this piece on my father-in-law's woodlot in Sooke, Vancouver Island (BC). Original length was over 24'. I got a fantasticly clear 7' length above this piece. This piece was 94" but I cut the butt off as it was a little gnarly (4+" diameter). What I have left is 66" long and averages 3" diameter the length. I've cut hundreds of OS staves and this really blew me away. I cut another branch a hundred feet from this one that gave me two beauty staves as well (not as thick though).  I'll have to do something special with this one. Ill post pics as I go.
Title: Re: monster ocean spray
Post by: Don Case on December 24, 2013, 01:34:31 am
I guess you can't really make a much better bow out of a 3" piece than a 2.5" piece but it does seem extra special. You could probably make an awesome longbow out of the 7' length. Whatever you do, good luck, hope it goes well.
Title: Re: monster ocean spray
Post by: Don Case on December 24, 2013, 01:45:11 pm
Hey Dan :D If you've collected hundreds of OS staves would you mind sharing your seasoning techniques with us? I've been using SteveB's "exposing the pith" method on the last few staves with good success. I debark, expose the pith and apply a couple of coats of shellac. Two on the back and ends and one on the belly. I'm leaving the heartwood exposed on a couple of staves as I think the key is getting the heartwood to dry as fast or faster than the sapwood.  On a couple of billets instead of slicing the handle to expose the pith I used a long drill bit and drilled out the pith. So far no checking. Drilling the pith out on a stave is more difficult and I'm going to weld a 3/16" drill on a 3' x1/8" welding rod and use that. At least up here we have the RH on our side, you more than me. You can't get higher humidity than rain, can you?
Thanks and Merry Christmas
Don

 
Title: Re: monster ocean spray
Post by: danlaw on January 04, 2014, 01:11:55 am
Here's what I do. Did these just before Christmas. Just rough in the limbs [super rough], wrap with painter's tape. Spend ten minutes a stave tops. Works for me. Hmmm my pic is right side up on my computer but sideways here. needs a good neck twist to see it right. 
Title: Re: monster ocean spray
Post by: Don Case on January 04, 2014, 01:33:04 am
You didn't happen to take any pictures showing how rough did you? Did you rough it down to the pith?
Thanks for this
Don
Title: Re: monster ocean spray
Post by: danlaw on January 04, 2014, 12:56:06 pm
This is an old picture - it's a piece of Mock Orange but you get the idea. If I'm doing a a bunch I generally just drag each limb over the jointer a few times. Its not very primitive but it gets the wood off and allows the wood to dry in the right direction.