Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Arrowind on January 25, 2014, 09:07:57 pm
-
Here is one I finished recently. I wanted to do something that looked like it could have been found with a long dead ancient hunter...not totally primitive...but I'm fine with that.
Burlap Backed Ash - Holmgaard Design
2" at the Fades
3/8" at the Tips
Bucksin leather handle rough side out
Finish - poly - wood ash rubbed in while first coat still wet
Tip overlays - dear bone
8 strand fast flight string
19.5 oz
66" NTN
46# @ 28"
Fun to shoot! ;D
-
More Pics
-
More Pics
-
Very nice! I know it's going to be a great shooter by the profile.It looks like a few I've made myself and loved the way they shot. Now I just have to find a way to keep one ;). Many have said they didn't care for ash , but I found it to be right up there at the top for me. Liked it more than Elm in fact.
How did you like the wood?
-
Good lord those tips are making me nervous. Beautiful bow though, and great work.
-
Never worked with ash but from here the rustic grip, nice thin tips and sweet bends looks good to me.....shoot the heck out of it and have some fun.
DBar
-
lostarrow - Thanks! - I really like ash. I like the wood itself. It just appeals to me. As a bow wood I like it too. I know a lot of people shy away from it or discount it but I think if you have a good design it works great. This one is actually a really good shooter. I'm quite happy with it.
Nashoba - Thanks! The tips are solid. I've seen some bows with narrower tips. If they are thick enough not to bend you can go pretty narrow. The thing about narrow tips is the benefit of lower mass at that part of the limb resulting in better performance. You should check out some of blackhawks bows. he takes it to the extreme and they are awesome.
Danzn Bar - Thanks! been shooting it quite a bit and it IS quite fun. Thanks again!
-
Nice bow for certain!! Have heard about burlap as a backing, but have not seen it until now. Very interesting....
-
Arrowind, nice looking levers and bend. That handle is 8). I want that hide >:D
-
Good looking bow. I like the rustic look to it. Looks like a sweet shooter to me.
-
The title burlap backed really drew me in to this post. This thing looks sweet. How did you glue the burlap on? Did you just cut the burlap off from a bag? I think you got the look you wanted with this one. Nice work.
-
Arrowind,
You sure did accomplish your goal, very nice in all respects. Especially like your even bends in the working limbs. Top shelf right there.
rich
-
That's a winner in my book. Love the tips and have thought about using burlap myself. Great job.
-
Very nice Sir!
-
Very cool look to the bow!
-
Good stats and design for ash...I bet its a sweet shooter 8)
-
I am glad you like burlap. I like the handle covering. Great tiller! Jawge
-
Mohawk13 - Thanks!
burchett.donald- thanks! Yeah a friend of mine gave me that hide as a piece of scrap. I've been trying to decide how I would use it.
The other side is really nice and smooth but I wanted a rough look so I did it this way. Glad you like it.
hrhodes – Thanks!
RyanR – Thanks! Yes I believe I got the burlap from the garden center at Home Depot. I say “I believe” because it's been quite a long time. I know it came from a hardware store garden center and yes it was from a large bag. Just cut done the seams to open the bag up and you have a nice sheet of it. If you buy it from a fabric store it will be way too expensive and probably not dense enough. I cut a strip about 2” wide and whatever length I need then use regular Titebond 3 to glue it on. I put glue on the wood lay the burlap down then ad more glue to the back and spread it out as smooth as I can. This works the glue in to all the fibers. Once it dries (the next day) I cut off the excess with box cutters or scissors or razor blade. Then I sand it nice and smooth. I've done several like this and it works great.
half eye – thanks! That means a lot to me especially coming from you.
woodswalker –thanks! You should try it. It's really easy to do.
SLIMBOB –thanks!
Smoke – thanks!
blackhawk – thanks man. I have admired the bows you've made in this design and I am glad to find out how sweet it can be. I really like the super long ash bow you posted not too long ago.
George Tsoukalas - Hey George, Thanks! You told me once you had used it before as well. I do like it. I like the texture and the old almost medieval look it has.
-
sweet looking bow!i like it! 8)!
-
That really looks nice! Great work! Josh
-
bushboy, Gun Doc - Thanks!
-
there is something about the total look of this bow...i just keep returning to look at it...its just so cool in its simplicity..my favorite kind of bow,right to the point.
-
I'm diggin it, especially the burlap! Nice work...
-
Awesome bow. Love the look of it. Please tell us about the deer bone you used in the tip overlays. How did you process it? What portion of the Deer did the bone come from?
Onebow
-
I just picked up some nice Ash lumber, thanks for the inspiration! I was thinking of trying a lever bow, I've never tried one. It sure looks like the combination worked really well for you.
-
This is a very nice bow, I love the design and the whole look to it. You do very nice finish work as always a beautiful and functional weapon. I do have a couple of questions, could you post some limb dimensions and what type of splice did you use?
Grady
-
I like that! Nice and rugged look to it and sure looks like it would be fun to shoot. Good job.
Marco
-
Real nice bow all round. The grip is great and original.
-
4dog - wow thanks man. Glad you like it.
Blackcoyote - Thanks!
Onebowonder - Thanks! The deer bone is from a tibia I believe. It was from a long dead carcass on my uncles property in Colorado. Just cut it with a jig saw and sanded it down enough to have a flat piece. Glued it on with super glue then finished it up after it dried.
paoliguy - Thanks! What I like about ash is that it's not overly difficult to find straight grain. It's relatively light for how strong it is.
One thing to keep in mind is that it wants to take set so wider limbs are better.
autologus - Thanks! The grip is about 4.25" fades are about 2.5" long and 2" wide. It tapers to around 1.5" at about 3/4 limb then tapers to .5" about 6" from the tips and tapers again to 3/8" at the tips. The total length of the bow is 68" TTT. I did not do any splicing. It is one piece tip to tip accept for the riser for the hande which was just glued on flat with titebond 3. I hope that answers your question...Does that make any sense?
DuBois- Thanks!
dwardo - Thanks!
-
Thanks, it looks great. The reason I thought it had been spliced at the handle was the grain on both limbs at the handle curve to one side making it look like it had been split then the two pieces spliced at the handle. You did a wonderful job on it Ash is very pretty when finished.
Grady
-
Great job. Your finish work is exceptional.
-
autologus - Oh I see...so it does. I think it just jogged a little in that spot. There are some run ups on that side but for the most part the grain is pretty straight. Thanks again man!
IdahoMatt - Thanks!
-
Nashoba - Thanks! The tips are solid. I've seen some bows with narrower tips. If they are thick enough not to bend you can go pretty narrow. The thing about narrow tips is the benefit of lower mass at that part of the limb resulting in better performance. You should check out some of blackhawks bows. he takes it to the extreme and they are awesome.
I just looked up blackhawk's "Osage Myth" (I think that is what the topic was titled) and I see what you mean. I have a Dogwood stave that I am trying to turn into a molly and I think that I will experiment with getting the tips super narrow like you have here. I repeat myself, but awesome job man.
-
Thanks again! If you get it working you will be pleasantly surprised how nice it is to shoot. blackhawk has several others with very narrow tips. You should take a look at others he has made as well. Lot's of other people here do too. TBB4 has some good examples and does a nice job explaining why this design element can help improve efficiency quite a bit. I am by no means an expert but it is also important to reduce the thickness as much as you can. The goal is low mass with no or very very little bend. A fine line when you get really narrow. Good luck! I'm sure it will be AWESOME!
-
Awesome bow! Beautiful job!! Loved shootin mine,, someday I'll have another!