Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Staver on January 04, 2008, 05:24:50 pm

Title: My First Bow...
Post by: Staver on January 04, 2008, 05:24:50 pm
Well Pat, here it is!!

I started my first bow on September 22nd and finished it on December 16th, 2007.  Finding time to work on it was a bit of a challenge; I have 2 girls, one 2 years and the other 4 months old, so I was up to my hips changing diapers and working on time mangagment!! ;D  I read Cherokee Bows and Arrows by Al Herrin and decided I want to do what everyone else on this site is doing.  So I bought an osage stave from Jamie Easter and started putting my hands to work.  What a great time I've had working on this bow and it's a lot of fun to shoot.  Anyway, It's supposed to be a traditional Cherokee handle bow 68" ntn and draws 50 lbs @ 28".  It has simple nocks and a knot that goes completely through the upper limb.  I considered hollowing it out, but it looks cool the way it is matching the knot below the handle.  I don't know what else to say about it except it's one of the coolest things I've done.  I look forward to learning more and can't wait to start working on the next one!! :D




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Title: Re: My First Bow...
Post by: cowboy on January 04, 2008, 05:28:42 pm
Looks like a fine bow, especially for your first, and really especially having to change diapers while working on it ;D.
Title: Re: My First Bow...
Post by: Tom B on January 04, 2008, 06:26:42 pm
Love it.Great job.First? Elegance is simple,not easy.Tom
Title: Re: My First Bow...
Post by: Slaughter on January 04, 2008, 06:34:02 pm
AWSOME!
I'm glad to see a first effort turn out that sweet, it gives Me a confidence boost. Im about to start my first and can only hope it turns out half as good.   Tony
Title: Re: My First Bow...
Post by: huntersteve on January 04, 2008, 06:37:34 pm
very nice...great job....Steve
Title: Re: My First Bow...
Post by: GregB on January 04, 2008, 06:46:41 pm

Wow, you really did a great job on your first one! The tiller looks really good and so does everything else about the bow. Good looking finish job also. What did you use to finish/seal the bow with? ;)
Title: Re: My First Bow...
Post by: Pat B on January 04, 2008, 06:53:33 pm
Well, there it is! ;D  Great bow especially for your first. Tiller looks good and your execution with the rest of the bow looks good too. Congrats.     Pat
Title: Re: My First Bow...
Post by: DanaM on January 04, 2008, 07:27:47 pm
It looks like you did a great job on her, I find the dual rests interesting, can ya shoot either hand.
Title: Re: My First Bow...
Post by: Ryan_Gill_HuntPrimitive on January 04, 2008, 07:33:35 pm
looks great. you did an excellent first job. your off and running. im sure we will see more from you in the future. keep up the good work- Ryan
Title: Re: My First Bow...
Post by: a finnish native on January 04, 2008, 07:34:36 pm
nice bow, espesially for your first. I would have bropught the outer limbs to bend a bit more, but I see nothing wrong with that kinda tiller because the bow is quite long.
Title: Re: My First Bow...
Post by: Hillbilly on January 04, 2008, 08:15:53 pm
Wow, great job! If that's your first, I'm sure looking forward to seeing your twentieth.  ;D Tiller looks nearly perfect to me, and great attention to detail. That's an excellent, simple, functional design, and it should give you many years of shooting. Keep up the good work!
Title: Re: My First Bow...
Post by: koan on January 04, 2008, 10:15:01 pm
Great job! Be it your first or your last....Brian
Title: Re: My First Bow...
Post by: Sidewinder on January 05, 2008, 10:04:23 am
Good job man. you have more guts than me. I am waiting until I finish a few boards bows before I tackle my Osage stash. Tiller looks perfect. When you gonna start the next one?  Danny
Title: Re: My First Bow...
Post by: Far East Archer on January 05, 2008, 10:41:34 am
Superb bow mate! :) Looks like it will serve you well for many years to come. Now its time for a little wood harvesting expedition, yes? lol ...now the fun begins >:D


-Alex
Title: Re: My First Bow...
Post by: Jbell on January 05, 2008, 11:05:40 am
That is outstanding for your first or tenth bow! Looks like you have a bright future in bowbuildong. ;)
Title: Re: My First Bow...
Post by: Staver on January 05, 2008, 11:15:33 am
Thanks everyone for the encouraging compliments!!  My head is starting to swell ;D

Greg, for the finishing touches I sanded her down starting with 120, 220, 300, then a wet sand with 600 and finally rubbed on about 6 coats of tongue oil.  I must admit I wasn't sure where I was going with her from the beginning I just tried to work slow and make the best of what I had to work with.  As you can see the stave was a little skinnier on the top limb as compared to the bottom limb.  When I finished the wet sand and put her on the scales I was psyched!!

Pat, thanks for the feedback and encouraging me to post the pics.  Now I know better how to edit pictures!!

Dana, I can't shoot with both sides YET!!  but I'm looking forward to trying it.  I tried to pull the string with the left hand and decided I needed to hit the weights :-[.  But then again I can just keep trying with the left until I finally get it; kinda like a bowflex workout  ;)

Tom and Hillbilly, I'm happy to see that simple and elegance still mean something.  That's all I wanted out of it and I think I must have achieved it!!  Funny enough, my next bow is going to be a simple D bow (I hope).

Danny, I'm gonna start on the next one after I finish my coffee and change 2 more diapers!!

Happy New Year everyone and thanks for all the great comments :)



Title: Re: My First Bow...
Post by: Justin Snyder on January 05, 2008, 11:30:59 am
You did a great job.  The next one will be a little easier.  Justin
Title: Re: My First Bow...
Post by: George Tsoukalas on January 05, 2008, 01:16:06 pm
Congratulations on a special bow. Jawge
Title: Re: My First Bow...
Post by: mamba on January 05, 2008, 01:17:48 pm
X-cellent , almost hard to believe its your first and also out of a challenging piece of wood.
Title: Re: My First Bow...
Post by: PK on January 05, 2008, 02:05:13 pm
Cool Bow is it  thats looking like the snow froze over.Nothin Like sliding and shooting then hitting a tree,LOL
Title: Re: My First Bow...
Post by: OldBow on January 05, 2008, 02:09:31 pm
Good job. Don't lose your arrows in that snow >:D
Got your bookmarked under January Self Bows for BOM, too.
Title: Re: My First Bow...
Post by: venisonburger on January 05, 2008, 11:27:24 pm
Fine job, you did well.
VB
Title: Re: My First Bow...
Post by: Shooter on January 05, 2008, 11:33:13 pm
Really well done 8)
Title: Re: My First Bow...
Post by: Staver on January 11, 2008, 10:07:56 am
I meant to put in a couple a pictures showing the back of the limbs and the knots.  Here they are:



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Title: Re: My First Bow...
Post by: Postman on January 11, 2008, 11:42:22 am
That's a beauty - that stave looks a lot like one I'm working on - think I'll try to keep the knot like you did.  You're settin' the bar pretty high for the rookies......

"rookie of the year" bow contest? justa thought....
Title: Re: My First Bow...
Post by: Woodland Roamer on January 11, 2008, 11:50:21 am
That's a great job on your first bow! Especially on a stave with some knots and character in it. With your first being that good you're off to a great start, can't wait to see the next one.

Alan
Title: Re: My First Bow...
Post by: tradrick on January 11, 2008, 12:36:14 pm
Excellant job.I like the way you did the arrow rest on both sides.Congrats tradrick