Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: wapiti1997 on August 31, 2015, 07:57:29 pm
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20 years ago a KY coffeetree fell on the cliffside behind my house. It was a 16" or larger diameter tee, 75 feet tall.. I gave some logs to woodworkers, and turkey call makers and artists..
In 2012 I cut a 7' section and split it into staves.. I think I even took some to the first Moontree Gathering although I don't think anyone took any...
Determined, I whittled out a bow, had it tillered well and at my desired weight.. Shot it in, liked it! So much I added a rattlesnake skin that I really liked...
(http://i1227.photobucket.com/albums/ee423/joelacefield/2015%20tcam_00646_zpskdss8z2h.jpg) (http://s1227.photobucket.com/user/joelacefield/media/2015%20tcam_00646_zpskdss8z2h.jpg.html)A spot of glue somehow got on the lower limb just below the fade and near the tip of the top limb... and in sanding away that glue I caused a hinge... I patched the hinge with a "slab" of osage, and a piece of ERC on the top limb, got the tiller back and it shoots great..
50 pounds at 28", I shall attempt to collect some whitetails with it this fall.. the antler overlays are from a giant I missed at 10 yards in 2011, a shed I found after missing him..
(http://i1227.photobucket.com/albums/ee423/joelacefield/2015%20tcam_00647_zpsmebpkbgz.jpg) (http://s1227.photobucket.com/user/joelacefield/media/2015%20tcam_00647_zpsmebpkbgz.jpg.html)
(http://i1227.photobucket.com/albums/ee423/joelacefield/Trailcameras/IMAG0049.jpg) (http://s1227.photobucket.com/user/joelacefield/media/Trailcameras/IMAG0049.jpg.html)
I left some extra growth rings on the front of the riser for aesthetics..
(http://i1227.photobucket.com/albums/ee423/joelacefield/2015%20tcam_00645_zpsjvzt4te4.jpg) (http://s1227.photobucket.com/user/joelacefield/media/2015%20tcam_00645_zpsjvzt4te4.jpg.html)
(http://i1227.photobucket.com/albums/ee423/joelacefield/2015%20tcam_00648_zpsk4vddz72.jpg) (http://s1227.photobucket.com/user/joelacefield/media/2015%20tcam_00648_zpsk4vddz72.jpg.html)
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(http://i1227.photobucket.com/albums/ee423/joelacefield/2015%20tcam_00650_zps1unnz8qv.jpg) (http://s1227.photobucket.com/user/joelacefield/media/2015%20tcam_00650_zps1unnz8qv.jpg.html)
If I thought it was going to work I could have cleaned it up better... Maybe I should have named it "Patches"?
We shall see if it lives, put about a hundred arrows through it today
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Heartbreaker it is. Let's see if you can break some hearts in the woods with it now!
By the looks of it, she's a grocery getter.
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Heartbreaker indeed, except the heart is mine over not having that bow!
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Hey Joe,
Is that a bit of turkey feather on the backing ;) ....skins look 8) ....also like the way you left wood on the back at the handle.
Nice save, but you know these guys around here....where's the FD pic? :) ;)
DBar
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wow is that deer real :) :) nice bow congrats
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I did transition the skin beginning with a turkey feather. We have birds, reptiles and mammals, coffeetree, osage and cedar.. I suppose I could have also named it 3rd strike?
It's 67"ntn, I think I could thin the tips more and pick up some speed, but it doesn't have any noticeable handshock.
I attempted the fd pic, my timing, the camera's timing, it just didn't work out tonight... lol
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That is some pretty wood...what glue did you end up using on the patches?
DBar
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very very nice!
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That's a beauty, should have some good Mo jo :)
Pappy
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I used TB III on the patches. Time will tell. I was surprised the wood made a bow with being down so long...
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Nice looking bow I like the patch gives it character
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Very beautiful bow, I like Kentucky Coffee tree, it works easy and smells great when heat treating. The cool thing about it is when it is heat treated it will take on a purplish hue, it is very beautiful wood.
Grady
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Hey Joe,
Took another look at your post....I really like the wood. You said it's a 50# bow..what is the bows width and length... hows the cast? ...would you be interested in a trade for stave if you have one available..... :) Looking to try different woods...
Thanx
DBar
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Bill, it's pretty stout wood.. Easy to chase a ring.. I put away some new staves this year and still have a couple of the old stuff.. I have a stave for you.
I'm sure my bow is overbuilt, and rushed.. but it shoots sweet. and will have blood in the back of my truck by this time next week.. :D
The old tree was on the hillside behind the standing bear, if we shot up the hill and back down at a couple of targets in the bottom..
It has a pinkish or salmon hue, and grain similar to ash. it's stronger in compression than tension.
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Yep I remember the bear target up the hill...I think I hit it mid section :-[ ;)
I'm sure my bow is overbuilt, and rushed.. but it shoots sweet. and will have blood in the back of my truck by this time next week.. :D
I know you too well and would not bet you on that one....I've always thought you were a very good hunter and might fine woodsman......
My wife and I might make a boondoggle trip, U of K football game and target shoot at your place, trip this fall if your up to it, I'll give you a call. I think that wood would make a mighty purty bow with some turkey feathers on the back......
DBar
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That sounds great! I have a bunch of osage to cut too.. Landowner had a forester come in and girdle/treat dang near all the osage I had "scheduled" to harvest.. probably 500 trees up to 24" in diameter.. borers are hitting them... I don't know how long they'll be good dead standing..
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Man.... you have the connections. That sounds like more osage than I can imagine. If I can help you harvest a log or two just let me know. We can check with Osage Outlaw (Clint) but I think standing osage will last a long time (years).....
Good luck hunting this year, keep us posted on your harvest.
If your not hunting on a KY football Saturday I'll see ya!
Till next time,
DBar
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That will work.. Yeah, the osage is abundant and quality.. I have a couple that i think are snakey too.. cool weather past time.. lol..
We can plan a saturday later in the month.. things are hectic right now...
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Great job saving that bow Joe. The skins and turkey feathers look great. I'm a big fan of those rattlers. That osage will last a long time standing dead. Even if it falls over it will last for years. You might have to remove some extra rings if the borers are eating it.
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It definitely has some mojo!
(http://i1227.photobucket.com/albums/ee423/joelacefield/2015%20tcam_00690_zpslfrhm9ui.jpg) (http://s1227.photobucket.com/user/joelacefield/media/2015%20tcam_00690_zpslfrhm9ui.jpg.html)
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God job all the way around !
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Holey smokes, did you spear that deer with the end of your bow? That is awesome when you can call your success like that. Now, a single drop of crimson on those raised rings ;)
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Looks like the "Heartbreaker" has already busted a heart. Congrats on the bow AND deer.
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The bow seems to shoot as good as it looks, kudos. I'd like to try building a coffee tree bow sometime. I heard it's similar to black locust, but would like to form my own opinion. Sounds like I need to make a trip to KY to hunt some osage. The few I've found up here rarely have a decent stave to offer.
That is a serious hole you put in that girl, and in the perfect spot as well. Do you happen to have a pick of the broad head that did that massive damage? Or at least the brand name if it was store bought.
Oh and you weren't kidding about that buck being a monster. I bet you think about retaking that shot everyday. If it was me that missed that big ol' boy that bow would be name "into the mouth of madness", my buck fever would have been permanent and incurable. It's pretty cool that you found a shed off him though.
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Congratulations! Nice bow and good harvest.
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The bow seems to shoot as good as it looks, kudos. I'd like to try building a coffee tree bow sometime. I heard it's similar to black locust, but would like to form my own opinion. Sounds like I need to make a trip to KY to hunt some osage. The few I've found up here rarely have a decent stave to offer.
That is a serious hole you put in that girl, and in the perfect spot as well. Do you happen to have a pick of the broad head that did that massive damage? Or at least the brand name if it was store bought.
Oh and you weren't kidding about that buck being a monster. I bet you think about retaking that shot everyday. If it was me that missed that big ol' boy that bow would be name "into the mouth of madness", my buck fever would have been permanent and incurable. It's pretty cool that you found a shed off him though.
Just from a break test, the wood I used was stronger in compression than tension, it works most similarly to ash IMO, but it does have a somewhat "spongy" early growth ring like osage and locust.
The broadhead is a Cabela's 125 grain CPL 3. I still shoot some carbon arrows, at least until I run out of them.. I'll grow up someday and use real wood or cane arrows all the time..