Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: JW_Halverson on August 16, 2016, 08:59:46 pm
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You know, the stave that frustrates you from the get-go. Yeah, that one.
Started one today. The osage rings are narrow, but the early growth is almost nonexistent...ratio of early to late is good. But the back is concave on much of the stave, meaning chasing a ring with a drawknife is useless. I dug out a 3/4" beavertail gouge and went at chasing a ring. It kinda felt like doing a lifesize chainsaw carving of a grizzly using nothing but nail clippers. I jabbed a knife blade into a finger all the way to the bone while scraping early growth, then ran a sliver into the palm of the other hand (mmm, love that sting of osage oils), and then cut another finger on the sharp 90 degree edge of the stave.
But it seems that staves like this make me slow down. They almost always bring out the best in me.
The game plan is 64" nock to nock, stiff 4" handle, 1.5 inch fade outs, 1.5 inches wide at the fades tapering down to pencil thin tips. I will need to heat treat to remove some twist and I might bake in about an inch of reflex when I get to floor tiller. Not sure, but I might do this one as a straight taper pyramid since I seem to favor that design these days.
Will take some pics tomorrow.
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Take few pics of the ouchies too. We are a perverse bunch.
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Looking forward to some pictures. How bad is the osage splinter? So far Matt Wirwicki is the winner in that category. His was down right painful to look at.
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Will be watching... 8)
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Looking forward to some pictures. How bad is the osage splinter? So far Matt Wirwicki is the winner in that category. His was down right painful to look at.
Compared to his, mine was nothing but sanding dust!!!
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Sounds like a hell'uva plan and your right on target ....JW can't wait for the pic's...
DBar
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JW, I know. I think I've bled on 99% of my bows. Jawge
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JW, I know. I think I've bled on 99% of my bows. Jawge
I only bleed for the best ones
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The ones that make you bleed are always the best. And I dont know why, but anything sharp, pointy, or otherwise dangerous, first blood is always my own.
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100% of mine have blood on them I think it adds extra cast looking foward to seeing this one.
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Looking forward to seeing it JW, I hate them concaved limbs, I have inherited a few staves because of that. ;) They are tough to deal with sometimes and you are right they make you slowwwwww down. :)
Pappy
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Never worked with Osage, but would shaping a scraper be any use?? I used a semi-circle scraper for cleaning out the hollows on a couple of hollow-limb bows?
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I feel you. The one I have been slowing working is concave, convex and has a giant hole in the upper limb.
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Dang JW I would definately say you are working for that one. Take it easy man!
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Sounds like a good bow to chase spring black hills turkeys with.
Tattoo Dave
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Never worked with Osage, but would shaping a scraper be any use?? I used a semi-circle scraper for cleaning out the hollows on a couple of hollow-limb bows?
Oh yeah, I have a selection of scrapers of various shapes just for these situations. But chasing a ring with a scraper? That's be like carving Mount Rushmore with a handful of sheets of sandpaper!
I don't know how people can make bows without using scrapers. I have done it, I just can't imagine how I did it!
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My Scraper is mean. Well, the burr on it is!
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There was somethin said about a bow laid out er something by the end of today... er somethin.. ::)
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All right, these are the details so far. Here is the endgrain showing you the narrow rings, but the good ratio of early to late.
(http://i365.photobucket.com/albums/oo100/JW_Halverson/Bows/Spirit%20of%20the%20Pacific%20Ghost/IMAG0340_zpsyj7qt7ov.jpg) (http://s365.photobucket.com/user/JW_Halverson/media/Bows/Spirit%20of%20the%20Pacific%20Ghost/IMAG0340_zpsyj7qt7ov.jpg.html)
And here is a view down the stave:
(http://i365.photobucket.com/albums/oo100/JW_Halverson/Bows/Spirit%20of%20the%20Pacific%20Ghost/stave1_zps9kd0tmoj.jpg) (http://s365.photobucket.com/user/JW_Halverson/media/Bows/Spirit%20of%20the%20Pacific%20Ghost/stave1_zps9kd0tmoj.jpg.html)
I pushed the bow over to the one edge of the stave and cheated a little in the handle section in order to avoid a really nasty pin knot cluster-fluster.
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Those are NOT narrow rings lol. That is a good piece of wood. Full draw pics tomorrow?
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This bow is the one I am building for the person that won my Facebook auction to raise money for Bryce/Pinecone. For those of you that somehow have missed the news, or are VERY new to the site, Bryce is one of the best of us here on the Primitive Archer Forum. He is acknowledged as a a great bowbuilder and has picked up several Bow of the Month and his amazing character yew bow was chosen as the Selfbow of the Year. Even better, is how he pitches in to this forum and shares his experience freely. Recently, to help support the magazine that foots the bill for this entire website so WE DON'T HAVE TO PAY ANY MEMBERSHIP, Bryce ran a contest offering one of his amazing yew bows to people purchasing a new subscription. One new subscriber won a bow I would conservatively value at being worth $700.
No pressure on me, I just have to make a bow that reflects Bryce's stature!!!
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Yes definitely not narrow. I have some Osage in my shop that fits 3 rings in one of yours and I have seen tighter
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Those look like perfect rings to me. Is that thing floor tillered yet?
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A blind man could chase them thar rings >:D
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Funny, when I went at 'em with the draw knife, the grain would tear out two or three rings deep. I took out my diamond hones and sharpened the blade until it would pop hairs off my arm and it still was tearing out grain.
But that is why we have tools in our toolboxes, for those times that you gotta change it up and skin that cat a different way.
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A bling man could chase them thar rings >:D
When you say bling man, are you talking about someone like this?
(http://assets.vice.com/content-images/contentimage/no-slug/6297d3609c0b23d0ec04e9e32867e36d.jpg)
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A bling man could chase them thar rings >:D
Like i said a blind man like me could chase them rings and use auto correct 😋
When you say bling man, are you talking about someone like this?
(http://assets.vice.com/content-images/contentimage/no-slug/6297d3609c0b23d0ec04e9e32867e36d.jpg)
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Looking forward to being "Wowed".... 8)
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A bling man could chase them thar rings >:D
When you say bling man, are you talking about someone like this?
(http://assets.vice.com/content-images/contentimage/no-slug/6297d3609c0b23d0ec04e9e32867e36d.jpg)
Lolol
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build that one my friend.....I will get to work on the stave I started last time I was there,and you can sell them both for brice,get ahold of me ;)
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Them are the kind of rings I dream about, looking good so far JW. Ha don't yall be making fun of my boy Newt. >:(
Pappy
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I had concerns that the wood was still a little wet, so after finding the outline of the bow in the stave, I cut it down to dimension on a borrowed band saw and weighed it to the nearest gram. It lost only one gram of weight overnight, so I placed it in the sun out in the yard for a day or two. I knew it was not soppy wet, more like just very, very close to reaching stability with our climate. At that point, it is safe to push a little harder, so I did.
I left it in the sun for several days, then moved it into my Jeep Cherokee and left it parked in the sun for several days when the temps were in the high 90's. Again, no checks, but it lost 16 grams of weight and then stopped losing. I realize osage CAN get too dry, so I left the stave to sit in my cool, shady garage and checked the weight daily. After a week, it has gained back a just a single gram of weight. At this point, I am very sure that the wood is right where it needs to be and I will start on final shaping, taking out some limb twist and getting the tips lined up through the handle.
Some might think I am taking unnecessary risks by pushing things like this, but I think there is less risk than you are imagining. You simply cannot push that hard on fresh cut wood, of course, but this piece was cut well over a year ago and Stringman knows how to treat it as it cures. However, his relative humidity is a good bit higher than mine. I have given the whole stave several weeks to adjust, following the weight down to the nearest gram. I have checked and rechecked the rate of weight loss all thru the process and I kinda have a feel for when time comes to push and when to back off. I have not had a stave failure, yet. Knocking on my own wooden head!
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I love hearing and reading about a patient approach to bowbuilding, er anything for that matter. I just rarely exercise that sorta patience myself! No doubt, your precautions will serve you in excellent stead on this stave. I am really excited to see how this develops.
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I love hearing and reading about a patient approach to bowbuilding, er anything for that matter. I just rarely exercise that sorta patience myself! No doubt, your precautions will serve you in excellent stead on this stave. I am really excited to see how this develops.
Funny, I got a private message that I need to be more patient and not push a stave....LOL