Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: airkah on February 18, 2023, 07:32:56 pm

Title: What do you do with your old bows?
Post by: airkah on February 18, 2023, 07:32:56 pm
So the room in my house I keep all of my bows in is about to become a baby's room here in a few months. I have some bows that I love that I'll probably hang on a bow rack in my office. But I don't know what to do with the others - mostly early bows that I don't really want to display. So I'm looking for ideas - what do you all do with old bad/mediocre bows?
Title: Re: What do you do with your old bows?
Post by: bjrogg on February 18, 2023, 08:04:34 pm
Fortunately or unfortunately. I’m not sure which. I haven’t run out of room for mine yet.

I have a hard time throwing out anything. I think it’s the way I was brought up. I really need someone who isn’t afraid to throw out anything come over and get rid of a bunch of stuff.

I’m guessing it’s going to be up to my kids and grandkids when I’m gone.

Is that baby room being filled by your baby Airkah? If so congratulations and maybe you can redo one into a baby bow.

Bjrogg

PS nice to see you posting again
Title: Re: What do you do with your old bows?
Post by: Aaron1726 on February 18, 2023, 10:13:04 pm
I have several bows stored under the bed.  Some in sleeves, some not. 

I'm a father of 3, they have claimed about every square inch of this place :) 
Title: Re: What do you do with your old bows?
Post by: Pat B on February 18, 2023, 10:47:19 pm
Find some kids to give them to. Maybe a Boy Scout troop or a Boys and Girls club.
 Congratulations on your new baby room.  :OK
Title: Re: What do you do with your old bows?
Post by: Eric Krewson on February 18, 2023, 11:26:12 pm
I have rounded up a bunch of my old bows, and a few new ones and donated them to charity auctions. I think I have 9 hanging on the wall now, way more than I need.
Title: Re: What do you do with your old bows?
Post by: Hawkdancer on February 19, 2023, 01:44:28 am
I would go along with Pat and Eric, on the other hand, I am a "keeper of stuff" like BJ!  I still have the bow I bought when I graduated from high school a long time ago!  Got to be some kids in your circle of life that could use them.  As BJ asked, your baby in the new baby rom?  Make a dream catcher or a mobile hanger from one! 
Hawkdancer
Title: Re: What do you do with your old bows?
Post by: sleek on February 19, 2023, 09:53:08 am
I keep them to experiment with later. Maybe to try out a different way of hear treat, or learn how to sinew back, try the effects of different recurve radius and lengths. Old bows are valuable for learning on. Especially if you have a chronograph and speed test every change you make.
Title: Re: What do you do with your old bows?
Post by: bjrogg on February 19, 2023, 03:01:59 pm
I kinda like Jerry’s idea of mobile .maybe a primitive theme baby room.

Have given them away. Like Pat and Eric.

And have redone them. Like Sleek.
 
The first bow I broke. I took one limb and made a bow for the mini bow challenge that was in Marshall Michigan. I called it aby normal From young Frankenstein.

I also just plain kept them just to remember the path.

Bjrogg
Title: Re: What do you do with your old bows?
Post by: TimBo on February 20, 2023, 10:42:59 pm
Just to restate two points:
1. Congrats! 
2. Yes, they take over just about every square inch (I also have three kids, although one is in college and #2 will also be there next year). 
Title: Re: What do you do with your old bows?
Post by: Stickhead on February 22, 2023, 05:16:06 am
I’ve been thinking about attaching a bunch like a pinwheel and making a chandelier.
Title: Re: What do you do with your old bows?
Post by: PEARL DRUMS on February 22, 2023, 09:56:06 am
I threw away a pile of bows when we moved houses a few years back. They weren't necessarily junk, but I was never going to do anything with them ever again. 
Title: Re: What do you do with your old bows?
Post by: Pappy on February 22, 2023, 10:39:30 am
I cook brats with mine, keep a couple of the first and keep the good shooters or give them to someone who hat will appreciate them, if the are questionable I cook with them, have made a couple of walking sticks and and Altalatal of of a couple of the limbs. Still got about 40 though. Pappy
Title: Re: What do you do with your old bows?
Post by: JW_Halverson on February 22, 2023, 07:04:25 pm
Listen, I have no better advice than anyone else, but I want to say congratulations, Airkah.
Title: Re: What do you do with your old bows?
Post by: airkah on February 22, 2023, 11:55:33 pm
Yep my baby! Thank you all so much! I'll probably do a combination ofalot of this and keep way too many, some for me to shoot and others to experiment or rework into kids bows or whatever. I really don't like giving bows away unless its my best work.
Title: Re: What do you do with your old bows?
Post by: bjrogg on February 23, 2023, 07:25:13 am
Yep my baby! Thank you all so much! I'll probably do a combination ofalot of this and keep way too many, some for me to shoot and others to experiment or rework into kids bows or whatever. I really don't like giving bows away unless its my best work.



That’s awesome Airkah.
So happy for you. Definitely a life changing experience and a journey that last forever. I’m guessing you make an awesome mom. Like making bows there will be a learning process.

Bjrogg

Title: Re: What do you do with your old bows?
Post by: superdav95 on February 23, 2023, 08:27:45 am
I keep them to experiment with later. Maybe to try out a different way of hear treat, or learn how to sinew back, try the effects of different recurve radius and lengths. Old bows are valuable for learning on. Especially if you have a chronograph and speed test every change you make.

Congrats Airkah.  That’s great news. I just recently found out I’m gonna be a grandpa.  Fun times ahead.  I do much the same as sleek here.  I like to experiment and test out things also.  They also show a progression of learning too. 
Title: Re: What do you do with your old bows?
Post by: sleek on February 23, 2023, 04:56:26 pm
Yep my baby! Thank you all so much! I'll probably do a combination ofalot of this and keep way too many, some for me to shoot and others to experiment or rework into kids bows or whatever. I really don't like giving bows away unless its my best work.

Got any really wide ones?
Title: Re: What do you do with your old bows?
Post by: Marc St Louis on February 23, 2023, 05:46:46 pm
So the room in my house I keep all of my bows in is about to become a baby's room here in a few months. I have some bows that I love that I'll probably hang on a bow rack in my office. But I don't know what to do with the others - mostly early bows that I don't really want to display. So I'm looking for ideas - what do you all do with old bad/mediocre bows?

I was going to suggest you keep some bows in the baby's room especially as your baby gets older, give he/she something to look at.  Also bracing some bows every once in awhile as a change, for visual affects
Title: Re: What do you do with your old bows?
Post by: WhistlingBadger on February 24, 2023, 04:32:31 pm
Congratulations on the upcoming bambino!  That's great news.  If I have a bow that I'm never going to shoot again (it takes me a while to admit this sometimes, but I usually know, deep down), I'll try to find a new home for it.  If it isn't good enough to give away, I chop it up and burn it in the chiminea.   My goal is to have one "near perfect" flat bow for elk hunting, a sinewed shorty for hunting antelope out of a blind, and my fiberglass recurve for blasting carp. 

I just don't have the storage space for much more than that, and even if I did, I'm a bit of a minimalist at heart and like to keep things simple. Hey, now that I mention it, that's the same reason I shoot wooden bows!
Title: Re: What do you do with your old bows?
Post by: wizardgoat on February 28, 2023, 09:54:23 am
Congrats on the baby, we have 2 little ones and it’s the best.
My rack has really lightened up over the years. There’s around 25 bows on it but 15 or so are built by others. If the bow is ok, just an overbuilt early work, I like to rework them and make them new again.
Especially for friends or gift bows.  No more room for old wall hangers with  iffy knots or bandaids, they get torched.
Title: Re: What do you do with your old bows?
Post by: airkah on February 28, 2023, 10:09:08 pm
Yep my baby! Thank you all so much! I'll probably do a combination ofalot of this and keep way too many, some for me to shoot and others to experiment or rework into kids bows or whatever. I really don't like giving bows away unless its my best work.

Got any really wide ones?

Umm a couple early red oak board bows. Why? What are you thinking?
Title: Re: What do you do with your old bows?
Post by: airkah on February 28, 2023, 10:23:58 pm
I just don't have the storage space for much more than that, and even if I did, I'm a bit of a minimalist at heart and like to keep things simple. Hey, now that I mention it, that's the same reason I shoot wooden bows!

Me too! I hate having clutter in the house!

Congrats on the baby, we have 2 little ones and it’s the best.
My rack has really lightened up over the years. There’s around 25 bows on it but 15 or so are built by others. If the bow is ok, just an overbuilt early work, I like to rework them and make them new again.
Especially for friends or gift bows.  No more room for old wall hangers with  iffy knots or bandaids, they get torched.

How often do still find the time to create?
Title: Re: What do you do with your old bows?
Post by: WhistlingBadger on March 01, 2023, 09:27:00 am
How often do still find the time to create?

In my experience, parenthood changes just about everything.  Having a baby definitely cuts down on the creating time, at least for a while.  But not forever.
 Parenthood is really interesting that way:  Babies are intensely needy and demanding, but what they need is really simple:  Food, sleep, cleaning, affection, entertainment and interaction.  That's about it, but they can't do those things for themselves, so they need you constantly.  As they get older, they become much less demanding, capable of doing most of those basic things for themselves, but what they do need becomes much more complicated:  Spiritual guidance, social counsel, loving discipline, help with developing hobbies and interests, that sort of thing. 

For me, a lot of my own hobbies went on the back burner when I had a baby lying around.  Nowadays, I still find a lot of time to create, but I have to be a bit more deliberate about when and how.

It's all worth it.  It's cliche to say it, but it's true.  I've made a lot of sacrifices for my Badgerling, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.  :)
Title: Re: What do you do with your old bows?
Post by: bjrogg on March 01, 2023, 01:20:13 pm
Agree WB.

At first they required constant attention. Then they tend to hang on you pant leg not wanting you to leave their side.

Then you notice they find a friend and then another.

Suddenly you are wondering where they are. But like WB said they still need guidance.

Then they maybe find a special friend. Their soul mate and their family begins.

Now their lives are busy. They drop off their kids from time to time and you get to enjoy them.

The next thing you know those grandkids are driving and meeting their special friends.

I know everyone says it but it is so true.

Enjoy it. It flies by. Start making some of those old bow into bows for your grandkids cause they will be here before you know it.

Bjrogg
Title: Re: What do you do with your old bows?
Post by: sleek on March 07, 2023, 06:00:13 am
Yep my baby! Thank you all so much! I'll probably do a combination ofalot of this and keep way too many, some for me to shoot and others to experiment or rework into kids bows or whatever. I really don't like giving bows away unless its my best work.

Got any really wide ones?

Umm a couple early red oak board bows. Why? What are you thinking?

I was thinking if they were osage and especially wide, I've been doing some experiments with my short recurve design and was gonna see if we could work something out for them.
Title: Re: What do you do with your old bows?
Post by: superdav95 on March 07, 2023, 07:11:14 am
How often do still find the time to create?

In my experience, parenthood changes just about everything.  Having a baby definitely cuts down on the creating time, at least for a while.  But not forever.
 Parenthood is really interesting that way:  Babies are intensely needy and demanding, but what they need is really simple:  Food, sleep, cleaning, affection, entertainment and interaction.  That's about it, but they can't do those things for themselves, so they need you constantly.  As they get older, they become much less demanding, capable of doing most of those basic things for themselves, but what they do need becomes much more complicated:  Spiritual guidance, social counsel, loving discipline, help with developing hobbies and interests, that sort of thing. 

For me, a lot of my own hobbies went on the back burner when I had a baby lying around.  Nowadays, I still find a lot of time to create, but I have to be a bit more deliberate about when and how.

It's all worth it.  It's cliche to say it, but it's true.  I've made a lot of sacrifices for my Badgerling, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.  :)

Well said brother!
Title: Re: What do you do with your old bows?
Post by: airkah on March 07, 2023, 09:16:12 am
Yep my baby! Thank you all so much! I'll probably do a combination ofalot of this and keep way too many, some for me to shoot and others to experiment or rework into kids bows or whatever. I really don't like giving bows away unless its my best work.

Got any really wide ones?

Umm a couple early red oak board bows. Why? What are you thinking?

I was thinking if they were osage and especially wide, I've been doing some experiments with my short recurve design and was gonna see if we could work something out for them.

Oh no I don't have any wide an osage. The stuff I'm unsure on is all white woods and red oak boards