Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Fundin on May 27, 2008, 07:51:43 am
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This is my most recent bow, it is made of lilac, 122 cm long and draws 36#@25" I did mess up a little while tillering, otherwise I would have had a 45# bow. It is less than an inch wide at the widest point, and the stave had a big kink about in the middle, so thats where I put the handle. Even though there is a big king, It is still working in the handle. It started with a severe deflex reflex profile, but is now mostly reflex. It took slightly less than an inch of set. I would estimate this wood to be denser than the osage I have tried, but harder to find a large enough stave.
The stave was cracked down to the marrow, as lilac cracks with a dry look. The bow is finished only with beewax to keep the MC under controll.
Last I would like to thank Tuukka of Finland for trying this wood.
Well here are the pictures;
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/Fundin/Bows/DSC03820.jpg)
Belly with semi dark heartwood
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/Fundin/Bows/DSC03821.jpg)
towards the tip there was some darker heartwood
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/Fundin/Bows/DSC03822.jpg)
Big kink with two knots looking like eyes of an ancient sea monster, despite this you can feel the handle work
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/Fundin/Bows/DSC03823.jpg)
Marrow down the center of the limb
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/Fundin/Bows/DSC03826.jpg)
Resting unstrung
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/Fundin/Bows/DSC03825.jpg)
Low string height helps speed and lowers stress with a longer draw.
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/Fundin/Bows/DSC03827.jpg)
And finally the Full Draw image, unfortunately not a very good background as I was out with my wife in the yard, and we couldnt go far as we had our baby with us.
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Thanks for posting this one. I manged to get a few pieces of it myself and have managed to start them quick drying with no problems. They are very short so I will put some extensions on the tips and try a sinew backing. It will be interesting seeinng how far the wood can be bent safely with a backing added.
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That is a very nice bow. Well done. Nice to see a character bow. Jawge
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Very nice,love one with character,tiller looks good to me.Nice bow from a tough
piece of wood. :)
Pappy
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Pat, how will you make extensions???
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Looks great I can't seem to find any lilac that is worth cutting :(
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Good for you for using something new (Lilac) for a really neat primitive self bow. We'll look at it again this weekend for Self Bow of the Month for May.
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That's a very nice effort with what I have found to be a difficult wood Fundin. As you mention, Tuukka has used it and is a big fan, and I can see why. Drying the large pieces is quite difficult. But man, that wood's properties keep me a tryin'!
Dave
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Pat, how will you make extensions???
I will splice in some Elm recurves and wrap the v-joints. That is my usual method of making a recurve anyway. Some woods can be a bit touchy to bend so I just go with tips that are from a wood that is practically guaranteed to bend nicely.
I should be able to stretch out the 40-44 inch pieces I have by about ten inches or so.
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Thats so cool. That is some beautiful wood
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Very Cool, Nice to see some bows out of some different wood types. Looks really nice. Beautiful wood.
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a very nice job, indeed.
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Thanks everyone for the kind words
I will not take cred for discovering this wood, It is my first bow from it, but Tuukka ifrom Fiinland has been using it for some great bows, including flightbows.
I will try to take a nicer full draw picture as this one has a rather blurry background.
/Henrik
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I have to find some straight enough to cut, nice bow and I really like the grain and color of this wood.
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I have had some luck finding straighter pieces where it is growing in a hollow or ravine and trying to reach sunlight. It will send up rather atypical slender trunks in those situations, particularly where it is a smaller clump.
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Overgrown gardens can be a great place where to find those longer staves. At my inlaws place there is an old abandoned house with a dozen straight staves over 4 ft in length, still to narrow, but in 2 or three years....
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man, you should head over with some fertilizer!
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It is growing as fast as possible there, I have already harvested one stave clos by and it grows 3-4mm/yr, thats about max for lilac in our climate.
Here are two more pictures, a better full draw image
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/Fundin/Bows/DSC03849.jpg)
And here are the two eyed lilac monster...also called the handle...
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/Fundin/Bows/DSC03841.jpg)