Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: stuckinthemud on February 20, 2025, 06:42:02 pm
-
Ok, so I’m still waiting for a couple of specs to be sent to me, but in the meantime, let’s see your staves/ get some chat started. We’ve all done this before, so same rules as last year. Please post regular updates, my stress levels go through the roof if people disappear….Everyone ships at the same time, addresses will be sent out when everyone is ready. We are really relaxed about shipping, when everyone is happy, that is when we ship- could be June, could be November, no pressure, everyone has fun. Having fun is the important bit. The more people post, the more everyone viewing gets to learn - did you see how many viewed last year? It was a LOT. It is a great opportunity for even experienced builders to try something new and get comments from the PA community, so please be vocal everyone. Anyone with technical issues can email stuff to me and I will post on their behalf.
-
I pulled a piece of hackberry I've had in rafters for years...kinda sketchy but might work. I'm thinking I'll need to back it w something(rawhide) as insurance. Stave is currently 66" tip to tip, a tad under 1.5" wide.
Any suggestions on finding rawhide? Done only a little reading and sounds like dog chews are out.
Paul
-
Paul I got some from 3 rivers a couple years ago and it was pretty good stuff. I've read that theirs is goat rawhide. It was pretty thin especially compared to what you get from the dog chews.
Not sure if other places carry goat rawhide too, but might be something to google search and see.
-
Thinking I’m gunna try my first bout with yew wood. Been building bows for 15 years but I’ve never touched yew wood. Any help?
-
How thick is the sapwood, and, how much character is there?
-
I've got rawhide on the way from 3 Rivers...Paul
-
Thinking I’m gunna try my first bout with yew wood. Been building bows for 15 years but I’ve never touched yew wood. Any help?
Plenty of Yew build play lists and info about sapwood on my Youtube channel:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjX-5-DcKKs (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjX-5-DcKKs)
Del
-
I’ve gotten it from Clay Hayes several times and was happy with it. It’s really thin, almost translucent and about 36 inches long. 2 pieces per order.
Here’s his website if you want to take a look.
https://www.twistedstave.com/traditional-archery-supplies/rawhide-bow-backing-strips/
-
Ok, here’s my stave, and one extra just in case something goes wrong.
-
I've got a few options for staves, was going to wait until I know what I'm targeting for the specs before picking one.
Musky, that's good to know about the stuff from Clay Hayes, I may end up with rawhide on mine too, so might get some from him as well as the 3 rivers stuff so I'll have options.
-
first two pics are the hackberry I hope has a bow in it...years ago I decided I was too aggressive removing a know on the side of the stave so I put it aside rather than kindling it. Now I think maybe there is still enough there to work with. It is maybe too narrow based on what I have read but I'll leave it as long as possible maybe it'll be alright. The pic with 4 "staves" is what is left of the river birch I got years ago when the city was taking out a diseased tree. I suspect my effort to get disease damage free wood was not successful but not ready to give up completely. Two on the left have the most potential, that one of the right inside will go straight to the firewood pile...
Whatever I do will likely have rawhide on the back as insurance. I've never worked with rawhide so I am excited about that. If the bow turns out to be a dog, or blows up after I've put on the rawhide can I remove the rawhide and use it on another stave? Or would rawhide likely be use once and throw out..?
thanks a bunch as always! Paul
-
Paul, I suppose if you used hide glue for the rawhide, then you could remove it. But once it's trimmed to the size of the limb, it might be tricky to re-use unless the first bow had wider and longer limbs than the second one. Or you are really good at matching things up.
Only time I've done rawhide I used tite bond so removal wasn't an option.
-
Apologies for the delay, I’ve been caught up in a few things. Cleared the decks a little bit, the recipients and specs. Have been sent out to everyone. If you didn’t get them, please message me.
-
Was able to at least get started with my plan for this one. I'm going to use the vine maple stave that was graciously gifted to me last year by Steve. I hope I can do it justice for both him and the recipient.
Was able to get the layout done this week, penciled on the back. Now to begin releasing the bow out of there :)
-
Boy, it looks like everyone is off to the races, and I better get moving.
Aaron I know you'll do justice to that stave, that's why I sent it. You're great at building bows, and who ever gets that bow, is going to be one lucky person.
-
Appreciate the kind words Steve. I can't wait to get going on it and to see what everyone else builds as well!
-
Made a small bit of headway today. Had some time at lunch to get the hatchet out and rough the profile.
-
Looking good. Love the hatchet, I've not seen any like that before.
How's everyone else doing?
-
Got some more time to work on my bow today. Got out the sureform and cleaned up the sides down really close to my layout lines. Got a bucket full of shavings for fire starting.
Then I marked out the side profile. Was going to reduce the thickness by sawing perpendicular every couple inches and the pop the bits off with a chisel, but since I don't know if I'll end up with any more vine maple I decided to saw it and save the belly trimmings. Took a while, but with patience, a good pull saw, and some wedges I managed to get the first limb thinned and it's starting to bend a little on the floor.
Now I have to tackle the tricky limb. Not sure if I can cut those curves or not. For another day...
-
Few more pics
-
I am working on 2 bows at once but I am beginning to believe I am self-sabotaging by picking staves with issues beyond my skill set....The hackberry has been in the rafters for years, I started it forever ago but was too aggressive dealing with a knot on edge of limb and when I handle it I am pretty sure it is kindling(at least as a hunting bow). But I paid money for it so I don't want to let it go...maybe if I keep picking at it bit by bit I will find a bow.
The Chinese elm is a branch from my neighbor's tree that has been in the rafters for 18months or so. I am trying to reduce it to almost bow dimensions and then try to straighten it out...if that works I'll move forward with it.
Or switch to some of my river birch....
-
Chinese elm...think it is straighten-able??
-
I have to say that it amazes me what heat can do to wood, so good luck! Can't wait to see how it turns out
-
I’m not an expert, far from it but, maybe try using steam to straighten that. I’ve had better luck with steam on major bends like that. I’ve watched videos of guys putting recurves in limbs with dry heat and when I try it it ends up in the firewood pile. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
-
I'd try it, ultimately what have you got to lose?
-
Hey Paul, did you get chance to straighten that stave? How did it work out ??
-
I did two steam sessions and neither got me enough movement. I think I need to remove more wood so there is less to heat and bend. Life has become a pia lately so not much time to work on it. I hope maybe I can get back to it soon...
Paul
-
Straightening forward or backwards is relatively straightforward, but straightening side ways can be difficult,except at the tips where the narrow timber is easier to manage. Once you get over 3/4 inch the timber starts to fight you and if you ask it to do too much you can get a split along the grain , so yes, get it thinned down, the heat will penetrate better and with less timber to fight you have more chance. If it were me, though, I'd be using dry heat
-
Had a little more time tonight to work on the bow. I was able to get both limbs down to a decent thickness. It's bending a good amount on floor tiller at this point. It's got some propeller twist and some funny bends in the one limb and a bit of deflex overall that will all need to be coerced out. I'm hoping that dry heat will work to get it where I want it.
I was also able to save some bits from the belly removal by sawing through what I could. Got a couple decent pieces for other projects. I think I see an atlatl it one of them. Just didn't want to waste it, might never get another chance to work with vine maple so I'm savoring it a bit.
Anyway, here's where I'm at now, and the salvaged parts.