Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: medicinewheel on June 20, 2008, 04:27:20 pm

Title: deerhide-backed yew english longbow
Post by: medicinewheel on June 20, 2008, 04:27:20 pm
hi everybody!  -  here is the finished bow from my thread

http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,2648.0.html

she ended up at 58"@29" after sanding; 72" long and not very bendy in the handle.
had two very scary knots right next to eachother that i left kinda stiff and with some wrapping for safety.
the bow is backed with deer rawhide.
the arrowpass is cowbone.
the nocks are from Watusi cow and i ruined only one set before i got the job accomplished.

tomorrow i'll be delivering the bow to an old friend, and this time it's gonna be hard to give her away!

thanks for watching!

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Title: Re: deerhide-bvacked yew english longbow
Post by: medicinewheel on June 20, 2008, 04:42:02 pm
more pics:

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Title: Re: deerhide-backed yew english longbow
Post by: adb on June 20, 2008, 04:44:30 pm
Very nice job!! The tiller looks very good. I've been itching to rawhide back a yew ELB. Maybe soon.
Title: Re: deerhide-backed yew english longbow
Post by: Pat B on June 20, 2008, 05:05:11 pm
Very nice, Frank. She's a beauty!!!     Pat
Title: Re: deerhide-backed yew english longbow
Post by: Dano on June 20, 2008, 09:02:12 pm
Nice job, love those horn knocks.
Title: Re: deerhide-backed yew english longbow
Post by: Knocker on June 20, 2008, 11:18:28 pm
Beautiful bow Medicinewheel.  How did you do the grip?

Keith
Title: Re: deerhide-backed yew english longbow
Post by: Don Wilson on June 20, 2008, 11:36:45 pm
I LIKE THAT BOW!!!!
Title: Re: deerhide-backed yew english longbow
Post by: George Tsoukalas on June 20, 2008, 11:43:33 pm
Very nice bow. Jawge
Title: Re: deerhide-backed yew english longbow
Post by: Keenan on June 21, 2008, 12:14:41 am
 Sweet bow Frank, tiller looks great, especailly for having the knots to deal with, and love the tips.  It looks like you left a fair amount of the sapwood on. Can you give the ratio and your performance thoughts?
Title: Re: deerhide-backed yew english longbow
Post by: El Destructo on June 21, 2008, 03:28:24 am
Frank....I think you are selling yourself Short on this Tiller on this Bow....I think that you nailed it Son.....I wish I could work with Wood like this...and come out with a Bow that looks this well....my Hat is off to you!! I love it....and whoever it is that you are giving it to....should be one Grateful Person......Nice Job

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Title: Re: deerhide-backed yew english longbow
Post by: radius on June 21, 2008, 03:57:37 am
interesting exposed beamwork in your shop, too
Title: Re: deerhide-backed yew english longbow
Post by: The Burnt Hill Archer on June 21, 2008, 04:47:35 am
What they all said! great job on the horn too.

Phil
Title: Re: deerhide-backed yew english longbow
Post by: Badger on June 21, 2008, 04:58:14 am
      That tiller looks about as good as any I have seen. I would be plenty happy for any bow to come out like that. Steve
Title: Re: deerhide-backed yew english longbow
Post by: medicinewheel on June 21, 2008, 05:06:49 am
interesting exposed beamwork in your shop, too

yes, it's a 200 years old farmhouse i live in here an hour south of cologne/germany; the room used to be my living room! ...... 
-....and still is  ;D ;D ;D

everybody thanks a lot for the remarks: i'm very pleased with the outcome of this piece of wood, mostly since i cut it before i had ever made a bow!

the tiller is most important so special thanks on the comments about it! i'm always kind of slow to accomplish a bow, and in this case i stepped foreward in 1/2"-steps over a loooong period of time.
my advice if you are insecure tillering a certain a piece of wood: go slooooow!

the sapwood is of irregular thickness all over the bow but it was an unviolated  yearring! pictured below is the sapwood next to the upper tip!
it is a low density piece of yew pouched in a cologne park, but performance i'd say is good. sure delivers havier arrows!

the handle came out great: it's two stripes of thin leather wrapped parallel sized and sanded several times than i waxed it same as the wood; looks great and feels very handy

again thanks all,

frank!

ps: putting the horn on is certainly the more difficult job then forming nice tips!! thanks for the warnings beforehand!

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Title: Re: deerhide-backed yew english longbow
Post by: medicinewheel on June 21, 2008, 05:11:02 am
ps:
-  i forgot to say: the guy i made the bow for is an old friend that i had not seen for ages; now it seems archery brings us back together again!
yes it's a privilege to make bows, as the havaiian pirate stated!
Title: Re: deerhide-backed yew english longbow
Post by: Dane on June 21, 2008, 07:28:20 am
Frank, all your bows are a treat to see. This is a beautiful job all the way around.

I'd love to see some shots of your house, too.

Dane
Title: Re: deerhide-backed yew english longbow
Post by: DCM on June 21, 2008, 10:20:31 am
Fantasic bow.  Thanks for posting.
Title: Re: deerhide-backed yew english longbow
Post by: OldBow on June 21, 2008, 01:36:45 pm
Super bow, Frank - Isn't Yew a Wonderful Wood! Got you bookmarked for June Self Bow of the Month, too!
Title: Re: deerhide-backed yew english longbow
Post by: recurve shooter on June 21, 2008, 04:43:58 pm
this is all i can mannage to pull out of my mind right now.

WOW, HOLY CRAP. GREAT JOB. :o :o ;)

haha. great job dude. ;D
Title: Re: deerhide-backed yew english longbow
Post by: Cromm on June 21, 2008, 06:15:03 pm
Hi, It's nice to see some great work from this side of the pond!!!!  ;D
Title: Re: deerhide-backed yew english longbow
Post by: NOMADIC PIRATE on June 22, 2008, 06:57:18 am
That's quite a beautyful arc Frank, ...I'm really drawn lately by those simple ELBs
Title: Re: deerhide-backed yew english longbow
Post by: medicinewheel on June 22, 2008, 02:44:21 pm
...I'm really drawn lately by those simple ELBs

thanks manny! ...-and i know exactly what you mean!

thanks everybody else, too! means a lot too me!

picture of braced and unbraced bow here; little bit hard to measure, she has taken bit more then 1.5" of set after shooting her in.

f. 

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Title: Re: deerhide-backed yew english longbow
Post by: Ryano on June 22, 2008, 06:22:13 pm
Nice looking bow Frank !  8)
Title: Re: deerhide-backed yew english longbow
Post by: Pappy on June 23, 2008, 01:02:53 pm
Beautiful bow Frank,you do some fine work. :)
   Pappy
Title: Re: deerhide-backed yew english longbow
Post by: shamus on June 23, 2008, 02:22:27 pm
very nice job!

how wide is the bow?
Title: Re: deerhide-backed yew english longbow
Post by: bootboy on June 24, 2008, 12:50:58 am
i always wondered on the horn nock, , at the end of the hook theres a hole drilled. What is it for?
Title: Re: deerhide-backed yew english longbow
Post by: Gordon on June 24, 2008, 01:21:20 am
You do beautiful work Frank. Those horn nocks are exquisite.
Title: Re: deerhide-backed yew english longbow
Post by: Justin Snyder on June 24, 2008, 02:22:58 am
Wow that is a great looking bow Frank. Ill bet it is a smooth shooting bow with tiller that sweet.  Justin
Title: Re: deerhide-backed yew english longbow
Post by: medicinewheel on June 24, 2008, 03:07:46 am
i always wondered on the horn nock, , at the end of the hook theres a hole drilled. What is it for?

you can attach a little thread through the hole and the ear of the string that serves as string keeper!

yes justin, the bow does shoot sweet. personnally i'm really sencitive for handshock and i need to shoot heavy arrows with the bow, but benny didn't mention anything about handshock when he first shot it and he is used to a fiberglass recurve, so i'd say that's okay...

again everybody thank you for the compliments!

frank