Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: zenmonkeyman on February 28, 2010, 04:38:55 pm

Title: Saskatoon bow. Done!
Post by: zenmonkeyman on February 28, 2010, 04:38:55 pm
I hemmed and hawed the whole time I was making this bow as to the name.  I like wordplay, so it was tough.  There is a city in Saskatchewan called Saskatoon, the same as the berry.  The folks from the area, like adb for example, sometimes refer to the city as "S'toon."  So finally I settled on "The Stooner"  because it's silly, even if the name implies something about me that isn't so.  The Stooner is 65 1/2 N2N, drawing 42#@30".  She's a D bow (sorta) with lots of dips and swerves.  Flat belly, less than an inch wide at the handle.  Started out with an inch of deflex on account of the roller coaster, and has taken only 1 inch of set on top of that.  I rawhided (dog treat) the top of the crown, heat treated the belly.  Used some flexible dollar-store cork coasters to build up a nice handle and wrapped it with leather secured with strategic dabs of super glue.  The arrow shelf is a bit of left-over chokecherry.  I stained the belly purple with saskatoon herbal tea.  "Prettied" her up with some yellow perch skins, and painted borders around the skins with acrylic artists' paint.  The antler overlays are from a buck I shot (with a gun, oh the shame) several years ago.  The lower tip has a second nock for stringing purposes.  Spar varnish over the works.  Pictures.  Don't look too close at that tiller!!!

(http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j191/zenmonkeyman/bowcombo_1.jpg)

(http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j191/zenmonkeyman/details_1.jpg)

(http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j191/zenmonkeyman/IMG_3796_1.jpg)

(http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j191/zenmonkeyman/IMG_3811_1.jpg)
Title: Re: Saskatoon bow. Done!
Post by: gmc on February 28, 2010, 04:57:02 pm
Very unique look to that bow. Nice job. 

Title: Re: Saskatoon bow. Done!
Post by: kerryb on February 28, 2010, 05:21:35 pm
cool bow , congrats
Title: Re: Saskatoon bow. Done!
Post by: mullet on February 28, 2010, 05:51:02 pm
 Cool bow, bet that dip in the lower limb was a challenge. Look's like the wife was relaxed when she took that picture ;)
Title: Re: Saskatoon bow. Done!
Post by: michbowguy on February 28, 2010, 05:53:57 pm
very fishy,very nice ;D 8)
Title: Re: Saskatoon bow. Done!
Post by: venisonburger on February 28, 2010, 06:34:17 pm
Wow, I like it, really a narly bow.
VB
Title: Re: Saskatoon bow. Done!
Post by: profsaffel on February 28, 2010, 08:26:03 pm
Woah, that is a freaky bow... awesome, but freaky. What a mind for the creative.  :o
Title: Re: Saskatoon bow. Done!
Post by: Okie on February 28, 2010, 08:28:20 pm
Nice job on a tough piece.
Title: Re: Saskatoon bow. Done!
Post by: Aries on March 01, 2010, 12:45:49 am
Sweet bow. i think thats the first time ive seen perch skins on one lol. when i first glanced at the picture it looked like leaves on a bamboo pole ;D looks neat, what type of wood is it??  Ty
Title: Re: Saskatoon bow. Done!
Post by: VenomBOWslinger on March 01, 2010, 12:52:14 am
See this is what I like to do and see myself! Unique and out of the ordinary.  Great bow and design!!!

CHEERS,
Russ
Title: Re: Saskatoon bow. Done!
Post by: zenmonkeyman on March 01, 2010, 01:27:40 am
Thanks very much for the comments guys! 

Mullet, I promised my wife I was going to crop her foot out of the picture.  Oops!  The dip in the lower limb had me worried, it's really hard to see how much movement the kink has, and the little dive before it looks hinged the the paranoid mind even at brace! ... So I just left the whole section a little thick, never did figure out if that area is doing too much work or any work at all.

Aries, I wanted to use fish skins, but all I had in the freezer was perch.  I thought, "I can't use perch!  That would be ridiculous!"  That's when I decided to use the perch.  I wanted to eat them anyways, they're delicious!  Oh, and saskatoon is a regional variant of serviceberry.  I highly recommend it, but this is my first shooter, so take that for what it's worth!  But I think the numbers speak for the wood quite well:  Over 40# on a 1" stick and holding only 1" of set on a 30" draw.  I think I could have gotten 50# if I wasn't so chicken about piking it.

gmc, kerryb, mich, VB, Okie, Prof, and VBS:  Unique, freaky, gnarly, cool, and fishy is EXACTLY what I was going for!  Thanks for the kind words.
Title: Re: Saskatoon bow. Done!
Post by: elk country rp on March 01, 2010, 01:53:02 am
don't forget trippy, very trippy bow!
Title: Re: Saskatoon bow. Done!
Post by: DanaM on March 01, 2010, 11:43:20 am
Nice bow, tiller looks pretty good all things considered, so how were the perch? :)
I have a service berry half done, I need to get the tips to line up so I can tiller it
Title: Re: Saskatoon bow. Done!
Post by: Pappy on March 01, 2010, 11:56:03 am
Good job on a challenging piece of wood.  :)
   Pappy
Title: Re: Saskatoon bow. Done!
Post by: Josh on March 01, 2010, 12:45:47 pm
Awesome bow Zen!  ...Is this the same bow I watched the video on where you were shooting it in the hallway and you said "dont nobody tell my wife about this"  ?  Great work, very original finish work I like it alot!   :)
Title: Re: Saskatoon bow. Done!
Post by: Stoker on March 01, 2010, 03:57:01 pm
Turned out pretty cool.Great job really like the finish.
Thanks Leroy
Title: Re: Saskatoon bow. Done!
Post by: zenmonkeyman on March 01, 2010, 04:00:04 pm
Thanks guys!

elk, "trippy" certainly applies!  ;D

Pappy, Dana, you are overly generous!  But I'll accept the exaggerations with gratitude.  ;)
The perch were delicious, BTW.  And easy, too:  Fry in canola oil or butter with salt.  Commence scarfing!

Josh, it is the same bow.  I have some tomato stakes; as soon as I fletch them I'll join a range, I'm both nervous and excited to shoot through the crono they have.  I'll post the number of joy/shame when I have it.

Thanks Leroy!  I'm sure proud of the American hockey team... They got the Gold Medal of non-Canadian hockey teams, eh!   :D
Title: Re: Saskatoon bow. Done!
Post by: Postman on March 01, 2010, 09:47:11 pm
that sure is one Looney bow eh?  I  Love it!

Congrats on the hockey gold  Zen-   Glad to see Sid the kid fell the Americans, if it had to be done. (diehard pens fan ;D)
Title: Re: Saskatoon bow. Done!
Post by: NTD on March 02, 2010, 02:01:48 am
You don't see em like that everyday.  What a neat bow.  Sounds like it was a fun project.
Title: Re: Saskatoon bow. Done!
Post by: DanaM on March 02, 2010, 08:40:02 am
Yup love the perch I have several meals tucked away in da freezer eh :)
Title: Re: Saskatoon bow. Done!
Post by: Stoker on March 02, 2010, 10:28:14 am
Good bow..Good game..good perch..Life is good
Thanks Leroy :)
Title: Re: Saskatoon bow. Done!
Post by: ohma on March 02, 2010, 11:53:17 am
absolutely great. no fiberglass mentallity goin on there.
Title: Re: Saskatoon bow. Done!
Post by: Keenan on March 02, 2010, 12:59:08 pm
Very cool and tricky to build bow.  I may have missed it but what kind of wood is it?
Title: Re: Saskatoon bow. Done!
Post by: OldBow on March 02, 2010, 02:04:48 pm
A very nice bow! Bookmarked for March Self BOM fun, too.
Title: Re: Saskatoon bow. Done!
Post by: George Tsoukalas on March 02, 2010, 02:08:36 pm
Excellent work. The tiller is great. Jawge
Title: Re: Saskatoon bow. Done!
Post by: zenmonkeyman on March 02, 2010, 02:38:04 pm
Thanks for all the interest guys!

Postman, all of Canada loves Pittsburg because of the Penguins, we love the old tradition of throwing octopus on the ice, and before Sid it was SuperMario.

NTD, it was definitely fun!  My wife has been very indulgent of sawdust, bits of serving string, scraps of leather, strings of sinew, random sticks of bamboo, bowls of gelatin, the odd naughty word, and the reluctance to do anything but work on my pa projects.

Dana, Stoker, gotta love the perch.  The burbot (dogfish? ling cod?) should be busy right now too, I'm gonna have to try for a few of those soon, and of course I can't say no to walleye or pike either, if their heads appear in my hole!  Hmm, that didn't sound right...

ohma, fiberwhatzit!!???

Keenan, saskatoon is a Canadian prairie variant of serviceberry.  I referred to a couple of your posts frequently while building this one, so thanks for all the inspiration!!

Thanks OldBow!  Should be a tight race in March for selfbows, with Gordon and Keenan engaged in laminates, and everybody else getting their works of art into the February race!  Dare I dream...  I look good in a hat...

Thanks Jawge!  Your no-nonsense wisdom definitely helps to foster a git-her-done attitude, I know I'm far from the only one who appreciates your input!