Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Pappy on June 12, 2007, 08:00:32 am
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I had a great time in Cloverdale,while I was there I always take something to work on.This
time I took the top off the snake bow I made.I planed on making a match to it.When I got it debarked and down to a ring it looked wide enough to get two side by side so I layed them out and it worked fine.I cut them out when I got home and now instead of having sister and baby sister I have sister and twin baby sisters.I also meet a German named Manfred and he had a stave with a lot of snake and ask if I thought he could get a belly split off it and have a matching pair.I told him I would try if it were mine so he wanted me to do it,now let me tell you this was a big guy but I did it and it couldn't have went better it split right down the growth ring and all he had to do was clean it up and he had matching set for him and his wife.Here are the pictures.
Pappy
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And a few more of the twins.I am a happy father.
Pappy
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Pappy, looks to me like you have a set of twins with an older sister! One big happy family! ;D
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I love that kind of stuff, going a freebie and having the project go well. I guess I'm a cheap bastid but I just like to see the most use come from what's at hand. Those are some really clean staves too, nowithstanding the shape.
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Ya they said I was being greety,but I couldn't help it,snaky ones like that are hard to come by.
and to get 3 from one stave is almost more than I can stand. ;D
Pappy
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Those are really nice staves, Pappy. I'm glad it worked out for you. Yes, that man is pretty large. :) Jawge
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Pappy, everyone is large to you. ;D Looks like you had a good time. Justin
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Ya Jawge I was sweating his busting right,everyone left when I started to split it and I was afraid I would have one mad German[and I mean a big one at that]on my hands but all went well and
he was happy.Thanks Justin I needed that. ;D
Pappy
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Thanks Justin I needed that.
Justin has proven himself to be an equal opportunity type a guy...he treats overeating, mentally challenged, and vertically challenged folks all the same! ;D Of course I qualify for a couple of those traits! ;)
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looking good. I'd really would like to lay my hands on a snaky pair of staves, but I never find it in elm...
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Glad the surgery to separate those Siamese twins went well. Was it a big enough log and enough space between staves, that there won't be a lean on that shared side limb edge?
You should make a fake caul, and tell everybody you heat-bent straight staves into those. If they don't belive it, just lay the stavesd in the caul as proof.
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Ya Lennie that is what I was afraid of ,but it is plenty of wood on the edge and over 1 1/4 in
the handle so it should be OK.I thought I might have to glue on a handle and didn't want to
but I think this will make it.I make pretty small handles anyway[Go ahead Justin say something about that to] ;D You know small handles small$$#@@#$$. ;DI thought I would save you the trouble.
Pappy
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Thats some nice looking wood pappy! congrads! ;D
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Looks great Pappy! Did you have to change blades to make the cut and I remember seeing a tight spot btwn limbs on the layout in C-dale. Thanks again for the input on my hickory bow, it was great talking(listening) to Grant and yourself on Fri. afternoon.
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No it went well,I did put on a new blade just to be safe but after the fact I think the old one woul have been OK.It looked tighter than it realy was. :)
Pappy
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I plane on getting started on one of these this weekend,just don't know witch one to start on,One I plane on snake skins when finished and wanted to make a matching pair but one has a knot hole in it and don't want to cover it up.Decisions ??? decisions it's always something in this bow building stuff. :)
Pappy
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First, I saw Manfred and his wife at Compton gathering in Mich. Recognized him from your pics from Cloverdale and I have to say that I can understand your incentive to split his stave well. Big guy!
Now back to my question on the knot and snakeskin. Is it possible to lay the skin over the hole and then use scissors to pierce the skin at that spot and make short cuts that will allow you to glue the skin into the hole? Just a thought.
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Great pictures, Pappy! Good story. I got to get me a stave like those. I'm very envious.
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Tracy I hadn't really thought of that but might be a good idea.OldBow they are kind of few
and far between,everyone thinks I have a bunch of them but you only get some with that much snake once in a while,that is why I tried so hard to get 3 out of that piece of wood.So far so
good. :)
Pappy
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The perfectly wretched stuff is more scarce than the perfectly straight stuff, which is darn near unheard of, ain't it Pappy. Curious to see what you come up with. Straight clean bows get boring pretty fast.
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It really is David.I got started on the one with the hole last night.I think I will work on the
together.I plan to get them thinned and reflexed and straightened this week end if all goes
well.It is good clean wood just snaky. :)
Pappy
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I split a winged elm night before last, about 10" on the butt end. 90 degrees of twist running 40" of it's lenght, and the other end (40" as well) straight as a string. I think I'm gonna part it in the middle and leave 4 sets of billets. Winged elm is the one wood I've found that is as naturally knarly and wretched as osage. Vine maple or Guava may be the only other two, but not native to our area. It was an absolute beast to split. Folks who complain about splitting osage ain't obviously ain't fooled with elm. But I love character wood, so I ain't skeared.
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I have split some Elm,don't know what kind but it was tough.Osage to me ant much trouble if it ant just riddled wit knots.On the elm I was just splitting fire wood so I suppose a stave would be a bear. :)
Pappy
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You lucky devil, those are nice staves , I would love to buy one, LOL
We don't get osage down here at all.
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While Jeff was off showing Pappy a couple of hickory trees Jeff and I had marked for cutting, I was thinning one of the chubby sisters (per Pappy's request) just prior to my sealing it with shellac to later allow Pappy to steam and straighten her. Pappy is going to accuse me of causing a check in the handle...don't believe him, I'm sure it was already there! ;) Pappy don't see none to good you understand... ;)
By the way...Pappy makes me do most of the hard work on his bows by threatening to bar me from the dutch oven meals...and he takes all the credit! ;D
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Y athe check was not deep and came out when I worked the handle out.Got one steamed and straightened this weekend and it turned out nice.Now it is ready for nocks and tillering.I will get
on that this week I hope.
Pappy
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Looking good !
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Your place look kinda lonely without 400 people milling around. Is your friend making a primitive coat rack there? Looks like the heat bending went well, when I first read that I wondered if you were gonna take out all the snakiness. hehe
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IMPRESSIVE Pappy!!... 8)...I wish to have Osage wood here too my friend, that yellow colour is NICE, and the caracter of these sisters bows you´re working on is simply OUTSTANDING!!... :) :)...
Thanks for share mate!!
Cheers...
Asier.
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I bet with heat Lennie you could if you had a mind to.These were some nice clean stave's
just snaky,Asier we do have a lot of Osage but not a lot like these they are few and far
between.I have one ready to start tillering and plan on getting the other ready to bend and straighten tonight and Wend.before I go home to celebrate the 4th.Now whats for supper
tonight. ;D ;D Yall have a great 4th.
Pappy
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Very nice Pappy. Just a little bit of character :)
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You do beautiful work Pappy. I am anxious to see the end results. Awsome staves. Kenneth
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Thanks,I am ready to start tillering this weekend.It had a couple of humps I wanted to get out if I could so I put it back on the form Tuesday evening and got most of it then cut the nocks and
now ready for long string and the tiller stick.Hope to get it shooting soon. :)
Pappy
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Pappy, now you will be an international star. You will have half of Europe coming to Clarkesville to learn how you do your magic on osage staves. This was a great story. I wish I could have been there to see you work.
Dan
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Me to ,we missed you.Hopefully next year. :)
Pappy
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Well I didn't get it finished this weekend but did manage to get the humps mostly out and up to brace,It needed a little more work to line the handle up so I got it tweaked a little and ready to brace again.Also got some tip overlays glued on and ready to work down.I usually do that last but had some free time while it was cooling down so I put them on.Here it is on the stick and then at brace.Not looking to bad.Just having to be careful not to get to much bend at the fades just yet.
I save that for last.Like Lennie said in another thread a little set there goes a long way and with
the snaky stuff it is easy to get to much quick. :)
Pappy
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Pappy, That braced profile looks sweet. ;) Start bringing the outer portion around as your draw increases and...BINGO!...another Pappy winner. I've worked 3 bows lately that have almost beat me...but not quite. ;) Those are the ones we learn from. 8) Pat
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Thats why I like them Pat.When you do do a good straight piece it make them go smooth. :)
Well at least most of the time it dose. :)
Pappy
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Pappy in photo 1774 there is gentleman standing by some logs with small branches in them that dont look natural. Have seen them in other photos from you and was wondering what they are. Climbing sticks? Coat racks like someone else suggested? Or??????????????? Thanks.
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makete they are 3 poles cut from small poplar trees and then drilled with pegs in 2 of them
then lashed together6/8 inches from the top and you can spread them out like a tripod and
we lay or bows and stave's on them for display works good and looks pretty cool also.
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Kind of like that. :)
Pappy
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Got it out to 44@ 22 this weekend but with the shoot going on couldn't get it finished tillered.
Hope to finish the tiller this week.I will post some pictures in a few days.Shooting for low 50's@26.
so it is getting close.
Pappy
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hi pappy! - i'd like to ask 2 questions:
1. the bending jig, how big is the reflex of it? 4 inches?
2. the tiller looks like nice bend towards the handle and still stiff in the outer limbs; is that a good way of working the tiller from the handle towards the tip?? - i always tried to get the overall limb to more and more bend, but maybe this makes more sence?!
man these bows will be COOOOL...
frank
ps: i worked some on my osagebow last week. seems to come around nicely but i'm going really slow. i'll post pics soon...
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The pictures was the very first bend on the tiller stick,I got off the handle area and have been
working the rest of the limbs to get them working,I usuall try and save the fades and handle
area till last.If you get set there it really shows up a lot so I go easy on that.The jig that this was put on has about 3-4 inches of back set.We have some that will put 6 inches or more depending
on how much it hold after heating.I usually do 2 to 4 in. and that seems to be enough.These
snaky staves you have to go slow,for some reason in the snake areas they will hinge very
easy.I don't know if the wood is weak in that area or not but I do know if you ant careful
you will get a hinge there quick.I usuall try and tiller them in 3 or 4 sessions with a lot of rest
and exercising in between.I will post some pictures in a day or 2 and see what yall think so far.
Pappy
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That display frame looks "REAL" cool. You guy are genuises and very adaptable. Thanks for the reply and explaination. Can see some other uses for something like this.
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They do work good.Got the first sister finished tillering yesterday.I will have some pictures of the tiller in a day or 2 as soon as I get someone to take them for me.It turned out 53@26 and worked
out pretty good.Put about 25 arrows through it and it held about 1 in. of backset right after
unstrung and about 2 after a little rest.I only started with about 3 so thats pretty good.It also
shoots hard and hits where you look.Had a little shock but I hadn't thinned the tips yet.
I thinned them down quite a bit but haven't shot it again to see if it helped.I think it will.
Now for it's twin. :)
Pappy
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Sounds like you are just having a blast. Wish I was there to watch all that fun.
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Finely got around to getting some pictures.I had to tweak the tiller a little after shooting it some so see what you think.Got the skins glued on also ,now just need a grip and seal and sister 1 will be done ,hopefully this week. :) Also a couple of pictures of sister 2 on the tillering stick it had a hump
in the upper limb witch made it tough to see the tiller but it is coming along.See what yall think.
Pappy
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The first picture is the hump in the top limb and you can see how good the bottom looks.
Pappy
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Well I finely got the twins finished this weekend,got the skins on the last one ,sealed and the grips on both.Here is a couple of pictures,I will have more this week when I get a chance.They turned out nice One is 53@26 and the other is 52@26 and shoot very nice. :)All 3 of these came from the same stave.2 from the top and the third was a belly split off of it.Got lucky it all worked out. :)
Pappy
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Pretty darn incredible Pappy! I stand in awe of yer ability to work with gnarly crooked staves.
That is quite the set you have there. Superb!
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Thanks Dana,I am kind of glad to be done with these,I have been doing little by little for 6 months now.About another week and I will be completely done,all they need now is 4/5 more coats of sealer. :)then they are ready for the woods. ;D
Pappy
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Easy to tell they're related...they all look sweet!
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I love snakey bows and those are some fine looking examples there Pappy! Great work.
Alan
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HAAAA, gotta love them !!..man you got one endless supply of skins or what ?
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Beautiful! Absolutely beautiful! Jawge
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Thanks,Manny not endless but I have several.Thanks Jawgs that means a lot.I'll have some full draw shots soon as I get someone to take them. :)
Pappy
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IMHO the mid and outer limbs could come round some more.
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Hi Pappy
Truly impressive trio -- Almost too nice to take out.
But maybe I am just overly cautious since I swore off taking out with sisters ever again. Can't even imagine the trouble you could get into with three.
Graeme
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?????? HUH!
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Graeme That is a good one,and you are probably right.finnish native the draw picture was taken before the tiller was complete.I will have some finished shots in a few days,I had to tweak them both a little more after that picture.Good eye ,I thought the same thing so I worked on them a little more.It is tough when they are snaky and with humps to get the looking just right.Sometimes
you get them the best you can and call it good. :)
Pappy
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I agree on that one Pappy. Just out of curiosity, how do you define the wideness of the limbs or do you freehand from nock to fade following the bumps and curves?
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I free hand the center line folowing the longitudinal grain and then lay out the handle
and limbs off that line so not to violate that grain.Then if the tips don't line up I heat or steam and line them up.You can cheat a little but not much or it will splinter up on the edge of the limb.
If you don't violate the longitudinal grain it will work just like any other limb,just a little harder to see the tiller.You have to flip it back and forth a lot,look a lot and scrap a little. :)
Pappy
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VERY NICE!!!
frank
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Pappy got a new hat. ??? ??? Oh BTW nice work on the bows. Justin
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Quite the sight, all that osage worked to perfection and topped with snake, makes me have to wipe the drool from my chops.
nice work pappy.
VB
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Thanks all,justin I still got my old trusty hat just wool and 100 degrees don't work to well,might
get some sweat stains on it,couldn't have that. ;D ;D.
Pappy
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Pappy, I love snaky bows and those are among the best I've ever seen!
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I'm with ya episaacs,I love working on any kind of bow ,but snaky or holes and knots
is what I really like to work on.I am making a bow for a friend in Mic. now and he
don't want much character,just a straight bow,its fun but having trouble getting inthoused. :)
Pappy
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Wow..holy smokes, them is some nice bows!!!
Pappy give us newbies a chance to win sometime will ya!!! :D
Beautifull work!!!