Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Josh on June 02, 2011, 09:28:03 pm

Title: First Black Walnut Bow!!!
Post by: Josh on June 02, 2011, 09:28:03 pm

I got some Black Walnut staves last summer from a fellow archer at one of the ASTB 3D shoots ("Scrub Buck" is his handle on here). Thanks again Sandy! I removed the bark and let them marinate all winter in my wood pile.  A few weekends ago I ran into Sandy at another local 3D shoot and he asked me about if i ever got a bow outta that Black Walnut so I had to go straight home and start working on it.  Here is the finished bow from one of the staves. 
   66" NtN 55lbs @ 28".  Took around half an inch of string follow.  There was a knot in the bottom limb close to the fades but other than that area this thing basically tillered itself out.  I really like the way the wood swirls from the light sap wood to the dark heart wood all through the limbs on the belly side.
I used some of the dark heart wood for the tip overlays and a piece of antler from a shed I found last weekend for the arrow rest. Handle wrap is B50 string material.  I also left some of the cambium on the back for camo effect and when I applied the tru oil it turned the edges of it black so that's pretty cool.  Betcha all thought I was done with bows and all I make are flutes now huh???  Hope ya like it I know i sure do.  Thanks for looking!   :) :)

(http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c120/deftones3333/IMAG0385.jpg)

(http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c120/deftones3333/IMAG0376.jpg)

(http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c120/deftones3333/IMAG0373.jpg)

(http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c120/deftones3333/IMAG0377.jpg)

(http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c120/deftones3333/IMAG0378.jpg)

(http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c120/deftones3333/IMAG0379.jpg)

(http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c120/deftones3333/IMAG0381.jpg)

(http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c120/deftones3333/IMAG0382.jpg)

(http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c120/deftones3333/IMAG0383.jpg)

(http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c120/deftones3333/IMAG0384.jpg)

(http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c120/deftones3333/IMAG0005.jpg)

Title: Re: First Black Walnut Bow!!!
Post by: gstoneberg on June 02, 2011, 09:36:39 pm

Beautiful bow Josh!  I like that bow a lot.  That back is naturally camo'd.  Nice.

George

Title: Re: First Black Walnut Bow!!!
Post by: johnston on June 02, 2011, 09:44:35 pm

Really nice bow Josh. Love the back and the grip looks great w/walnut.

Lane

Title: Re: First Black Walnut Bow!!!
Post by: dbb on June 02, 2011, 09:45:33 pm

Me likes!
If you ever get tired of it i can provide a loving home for it ;D

/Mikael

Title: Re: First Black Walnut Bow!!!
Post by: John K on June 02, 2011, 10:09:55 pm

Great looking bow there Josh ! I really Black Walnut as a bow wood very easy to work and a snappy shooting wood !

Well done !

Title: Re: First Black Walnut Bow!!!
Post by: adb on June 02, 2011, 10:17:15 pm

Very nicely done! I like the remains of some cambium on the back... it gives it a camo looking finish. Your tiller looks good to me! Minimal set, too. I've had trouble with walnut, mainly some bad chrysalling.

Title: Re: First Black Walnut Bow!!!
Post by: Elktracker on June 02, 2011, 10:30:30 pm

The back on that thing is AWSOME!!! All together a real nice looking bow! Great work!

Josh

Title: Re: First Black Walnut Bow!!!
Post by: blackhawk on June 02, 2011, 10:36:19 pm

That's a really nice looker there...good job all around on that one.  :)

Title: Re: First Black Walnut Bow!!!
Post by: Josh on June 02, 2011, 10:39:44 pm

thank you all very much!   :)  

Title: Re: First Black Walnut Bow!!!
Post by: Jtilley on June 02, 2011, 10:56:02 pm

Awesome!!!!! That is a beautiful bow !!!!!! I think I need to find some walnut....... I have been inspired  ;D

Title: Re: First Black Walnut Bow!!!
Post by: PEARL DRUMS on June 02, 2011, 11:06:57 pm

Dam right! Thats one sweet bow. I wouldnt change a thing!

Title: Re: First Black Walnut Bow!!!
Post by: new guy on June 02, 2011, 11:26:05 pm

Amazing bow!The level of craftsmanship on this site is inspiring.

Title: Re: First Black Walnut Bow!!!
Post by: stickthrower on June 02, 2011, 11:35:04 pm

Josh, that is an awesome looking bow!  I like the back alot with the cad on there.  That looks really nice!

nathan

Title: Re: First Black Walnut Bow!!!
Post by: RyanY on June 03, 2011, 12:00:04 am

Beautiful. Love the back.

Title: Re: First Black Walnut Bow!!!
Post by: ErictheViking on June 03, 2011, 12:19:52 am

WOW! even the cambium on black walnut is nice looking. beauty all the way round Josh. Tiller ain't half bad either ;D

Title: Re: First Black Walnut Bow!!!
Post by: Will H on June 03, 2011, 12:38:09 am

Really nice bow!  :o

Title: Re: First Black Walnut Bow!!!
Post by: straightarrow on June 03, 2011, 01:27:54 am

Man is that awesome...Josh. Thats a real beauty....a wall hanger and a jaw dropper. Very very impressive. Great Job!!!

Jon

Title: Re: First Black Walnut Bow!!!
Post by: hammertime on June 03, 2011, 01:48:20 am

Now thats awesome!thats what self bows are all about, nice work-Hammertime

Title: Re: First Black Walnut Bow!!!
Post by: Almostpighunter on June 03, 2011, 02:34:50 am

The back of that bow is absolutely amazing. Beautiful bow!

Title: Re: First Black Walnut Bow!!!
Post by: Mark Anderson on June 03, 2011, 03:58:41 am

Great job on that one it's beautiful. I always say black walnut is way underrated.
Mark

Title: Re: First Black Walnut Bow!!!
Post by: Pappy on June 03, 2011, 07:23:04 am

Good looking bow Josh,love the color contrast.Nice job. :)
   Pappy

Title: Re: First Black Walnut Bow!!!
Post by: dwardo on June 03, 2011, 09:29:03 am

Another vote for the back on that, lovely lookng thing all round.

Title: Re: First Black Walnut Bow!!!
Post by: HatchA on June 03, 2011, 09:39:31 am

Stunning work, Josh.


Stunning!

Title: Re: First Black Walnut Bow!!!
Post by: n2huntn on June 03, 2011, 10:07:26 am

Looks great. Black walnut makes nice arrows, probably make a nice flute to finish out a set.
Jeff

Title: Re: First Black Walnut Bow!!!
Post by: degoins on June 03, 2011, 10:40:48 am

Nice!! Whatever game you hunt will be honored to be killed by that beauty!!

Title: Re: First Black Walnut Bow!!!
Post by: Josh on June 03, 2011, 11:54:57 am

Thanks everyone!  I am going to shoot it this weekend at the Howard Hill Shoot. I'll let you know how it does.  :)

Title: Re: First Black Walnut Bow!!!
Post by: ken75 on June 03, 2011, 12:52:01 pm

excellent entry for june self bom  >:D, nice bow it gets my vote
by the way im teaching myself to shoot left handed just in case some of you southpaws ever get me in a trade  ;D dont want no excuses

Title: Re: First Black Walnut Bow!!!
Post by: swamp yeti on June 03, 2011, 01:17:54 pm

Dang that is a nice bow,like how you left the cambrium on the back of the bow.

Title: Re: First Black Walnut Bow!!!
Post by: Josh on June 03, 2011, 01:25:55 pm

thanks ken and swamp!  ken I was thinking about shooting some right handed too for the same reasons... that's also the reason I play guitar right handed... everyone i knew when i started had right handed guitars...   :)   last time i tried to shoot right handed i ended up with big puffy bruises on my left forearm from my elbow to my wrist...  i miiiight need to invest in another arm guard, LOL.  :)

Title: Re: First Black Walnut Bow!!!
Post by: jonathan creason on June 03, 2011, 01:42:50 pm

That is a killer bow, Josh.  Absolutely beautiful.

I switched to lefty last year because of eye dominance, and it really wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it would be.  Switched back and forth a few times this past weekend just because I wasn't shooting worth a crap lefty.  Unfortunately, I didn't shoot worth a crap righty, either.

Title: Re: First Black Walnut Bow!!!
Post by: profsaffel on June 03, 2011, 02:24:23 pm

Hey nice bow of course, but that bark camo on back is an extra special touch.

Title: Re: First Black Walnut Bow!!!
Post by: Mister D on June 03, 2011, 02:41:45 pm

that is a lovely looking bow

Title: Re: First Black Walnut Bow!!!
Post by: HoBow on June 03, 2011, 05:00:42 pm

Very cool bow Josh!

Title: Re: First Black Walnut Bow!!!
Post by: gmc on June 03, 2011, 11:21:24 pm

Super nice for sure.

Title: Re: First Black Walnut Bow!!!
Post by: Bullitt on June 03, 2011, 11:26:28 pm

 8)

Title: Re: First Black Walnut Bow!!!
Post by: Lombard on June 04, 2011, 12:47:15 am

Looking good Josh.

Title: Re: First Black Walnut Bow!!!
Post by: Arrowind on June 04, 2011, 02:46:19 am

I love it.  Like so many have said....I don't think it can be said enough....AWESOME!

Title: Re: First Black Walnut Bow!!!
Post by: Josh on June 05, 2011, 01:46:23 pm

thanks again everyone!  I really appreciate all the kind words.  :)

Title: Re: First Black Walnut Bow!!!
Post by: Cameroo on June 05, 2011, 02:16:51 pm

I can't say anything that hasn't already been said, but that's a beauty Josh.  That cambium looks killer, as well as the tiller :)

Title: Re: First Black Walnut Bow!!!
Post by: Josh on June 06, 2011, 01:50:28 am

thanks cameroo!

Title: Re: First Black Walnut Bow!!!
Post by: Parnell on June 06, 2011, 01:04:17 pm

Awesome bow, Josh!

Title: Re: First Black Walnut Bow!!!
Post by: Lombard on June 06, 2011, 01:09:37 pm

Josh, did you have the opportunity to shoot the course at the Howard Hill Championship, with that bow? The bow looked even better in person, so to speak.

I ended up having to leave, my wife took ill, I think the heat got to her. Not before getting some fine bamboo backing strips from Jaap, and some nice mahogany obsidian from the gentleman selling the display cases. Did you get any of Jaap's bamboo shafts?

Title: Re: First Black Walnut Bow!!!
Post by: Josh on June 06, 2011, 01:28:41 pm

thanks, Dave! ...I ended up sitting there all day knapping with Bill and didn't shoot the course.  I DID get a few obsidian slabs but I didn't get any shafts from Jaap. I wanted too though.. Wish I did now.  :)

thanks Parnell!~!!!   :)

Title: Re: First Black Walnut Bow!!!
Post by: Sparrow on June 06, 2011, 03:04:35 pm

That bow is a beauty !  '  Frank

Title: Re: First Black Walnut Bow!!!
Post by: Josh on June 06, 2011, 05:17:40 pm

thanks Sparrow!

Title: Re: First Black Walnut Bow!!!
Post by: DougTheHeavy on May 22, 2014, 07:05:50 pm

Super impressed!  New to soft woods and sap woods. I made an ERC and left some bark on, then put a clear fiberglass over it. works fine and i can still see the natural details. I just don't want to use it next time.
So it doesn't have any form of backing? is there anything to prevent splintering?

Title: Re: First Black Walnut Bow!!!
Post by: zenart on May 22, 2014, 11:24:24 pm

Man that is a sweet bow. Very very nice build.  Natural back is too cool.. stealthy too!