Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Holten101 on August 24, 2014, 06:52:10 am
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Its been a while since I have posted a bow, but I decided this one was a candidate because its my first T/D that’s properly finished (im a starter, not a finisher;-), Its also my first “soft” backed bow.
As the headline implies its sea snake (black and white) backed laburnum. It pulls about 45# at 28” and is 64” ntn. It started out as a spliced billets stave, but I decided to make it a TD.
I removed the sap wood (except on the back of the handle) and made the second outer layer hearth wood the back. There is clearly a difference in wood properties in sap and hearth wood…the sap wood is much more tough/elastic (im lacking words here, but it seems like its has much better tension properties than the hearth wood). So my next laburnum will be with sap wood back. My reason for removing it was vanity….the hearth wood looks good and I hate explaining people that its not a yew bow (not good reasons at all).
The billets had lots of character and was a real challenge to tiller. There is some stiff spots I know, but there was no way around that….fortunately laburnum has awesome compression properties. Laburnum is defiantly up there among the “best” bow woods.
The handle is my first attempt at a Shrunk style leather handle. It’s a bit larger than I prefer, but the TD fittings does that.
Unbraced:
(http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af73/Holten101/d2b6e837-2223-46b6-88d6-f4606203c4dc_zps94c18253.jpg) (http://s995.photobucket.com/user/Holten101/media/d2b6e837-2223-46b6-88d6-f4606203c4dc_zps94c18253.jpg.html)
Braced:
(http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af73/Holten101/bcef8264-3745-4cfe-b55f-18962b52919d_zps5fcd3bc5.jpg) (http://s995.photobucket.com/user/Holten101/media/bcef8264-3745-4cfe-b55f-18962b52919d_zps5fcd3bc5.jpg.html)
Full draw:
(http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af73/Holten101/20140824_114206_zps9a37e0fb.jpg) (http://s995.photobucket.com/user/Holten101/media/20140824_114206_zps9a37e0fb.jpg.html)
Back:
(http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af73/Holten101/0bf24add-5c25-47fc-ae85-41ad0abb9b00_zpsc418647c.jpg) (http://s995.photobucket.com/user/Holten101/media/0bf24add-5c25-47fc-ae85-41ad0abb9b00_zpsc418647c.jpg.html)
Belly:
(http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af73/Holten101/86795c8e-2a66-4a57-9c37-eb9c73b728c1_zpsab8e16ea.jpg) (http://s995.photobucket.com/user/Holten101/media/86795c8e-2a66-4a57-9c37-eb9c73b728c1_zpsab8e16ea.jpg.html)
Handle:
(http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af73/Holten101/20140824_105212_zps5337c031.jpg) (http://s995.photobucket.com/user/Holten101/media/20140824_105212_zps5337c031.jpg.html)
The knife is just there to show the sap/hearth wood transition;-)
(http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af73/Holten101/20140824_110007_zpsfe7e4dd5.jpg) (http://s995.photobucket.com/user/Holten101/media/20140824_110007_zpsfe7e4dd5.jpg.html)
Thanks for watching
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That is beautiful. I've been looking at sea snake skins lately.
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Sweet!!! :)
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Nice work!
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Very nice bow.
That Laburnum is very nice wood. I have a set of billets I got many years ago from Alberto Giovanni by way of Glenn Doane. Still haven't done anything with them but looking at your bow gives me the itch
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Absolutely beautiful...Character and tiller awesome, nice work...
Don
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Wow! that is a beauty!
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Very nice bow from a tricky pair of billets, love the character, wood grain and sea snake skin look. You should finish more of your bows, your finish work looks outstanding.
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The bow looks great . I like the humps and bumps on the back.
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Like the character and grain in this bow? Real nice work and bend to the wood!
Tracy
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I love that unbraced pic Holten. Great job. The sea snakes look great. Great bow looks like there were some challenges in those billets.
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Like that a bunch! Nicely done.
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What a SWEET bow!.... Brian
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Nice one, I like it!
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Love it! Very nice job on all aspects!!
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Very cool work all around.
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HOT!! I like every thing about it. 8)
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Very well done. She's gorgeous!
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Thanks everyone:-)
A few weeks ago I made me a bow rack with the Laburnum scarps from this project. Funny who that little piece of "furniture" has motivated me to properly finish my bows....I hope that lasts;-)
I will put some arrow though a chrono one of these days and post the results...my feeling is she is fast, but not a speed demon...seems to like heavy arrows too.
Cheers
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Wow, that's gorgeous!
I have some 4' lengths of "interesting" Laburnum, you've realy piqued my interest in it now.
I'll keep my eyes peeled for some road kill sea snakes too ::) ;) ;D
Del
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Extraordinary bow!
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Beautiful bow,very nice work. :)
Pappy
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beautiful, very very cool skin
chuck
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8) 8) 8)
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great lookin bow, nice work!
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Waooooo, very nice, good job, congratulations
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nice bow.those skins look cool. great work.
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:-*
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Beautiful work, that's a unique bow/knife combo
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very cool, lots of character
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Nice little Surf n Turf there! ;)
Absolutely Beautiful bow!!!
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This is an exceptionally beautiful bow! You should finish more of your bows, because you master it well. I really like how you followed the grain and how it flows around all the knots and swirls.
I've got some billets of laburnum myself, which have been drying since March. This is an outstanding example for me, since it is pretty much what I hope to achieve!
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You have made a beauty from the most beautiful bowwood (at least IMO).
Btw. I avoid the sapwood on laburnum (golden chain tree) when possible. My experience is: by far not as good as heartwood. But the contrast is a looker. I would use it only for light weight bows.
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You have made a beauty from the most beautiful bowwood (at least IMO).
Btw. I avoid the sapwood on laburnum (golden chain tree) when possible. My experience is: by far not as good as heartwood. But the contrast is a looker. I would use it only for light weight bows.
Thank you Simson...you kinda was my inspiration for this bow. Ill take your advise regarding the sap wood....sounds like I did right removing it after all;-).
Laburnum is "Gold Rain" i Denmark...."Gold Rain" and "Golden Chain" are both names that makes perfect sense when the tree flowers:-)
Cheers