Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Badly Bent on March 25, 2017, 08:10:29 am
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Greeting fellow primitive archers. I haven't been around here much lately or posted a bow in a while so thought I'd offer up this crude looking little bow for comment. This came from a stave that as been in my possession for at least 20 years and the bow has been laying around the shop in a roughed out state for a couple years now. I wanted to get something special out of the stave but ended up with this instead. Not a bad bow but nothing special. I hoped to get 45# or better but by the time I got the tiller to an acceptable shape I was at only #40. Thought I would sinew back it but realized after making a mess of things that I was not cut out to be a sinew backing bowyer. ;D So here it is finished at #40 @ 24", rawhide backed and 49.5" ntn
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full draw
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Very nice tiller on your bow.Crazy nice snake is eye appealing.Like the rawhide color you got on it too.Well it ought to be dry that's for sure then setting in the corner waiting.If I was into making a bendy handled bow that's the tiller I'd want.Sinewing is'nt for everybody.I only use it when fixing or some extreme idea I might have.
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Sweet little bow my friend, sweet. Everything you do to a bow is soooo tasteful. I wish I had that eye you do.
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Nice tiller, Mr Greg. Chris said it well.
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That's a sweet! bow you got there looks pretty special to me congrats (SH)
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Yes Ed sinewing requires patience that I don't have, rawhide was added because the rings were super thin and even though the back wasn't violated at 49" I wanted some insurance against breakage. The splotchy finish was an attempt to get a look similar to a appaloosa pony.
Thanks Chris
Thanks Mike
Thanks Stick
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The dictionary offers 2 definitions for the word "crude."
#1 in a natural or raw state
#2 constructed in a rudimentary or makeshift way
I love the look of that bow. So, maybe crude as in #1, but certainly not #2.
Awesome job!
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Nice shorty Greg. That's a real nice bend there. Very nice snaky profile and like the rawhide. The way the snaky curves come through the handle looks like might fit a lefty better. Glad to see you got inspired to build and post another sweet badly bent bow.
Bjrogg
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You are sellin yourself short! Looks amazing!
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Nice looking shorty.
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Very Nice.
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Great looking bow Greg. Your bow making style is awesome.
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Great looking stick! I love everything about it.
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You have the coolest eye for finishing a bow Greg plus they shoot great, I'm with pearlie i wish i had your eye for dressing a bow
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that looks nice,,,bet shoots great (SH)
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Oh yeah, baby! That's right in my wheelhouse!
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We've missed you and your simple yet elegant bows Greg. Always top notch work, the tiller and the finish. :OK
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Good to have you back, and it was worth the long wait!
I love your work Greg! There some things on every bow that makes it easy to recognize as a Badly Bent Bow.
No need to say something about your tiller skills.
I hope your now more often here than the last time.
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Great looking bow Greg, it has a excellent primitive look to my eyes. I bet its a nice shooter. I like what you did with the painting on the handle. Is the handle rawhide also? Sweet bow!
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Love that primitive but refined look. Great looking bow!
Eric
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Stunner as usual,nice character,perfect tiller,cool finish!premo!
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Never seen one of yours I didn't want for my own. You've really got somethin going!
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As always Greg - well done ! Bob
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Looks great. Always enjoy seeing your bows.
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BJ - Yes, the handle would suit a left handed shooter well but the string centers perfect at the arrow pass location and cast a
clean arrow for me shooting right handed. I found out quickly that I had to pay attention and shoot with a bit of a bent
wrist to avoid string slap due to that snake at the grip area though. ;)
Marlen- Yes, the handle wrap is raw hide. Also put some cork under it at back & belly side to fill out the grip some.
May take it over to a friends house today and shoot with him in his barn, we were going to hit a 3D shoot this weekend but have had almost non stop rain for 2 days now. I'm a bit surprised at how accurately this bow shoots at closer ranges in spite of it's short length and snakey profile. Of course it could be the lower draw weight working better for me or it could be that thing where the most recent bow you've made seems great at first and then becomes somewhat mediocre in your eyes later. :)
Thanks for the kind remarks fellas, very much appreciated.
Greg
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Nice bow Greg. I am sure that one will outlast the honeymoon phase. If that spotted horse coloring doesn't suit you, maybe I can supply some type of reptile skin for it at the Classic. With no cold weather this year, I am sure we are going to be over run with rattlers. It looks awesome as is. It could be hanging out of someone's quiver four hundred years ago!
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Yes Howard this one was telling me snakeskin backing all along but having just done a couple of those I was up for trying something else for a finish. Doesn't mean I can't change my mind later though. Be careful stepping around your yard, I know you have those big timber rattlers thick down there. See ya in about 40 days.
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I bet that cork makes for a comfy handle. I need to give it a try, also the stain job you did made that bow look aged. Great job 👍🏽
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Just got back from MoonTree and saw this one...really nice looking snake to it and great tiller.
DBar
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Funny... just got home from moontree too... Bill and I was talkin last nite about how awesome your work is.. and again you put out another awesome bow.
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Awesome looking bow Greg. That thing has some nice wiggles to it.
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Very nice looking bow!
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every bow you make is special, you make things look so real. Im glad you are back. :BB
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Beautiful bow, love it . tiller looks great. :)
Pappy
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Greg....Nice rawhide look again on your bow.You prepare your own rawhide too?I was wondering the process you did on that to get the look you wanted.Dyeing the wood underneath etc. maybe first??There's been threads on this I know but wanted to hear from you.
Anyway the way to get that see through look on rawhide.Like clarified calf skin they used to call it.Practically all rawhide I prepare here is from the brain tanning process in the frame as rawhide dehaired using the dry scrape method.Yearlings very thin perfect for rawhide backings.Then the rawhide turns an egg shell white always.No see through.Somewhat but not what I want for backings.I've resoaked the rawhide before and let dry to try to get that clarified look and have come close but not to my satisfaction yet.The scraper brings the nap up off the leather for that fuzzy egg shell white look.During the dry scrape the epidermis is scraped off too.That might have something to do with it.
I've wet scraped epidermis off too after lyeing for hair removal too and it is'nt near as fuzzy then[makes sense] but it's been a long time ago.Maybe that would work better then.
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This is why you are one of my favourites Greg
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Thanks again fellas. :)
Ed- No I don't process my own rawhide, this hide was a med./sm. whitetail and fairly thin stuff. I didn't dye the wood under the rawhide, the osage was pretty dark from sitting around the shop for years with the back ring chased. I used 'moccasin brown' leather dye diluted with alcohol and added a little bit of raw umber acrylic paint here and there. I just rubbed the alcohol and dye mix on with a cloth and it shows up splotchy like that. Where I want some darker splotches I dipped a rag with alcohol on it in the umber paint and rubbed it in here and there. Fine steel wool on some areas will help distress it too. Also sprayed a bit of shellac on then rubbed more of the color in again. I like to get some color or pattern down, shellac lightly, allow to dry, then rub some with fine steel wool. After that I rub some more of the color mix into the bow for more depth before adding the final coats of clear finish.
To be honest I often screw up trying to get the look I want and then I'll just start rubbing colors on and off until I'm satisfied with the look. ;)
Heres one more pic of the dye/paint on rawhide, (when you see it up close it looks like some thing a child did) ;D
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good looking bow Greg - hope all is well. -Drew
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Looks like a little killer with a beautiful tiller 8)
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As usual Greg, a very nice looking bow. I wish that I had your artful eye. You could make a compound bow look primitive.
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Love this. Shape, colour, tiller all seem to have come together into something pretty special to my eyes. I can't get Osage but I have some short yew staves I'm looking forward to playing with. Hope they come out even half as good as this one.
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Searching the big action site a few days ago and ran across this appaloosa bone handled pocket knife to go along with this bow. Came in the mail yesterday, gotta accessorize the gear. :D
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Cool looking serpent.
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Everytime a see s badly bent post i get excited to see what ya did... and yet another beautiful bow
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Woo, yup, that's real cool :)
Del