Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: leonwood on May 11, 2017, 10:36:46 am

Title: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: leonwood on May 11, 2017, 10:36:46 am
This is the latest selfbow I did, finished a few weeks ago and my current shooter.
It came from a pretty rotten mulberry log I got from a friend of mine. Sapwood all crumbly and lots of drying cracks. I managed to split some small staves from it.
Chased to the fourth ring beneath the sap to get a clean back and by then the stave was to thin for a stiff handle so I glued on a piece of ash to fix that.
The stave has a s-bend and had long drying splits on both sides. Could not avoid the split on one side so I decided to keep it centered in the tip, put some CA in it and ignore it for the rest of the build. (You can still see the split in the detail pic of the tip)
It needed some string alignment when first braced so I fixed the limbs with dry heat and flipped the tips a bit at the same time. Heard the split tip cracking more while heating it oops.
After it was finished I did not like the look of the ash handle so I spray painted it. I also did not really trust the split so I reinforced the end of the split with some CA soaked serving thread. The serving did not look very nice on its own so I added it to the other tip and the fades and painted the tips to look like the handle.
This is my first mulberry bow and I really like the wood. Works really easy and is really light in the hand.

Draw weight: 53#@28”
Bow length: 66” ntn

Cheers,

Leon

(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4189/34207493570_0726d4cadf_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/U7Nm4U)

(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4181/33750383454_234ceb9402_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Tqpxa1)

(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4184/33783337673_0e59856d0f_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Ttjric)

(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4184/33783337543_bf61dc1a68_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/TtjrfX)

(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4182/34207493060_2dac65119a_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/U7NkV7)

(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4160/34207493340_cb3650872c_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/U7NkZW)

(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4178/33750383044_5c9fbb5795_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Tqpx2W)

(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4171/33783338063_ae3e4c142d_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/TtjrpV)

(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4168/33750383254_11f68463f1_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Tqpx6y)

(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4194/33750383484_ed3037bf30_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Tqpxaw)
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: hunterbob on May 11, 2017, 10:46:22 am
Sweet looking bow . Love the color contrast and the bend is spot on.
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: Danzn Bar on May 11, 2017, 10:53:52 am
Very nicely done  looking forward to more of your work
DBar
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: Parnell on May 11, 2017, 10:57:19 am
Very beautiful work.  Nice job!
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: Badger on May 11, 2017, 11:10:14 am
  That is an impressive bow, good job, narrower than I would expect also.
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: shofu on May 11, 2017, 11:10:39 am
That is a cool bow! What kind of finish did you use? Looks great!
G
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: BowEd on May 11, 2017, 11:13:11 am
Beautiful from first glance and that's what counts.A silk purse  from a sow's ear I call that.Good tiller.Nice job.I like the lightness in the hand of mulberry too.
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: DC on May 11, 2017, 11:42:45 am
Very nice bow after all the trials and tribulations, good job!
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: xin on May 11, 2017, 11:54:28 am
Beautiful wood and splendid craftsmanship.    This bow looks like a real shooter.  Great job.
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: Aaron H on May 11, 2017, 12:15:38 pm
Excellent work.  Finish is very nice
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: upstatenybowyer on May 11, 2017, 12:36:05 pm
Every thing looks tip top. I love Mulberry as well.  :OK
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: GlisGlis on May 11, 2017, 12:44:55 pm
beautiful bow in every aspect
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: bjrogg on May 11, 2017, 12:48:15 pm
Very nice work Leonwood. I can see you've been paying close attention and learned well. That is a beautiful bow from what looks like a challenging piece of wood. Well done and looking forward to seeing more in the future.
Bjrogg
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: Marc St Louis on May 11, 2017, 02:54:35 pm
Very nice indeed.  Well done
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: RBLusthaus on May 11, 2017, 03:33:13 pm
Nice bend!  Love the finish.  Well done.  Russ 
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: bradsmith2010 on May 11, 2017, 07:54:50 pm
I like the way you finished it out, and I like you left the curves in it too, very nice,, -C-
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: mwosborn on May 11, 2017, 07:57:35 pm
Darn nice looking bow!
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: selfbow joe on May 11, 2017, 08:23:44 pm
Very beautiful bow
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: rps3 on May 11, 2017, 08:24:54 pm
Great looking bow.
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: gfugal on May 11, 2017, 09:36:07 pm
 You got this bow making thing down. Spot on tiller!
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: leonwood on May 12, 2017, 07:26:20 am
Thanks for all the compliments again!
Working on the sister stave of this one now. It is even narrower and has splits on both tips so lets see if I can turn it onto a shooter.
Forgot to mention the finish. It is just a few layers of danish oil. After about 8 or 9 coats I gently rub the bow with very fine steelwool to get the satin finish.

Cheers,

Leon
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: johnfolchetti on May 12, 2017, 08:05:21 am
Sweet tiller. Great finish work. A real eye catcher from all angles. Well done.
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: smoke on May 12, 2017, 08:35:43 am
You can be proud of that bad boy!
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: leonwood on May 12, 2017, 10:03:27 am
Thanks guys!
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: Sasquatch on May 12, 2017, 10:37:29 am
Great finish work! That thing is beautiful.
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: simson on May 12, 2017, 03:14:53 pm
Excellent work, profiles are sweet and finish looks great.
The colors and the gentle decoration reminds me on Japan ... cannot say why.
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: leonwood on May 12, 2017, 03:51:08 pm
Thanks Simon! This was one of those 'what the heck, I will see how it turns out' builds. Funny it reminds you of Japan. They have loads of mulberry there;-) Would love to go there sometime though.
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: Emmet on May 13, 2017, 10:02:46 am
Very nice work. Tiller looks great right to the tips!
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: Stixnstones on May 13, 2017, 02:24:37 pm
Just said wow! outloud. great lookin bow... fine job.
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: leonwood on May 13, 2017, 04:35:43 pm
Thanks for the compliments!
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: TimothyR on May 14, 2017, 12:29:59 pm
Really nice. Love everything about it!
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: LEGIONNAIRE on May 14, 2017, 10:56:49 pm
leonwood, that is a very clean, well made, well tillered bow. Mulberry is awesome.
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: Cade on June 01, 2017, 11:48:09 pm
I know this is kind of an old thread but I was wondering if you could help me out a bit. I'm working on a very similar Osage bow and would like to flip the tips as well. This bow looks phenomenal and has the exact profile that I'm looking for, but I don't know what kind of form I should use or what radius of a curve you used for your form.
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: leonwood on June 02, 2017, 03:16:01 am
Hi Cade, I flipped the tips on this one with dry heat from a heatgun. Not really sure about the radius because I just drew it freehand when I made the form. I can take some measurements if I get back from work tonight if you like?
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: Del the cat on June 02, 2017, 04:27:12 am
Gorgeous bow :)
Del
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: leonwood on June 02, 2017, 04:32:07 am
Thanks Del!
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: Hans H on June 02, 2017, 11:42:30 am
that`s a very good craftmanship, congrats
Hans
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: Cade on June 02, 2017, 08:21:01 pm
that would be perfect. Thank you very much
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: DuBois on June 02, 2017, 09:24:32 pm
Excellent bow! Thanks for sharing it
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: Cade on June 03, 2017, 12:25:27 am
That would be perfect, thank you very much.
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: leonwood on June 03, 2017, 10:08:19 am
This is the form I used, I have made a few of these from very mellow to full recurves. I measured it and wrote it on the form for you since I really do all my bowmaking by feeling

(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4215/34906357912_be9a44991c_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Vbyd67)
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: osage outlaw on June 03, 2017, 11:34:49 am
Beautiful bow Leonwood.  Somehow I missed it when you first posted it.  I hope you enter this for the bow of the month contest. 
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: leonwood on June 03, 2017, 01:04:29 pm
Beautiful bow Leonwood.  Somehow I missed it when you first posted it.  I hope you enter this for the bow of the month contest.

Thank you!! I entered it for bom after the email about not enough bows for last months bom
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: Selfbowman on July 05, 2017, 11:21:16 pm
Good looking bow I like the tips. Arvin
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: bjrogg on July 06, 2017, 06:20:20 am
Glad to see you entered it in BOM Leonwood. Lots of nice bows over there in case anyone hasn't had a chance to look yet.
Bjrogg
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: leonwood on July 06, 2017, 06:46:40 am
Thanks Bjrogg! Your HHB has my vote by the way ;D
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: bjrogg on July 06, 2017, 09:48:15 am
Thanks Bjrogg! Your HHB has my vote by the way ;D
[/quote
Thanks Leonwood, that's quite a compliment considering the beautiful bows you entered. I'm thinking it's going to be a pretty good battle of the bows here. There are some really nice ones to choose from.
Bjrogg
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: Perkinator on July 13, 2017, 11:07:44 pm
I love the slick black at the handle and tips. The red definitely brinks it all together. It reminds me of a snake, and not just because it has those crazy lateral curves. I love that sort of thing, but they tend to make my bow twist in my hand cuz I don't get the tips and handle just right. I bet it shoots like a dream. (SH)
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: leonwood on July 14, 2017, 02:56:18 am
I love the slick black at the handle and tips. The red definitely brinks it all together. It reminds me of a snake, and not just because it has those crazy lateral curves. I love that sort of thing, but they tend to make my bow twist in my hand cuz I don't get the tips and handle just right. I bet it shoots like a dream. (SH)

Thanks! I had the same problem of bows twisting in the hand with a few others, somehow on this one I got lucky and the tips and handle line up perfectecly when strung. Did use some heat for that in combination with a belly toast.
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: Knoll on July 14, 2017, 07:58:46 am
Successful end to challenging project. Finishing decisions look great to my eye. Congrats!
Title: Re: Mulberry Flatbow
Post by: Stefan on July 16, 2017, 02:19:54 am
Nice one, she's beautiful. Stefan