Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: bradsmith2010 on November 03, 2017, 12:15:19 pm
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I have been looking at this stave ,, I was sure there was not a bow in there,( worm holes hatchet marks too close to the edger etc,,), well I started working on it just for fun and its looking beautiful and there is a bow in there,, I just love those staves, if it doesnt work out no big deal, ,but a great surprise if it does, got a bit more tillering to do and a light target weight,, just whatever the bow will do,, bow making can be real relaxing if dont have a set goal in mind,, now I have a prime yew stave over there,, I dont have the nerve to touch that one yet,, looks stressful,,, (-S
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Those orphans sometimes make the best bows. I think they appreciate being picked.
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I think early on I made the mistake of working on my worst staves because I didn't want to screw up a good peace of wood but after a couple broken bows and a lot of frustration I started grabbing the better wood but I have one pristine osage stave that's been setting inside for almost 2 years that makes me nervous to start always thinking when I get better at making bows I will start but it's all in my head really it's just wood ! Now I do it opposite I use my better ones now & save the others for when I get better.
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I always have a few of those impossible staves laying around. I really enjoy it when it works out.
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Those orphans sometimes make the best bows. I think they appreciate being picked.
+1 :)
Del
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its like a little mini archery miricle,, ;D we all need those once in while
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Those ugly ducklings are fun. I learned on them. LOL. Jawge
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Cool topic Brad. (-P
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Great!! There's even hope for me!,
Hawkdancer
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Do post pics of it when you’re done please.
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Yes post some pics of the ugly child ? (-P
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I know what you mean, Brad. had it often happen here :)
And now let us see what you have. 8) 8) 8)
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Years ago a friend gave me 3 of the ugliest staves you can imagine, crooks, knots, twists, you know the ones...firewood! Well, that winter I was determined to build at least one bow from the three staves. They were big, clunky osage so I split 2 of them and started to work. I studied each stave to determine what was the best route to take.
By the next spring I had 5 shootable bows. Not pretty, not necessarily strong but all were shootable. I learned more about building wood bows then in all the years before. That wood taught me a lot about working wood bows, around knots, about twists, checks and all the things that we usually turn wood into firewood for.
I also keep a corner of shame. I rarely throw a bow away. Every once in a while I'll pick one of these "orphans" and rework it, studying it's problems and see if I can remedy it . Some of these have turned out to be great little bows.
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One of the best bows I ever made was from billets that were so twisted and crooked that they looked impossible. I tried a heat gun on one just to see what happened and found to my surprise these billets responded to heat correction better than any I had straightened so far. It took about 15 heat sessions to tame these billets but the end result was perfect.
My next surprise was the finished bow was one of those bows we come across only once in awhile, "0" set, a rocket launcher and dead in the hand. To quote the late Dean Torges,"if you can tame the impossible, twisted wood it always seems to make a great bow".
Here it is with the last coat of finish drying and soon to go out to the new owner.
(https://i.imgur.com/a0QmTIo.jpg)
I hated to turn this bow loose but the good part; I have two more sister billets of this tortured wood with my name on it that aren't going anywhere.
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I'm the complete opposite. I only cut "everything to lose" staves.
Finding staves that are flawless is my entire goal.
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It's all firewood till you get it to shooting
Get a string on that thing, lets go times a waisting
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a few pics in progress 34# @ 17,, I figure if I draw it to 21 its gonna be bout 45,, I am shooting for 45# at 26,, I just wanted to get it bending real even before I stretch out the draw,, the stave had bark on, ,and had lots of live bugs I had to scrape off,, hatchet marks and tear out,, when I got throught the bugs there was not much wood left,,
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more pics
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The ugly ones see you pass them up everyday. So when you finally do decide to pick her up she'll make sure you see a bow.
Almost like women, aren't the uglier ones just a little bit better cooks? 😂😂😂
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you can see the check in the tip,, gonna need something there ,, overlay I think,,
here is the bow drawn to 17 inches,,I have a ways to go, but I think it gonna work,, I gonna draw it out to 45# and see how the tiller looks and start shooting it as I finish it up,, 62 nock to nock,,
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Slide it through the table saw and slide some 1/16"-1/8" horn in the crack. Simson does it all the time. I'll try and find a photo.
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great idea, will do, (SH)
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(http://i.imgur.com/4oOdg50.jpg) (http://imgur.com/4oOdg50)
(http://i.imgur.com/FWEaOsx.jpg) (http://imgur.com/FWEaOsx)
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Looks like you’re definitely bringing the bend out of her. Is it bending in the middle at all? Hard for me to tell. I bet running a saw up the middle of the limb tip will enhance the pucker factor!
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it is not bending much in middle,, I just went out and took wood off to get it bending a bit in the middle,,
and will see how it goes,,I am at 39#@20 inches,, was aiming for 45 at 26 ,, but maybe gonna drop to 40@ 26 in hopes of reducing set, I dont need a specific weight, but would like to hunt with it if it turns out,
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40 lb & 6 strand FF will kill any thing you need to , not that ugly I was expecting some thing horrid , looking good !
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well you didnt see when i started,,, it was almost firewood,,
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At least yours is shooting from those fine staves from a trusted PA member >:D
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It can be amazing how far those bores can bury into an old piece.Can be an adventure to see where they quit sometimes.Once in a while I get staves from former thoughts of others who harvest bow wood/want a bow at the time but don't follow through or their attention drifts and don't immediately reduce it to a shellacked stave.Setting there for 20+ years.Hard as a rock!!!I've traded all my really nice straight pristine staves away.Good straight stuff is mostly white woods.Just kept the twisted/bowed osage for myself.The good thing about that is those get some good old seasoned age on it before it gets worked on and I always like that.Nice bend on your bow already.
That insert into the crack does'nt neccessarily need to be horn either to function well.Just good mating of surfaces/fitting and good glue.
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I love knotty and twisted bows, they have that special "How the hell did you do that" quality
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I love this design, or lack of design,, just one bending piece of wood,, here is the handle or really no handle,, and side profile holding pretty good,,
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maybe the word style would fit, I like that style bow they are good shooters and fun to make.
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Very nice!
I like messing with the messed uup staves for some reason but now have more clean wood to use. Character is great but hoping to make some bows I would feel 100% on if I gave them to someone to use.
Eric K-I do have a bunch of those twisty but clean billets to use also so it's good to know they are tameable.
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Oh yeah I like hat one! For me bowmaking is all about having fun and this is just that! Working on a leftover half rotten split of mulberry which most people ould have burned myself now (=)
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ok shot it out at 26 inches today,, 46#@26 165fps with 468 grain arrow,,fast flight string 61 1/2 nock to nock,,
it has some string follow,, I was careful,, but it took some set,,should have gone for 35 or 40 I guess,,
I did no heat treating,, I feel like it turned out nice considering I wasnt expecting a bow,,
I might experiment with a light heat treating,, but it shoots nice so I may just go with as is,,it was a fun one,,
will post some pics when I get a handle on it,,
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I'm glad you saved that one before the bugs eat it all should send a note of thanks to the supplier >:D
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(-P
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Nice work Brad.I always like your bows even though I don't make the same kind very often.It's good to show what is just setting around taking space can turn into an excellent bow yet.Satisfying experience.I've got a bunch of knarly staves myself I should look into.Too busy about hunting yet though but I'll get to them.
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yes sometimes I am not in thre mood to work on the challenging one,, but sometimes its fun, ,I would rather deer hunt too,,