Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Bayou Ben on October 15, 2019, 01:56:25 pm

Title: Trade Bow Redfish Backed Live Oak
Post by: Bayou Ben on October 15, 2019, 01:56:25 pm
Here's my trade bow all finished up.  This one was a challenge to say the least with the curvy grain and it not wanting to take to heat.  In total I believe I had to pull out the caul and heat gun 5 times.  The last heat treat seemed to be the ticket as it held pretty well.
My sister is an avid kayak fisherwoman and was kind enough to provide the redfish for the skins.  I prepared it according to the various fish fleshing threads. 
I hope my victim likes it. 
59" ntn, 50 lbs at my victims draw length. 
(https://i.imgur.com/W2QY32u.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/z9vdR8s.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/iKW7rq1.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/uY5DfCk.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/PpxWB5H.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/x7mzc6r.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/NGRsd3f.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/UR4u6R5.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/XOYx2rw.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/IG5BVyE.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/iRCGBW2.jpg)










 
Title: Re: Trade Bow Redfish Backed Live Oak
Post by: Mo_coon-catcher on October 15, 2019, 02:25:38 pm
Love it!!
Big fan of all the wiggles and the look of the reddish skins. I enjoyed watching the build along through the bow trade thread.

Kyle
Title: Re: Trade Bow Redfish Backed Live Oak
Post by: Pat B on October 15, 2019, 02:45:06 pm
Excellent bow, Ben and the tiller looks spot on as does the redfish skin backing. Spot on!  ;D
Title: Re: Trade Bow Redfish Backed Live Oak
Post by: burchett.donald on October 15, 2019, 02:48:49 pm
  Ben,
           Excellent craftsmanship...The bend and balance is dead nutz! Love all the character and those skins are gorgeous...Really nice build my friend...
                                                             Don
Title: Re: Trade Bow Redfish Backed Live Oak
Post by: bassman on October 15, 2019, 03:00:36 pm
Real eye catcher their. Nice work.
Title: Re: Trade Bow Redfish Backed Live Oak
Post by: Halfbow on October 15, 2019, 03:58:59 pm
Beautiful! Love those fish skins. What do you think of live oak as a bow wood? Don't see that one too often.
Title: Re: Trade Bow Redfish Backed Live Oak
Post by: PaSteve on October 15, 2019, 04:13:05 pm
Wow Ben that came out super nice. Love the skins, the knarly twists and especially the tiller. Awesome job!
Title: Re: Trade Bow Redfish Backed Live Oak
Post by: bjrogg on October 15, 2019, 04:22:16 pm
OH my but I'm a sucker for that kinda bow. Beautiful bend Ben. The skins look great and dang I just really dig the wiggles.
I really should catch up on the bow trade but I haven't had time for more than a quick peek at the site.

Bjrogg
Title: Re: Trade Bow Redfish Backed Live Oak
Post by: Hamish on October 15, 2019, 04:49:25 pm
Seriously nice bow. Well done. My shipping address is …
Title: Re: Trade Bow Redfish Backed Live Oak
Post by: Rākau on October 15, 2019, 05:51:08 pm
she's an absolute stunner! I really like the way those skins came out, I have a few fish skins dried and ready to go so I think I'll put them on my next one. did you pain/stain/dye the wood black under the skins? stunner tiller and profile too, great string angles for a shorter bow.
Title: Re: Trade Bow Redfish Backed Live Oak
Post by: M2A on October 15, 2019, 06:29:12 pm
Super nice Ben, top notch. The lucky victim of that best not set it down anywhere, those skins would make that bow disappear in the woods :)
Mike
Title: Re: Trade Bow Redfish Backed Live Oak
Post by: Swampman on October 15, 2019, 06:58:46 pm
Those skins made an already stunning bow even better.  Great craftsmanship on that live oak Ben.
Title: Re: Trade Bow Redfish Backed Live Oak
Post by: Parnell on October 16, 2019, 07:57:00 am
Now there is something you don't just see everyday.  That is beautiful.
That's something that exemplifies the region of the country.  It's too bad that the oak isn't top notch bow wood because that grain sure is pretty.

Well done, for sure.
Title: Re: Trade Bow Redfish Backed Live Oak
Post by: PeteC on October 16, 2019, 06:15:42 pm
That's a beauty.Great job. God Bless
Title: Re: Trade Bow Redfish Backed Live Oak
Post by: Bayou Ben on October 17, 2019, 08:45:52 am
That's a bunch for the compliments guys. 

Halfbow: It took a while for me to get used to it, but once live oak is dried out and given a good heat treat it performed really well.  The bow felt snappy and didn't take much set.  It's hard to explain but it seems to want to hold onto moisture and its a very stubborn wood.  It's in the white oak family but is much denser than any other oak, at .8-1.0 specific gravity.

Rakau: No stain or paint under the skins.  I wanted it to blend in as much as possible with the rest of the bow.

Special thanks to Don Burchett as he helped me along with this build.  He sure does have an eye for these bendy's.

Here's the side profile that I forgot to include above.
 
Title: Re: Trade Bow Redfish Backed Live Oak
Post by: PEARL DRUMS on October 17, 2019, 11:11:45 am
very nice, love the redfish skins. Similar to, but prettier than common carp for sure.
Title: Re: Trade Bow Redfish Backed Live Oak
Post by: rps3 on October 17, 2019, 04:07:07 pm
Very cool, just as others have said,  I too love the curves and the skins.
Title: Re: Trade Bow Redfish Backed Live Oak
Post by: ohma2 on October 17, 2019, 06:53:10 pm
Thats exactly what i said it would be Ben ,top shelf for sure ,what i like most is the grain of the wood and the smooth transition of the tip overlays  along with the black end wraps.old Half eye is looking down at that and smilling.
Title: Re: Trade Bow Redfish Backed Live Oak
Post by: jeffp51 on October 17, 2019, 09:48:56 pm
Nice.  I don't think I have seen many live oak bows on here.  Very well done.
Title: Re: Trade Bow Redfish Backed Live Oak
Post by: burchett.donald on October 18, 2019, 06:41:14 am
   Ben,
             Congrats on your daughter! Your smile in that last pic say's it all...You should be proud buddy...Life is good
                                                                                                                                                                         Don
Title: Re: Trade Bow Redfish Backed Live Oak
Post by: Bayou Ben on October 18, 2019, 09:01:30 am
Thanks for the compliments.

Steve, that is a great thought and it brought a smile to my face to read your post.  I appreciate it. 

Don, you are right.  Life is good.  If I can get one of these precious little girls to take up archery it will be even better  ;D
Title: Re: Trade Bow Redfish Backed Live Oak
Post by: Ringeck85 on October 18, 2019, 09:30:11 am
Yeah!!!!

Loving the live oak! 

(I'm from the Gulf Coast and those are some of my favorite trees! They have so much character!  Hard to find a straight stave, but you made do with a challenging one!)
Title: Re: Trade Bow Redfish Backed Live Oak
Post by: bushboy on October 18, 2019, 05:19:40 pm
Killer tiller!,skins are wicked!
Title: Re: Trade Bow Redfish Backed Live Oak
Post by: loefflerchuck on October 18, 2019, 05:39:13 pm
Love this bow!
Title: Re: Trade Bow Redfish Backed Live Oak
Post by: upstatenybowyer on October 18, 2019, 07:20:22 pm
That's a beauty Ben. Reminds me of one of BJ's bows. Well done!
Title: Re: Trade Bow Redfish Backed Live Oak
Post by: Stickhead on October 30, 2019, 02:16:35 pm
Great bow, Ben!  I spend a lot of time in FL, and I wondered about both of those things - live oak as bow wood, and redfish skins for backing.  Looks like the answer is yes to both!