Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: aznboi3644 on February 13, 2020, 11:59:20 am

Title: Simple heat treated 54” Sycamore D Bow.
Post by: aznboi3644 on February 13, 2020, 11:59:20 am

Here is a simple D bow.  I harvested a sycamore sapling this past fall with no idea what tree it was.  I just cut it and brought it home, roughed it out, and set it on the rack to dry. 

The stave has a slight deflex at the grip that came back after the heat treating.  I heated it over some coals while smearing bacon grease on it.  The rest of the bow has nearly zero set besides the deflexed area. I am surprised at how sweet it shoots and light in the hand it is.  Finish will be a pine pitch/grease.  I am looking forward to experimenting some more with longer staves. 

54” nock to nock and draws 50lb @ 23”

Title: Re: Simple heat treated 54” Sycamore D Bow.
Post by: burchett.donald on February 13, 2020, 11:27:41 pm

     I think the shadows on the wall are making it difficult to really see...I copied the pic and cropped some out on my computer...Seems to me you have a nice tiller matching the unstrung profile...Maybe another pic with a different background? I love a bendy bow
                                                                                                                                                         Don

Title: Re: Simple heat treated 54” Sycamore D Bow.
Post by: TimBo on February 14, 2020, 08:42:48 am

Yep, it looks good to me, but I will admit my first thought was that the bottom limb was really long and weird...the shadows do make it a bit hard to see!

Title: Re: Simple heat treated 54” Sycamore D Bow.
Post by: Parnell on February 14, 2020, 09:01:21 am

Now that is a stickbow.  Looks good, used to make those a lot...something great about there simplicity.

Title: Re: Simple heat treated 54” Sycamore D Bow.
Post by: DC on February 14, 2020, 10:42:35 am

Looks nice. Is that American or European Sycamore?

PS I just looked at your profile and you're in Indiana so I'm guessing American :D

Title: Re: Simple heat treated 54” Sycamore D Bow.
Post by: bjrogg on February 14, 2020, 11:53:50 am

Yup I see three full draw profiles and they all look good to me. ;)
Bjrogg

Title: Re: Simple heat treated 54” Sycamore D Bow.
Post by: aznboi3644 on February 14, 2020, 12:20:20 pm

Thanks guys. It’s windy and 12F outside so I didn’t want to take many pics outside.  I really don’t know what kind of sycamore it is but here is the bark on another stave

I plan on making a heat treated ELB with the other stave.  The heat sycamore seems quite springy and elastic for how light the wood is.

Title: Re: Simple heat treated 54” Sycamore D Bow.
Post by: aznboi3644 on February 17, 2020, 02:31:10 pm

I gotta say the more I shoot this bow the more I’m loving it.  While it was reverse braced and getting its heat treatment the bow warped slightly back to its originally shape and both tips curved slightly to one side. 

This caused the string to line up 1/4” from one side of the bow making it “centershot”.   I’m actually liking it a lot.  Shooting a 30” long poplar dowel arrow it shoots flat at 15 yards.  I may just keep shooting this thing and hunt with it this year.  Still it has taken 0 set.  I gotta go harvest more of this stuff.