Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: M2A on March 06, 2020, 06:45:49 pm
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Worked on one for myself this winter. Been at this "hobby" maybe 5 years now, with seldom a day off. Was much smarter and knew soo much more before I ever put a draw knife to a stave. Took 2 years before I got anything over 30 lbs if it lasted long enough to get a shot from it. Still amazes me now when I get one shooting. The hickory I cut so far has been poor, I bought this stave. Very nice straight, clear stuff, with just a little prop twist that I could never get all the way out. I do like the many styles that people make here but for me there is nothing better than shooting a scalloped bow. Finding a good enough piece of wood to make one is the hard part. Another aspect I enjoy is using all natural materials for stains and paints, so this bow is all dressed up with stuff I was able to make or find. Never thought I'd be grinding rock to mix with egg yolk to make paint but here I am. Colors used on this bow include walnut hulls, bloodroot, copper verdigris, and ground rock. Handle is pretty straight forward when you see the pics, just wish I had a better source for raw hide than dog bones but it don't get much easier or cheaper than that. Took 3 weeks of tinkering here and there to get it shooting "just right". Really sweet shooting this bow. Finish is fat/wax from pine hollow. Think that's everything I got.
Enough rambling, enjoy the pics, here's the stats:
62" ntn
54lbs@27"
1 3/8 wide at the handle
3/4" at nocks
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49628640907_6442dd6285_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2iBvKUx)IMG_3413 (2) (https://flic.kr/p/2iBvKUx) by Mike Allridge (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158435722@N02/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49627847938_80f2498d7b_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2iBrGbE)IMG_3415 (2) (https://flic.kr/p/2iBrGbE) by Mike Allridge (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158435722@N02/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49628361881_1dba756e8a_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2iBujXK)IMG_3436 (https://flic.kr/p/2iBujXK) by Mike Allridge (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158435722@N02/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49628637592_709d01fbc6_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2iBvJVo)IMG_3439 (https://flic.kr/p/2iBvJVo) by Mike Allridge (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158435722@N02/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49628634202_f23a8ff15b_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2iBvHUW)IMG_3434 (https://flic.kr/p/2iBvHUW) by Mike Allridge (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158435722@N02/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49627846398_3280b6755e_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2iBrFJ7)IMG_3432 (https://flic.kr/p/2iBrFJ7) by Mike Allridge (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158435722@N02/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49627831848_a31d885ef8_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2iBrBpf)IMG_3448 (https://flic.kr/p/2iBrBpf) by Mike Allridge (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158435722@N02/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49628623477_640e4174d6_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2iBvEJ2)IMG_3449 (https://flic.kr/p/2iBvEJ2) by Mike Allridge (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158435722@N02/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49627836518_13b4ba07b6_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2iBrCML)IMG_3426 (https://flic.kr/p/2iBrCML) by Mike Allridge (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158435722@N02/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49628356501_672ffb4654_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2iBuimZ)IMG_3424 (https://flic.kr/p/2iBuimZ) by Mike Allridge (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158435722@N02/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49627849283_214f7a76cd_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2iBrGzR)IMG_3445 (https://flic.kr/p/2iBrGzR) by Mike Allridge (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158435722@N02/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49627830813_bf7abf1da5_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2iBrB6p)IMG_3446 (2) (https://flic.kr/p/2iBrB6p) by Mike Allridge (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158435722@N02/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49627831023_69a3af64e8_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2iBrBa2)IMG_3447 (2) (https://flic.kr/p/2iBrBa2) by Mike Allridge (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158435722@N02/), on Flickr
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For sure that is a nice looking bow
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That’s a dandy Mike. You did good.
Bjrogg
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that is really nice. I like how straight the unbraced picture is, and the tips are awesome too
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Good special effort into that bow.Like the full draw and resting profile.
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Great job. That came out really nice.
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Mike,
That one blows me away man...All natural products, wow! Love to see the real deal like this on PA...Your bend and balance? "Immaculate" is the word...Scalloped bendy is my favorite design also...You hit a home run with the bases loaded! Thanks for sharing this...Great pics also!
Don
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That bow is beautiful Mike. You are the scallop master! I bet that one is a sweet shooter. The bend is perfect.
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Nice looking bow! Tell me about the scallops: Functional, or just pretty looking? How do they affect the building process and performance?
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Did you get the bow to floor tiller then cut in the scallops? I know that's how halfeye did it. (Another scalloped master) I know from personal experience it is hard to scrape with a draw knife after they are cut in. Just think of the native americans who took the time to carve them out with stone!
Awesome looking bow!!
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Good looking bow! Tiller is perfect from here.
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Thank you Marc, Bj, Jeff, Ed, Steve and Hrothgar.
Thanks Don! I have, even as a kid, had an interest in making use of what I could find as far as natural resources. I think that natural thought process fits right in with primitive archery. So I been trying to combine it all together as best I can. I have picked up a lot good information here on PA about things I didn't know.
Thanks Mike, the one you got just kinda worked out easy, I had to work on this one a bit more. 1st time at F/D it had more of a "thump in the hand" then I was going to tolerate. Took me some time of scraping, shooting, scraping....removing a small amount of mass at the tips made all the difference. Real happy with it now. Better to be lucky than good sometimes :)
Thanks WB and Jake. I'm sure there are others with a deeper understanding then myself, but will go from my own experience and thoughts here. The scallops are more for show than functional. Its important to keep the back and belly of the excess in the neutral plane or non working part of the limb. Nothing exaggerated but just enough. That's easy for the back if you have a slight crown in the rings. Stave selection is so important, one knot or wave to the grain in the wrong place will mess you up as well, that is where I have seen people fail at this design. I suppose some would say they just add un-needed weight. For that reason I keep them shallow, it dose not take much wood removal to see the appearance of the scallop. I tiller out to about 16 inches before I do any side carving, if not farther. I figure adding the scallops will gain me 3-5 inches at the same weight in draw. that leaves ~4-6" of draw to hit my mark. I use a pencil, block of wood and sandpaper to keep the belly even after this point. Just a scraper alone will make washboard pattern on the belly. IMHO scallops on both sides is an easier design than single sided. When I cut them in on this bow, the working part of the limb was thicker on that side because of a slight crown in the rings that led to some twist. I had to readjust for even thickness at that point, something I didn't consider before then. that all said...as far as performance, bottom line- I think they hit hard and shoot well. Yes Jake I have though of some guy with a sharp piece of chert and a block of hand flattened sandstone working on one of them....I like my steel tools:)
Hope that answered things. That was a lot of typing at one time and should proof read but maybe later :)
Thanks, Mike
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That is a really nice bow! I love everything about it. Great bend and the scallops give it some real character. Thanks for sharing.
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Thanks for the explanation, Mike. It's a beauty.
Thomas
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This bow is awesome, great bow and nice artistic touches!
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Great lookin bow, building the primitive stuff is not as easy as it seems it would be... nice work
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Thank you guys!
I agree Stix.
Mike
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Mike, you have been keeping it real...Tip of the Primitive hat to ya Sir! Can't wait for your next creation...
Don
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Well done. Outstanding bow.