Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: DC on August 06, 2020, 07:33:57 pm
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About 3 years ago at the Vancouver Island Wood Bow Gathering, Pender Bender gave me a couple of Laburnum billets. I started on them a few times but I just wasn't sure if they were any good as one had rotten sapwood and a bunch of rot in the core. Finally after a little encouragement from a few of our European members who get to use this wood more than us I started scraping. I had to chase a ring after I took all the sapwood off. The billets, fortunately, had a big dogleg but then straightened out for 35". The 35" was almost thick enough for the working part of the limb. I say almost because I had to glue a splint on the belly where it started to hinge. I used the short portions from the other side of the dogleg to build up he handle area. Then I spliced them together and started tillering. I was expecting it to break because of the rot but it held together. It's beautiful wood and a pleasure to work. I wish the sapwood had been good as it would have been gorgeous with the contrast. It's just finished with Tung oil so that is the natural colour. I want more of this wood now.
Any way it's 40#@28, 67"ntn, 1 1/8" limbs tapering to 3/8" tips. Tips are Water Buffalo Horn and grip is a strip of brain tan from the bunch that BowEd kindly sent me a year and a half ago. Just for the hey I shot it through the chrono and was surprised at 176fps@10gpp. I wasn't expecting it to be that fast.
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Very nice bow, DC. That laburnum is beautiful wood. 8)
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beautiful bow,, great photos,, thanks for sharing,, :)
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Nice bow :)
When you get a good piece you will see it is as good as yew :) And almst like a brother to it haha
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I like it DC. Good speed from that straight bow also. Arvin
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Not to shabby for a rotten piece of wood.
Nice wrk DC. Sweet bow
Bjrogg
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That is a beauty! Awesome work DC!
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That is some pretty wood. Very nice bow.
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Thanks a lot guys. Just up the road there is a lot with a rezoning sign in the yard. Just behind the sign are two 10-12" Laburnum trees. I'm watching like a hawk. Thanks for commenting on the photos Brad. I put a lot of work into that. All were taken with the camera on a tripod.
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Your belly patch looks amazing. If like to learn how you do those.
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Very nice.
I have a set of Laburnum billets that's been sitting in my shop for 15 to 20 years. Every once in awhile I take them out and try and figure out what I should make with them, then change my mind
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Your belly patch looks amazing. If like to learn how you do those.
The secret is making the patch thin enough so that whatever you use to clamp it can bend it to match the bow. I have trouble with the ends. The glue line shows where the patch tapers into the bow. I have some curved sanding sticks with old sanding belt pieces glued on them to even out the scooped section of the bow. In this case the dark laburnum helps a lot. The dark stripes in the wood mask the glue lines. The camera is far enough away to hide the flaws. it looks la lot better in the picture than in real life :D
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Very nice.
I have a set of Laburnum billets that's been sitting in my shop for 15 to 20 years. Every once in awhile I take them out and try and figure out what I should make with them, then change my mind
Thanks Marc. I have a dead straight Osage stave that Goat gave me. Same thing with that. I just can't see the bow in it.
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At this point Dc, id be shocked if you made a slow bow.
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That's a wonderful lil stick! To make the questionable become the astonishing is a feat in it's own right.
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DC, none of my messages to you have been going through. E mail me so we can communicate that way. Badger5149@aol.com
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Nice bow DC! I don’t think we have that wood in these parts. If it’s like horse apple, Osage , hedge apple, etc. we might. Pretty bow. Arvin
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Nice bow DC! I don’t think we have that wood in these parts. If it’s like horse apple, Osage , hedge apple, etc. we might. Pretty bow. Arvin
According to the Wood Database Laburnum is a European wood, so I don't know if any of us in North America have that wood close to us.
https://www.wood-database.com/laburnum/
Mark
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Very nice bow! Laburnum is an eye-catcher for sure. :)