Author Topic: Osage Short Bow - 46" ntn (Finished w/ Pics)  (Read 20104 times)

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Offline Lee Slikkers

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Osage Short Bow - 46" ntn (Finished w/ Pics)
« on: August 15, 2011, 02:25:13 pm »
OK Guys, need some input or ideas if possible.  i am letting my Hick Recurve rest for a few days so I thought I'd start up another bow.

I have a decent piece of Osage that I chased down a ring on.  It is 48" long and between 1 1/4" to 1 1/2" wide depending on the grain but likely will have to end up closer to the 1 1/4" ish dimension.  I'd like to do some type of Native American type bow but at the very least am thinking a 48" with slightly flipped tips.  I'd rather not sinew it but if the design absolutely calls for it I am OK with that...

Thanks!!!
« Last Edit: October 01, 2011, 10:54:20 pm by Lee Slikkers »
~ Lee

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"The last word in ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plant: 'What good is it?"
— Aldo Leopold
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blackhawk

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Re: Osage Short Bow?
« Reply #1 on: August 15, 2011, 02:34:38 pm »
Intended draw length will pretty much determine whether or not it needs sinew. So,what's the intended length of draw?

Offline Lee Slikkers

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Re: Osage Short Bow?
« Reply #2 on: August 15, 2011, 02:42:34 pm »
yeah, sorry I forgot that and the desired poundage.  Looking for at least a 27" draw @ #55

~ Lee

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"The last word in ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plant: 'What good is it?"
— Aldo Leopold
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Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: Osage Short Bow?
« Reply #3 on: August 15, 2011, 02:59:13 pm »
Lots of sinew Lee. Being that narrow your bow may end up almost square to get that poundage!
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline MWirwicki

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Re: Osage Short Bow?
« Reply #4 on: August 15, 2011, 03:31:48 pm »
Lee, I had a bow in July's Bow of the Month.  It is listed as the 48" Holmegaard.  There are pics in the post.  It is sinew-backed however, turned into a really cool bow.  Thought you may want to see for ideas...
Matt Wirwicki
Owosso, MI

blackhawk

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Re: Osage Short Bow?
« Reply #5 on: August 15, 2011, 03:57:19 pm »
IMHO you should sinew it and flip the tips. Besides it'll be your first sinew Joby and you need to learn how to do it anyways when you start attempting those horn bows. Consider it practice ;)

Offline JonW

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Re: Osage Short Bow?
« Reply #6 on: August 15, 2011, 06:53:27 pm »
Lee you got some good advice so far. With your drawlength and weight requirements, at least 2 layers of sinew would be laid down by me maybe 3 with the third one concentrated on running down the middle of the back. Tie the bow into some backset when applying the sinew. Now GITTERDUN!  :D

Offline Lee Slikkers

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Re: Osage Short Bow?
« Reply #7 on: August 15, 2011, 07:03:12 pm »
Thanks guys, sounds like a good plan (sinew, etc) I assume the profile will be a straight stick as opposed to any type of mild pryamid?

~ Lee

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"The last word in ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plant: 'What good is it?"
— Aldo Leopold
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Offline JonW

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Re: Osage Short Bow?
« Reply #8 on: August 15, 2011, 07:47:15 pm »
yeah at 1 1/4" I would straight profile it to about 6" from the tips and narrow it down from there.

Offline Lee Slikkers

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Re: Osage Short Bow?
« Reply #9 on: August 15, 2011, 08:31:05 pm »
Thanks a ton Jon, will do...got it all laid out, cut down and rasped to the profile lines now...just need to reduce the thickness now.

~ Lee

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The last word in ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plant: 'What good is it?"
— Aldo Leopold
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Offline Lee Slikkers

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Re: Osage Short Bow?
« Reply #10 on: August 19, 2011, 03:03:38 pm »
OK guys, got a short recap on the progress.  I have flipped the tips and tiller her out to a 20" draw where she is pulling #57.  The bow is 47" ntn and currently has limbs and handle area all the same with a rectangle type shape.  Couple questions...1) should this shape remain or should I round off or facet down the hard edges on the back & belly?...and 2) if I sinew (probably should or will have to as I get further and further past the 20" draw) how do you prep the back before laying down the coarses?

I wish I had pics to share but it seems I lost my camera while out hawking and flying my Goshawk (makes #2 lost in this manner  ::) )

Thanks!
~ Lee

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The last word in ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plant: 'What good is it?"
— Aldo Leopold
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: Osage Short Bow?
« Reply #11 on: August 19, 2011, 04:27:01 pm »
I would round off the edges Lee. Round is always stronger than square. I dont do anything to the backs prior to sinew. I use TBIII and just make sure the surface is clean and very lightly roughed up. Thats about it.
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

blackhawk

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Re: Osage Short Bow?
« Reply #12 on: August 19, 2011, 05:29:51 pm »
Lee....what type of glue are you going to use? In my limited experience in using both hide and tb3 I like the hide better. Its a lil more work but well worth the effort. Run up to the family fare and pick up some Knox gelatin. Mix two ounces of water to each individual packet. And read your bible on sinewing and follow it along.

Also is your bow limbs reflexed besides your flipped tips? If not induce a lil before. Or induce it by reverse bracing and sinewing or hanging some weight from it.

I might take some heat from guys about using hide over tb3 ,but trust me hide is better, and you'll be using real glues with the horn bows anyways,so use the real stuff for practice for your later endeavors.

Offline JonW

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Re: Osage Short Bow?
« Reply #13 on: August 19, 2011, 05:48:34 pm »
I'm saying hide glue as well. I've used TBIII but I like the color or maybe I should say the lack of color from the hide glue better. I read somewhere that hide glue is second in strength only to 2-ton epoxy.

As far as surface prep, hit it a little with some sandpaper,then  ACETONE, ACETONE, ACETONE.....

Did I mention getting it clean with some Acetone?  :o

Offline Lee Slikkers

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Re: Osage Short Bow?
« Reply #14 on: August 21, 2011, 05:29:46 pm »
Thanks PD, I was thinking the same thing about rounding it...it's next on list of tasks on this bow.

Chris, I am going to be using Hide Glue, have some fish bladders and I may do a 50/50 hide glue & fish glue for this project.  How much reflex do you think would be adequate for his build?  Are you thinking the whole limb or mostly at the handle area?

Thanks Jon, got a bottle of acetone and I use it to wipe down all my bows before I back with skins, bark or first coat of Tru-Oil.  will do

~ Lee

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"The last word in ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plant: 'What good is it?"
— Aldo Leopold
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~