Author Topic: Eppo Wolgen's Hornbow is September Backed Bow of the Month  (Read 24237 times)

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Offline OldBow

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Eppo Wolgen's Hornbow is September Backed Bow of the Month
« on: October 04, 2007, 12:59:38 pm »
Congratulations to Eppo Wolgen  of Essex, Ontario, Canada
His Unique Hornbow Won Honors for September
Backed Bow of the Month
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Eppo has quite a story about this bow as written by his son. Read on:
Here's a hornbow my Dad finished recently. He doesn't post but he "lurks" here. He's made a handful of backed boardbows, but he's always had a thing for horn and sinew bows of this design. Water Buff horn, deer sinew, ash, and hide glue. After alot of trial/error he's got one completed and took it for a stroll in the backyard. These are the pics he sent me so far. He layed down a little more sinew than he wanted, which made the poundage higher. Hence, he's not drawing fully (yet! )in this pic with thumb ring. He hasn't put it on the bow scale yet, but says it feels similar to his 60#@28" Browning Safari 'curve. The bow is going through some tweeking/adjusting as it reveals areas needing attention. That sinew stuff amazes me how it allows for changes and repairs after the bow is complete. For being on the cusp of his 70th b'day, I've gotta hand it to Dad for being able to build and haul back a bow like that. Pretty ferocious still. Thanks for the comments guys.Kviljo,the reflex continued after that last pic so that the siyahs were side by side . I t didn't need a string to hold it in place. Kept on tightening the string while the sinew was contracting.After curing used a spreader after first warming the bow , then let it sit for a few days.It was opened up far enough to put the what they call tepeliks .You tie them in the position where the hinges go that will determine the shape and that the limbs will bend mainly in these areas.They will also bend in the area just in front of the siyahs .After all that it goes  on the tillering board and goes to the first pegs.A couple of days later to the next and so on.Each time it needs to be warmed up.Tillering is not the same as with a selfbow.If you were careful and made all the components equal, It should come in halfway decent .If one limb is a bit stiff then it needs some heat applied and over bent in the stiff area.Eventually it will come in.If you keep the bow in a warming box,much of the reflex will come back.More pic on the way to explain some of this stuff.The next bow will be more fully documented.Cut my teeth on this one.
He's starting another hornbow now and will document the process better from beginning to end. Not to enter and try winning the contest. He's noticed a very positive and humble attitude amongst the PA folks. So he'd like to begin another fresh post making a new bow, simply to show how it all happens and to encourage others to try. He says it doesn't take a genius, and that anyone capable of making a wood bow can make a hornbow. He wants them to not feel intimidated by the prospect.
Check out the following comments:
"All I can say is awesome, heck of a bow by a heck of a guy. Tell pops not to lurk as it is apparent he has some skills to pass on to us young uns" -DanaM
"I'm fascinated by those bows, the lines are really nice. Your Dad did a great job. - venisonburger
"now   T H A T is a hornbow!  very nice! it's turkish style, right?!
congrats to your dad for bow and birthday, " -medicinewheel

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« Last Edit: October 04, 2007, 10:59:28 pm by OldBow »
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Offline DanaM

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Re: Eppo Wolgen's Hornbow is September Backed Bow of the Month
« Reply #1 on: October 04, 2007, 01:04:31 pm »
Congrats Eppo awesome bow.
"Prosperity is a way of living and thinking, and not just money or things. Poverty is a way of living and thinking, and not just a lack of money or things."

Manistique, MI

Offline medicinewheel

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Re: Eppo Wolgen's Hornbow is September Backed Bow of the Month
« Reply #2 on: October 04, 2007, 01:46:42 pm »

this-one had my wote! very nice, very special!
thanks for the entire post, too.
frank
Frank from Germany...

Tilbilly

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Re: Eppo Wolgen's Hornbow is September Backed Bow of the Month
« Reply #3 on: October 04, 2007, 05:27:46 pm »
Congrats, Pa!  Your kids and grandkidlings are doggon proud.  8)

Offline Mark Smeltzer

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Re: Eppo Wolgen's Hornbow is September Backed Bow of the Month
« Reply #4 on: October 04, 2007, 09:51:33 pm »
Eppo,
Congrats, on a fine looking and unique bow.
Mark

Offline Ekwos

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Re: Eppo Wolgen's Hornbow is September Backed Bow of the Month
« Reply #5 on: October 04, 2007, 10:53:12 pm »
Thanks everyone for all your kind comments.Believe me,it's quiet shocking to see your bow do so well.Again thank you.Hope to see more people try their hand at this sort of thing.The payoff is great satisfaction after the effort.They are great to shoot too.Special feel all their own.Again,thank you , and don't be shy , just PM , or use the forum if you're stuck at some point in your hornbow making. Eppo

8up

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Re: Eppo Wolgen's Hornbow is September Backed Bow of the Month
« Reply #6 on: October 05, 2007, 12:28:01 am »
Congrats on the win !!! cool bow

Offline Pappy

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Re: Eppo Wolgen's Hornbow is September Backed Bow of the Month
« Reply #7 on: October 05, 2007, 05:56:44 am »
Congrats Eppo,very nice bow. :)
   Pappy
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makete

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Re: Eppo Wolgen's Hornbow is September Backed Bow of the Month
« Reply #8 on: October 05, 2007, 11:47:31 am »
Congratulations on winning bow of the month. It is an awesome bow and project. Dont think you havent opened a few eyes and started some on this adventure. We will be seeing others making bows of this kind in the future. What a bow and the process was shown in excellent detail. I am all smiles for you. Again congratulations on an superb bow.

Offline Gordon

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Re: Eppo Wolgen's Hornbow is September Backed Bow of the Month
« Reply #9 on: October 05, 2007, 07:04:28 pm »
I am very pleased to see this bow capture BOM. It is beautifully crafted and has inspired me to expand my own bow-making horizons.
Gordon

Offline ber643

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Re: Eppo Wolgen's Hornbow is September Backed Bow of the Month
« Reply #10 on: October 06, 2007, 11:12:42 am »
Congratulations to Tilbilly's Dad, Eppo and his Full Draw picture also appears on my TBD pages. Last Row of Page 14. It just so happens another nice horn bow appears in that same row also

http://residents.bowhunting.net/bsdunn/tbd14.htm
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Offline cowboy

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Re: Eppo Wolgen's Hornbow is September Backed Bow of the Month
« Reply #11 on: October 06, 2007, 11:28:46 am »
Congrats on the win! Those horn bows are definantly on my to do list :)
When you come upon a track or trail you do not know, follow it to the point of knowing.

Tilbilly

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Re: Eppo Wolgen's Hornbow is September Backed Bow of the Month
« Reply #12 on: October 06, 2007, 07:16:57 pm »
Ber643, Thanks on behalf of Pa. I checked out your webpage. Pretty cool!
As a sidenote, Dad is more of a bowyer than me. The hornbow scales 75# at 28".  And Dad does do computers. He's actually built a few from scratch after teaching himself. He just doesn't post much like his jabber-jaw son LOL.

Offline ber643

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Re: Eppo Wolgen's Hornbow is September Backed Bow of the Month
« Reply #13 on: October 07, 2007, 01:12:32 am »
LOL - I'll adjust that entry about the computers then, Tilbilly. Glad you like the web site. Visit often, I am continually adding, especially to the Traditional Bows Drawn section.

I've corrected the entries with the pic now, and I appreciate you letting me know, as I do like to be as accurate as I can when possible.
« Last Edit: October 07, 2007, 08:01:42 am by ber643 »
"Hunters Are People Too" (My website Premise)
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Offline Marc St Louis

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Re: Eppo Wolgen's Hornbow is September Backed Bow of the Month
« Reply #14 on: October 07, 2007, 08:25:18 am »
Way to go Eppo. Congrats
Home of heat-treating, Corbeil, On.  Canada

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