Author Topic: J. D.'s Crabapple Character Bow is December Bow of the Month  (Read 19818 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline OldBow

  • Member
  • Posts: 2,216
  • I'm just an old retired biology teacher.
J. D.'s Crabapple Character Bow is December Bow of the Month
« on: January 05, 2008, 01:17:59 pm »
Congratulations to J. D. Duff of Gearhart, Orgegon
His Amazing Crabapple Character Bow is
December 2007 Self Bow of the Month

http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,4575.0.html
Let's see how J. D. worked up this bow:
It's been a couple months since I've been able to post a bow.  Changes at work and enjoying life as a father have made discretionary time harder to come by.  Anyway, all the time I've been away, I've known what I would post when I came back.  I built this bow just for you guys--my dear fellow travelers of this narrow road called classical archery.  

On the first day of the 2006 archery season I called in an elk which hung up about 20 feet from me on the other side of a huge Oceanspray thicket.  While I waited in vain, I noticed some Oregon Crabapple growing around the Oceanspray and I made a mental note to come back with a saw.  When I came back, this was the stave I found.  Snarly, thorny, snaky, knotty and mysteriously beautiful.  I'm not a total sucker for character bows, but they have their place and I was so confident in the integrity of Crabapple as a bow wood that I knew a serious bow could be made from that stave.  I promised myself that I would build the most perfect character bow I could.  

While I was tempted by wide limbs, extra length, and lower weight at first, I decided that I wouldn't stoop to overbuilding a Crabapple bow.  It is 66" nock to nock and very random in width but averaging around 1 3/8-1 1/2" wide at the fades.  It draws 70#s at 28".  

Limbs taper to 3/8" tips with overlays of buffalo horn.  The buffalo horn overlays have deep, carefully-fitted Abalone inlays.  The strike plate is horn with a round fretboard-type Abalone inlay.  I also strove for perfect tiller in spite of the obstacles.  Crabapple is surprisingly forgiving to work so that was in my favor.  

In spite of about 60 knots, the bow has held together nicely and shoots well.  It has no string follow at rest due to the impressive compression strength of Crabapple.  It is a sweet shooter but I'm not going to kid myself about what it is.  I crafted this bow with a great investment of time and care and I can't imagine how I would feel if it blew up.  

This bow is a reflection of the best work I am currently capable of.  I owe so much to the people here who have helped, inspired and encouraged me along the way.  This bow is dedicated to all of you.  I hope you enjoy it.  

This bow produced about five pages in the Bows Forum:Here are some typical comments:
-" J.D., that's one of the most impressive bows I've seen in a long time. It's easy to see that many hours of work and craftsmanship went into it. Awesome!  " -Hillbilly
-"Dude, Thats about the coolest character bow ever! sweet!   I'm very envious.......I'm always looking for staves like that.  " Ryano
-"I would run from a stave like that! You're much braver than me and obviously a very skilled bowyer.  That's one to show off for sure, great job!" -Saw Filer

[attachment deleted by admin]
« Last Edit: January 05, 2008, 01:24:35 pm by OldBow »
When you're retired, every day is Saturday

Offline RG

  • Member
  • Posts: 493
Re: J. D.'s Crabapple Character Bow is December Bow of the Month
« Reply #1 on: January 05, 2008, 02:50:34 pm »
Congrats good job J.D.

Offline Shooter

  • Member
  • Posts: 99
Re: J. D.'s Crabapple Character Bow is December Bow of the Month
« Reply #2 on: January 05, 2008, 03:42:33 pm »
Congrats, JD. That thing is out there on its own like Mars among the stars.

Offline Pat B

  • Administrator
  • Member
  • Posts: 37,461
Re: J. D.'s Crabapple Character Bow is December Bow of the Month
« Reply #3 on: January 05, 2008, 04:23:42 pm »
Incredible Josh! Thats all I can say! 8)   Congratulations!!!  Pat
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Justin Snyder

  • Administrator
  • Member
  • Posts: 13,794
Re: J. D.'s Crabapple Character Bow is December Bow of the Month
« Reply #4 on: January 05, 2008, 04:38:17 pm »
Congratulations JD, this bow is definitely one of a kind and a well deserved win. Justin
Everything happens for a reason, sometimes the reason is you made a bad decision.


SW Utah

Offline Ryano

  • Member
  • Posts: 3,578
  • Ryan O'Sullivan, North Western Pennsylvania
Re: J. D.'s Crabapple Character Bow is December Bow of the Month
« Reply #5 on: January 05, 2008, 04:38:47 pm »
Congratulations Josh!  ;D
Its November, I'm gone hunt'in.......
Osage is still better.....

Offline leapingbare

  • Member
  • Posts: 2,028
    • http://www.flintknappers.com/jessewright/
Re: J. D.'s Crabapple Character Bow is December Bow of the Month
« Reply #6 on: January 05, 2008, 06:20:15 pm »
Sweet bow.
It take talent to see a bow in a piece of wood like that.
                                  Leapingbare.
Mililani Hawaii

Offline DanaM

  • Member
  • Posts: 9,211
Re: J. D.'s Crabapple Character Bow is December Bow of the Month
« Reply #7 on: January 05, 2008, 06:59:46 pm »
Congrats J.D.
"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 Marc St Louis

  • Administrator
  • Member
  • Posts: 7,869
  • Keep it flexible
    • Marc's Bows and Arrows
Re: J. D.'s Crabapple Character Bow is December Bow of the Month
« Reply #8 on: January 05, 2008, 07:08:12 pm »
Way to go JD. An exellent bow and worthy of winning
Home of heat-treating, Corbeil, On.  Canada

Marc@Ironwoodbowyer.com

Offline koan

  • Member
  • Posts: 2,393
  • Brian D. Mo.
Re: J. D.'s Crabapple Character Bow is December Bow of the Month
« Reply #9 on: January 05, 2008, 07:58:47 pm »
Congrats J.D......Brian
When you complement a lady on her dress.....make sure she is the one wearing it.....

Offline Gordon

  • Member
  • Posts: 3,295
Re: J. D.'s Crabapple Character Bow is December Bow of the Month
« Reply #10 on: January 05, 2008, 09:06:47 pm »
You hit this one out of the ballpark JD. What are you going to do for an encore? ;D
Gordon

Offline cowboy

  • Member
  • Posts: 7,035
  • Paul Wolfe. Springtown, TX
Re: J. D.'s Crabapple Character Bow is December Bow of the Month
« Reply #11 on: January 05, 2008, 10:10:44 pm »
It's still freaky lookin - congradulation's ;D.
When you come upon a track or trail you do not know, follow it to the point of knowing.

Offline medicinewheel

  • Member
  • Posts: 3,605
Re: J. D.'s Crabapple Character Bow is December Bow of the Month
« Reply #12 on: January 06, 2008, 04:28:55 am »

that's one really nice bow!

frank
Frank from Germany...

Offline Little John

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,709
Re: J. D.'s Crabapple Character Bow is December Bow of the Month
« Reply #13 on: January 06, 2008, 08:49:06 am »
A well deserved win, congratulations.      Kenneth
May all of your moments afield with bow in hand please and satisfy you.            G. Fred Asbell

Offline AndrewS

  • Member
  • Posts: 798
Re: J. D.'s Crabapple Character Bow is December Bow of the Month
« Reply #14 on: January 06, 2008, 04:14:13 pm »
Congrats, JD!