Author Topic: Sturgeon backed Yew recurve  (Read 8493 times)

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Offline High-Desert

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Sturgeon backed Yew recurve
« on: July 01, 2017, 12:05:48 am »
This was my first attempt making a asymmetrical tillered bow, the second is the one I am currently working on for the trade. I made hickory bow for a friend of mine earlier this year and he found a pair of sturgeon skins and gave them to me. So I used them on this yew bow. The yew is from a tree I cut in 2010, it had some damaged sapwood, so I removed it. As much as I really like yew sapwood, I really enjoy heartwood only bows. This stave had some twist which was a struggle to get out, and manage to get the recurves lined up straight. I couldn't believe how tough sturgeon skin is; it takes tin snips to cut it while dry. I had a bit of a struggle getting then on. I first rawhide back the bow for most of the length with TB3, then I went to apply the surgeon skins after it was tillered with hide glue....I must have did something wrong because they blew off the bow with the sound of a bow breaking, remaining only attached at the grip. Like an idiot, I thought glueing them down with TB3 would be a good idea, hoping that hide glue and TB3 just might bond to one another, full well knowing they would. That ended with another bow breaking boom, minus the broken bow. I removed the sturgeon skins, soaked them and cleaned them well with dawn, removed the rawhide from the bow, and glued the skins down with TB3. Success!

It's 60" nTn along the curve, 55 lbs @ 26". The tips are african black wood. Any criticism of the tiller would be greatly appreciated.
Eric

Offline High-Desert

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Re: Sturgeon backed Yew recurve
« Reply #1 on: July 01, 2017, 12:08:00 am »
more pics
Eric

Offline DC

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Re: Sturgeon backed Yew recurve
« Reply #2 on: July 01, 2017, 12:12:41 am »
Great looking bow, love the skins.

Offline gfugal

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Re: Sturgeon backed Yew recurve
« Reply #3 on: July 01, 2017, 12:34:41 am »
Beautiful!
Greg,
No risk, no gain. Expand the mold and try new things.

Offline shofu

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Re: Sturgeon backed Yew recurve
« Reply #4 on: July 01, 2017, 12:40:59 am »
Wow! Gorgeous
G.
Cheers,
George

Offline penderbender

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Re: Sturgeon backed Yew recurve
« Reply #5 on: July 01, 2017, 01:52:30 am »
Tiller looks great and those skins....wow they are nice. Great job Eric. Cheers- Brendan

Offline Del the cat

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    • Derek Hutchison Native Wood Self Bows
Re: Sturgeon backed Yew recurve
« Reply #6 on: July 01, 2017, 02:16:09 am »
Wow that's beautiful.
BTW... that's why Sturgeons live in the water, 'cos their skin is too stiff if they don't  ;)  ::)
Del
Health warning, these posts may contain traces of nut.

Offline chamookman

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Re: Sturgeon backed Yew recurve
« Reply #7 on: July 01, 2017, 02:49:12 am »
Outstanding - beautiful combination  :OK ! Bob.
"May the Gods give Us the strength to draw the string to the cheek, the arrow to the barb and loose the flying shaft, so long as life may last." Saxon Pope - 1923.

Offline Hamish

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Re: Sturgeon backed Yew recurve
« Reply #8 on: July 01, 2017, 05:15:59 am »
Dats Sweet!!!

Offline Stixnstones

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Re: Sturgeon backed Yew recurve
« Reply #9 on: July 01, 2017, 06:48:00 am »
Duuude! what a great lookin bow... nice work
DevilsBeachSelfbows

Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: Sturgeon backed Yew recurve
« Reply #10 on: July 01, 2017, 06:48:17 am »
Great looking bow, skived grips are so classy. The finish work is so good it looks "plastic". Fantastic work.

I think you could have gotten the fades to move a bit more, but other than that it looks really good from Michigan.
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 bjrogg

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Re: Sturgeon backed Yew recurve
« Reply #11 on: July 01, 2017, 06:57:29 am »
Nice bow. Way to stick with it when your glue didn't. Bet that made your heart skip a beat. I agree with Pearl "looks good from Michigan". I really do like those Sturgeon Skins. Gotta get me some of them sometime.
Bjrogg
« Last Edit: July 01, 2017, 10:55:38 am by bjrogg »
A hot cup of coffee and a beautiful sunrise

Offline BowEd

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Re: Sturgeon backed Yew recurve
« Reply #12 on: July 01, 2017, 08:03:41 am »
A person kinda forgets about the troubles after a nice looking bow like that or in other words it was worth it.Nice bow and finish work.
BowEd
You got to stand for something or you'll fall for anything.
Ed

Offline Pat B

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Re: Sturgeon backed Yew recurve
« Reply #13 on: July 01, 2017, 10:59:32 am »
Very sharp looking bow.  8)
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline upstatenybowyer

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Re: Sturgeon backed Yew recurve
« Reply #14 on: July 01, 2017, 11:54:11 am »
Stunning! I love everything about it.  :)
"Even as the archer loves the arrow that flies, so too he loves the bow that remains constant in his hands."

Nigerian Proverb