Author Topic: sturgeon backed yew bow "redemption" 50# @ 29"  (Read 6193 times)

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Offline jeffp51

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sturgeon backed yew bow "redemption" 50# @ 29"
« on: August 13, 2019, 01:41:12 am »
I just finished a book where all of the main characters are broken in one way or another, and each finds redemption in his or her own way.  It seemed to apply to this bow.  Building it has taken well over a year--much longer than any bow I have worked on and much longer than I expected.  Several years ago I received a yew stave from Penderbender in the Christmas trade.  I saved it for a long time deciding how best to work it.  It was long and straight except a little reflex in one end.  A year ago last spring I started working on it and got it roughed it out and then went away to Germany for a month.  While I was there I was able to make a trade for some sturgeon skins that I thought would look good on the bow.  Excited to continue when I got home, I started tillering, but in the process of trying to get past a small knot in the side, I made the tips a little narrow, which made a lot of the recurve I had bent in come out.  Trying to save that, I created underlays to reinforce the end and give me thickness for string grooves to help with alignment and side flex.  This created a new weak spot at the end of the underlays, and as I pulled the string, I heard a loud crack from a lifted splinter on the back.

After the panic and depression wore off, I decided to try and save it.  I superglued the splinter and wrapped it with sinew and put a bundle over the spot lengthwise, and went back to tillering.  But the ends of the sinew kept pulling up when the bow flexed.  So it sat.   Last fall, a neighbor gave me 7 garbage bags of deer legs for me to strip the sinew from.  I used some of that to back the entire bow with a layer of sinew.  This was enough to finally allow me to finish the tillering just before my trip to Germany this summer.  When I got home, I finally added the sturgeon skins and did the rest of the finish work.

Here is the result. It is 70" long knock-to-knock, and 1 3/8" at the fades tapering down to about 1/2" at the knocks.  It draws just over 50# at my 29" draw.  Because it is so long, it draws really smooth, and while it isn't a rocket, the arrows fly straight and consistent.  Finish is 8 coats of tung oil dulled to a satin finish with a pumice powder rub.  I dyed the sinew dark blue under the skins to help give it a starry night finish.  I think it turned out well--at least the way I wanted it to.  Tip overlays are buffalo horn (I think)  also from Penderbender for Christmas.  The grip is a piece of elk leather that I think came from Mullet, but it might have been in another trade.  I dyed it to match the back.

After all the work and setbacks, I am really happy how it turned out.  I have about 300 shots through it now and I am starting to trust it.  The first time I pulled it to full draw after the skins were dry, one of the scutes cracked, and it sounded just like a back does before it lets go violently.  The first 250+ shots I did with protective eyewear just in case.

Well that is too many words.  Here are the pictures

Offline jeffp51

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Re: sturgeon backed yew bow "redemption" 50# @ 29"
« Reply #1 on: August 13, 2019, 01:43:09 am »
some more. . .

Offline jeffp51

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Re: sturgeon backed yew bow "redemption" 50# @ 29"
« Reply #2 on: August 13, 2019, 01:47:57 am »
I have lots of pictures. . .

Offline jeffp51

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Re: sturgeon backed yew bow "redemption" 50# @ 29"
« Reply #3 on: August 13, 2019, 01:52:05 am »
and the full draw. . .

Offline PaSteve

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Re: sturgeon backed yew bow "redemption" 50# @ 29"
« Reply #4 on: August 13, 2019, 04:44:28 am »
Wow! That's beautiful. Great job on that one. The sturgeon skin looks awesome too!
"It seems so much more obvious with bows than with other matters, that we are the guardians of the prize we seek." Dean Torges

Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: sturgeon backed yew bow "redemption" 50# @ 29"
« Reply #5 on: August 13, 2019, 11:54:05 am »
Fine bow, Jeff.
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 Trapper Rob

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Re: sturgeon backed yew bow "redemption" 50# @ 29"
« Reply #6 on: August 13, 2019, 01:05:09 pm »
Beautiful bow those sturgen skins really look sharp.

Offline burchett.donald

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Re: sturgeon backed yew bow "redemption" 50# @ 29"
« Reply #7 on: August 13, 2019, 02:15:04 pm »
    Jeff,
           You must be a hunter, couldn't help notice the familiar look of fur string silencers...They work really well for me also in silencing the shot...Nice balance on that one and beautiful skins...Excellent work
                                                                                                                      Don
Genesis 27:3 Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison;

Offline backtowood B2W

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Re: sturgeon backed yew bow "redemption" 50# @ 29"
« Reply #8 on: August 14, 2019, 07:12:40 am »
Great work, congrats! I think everything holds together!

Offline simk

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Re: sturgeon backed yew bow "redemption" 50# @ 29"
« Reply #9 on: August 14, 2019, 08:03:55 am »
Beautiful tiller - this one should be bombproof now.  (-S I was never really attracted to snakeskins but would immediately glue a sturgeon skin on a bow! 
--- the queen rules ----

Offline upstatenybowyer

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Re: sturgeon backed yew bow "redemption" 50# @ 29"
« Reply #10 on: August 14, 2019, 12:23:08 pm »
Jeff man, that is one fine looking machine.  8)
"Even as the archer loves the arrow that flies, so too he loves the bow that remains constant in his hands."

Nigerian Proverb

Offline silent sniper

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Re: sturgeon backed yew bow "redemption" 50# @ 29"
« Reply #11 on: August 14, 2019, 08:00:34 pm »
Beautiful in every way! You did a fantastic job. 
Congrats!
Taylor

Offline Nasr

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Re: sturgeon backed yew bow "redemption" 50# @ 29"
« Reply #12 on: August 15, 2019, 03:10:04 am »
Really beautiful bow congrats.

Offline bjrogg

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Re: sturgeon backed yew bow "redemption" 50# @ 29"
« Reply #13 on: August 15, 2019, 05:22:27 am »
Nice bow Jeff. Way to get redemption. Beautiful bend. Excellent finish work. As Jerry would say that one deserves a Attaboy.
Bjrogg
A hot cup of coffee and a beautiful sunrise

Offline Marc St Louis

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Re: sturgeon backed yew bow "redemption" 50# @ 29"
« Reply #14 on: August 15, 2019, 06:47:07 am »
Very nice bow
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