Author Topic: Bow & Arrows for the new Crecy museum  (Read 8610 times)

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Offline WillS

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Bow & Arrows for the new Crecy museum
« on: August 20, 2020, 04:26:24 pm »
I got commissioned by the Museé de Crécy-en-Ponthieu back in March to make a replica warbow and set of arrows for their new exhibition, and I've finally managed to get them all finished up.

The bow is untillered, as it's just a display piece and they weren't paying for a fully finished bow, but it's made using the measurements of Mary Rose bow MR80A1142, in average quality English yew.  I've used the exact same measurements for a number of other bows, using yew from the same tree, and from the same land and they come out between 110lb and 145lb so that gives a rough estimate.

Really dark cow horn sidenocks from my local cattle vet, and a hemp fibre bowstring from hemp that I harvested a couple of years ago down in Devon.  It's a true Flemish string, so single laid in loop, rat-tail and bowyer's knot the other end, and laid into a fish glue solution.  The finished dried diameter of the string is 1.7mm, which is the same as the few others I've made previously that sit in 150lb bows without much problem.

The arrows are a mix, with five being 1/2" to 8mm birch fitted with my hand forged Type 9 Crecy heads, and the other six being 1/2" to 8mm ash in three sets of two (MoL Type 7s, MoL Type 8s and MoL Type 14s).  The 1/2" to 8mm profile is taken from a Mary Rose arrow I measured a year ago.

They're all inserted with tapered horn glued in place with hide glue, with swan fletchings bound with red silk into a tallow, beeswax and copper verdigris compound, and the heads are fixed with fish glue as per the MR arrows.




























Offline meanewood

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Re: Bow & Arrows for the new Crecy museum
« Reply #1 on: August 20, 2020, 05:52:51 pm »
Hi Will

Hope you are well?

Nice work on all that went in to this lot.

I've often wondered if this sort of display would be best if the bow was strung but I suppose there is the danger of the string breaking after a long time left that way.

Stuart

Offline WillS

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Re: Bow & Arrows for the new Crecy museum
« Reply #2 on: August 20, 2020, 06:06:26 pm »
I was gonna steam it into a braced shape, but realised that the shipping container would need to be huge to get it safely to France!

Often once the exhibitions are complete the bow gets resold or sent back and I can turn it into a working bow and sell it.  That won't happen with this one,  but I did a museum exhibit a few years ago and gave them a brand new 130lb self yew, it was on display for 6 months then I got it back.   It had gained almost 40lb, and I retillered it down to 160lb and sold it.

I agree though,  I think they'd look better braced up, much like the big MR82A1599 bow in the actual MR museum which sank fully braced.   

Offline Lefty38-55

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Re: Bow & Arrows for the new Crecy museum
« Reply #3 on: August 20, 2020, 06:23:55 pm »
Simply S T U N N I N G!

Offline DC

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Re: Bow & Arrows for the new Crecy museum
« Reply #4 on: August 21, 2020, 10:45:15 am »
Beautiful stuff Will. I must be getting gentle in my dotterage but I just find it unimaginable that they could fire those things at each other. I guess a rifle is worse, but Lord they look vicious.

bownarra

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Re: Bow & Arrows for the new Crecy museum
« Reply #5 on: August 21, 2020, 12:09:45 pm »
Excellent work. You've done a great job making authentic gear. Its good to know that folks will be seeing the right stuff and getting good info :)

Offline meanewood

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Re: Bow & Arrows for the new Crecy museum
« Reply #6 on: August 22, 2020, 07:06:30 pm »
So with the plate cutters, are they wide enough to create a hole that allows the shaft to follow through unhindered?

Offline Strelets

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Re: Bow & Arrows for the new Crecy museum
« Reply #7 on: August 23, 2020, 12:48:39 am »
Beautiful work Will.

Offline Pat B

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Re: Bow & Arrows for the new Crecy museum
« Reply #8 on: August 25, 2020, 10:08:08 pm »
Very nice work, Will.  :OK 8)
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline JNystrom

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Re: Bow & Arrows for the new Crecy museum
« Reply #9 on: September 03, 2020, 01:53:14 am »
Great job Will! The points are just perfect and so are the colors in display! Keep it up.
Reputation overseas... cool.  ;)

Offline Marc St Louis

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Re: Bow & Arrows for the new Crecy museum
« Reply #10 on: October 02, 2020, 07:31:18 am »
Really well done

I made an aboriginal kit many years ago for a display at a local abo center.  The chief wanted the bow braced in the display case, I didn't think that was a good idea but went along with it.  The bow was fully tillered but the humidity changes plays havoc with the tiller, sometimes it looks good and sometimes it looks wonky
Home of heat-treating, Corbeil, On.  Canada

Marc@Ironwoodbowyer.com

Offline Aaron H

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Re: Bow & Arrows for the new Crecy museum
« Reply #11 on: October 02, 2020, 11:20:26 am »
Excellent work!

Offline medicinewheel

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Re: Bow & Arrows for the new Crecy museum
« Reply #12 on: October 03, 2020, 03:19:02 am »
Hey....no FD??  :'( :'( :'(

Very nice work!
Frank from Germany...

Offline neuse

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Re: Bow & Arrows for the new Crecy museum
« Reply #13 on: October 27, 2020, 05:56:03 am »
Very nice, looks great.

Offline Lefty38-55

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Re: Bow & Arrows for the new Crecy museum
« Reply #14 on: November 13, 2020, 08:10:15 am »
Simply stunning and what amazes me the most is the skill of the blacksmith in creating a pile that is aligned to the axis for the full length of the point.

Well done!