Author Topic: My first successful plains selfbow but with a small split on the back  (Read 1814 times)

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Offline txdm

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Howdy! recently we had an ashe juniper (a.k.a. Texas cedar) split at its fork in a wind storm, and I saw a potential short bow in the fallen part. So I took it on hoping to make a plains-style bow and found that the semi-soft juniper is very easy to shape, though it tends to have some challenging twists, knots, and splinters. It makes a feather-light bow and took heat bending reflexed tips without issue after only a couple of weeks from being roughed-out of semi-wet greenwood.

This was my first ever successful self bow from wood I didn't buy as boards at the lumber store! :BB

The 50" bow is decrowned because the diameter was small, and it pulls 40#@24", bending slightly through the handle. The handle is built up with scrap leather and wrapped with jute. The backing is one sheet of brown feed bag paper suspended in several layers of Titebond III and camouflaged with leather dyes. The tips are reinforced with rawhide from a dog chew, and the bow has several coats of spar urethane to help protect the soft wood.





It's a joy to shoot, but there's a crack lifting along the edge of the back where I didn't leave an extra layer of ring near a knot. Fortunately the paper/glue backing is holding it down and it still shoots. I want to fix it but I don't know whats the best glue to use, between Titebond or CA glue...of course I'll wrap some hemp cord around the lift too. Any advice?

(pics show the crack with the bow braced, its just between the handle and the mid-limb area)



I'm not really interested in sinew backing just yet, as I want to get the most out of this plentiful wood as self bows. The next one will be more like 60" from a larger, straighter juniper or I might try splicing two branches first so I don't totally kill a tree for a failed bow(s).
« Last Edit: January 15, 2022, 06:52:31 pm by txdm »

Offline Eric Krewson

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Re: My first successful plains selfbow but with a small split on the back
« Reply #1 on: January 16, 2022, 09:31:28 am »
I would use TB on that crack and follow with a good wrap like you described. The hard part will be getting the glue all the way down into the crack, it can be done with compressed air if you have a compressor.

Another thing you can do is get as much glue in the crack as you can and start your wrap at the tip of the crack and work back toward the limb, this will force the glue back into the crack.

Offline Pat B

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Re: My first successful plains selfbow but with a small split on the back
« Reply #2 on: January 16, 2022, 10:25:26 am »
+2 what Eric said.  :OK
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline txdm

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Re: My first successful plains selfbow but with a small split on the back
« Reply #3 on: January 16, 2022, 11:18:48 am »
Thanks for the tips, going to give it a go.

Offline aznboi3644

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Re: My first successful plains selfbow but with a small split on the back
« Reply #4 on: January 16, 2022, 12:20:08 pm »
I’ve had success with wrapping a splinter like that.

Offline TimBo

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Re: My first successful plains selfbow but with a small split on the back
« Reply #5 on: January 16, 2022, 01:55:51 pm »
That's a nice looking bow - good luck with the repair!

Offline txdm

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Re: My first successful plains selfbow but with a small split on the back
« Reply #6 on: January 16, 2022, 02:50:53 pm »
That's a nice looking bow - good luck with the repair!

Thanks! I like how the rugged craft paper camo job contrasts with the buttery cedar on the belly side. If I get it fixed I'll try for some better pics. It shoots brutally hard for something that feels barely heavier than a wooden arrow.

Offline txdm

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Re: My first successful plains selfbow but with a small split on the back
« Reply #7 on: February 20, 2022, 05:32:45 pm »
Reporting back in with an update on this bow. I strung and pulled the bow with my foot then glued inside the lifting split. Then I wrapped it tightly with hemp cord from wallyworld and coated the wrapping with Titebond III. It needs to be cleaned up and re-coated with spar urethane, but it has held up to a hundred or so shots so far with no indication of the problem spot lifting:




I forgot to mention in my first post that this bow has a brace height of only 5", that gives it a couple of extra inches of power stroke. You need to hold it with a bent bow arm and your thumb extended on the belly (see first pic in this post) to move your wrist just out of the way so it doesn't get smacked...and this bow smacks HARD.

PHILOSOPHY OF USE:
At less than 1lb and 50", the bow is a joy to carry anywhere. I found that for me it would be best suited for procuring small game while traveling "fast & light", when there would be no time to process and carry bigger game.

With that in mind, I have been practicing on small targets at less than 15yds. I tried different release methods like the tertiary and pinch-push, but those weren't precise enough with my current sill level. So I stuck with my most precise short-draw release:  Mediterranean with 2 fingers. I added add a chicken feather quill as a primitive flipper rest to get more consistency:



With that rest in place I can hit a 3" target at 10 yds, which is exactly what I would need from this bow. I'll want to add some extra serving on the string to establish a nock and make it thick enough to shoot without a glove.

I still plan to make another "lumberized" Juniper at 60" with a stiff handle when the right stave or board comes along. Thanks for looking.
« Last Edit: February 20, 2022, 06:08:17 pm by txdm »

Offline bradsmith2010

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Re: My first successful plains selfbow but with a small split on the back
« Reply #8 on: February 20, 2022, 06:00:07 pm »
congrats on your bow )P(

Offline Hamish

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Re: My first successful plains selfbow but with a small split on the back
« Reply #9 on: February 20, 2022, 06:48:37 pm »
 Congratulations on a successful stave. I really like this bow.
I would try sinew on the next one, it would be bullet proof.

Offline Kidder

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Re: My first successful plains selfbow but with a small split on the back
« Reply #10 on: February 20, 2022, 09:17:25 pm »
Nice work! Coming up with good fixes is a big part of bow building. I too really like this bow!

Offline superdav95

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Re: My first successful plains selfbow but with a small split on the back
« Reply #11 on: February 20, 2022, 10:03:08 pm »
Nicely done.  Good save.  Not that it matters and maybe you already done so but putting a matching patch on other limb would be a thought.  Would balance it out visually.  Keep it up!

Cheers
Sticks and stones and other poky stabby things.

superdav95@gmail.com

Offline freke

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Re: My first successful plains selfbow but with a small split on the back
« Reply #12 on: February 21, 2022, 05:43:59 am »
Nice looking bow, happy to see you dealt with the splinter  :OK. May I ask what kind of backing  "brown feed paper" is?

Offline Del the cat

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    • Derek Hutchison Native Wood Self Bows
Re: My first successful plains selfbow but with a small split on the back
« Reply #13 on: February 21, 2022, 06:27:49 am »
Nice work, always worth trying a repair. :)
Del
Health warning, these posts may contain traces of nut.

Offline txdm

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Re: My first successful plains selfbow but with a small split on the back
« Reply #14 on: February 21, 2022, 08:50:51 am »
Nice looking bow, happy to see you dealt with the splinter  :OK. May I ask what kind of backing  "brown feed paper" is?

Its like heavy brown kraft paper or butcher paper. It comes as an inner layer on certain animal feed bags.