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My Latest Bow (Read 6690 times)
Bikewer
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My Latest Bow
Apr 11th, 2007 at 3:02pm
 
Just finished this, my third longbow and first made with osage orange.    Got the stave (and the snakeskin) from a fellow Primitive Archer forumite here in Missouri.
Turned out pretty nice; it's a 45# pull at 28".  Smooth draw, and almost no hand-shock on release.
That snakeskin is a blacksnake, mostly applied to cover up numerous small tool marks that I was afraid to sand down too far.
The ring that forms the back of the bow was rather thin, and I didn't want to thin it any further.

Next....I'm thinking recurve....http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7da30b3127cce835d2fc44e2000000015108AcNGzh...

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7da30b3127cce835d2fd64e3200000015108AcNGzh...
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Bikewer
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Re: My Latest Bow
Reply #1 - Apr 11th, 2007 at 3:03pm
 
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Re: My Latest Bow
Reply #2 - Apr 11th, 2007 at 10:14pm
 
Very nice! 
Any other details?  Like did you do tip overlays, total length, or anything?  I really like the snake skin backing.  You did an excellent job on it.

I'm working on my second red oak board bow (linen backed) , then I'm thinking about trying to do a bamboo backed ipe (brazilian walnut) bow, loosely based of off of this:

http://www.geocities.com/salampsio/ipe7.htm

Maybe sometime in the future I'll do a fiberglass/wood laminate bow, it would be a fun (but expensive) project.
As you can see, I'm not doing this quite as traditionally as you are.

I'd like to thank you and CanDo, and others who have posted bow pictures, again for giving me the extra little nudge I needed to get into bowyering, even though I have done very little of it so far.
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paracord sling tutorial thread: http://slinging.org/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1196026630
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Curious Aardvark
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Re: My Latest Bow
Reply #3 - Apr 12th, 2007 at 8:25am
 
NIce looking bit of kit - so compared to a sling what sort of range do you get with your bows ?

Oh yeah how have you affixed the snakeskin ? ie: what sort of glue (I presume) do you use for snakeskin ?
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Do All things with Honour and Generosity: Regret Nothing, Envy None, Apologise Seldom and Bow your head to No One  - works for me Smiley
 
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 that was a rock.

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Re: My Latest Bow
Reply #4 - Apr 12th, 2007 at 4:11pm
 
Very nice indeed, I like it  Grin
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Re: My Latest Bow
Reply #5 - Apr 12th, 2007 at 4:56pm
 
Sweet bow!!!

Cool
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Bikewer
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Re: My Latest Bow
Reply #6 - Apr 16th, 2007 at 12:28pm
 
I didn't use any tip overlays (though they do look nice) since this particular stave was rather "crowned".  That is, rounded. I'd have had to cut too deeply into the outer ring to make a flat gluing surface.
Maybe the next one.

I did a lot of research before working with the snakeskin.  Web "authorities" recommended everything from modern synthetic glues like Titebond II or III, to traditional "hide glue" techniques.

I went with the Knox gelatin method.  Knox is essentially hide glue (yechh, right?) and you just mix up a stiff mixture in a double boiler (you have to keep it warm) and apply with a paintbrush to bow and the skin.
Lay the pieces out carefully and smooth out any bubbles, then wrap the whole thing with cloth tape or elastic bandage.  A couple of days to dry, then you can cut away the excess with a sharp knife and clean up the edges with a fine file.
Oh, you have to remove the scales too.  (they're very loose, you just go over the skin with the sticky side of some duct tape.
Apply final finish and you're done!
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Curious Aardvark
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Re: My Latest Bow
Reply #7 - Apr 19th, 2007 at 8:27am
 
well hide glue has been used in compound bows for many hundreds of years - so no reason for it not to work :-)
cheers for the info
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Re: My Latest Bow
Reply #8 - Apr 19th, 2007 at 9:51pm
 
Compound bows were invented in the 1950s or 60s, You must mean composite bows. 
   This is a compound bow:

     ...
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Re: My Latest Bow
Reply #9 - Apr 20th, 2007 at 12:13am
 
That is one cool bow!   Cool  Thanks for the great tips.  I may eventually try to build something like this, but I doubt if my results will be anything nearly as good.  BTW, Has anyone here had any experience making, and using improvised, quick-and-dirty "survival" bows?
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Re: My Latest Bow
Reply #10 - Apr 20th, 2007 at 7:01pm
 
I'm going to pass it on here- Do it!  This is a great website for beginners :

http://www.geocities.com/salampsio/

I used the instructions for the red oak board bow for my first two. 


A member here said something about bundle bows (for survival situations), I don't remember who.  I haven't done it.

http://www.primitiveways.com/bow_and_arrow.html

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Bikewer
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Re: My Latest Bow
Reply #11 - Apr 20th, 2007 at 9:23pm
 
If you're at all interested in building, I recommend the excellent "Bowyer's Bible" series.

The first volume contains nearly everything you'd want to know about making a primitive bow from a wide variety of woods, from the traditional Osage and Yew to the other woods and even hardware-store boards.

Most library systems will have them, or they're available at trade-paperback prices from Amazon and others.

Primitive archer is a related magazine, and they have a nice website and active bulletin board as well.  ( I post there frequently)
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Re: My Latest Bow
Reply #12 - Apr 26th, 2007 at 12:06pm
 
[quote]Compound bows were invented in the 1950s or 60s, You must mean composite bows[/quote]

Yep certainly did ;-)
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Do All things with Honour and Generosity: Regret Nothing, Envy None, Apologise Seldom and Bow your head to No One  - works for me Smiley
 
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Bikewer
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Re: My Latest Bow
Reply #13 - Apr 30th, 2007 at 2:23pm
 
Apparently, the first patent for a compound bow was issued in 1969.   That seems about right; I was shooting a composite recurve in the early 70s when I had my shoulder injury, and I remember seeing compound bows showing up commercially about then.

Some of the "primitive" archers call 'em "four-wheel-drive" bows.
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Re: My Latest Bow
Reply #14 - Apr 30th, 2007 at 5:56pm
 
I've heard of the cams/pulleys referred to as "training wheels."  There are some people who seem to despise compound bows.  I've shot one maybe 5 times or so.  They certainly are fun to shoot, but they really aren't bows.  I don't have anything against them, it's just that they aren't at all in the same league.  Plus, a good chunk of the fun, to me at least, is planning and making the bow, although I have just started doing that.  Not many people make their own compounds. Wink
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paracord sling tutorial thread: http://slinging.org/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1196026630
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