Author Topic: Wanna see my Hickory Holmgaard?  (Read 6385 times)

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John B.

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Wanna see my Hickory Holmgaard?
« on: December 29, 2008, 12:28:37 pm »
Here's my latest, a Hickory Holmgaard named Great Dane.  She draws 45# at 28" and shoots very nicely.  She's 66" overall with static tips of 10".  The working limbs are 1 3/4" wide.  I left some of the cambium on the back and finished her with a coat of pecan stain then four coats of tinted wipe-on poly.

Lets see if these pics work...

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Offline ber643

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Re: Wanna see my Hickory Holmgaard?
« Reply #1 on: December 29, 2008, 01:39:20 pm »
Looks very nice to me, John B. I love the color, I'd forgotten how pretty and "woody" pecan stain is. Did you use it to tint the poly also? Makes me wonder if maybe I should have done my Hick Holmi with pecan - instead of leaving it natural - LOL.
"Hunters Are People Too" (My website Premise)
Bernie Dunn
Coastal NC

Offline Jesse

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Re: Wanna see my Hickory Holmgaard?
« Reply #2 on: December 29, 2008, 02:07:21 pm »
That is a really pretty stain.  :)
"If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere."
    --Frank A. Clark

Offline mitchman

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Re: Wanna see my Hickory Holmgaard?
« Reply #3 on: December 29, 2008, 02:12:05 pm »
what a beauty. i like leaving some scattered cambium on the back. it makes it camo'ed      very nice bow

Minuteman

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Re: Wanna see my Hickory Holmgaard?
« Reply #4 on: December 29, 2008, 02:30:12 pm »
 Nice bow buddy.
 Looks like you coulda gotten a bit more bend out of the last 1/3 of the workin part of the limb. Looks like a good one none the less. How many bows have you made? I dunno much about the holmie design. Is that all the limb thats supposed to be workin?
 You'll find you can get away with alot more rounding off of the back and belly of the handle section than you've done there.It makes for a more comfortable grip.

 

Offline OldBow

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Re: Wanna see my Hickory Holmgaard?
« Reply #5 on: December 29, 2008, 02:58:36 pm »
That is just excellent. I have one I'm finishing up made from hawthorne. Yours is better. Bookmarked for Dec Self BOM or I can wait until Jan if you let me know.
When you're retired, every day is Saturday

John B.

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Re: Wanna see my Hickory Holmgaard?
« Reply #6 on: December 29, 2008, 05:04:34 pm »
Thanks guys, I'm proud of this one.  It's my best yet, for sure.

Bernie and Jesse, I stained the bow with the pecan stain, then I wasn't happy with how uneven the color was.  Anybody who's worked with hickory has seen this before.  I used some of the pecan satin itself to tint the poly.  I went pretty heavy at first, maybe 15% stain to 85% poly, then less stain in the final coats.  You have to be careful to apply it evenly 'cause if you put a lot in one area it'll be darker than other areas.  Be careful sanding between coats, or you'll make light spots.  After the first coat I used steel wool instead of 400 grit.

Mitch, thanks.  That camo-cambium back only took a couple of minutes with a scraper.  It's easy.

Minuteman, Holmgaards are supposed to have absolutely static tips.  It was a challenge getting them light, but not bending.  I'm a big fan of the classic American Flatbow handle style. In fact, hanging next to Great Dane just three feet away from me as I type are three lemonwood AFBs from the 1950s.  I find it plenty comfortable when shooting.  When I shoot the only part of my hand touching the bow is the web between my thumb and forefinger and a couple of fingertips.  I'm a loose gripper  ;D

OldBow, thanks for the compliment.  I had a good stave. 8)   Uh, it never occured to me to submit it for Bow of the Month, but ok, sure.  I posted it in December, so it's only fair that I compete in December.  now i gotta go see who i'm up against.  ;)

Offline cracker

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Re: Wanna see my Hickory Holmgaard?
« Reply #7 on: December 29, 2008, 05:09:32 pm »
Very nice looking bow. I guess some of us are gonna have to tighten up. Ron
If we can't help each other what is the point of being here?

Offline DanaM

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Re: Wanna see my Hickory Holmgaard?
« Reply #8 on: December 29, 2008, 08:04:44 pm »
John any chance of a unbraced picture? I think ya did a fine job on it but I also agree with minuteman that the
working part of the limb could bend a bit more. But if your happy with it thats all that counts and tiller is in
the eye of the beholder. well done :)
"Prosperity is a way of living and thinking, and not just money or things. Poverty is a way of living and thinking, and not just a lack of money or things."

Manistique, MI

Offline ber643

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Re: Wanna see my Hickory Holmgaard?
« Reply #9 on: December 29, 2008, 08:19:17 pm »
Thanks on the stain info, John. That fact about Hickory is one of the reasons i decided to leave mine natural - LOL.
"Hunters Are People Too" (My website Premise)
Bernie Dunn
Coastal NC

Offline sailordad

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Re: Wanna see my Hickory Holmgaard?
« Reply #10 on: December 29, 2008, 08:22:25 pm »
love the color

it looks like it does all the bending in both fades.
yes i know about the non working limb area,but your working limb area appears to be only bending in the fades and not out to the non working limb area.
could be my eyes never know
i always wanted a harley,untill it became the "thing to ride"
i ride because i love to,not to be part of the crowd

John B.

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Re: Wanna see my Hickory Holmgaard?
« Reply #11 on: December 29, 2008, 08:30:53 pm »
Yeah, the outer portions of the working limbs could bend a little more, but when she dropped below 50 pounds I stopped scraping.  The tips are light, so handshock is not an issue. 

The stave had a natural reflex to it, and I was scrupulous about not working the bow unless it was dry, dry, dry, so it took very little set.

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Offline Little John

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Re: Wanna see my Hickory Holmgaard?
« Reply #12 on: December 29, 2008, 08:47:01 pm »
Very nice Bow, I am a big fan of Holmies and have one in the works right now.  If it was bending too much in the fades and not enough else where It would have taken set there.  I love the ultra light tips and the speed and lack of hand shock that comes with them. Very nicely done and really like the finnish.  Do you have a chance to chrono or flight shoot to measure performance?          Kenneth
May all of your moments afield with bow in hand please and satisfy you.            G. Fred Asbell

Offline wakosama

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Re: Wanna see my Hickory Holmgaard?
« Reply #13 on: December 29, 2008, 08:52:04 pm »
I like this... ALOT.  Hoping to get good enough to make one someday.  So, right now I'm doing as many bows as I have wood, so I get the practice I need to really know what I'm doing.  I never learned anything by doing it right the first time except being thankful for beginners luck.

Very nice...

LUK
Think as if your LIFE depends on it... IT DOES...!

Offline DanaM

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Re: Wanna see my Hickory Holmgaard?
« Reply #14 on: December 30, 2008, 07:04:12 am »
Thanks for the unbraced picture that helps a lot :) Sweet looking bow and thanks for sharing eh :)
"Prosperity is a way of living and thinking, and not just money or things. Poverty is a way of living and thinking, and not just a lack of money or things."

Manistique, MI