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Author Topic: Maple Sapling Bow - my first  (Read 8365 times)

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Offline Dane

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Maple Sapling Bow - my first
« on: February 14, 2009, 08:41:05 pm »
Hi folks, and happy St. Valentines Day (appropriate as Cupid loves bows, and so do we).

These are just a few quick photos of a new bow. I am taking it to the range tomorrow to try it out, and then provide more details. This is the first sapling bow I have made, with tons of knots, so it was especially challenging throughout the process. I cut it down last August near my home. Funny how staves sometimes magically have more knots and flaws when you start working them then you remember seeing when you selected a tree.

This is far from a perfect sapling bow, but taught me a lot. I'll give specs and more info tomorrow, but for now, it is about 68" long, maple, pin nocks, pulls about 30 lbs, as is tiller more or less bending through the handle. A lot of small knots and a few huge ones really had me paying attention as I worked.

Pardon the horrid color in the photos. I have a new digital camera, and am still learning white balance mode, so the colors are not true.

Dane

 

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Greenfield, Western Massachusetts

Offline JustAim

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Re: Maple Sapling Bow - my first
« Reply #1 on: February 14, 2009, 09:20:30 pm »
Hey thats a really cool lookin' bow ya made!! Great job! -Matt
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Offline ricktrojanowski

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Re: Maple Sapling Bow - my first
« Reply #2 on: February 14, 2009, 09:46:31 pm »
Dane
That is a gnarly looking piece of wood.  I like the way it came out.  It makes me want to try a sapling bow.  What kind of Maple is it made from?
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Offline DustinDees

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Re: Maple Sapling Bow - my first
« Reply #3 on: February 15, 2009, 03:50:14 am »
WOW i mean WOW. i think i could probably make a few dozen toothpicks with a stave as gnarled as that. great job.
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Offline medicinewheel

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Re: Maple Sapling Bow - my first
« Reply #4 on: February 15, 2009, 04:43:52 am »

i'm impressed!
f.
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Offline DanaM

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Re: Maple Sapling Bow - my first
« Reply #5 on: February 15, 2009, 07:21:35 am »
Well done Dane, the tough staves will definately make ya slow down and think eh :)

Pugarita eh ::) :D
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Offline PeteC

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Re: Maple Sapling Bow - my first
« Reply #6 on: February 15, 2009, 08:40:26 am »
Good job on a challenging piece of wood. God Bless
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Offline cracker

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Re: Maple Sapling Bow - my first
« Reply #7 on: February 15, 2009, 08:46:02 am »
Sometimes knots seem to appear in the wood while you are hauling it home.Very interesting little bow let us know how it shoots.Ron
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Offline Dane

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Re: Maple Sapling Bow - my first
« Reply #8 on: February 15, 2009, 08:58:39 am »
I'm grateful for the comments, guys. I'm about to head out, more details later today.

Pugarita, Dana. It is a limited edition poster to benefit pug rescue.

Dane
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Greenfield, Western Massachusetts

Offline Justin Snyder

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Re: Maple Sapling Bow - my first
« Reply #9 on: February 15, 2009, 11:11:11 am »
Nice work......
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Offline OldBow

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Re: Maple Sapling Bow - my first
« Reply #10 on: February 15, 2009, 02:00:34 pm »
Great bow and PRIMITIVE! which is what this site is all about. Nicely done and bookmarked for Feb Self Bow of the Month!
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Offline adb

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Re: Maple Sapling Bow - my first
« Reply #11 on: February 15, 2009, 05:23:11 pm »
Hey, Dane

Wow... nice job! You've done very well with a difficult stave. Those character staves really seperate the boys from the men! Excellent work around the knots. I know, for me, working character staves really brought my bow making skills up to the next level. Your tiller looks spot on, as well.
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Offline Dane

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Re: Maple Sapling Bow - my first
« Reply #12 on: February 15, 2009, 07:49:08 pm »
Justin, OldBow, ADB, thanks. The rest of you, thanks again. Frank, knowing the caliber of your work, your words have much weight.

Here is some more info. It came out to 68" tip to tip, and is 1 3/8" at the widest point of the stave. One tip is 5/8" wide, the other is 3/4" wide. Those big knots are about 10" from each tip.

I shot it today, and it is sweet. No hand shock, not a fireball, but a nice shooter I will enjoy taking out again. It shot much better with one limb in particular up, so that is the one that will be the top limb.

The sapling was about 2" in diameter. I cut it near my club in Deerfield, and as I said before, it looked a lot staighter than it ended up once I split it and began working on it. I split it with a little bearded hatchet and a carving mallet, a process that was very simple and quick for such a small piece of wood.

Rick, I am not sure what kind of maple it is. Either hard maple or sugar maple, I think. Those are the two kind that mostly grow around here, I belive.

Here are some shots. Quite a few, so I am posting a few times. I had a lot of fun with this bow. It did make me slow down and think, and I fully expected it to blow each time I put it on the tillering tree. Same with when I first shot it, but it seems to be holding together nicely. The TrueOil worked nicely too, so I am sold on it as a bow finish, even if it is modern. I dont think I am going to even make a bow handle.

There was very little set in one limb, but quite a bit in the other. That is a good lesson to learn for the next sapling bow I start. One of the things I appreciate is how much easier it is to find and process a smaller tree.

And now, some shots.

Dane







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Greenfield, Western Massachusetts

Offline Dane

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Re: Maple Sapling Bow - my first
« Reply #13 on: February 15, 2009, 07:50:50 pm »
Some more shots.

Dane

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« Last Edit: February 15, 2009, 07:55:52 pm by Dane »
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Greenfield, Western Massachusetts

Offline Sparrow

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Re: Maple Sapling Bow - my first
« Reply #14 on: February 16, 2009, 12:16:50 am »
I like it ! Primitive,kinky,holds together.Theres a good bow.Congratulations:   Frank
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Frank (The Sparrow) Pataha, Washington
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