Backwards Osage [shooting]

[jeff halfrack]

  nice  bows  guys!!!  this  is  off  the  point,but  the  man  with out  the  beard ,  I met  you  at  hawkeye this  past  summer  you  gave  me  some  pointers  on  my  black  locust  self  bow,  I  want  to  thank  him  the  bow  shoots  great!!!!  I  have  to  hide  it  from  my  buddys!!!!!!!!!!   I  hope  to  go  back  to  hawkeye  again  this  summer!  and  would  like  to  sit  in  a  class  and  maybe  make  an  ossage  bow too   thanks  so  much  !!!!!!  JEFF W

[George Tsoukalas]

Good looking bows there, Pappy. Jawge

[Pappy]

Thanks guys,it was fun,ya VB we work pretty fast with no distractions.Rick it was hide glue,You just hold the heat gun about 8/10 inches and heat slow,it took about 10 minutes to get it hot enough to bend. Bullitt he always wears bibs when he is in TN. that's about all I wear when I am away from work. Jeff that was Gary Davis and he always goes to Hawkeye and yes he is a wealth of knowledge and more than willing to share.I never really sat down and built a bow with him but have learned a lot from him over the years,That was one reason we wanted to do this ,to see our different styles.Not a lot of differences in how we go about it just a little difference in the tools we use and how we use them. Some people think the way they do it is the only way/or the best way but we have figured out there is more than one way to skin a cat,no real right or wrong way,Just different ways.What ever works for you is the right way.
   Pappy

[Little John]

Congrats Pappy, glad you got to spend time and work with Gary. Very novel bows. I made one decrowned bow from a small osage pole, never thought of doing it like you did. I like the look of the bark on the handle. Thanks for shareing.      Kenneth

[medicinewheel]

These are two really nice bows, really great tiller profiles!
Wouldn't expect less from to master bowyers like you guys are...
Is that really bark at the handle??

[Pappy]

Yes that is bark on mine,Gary's handle was sap wood,he had to take the bark off the size it down.Thanks.
   Pappy

[hedgeapple]

A termanology guestion:  When you say decrown are you talking about flattening the back of the bow or making it concaved?  Pappy in chasing the growth ring on the inside of the tree, did the back of the bow turn out slightly concaved?

[Badger]

Good work, I had the pleasure of meeting gary and watching him work at Mojam one year. he really knows his stuff. Fine gentleman as well. Steve

[Aries]

that is pretty excelent! i never knew sage sap wood was good for anything! Ty

[Pappy]

hedge, making it flat,someone can probably explane it better than me,but basically you take the crown off and you will have the longitudinal grain running the length of the bow,kind of like a board.The back was concaved a little right where the pith was in the center .Even tho these had sinew on them I think it can be done without sinew.
   Pappy

[hedgeapple]

Thanks, Pappy,  I have a couple smaller sappling staves.  I was thinking about sanding them flat and backing them with hickory, but they're slight snaky.  So, it would be nearly impossible keep from having run-offs with the hickory backing.  UNLESS, I spent alot of time straightening the osage sappling stave.  The process you did might just be my answer.

I love the bark on the handle of your bow.  Cool touch.

[Pappy]

Here ya go,found it.
   Pappy

[sadiejane]

thanks pappy! yr my hero today!
gonna print this off along with the other thread and take to class.
shld provide some good discussion fodder...

[dragonman]

nice looking bows, was that you're own idea or do others do it this way? its good to see original thinking.... theres always many ways to do things ,its not good to get stuck in one way, thanks

Dave

[Ifrit617]

Cool Pappy.. Really like those two sticks!