49" Inuit cable backed....done (added pic of a simpler type model)

[Del the cat]

Very interesting to see this sort of unusual bow design.
Great work as usual, nice detailed post and pics.
If I'm allowed to make an observation, I think the bridges could be much slimmer as they are in compression, but I'm sure you've made 'em that way for a reason (probably authenticity, so forgive my impertinent suggestion).
Del

[half eye]

Lombard, I think they greased the stuff out of the sinew cables and the "rub pad" below the cable, that seal oil will about stick to anything.

Parnell, I believe the bridge is prevent the ends from snapping off if you tension the cable too much, and in draw it does prevent the recurves from working. That little whitewood piece is on the belly and serves as a wear plate for the sinew that holds the twist in the main cable, there is a lot of pressure trying to straighten themselves out. I ran the first strip of sinew from knock to knock untill I had two cables of 10 strands each, and fed the loose end into the strands sort of like a flemish twist string. Then a second very long continuous strand (they used a a braided sinew cord) you could also call it plaited. Twist the end into one of the cable bundles and start wrapping the two together with a spiral wrap, when you get to the first limb wrap (or any of them) wrap the line around the llimb around the cable, back around the limb and back to the cable and cinch down with either a half hitch or soldier hitch then just keep on truckin. I spent more time pulling that long %$@!*@ thru all the turns than tying....it gets a lot better by the time ya get to the grip.

Pappy, ya got to blame that Georgia Ken dude, he sent me the damned book, next thing ya know I'm in over my head

Hey Del, no such a thing....I only have one authentic pic of a bow with a bridge block and it looked pretty big to me. I made 4 sets of them and settled on these. I was affraid that if they were too thin (contact with the limb) they would create a problem from the pressure on them being concentrated on too small of an area. So that's why I made them broad with the corners well rounded. One other thing is the overall weight of the bow....it's pretty heavy compared to a small NA flat bow.....well any all wood bow for that matter.

Hope I came up with some type of answer for all of you....remember this is my first one so mostly I had to go with pics, descriptions and such and don't know any Eskimo type people......no warrantee, express or implied

[dragonman]

Congrats. on another pretty authentic native bow, very interesting, must have been a challenge to work that one out, well done Rich

[uwe]

Cool work, I like what you created!
Its still my idea to make such a bow, but I`m afraid of these bindings.
Regards Uwe

[gmc]

You work is always interesting. Nice job on that bow.

[ricktrojanowski]

I love it when I log on and see you posted another bow. .  That is one cool bow.  It's the first time I've seen one except in books in the form of drawings.  I hope you put this one in for BOM.  As always,  I'm impressed by how far you can get a short piece of wood to bend.  Especially from boards.  Keep up the good work.

[okiecountryboy]

Rich
You do know that "200 years too late" comment was a compliment.
You honestly keep me inspired!!!

Ron

[stickbender]

     Man that is sharp!     But how do you twist the cable to raise or lower the poundage?  I didn't see any place to insert, a rod, or windlass type device to tighten the cable.

                                                                   Wayne

[half eye]

Hey Okie, that was a 39 and holdin zinger back at ya....I know what you are saying, sometimes wish I could go back. If I could I'd like to set down with the old boys and find out all the whys and what-for's.....The wondering "why" is what keeps the fire in my old belly.

Stickbender, dead center in the cable/grip there is a wrap that keeps the cables from unwinding.....if you want to tension the cable ya undo the wrap, and they used a flat piece of Ivory (looks like a tounge depressor w/ little hooks on both ends) you insert that through the middle of the cable, give it a half turn....slide it through to the other end and turn it again....keep it up till it's as tight as ya want....then reinsert the end of the winding wrarp through the cable a couple of time cinch it up tight and take out the winder and then ya need a needle to keep going through and around the cable/grip till it's wove back into the main cable. You cant believe how tight that thing gets....I had a HARD time getting the needle to pass under the cable let alone through it ( had to use a wood block to push the blunt needle through the cable.

[Easternarcher]

Half Eye, I dug out that book you mentioned last night, and boy you did some studying to figure out those wraps!
Your bow looks very cool and deadly! Is that just a white oak stave? quarter sawn? no backing?? (other than cables of course).
How many strands of sinew for the center cables? Did you finish the bow with grease or linseed oil?

[half eye]

Eastern,
      The white oak is quartersawn, it's originally cut to send out for barrell staves, so it's just basically a "board" (vertical grain) There is no backing....the hide thats under the middle 1/3 of the cable is just laid in loose and wrapped over. When I wrapped the cable strands around the knocks I went 10 complete revolutions.....so it looked like two 10 strand cables. The finish is the stuff I made from fat + spruce pitch+ very little candle wax.     I been using that on my last 9-10 bows and I really like what it does for the wood itself.....dont know if fills the pores or what but the difference it makes in springiness, lack of set, and just about everything "good for bows" is not to be believed.....I wont use anything else from now on....can ya tell I like it
Rich

[Marc St Louis]

Very nice bow.  Is it an exact copy of an Inuit bow?

There was a young man that used to come to the PA message board many years ago.  He posted a bow that he cable backed, I think he used linen for the cable, but he put bridges all the way down the back.  It really boosted the draw weight

[ken75]

im dying to see whats next

[Easternarcher]

Eastern,
      The white oak is quartersawn, it's originally cut to send out for barrell staves, so it's just basically a "board" (vertical grain) There is no backing....the hide thats under the middle 1/3 of the cable is just laid in loose and wrapped over. When I wrapped the cable strands around the knocks I went 10 complete revolutions.....so it looked like two 10 strand cables. The finish is the stuff I made from fat + spruce pitch+ very little candle wax.     I been using that on my last 9-10 bows and I really like what it does for the wood itself.....dont know if fills the pores or what but the difference it makes in springiness, lack of set, and just about everything "good for bows" is not to be believed.....I wont use anything else from now on....can ya tell I like it
Rich

Did you put a reflex in the limbs under the bridges with heat before wrapping? Just to have something like that on display would be a great converstion piece....then to actually use it to hunt would be even cooler!  I'm sure those wrappings were a pain, but the end result is awe inspiring.

[Josh]

Nice bow, Rich... Also great article in PA.  Very informative.