60" Siyahed Osage Static Recurve - Finished Pics!

[4est Trekker]

Thanks, everyone!    I appreciate the kind comments.  I'll post some more pics by week's end (hopefully) as I get it finished out. 

Aero:  yes, I did have to cut through one growth ring over a long taper to get it flat.  However, the 4" long glue joint contains 3" of the back ring.  This ring is secure via the lamination created with the siyah and poses no structural problem.  Plus, the tips start to thicken immediately where the siyahs begin. 

toomanyknots:  I used Urac to attach the siyahs.  I like it because you can cure it with or without heat.

sulphur: the bow was somewhere around 54" before the siyahs, and without running down to measure it I can't remember the angle I attached them at.  I'll have to measure that for you.  Yeah, sinew would add some spit and zip, but I haven't the time, patience, or sinew.  I prefer an unbacked bow simply because I get impatient 

Aries: Yes, the rings on the staves from this tree are nice and thick.  Sure makes it easy to chase them on the back, but I get more set than I do with tight-ringed staves.

Again, thanks for looking!

[swamp monkey]

this is an outstanding bow.  I am working on my first static re curve and am inspired to try a lamination trick like you did with the ash sihyahs.

[rps3]

I would love to try this with some of my shorter osage, could you explain how the string works on this bow? Do the ends have big loops?

[4est Trekker]

rps3: That's exactly right.  I made my string with 2" loops on either end.  I'm so busy right now I can't even find time to finish the bow or post pics, but I will soon.  Then you can see just how the string works/looks at the siyahs.   

[PatM]

 If you go to www.grozerarchery.com you can see close up photos of bow tips of this style and see how the string loops should fit.

[rps3]

Thanks, I cant wait to give this a try.

[4est Trekker]

Here's some finished pictures of the bow.  I'll post some finished specs when I have time. Ended up with 1/8" positive tiller, which was just right at full draw (see pic in first post).  I made the arrows to get him completely outfitted.  They're tipped with 125gr/ Zwickeys. Thanks for looking!

[4est Trekker]

A few more pictures:

[toomanyknots]

Man, how do you do that caligraphy? Great bow though. Did you know that with the degree of your siyah angle that you wouldn't need bridges, or you just eyeball it? I see your siyahs came out nicely quarter sawn on the bow, were they from a plainsawn board maybe? Ya, I don't know if I could give that one away if I were you!

[Ifrit617]

That is just absoulutely beautiful. Very very nice. 

[maddog314]

Great looking bow.

[okiecountryboy]

4est
Pard, that is some kinda of sweeeeeet!
I can't see one thing bout that weapon that is'nt just plaino beautiful...Hech, even the signature, date, and #age looks like art!
Dang fine job! That soon to be daddy is gonna be puttin some serious meat in the freezer.

On a side note...This is just one of the things I love about the community on PA...People helpin each other...You just can't beat that.

BTW...I'm gonna have twin grandbabies in about  2 months....Does that count?!?

God Bless
Ron

[straightarrow]

Absolutely stunning bow. You did a superb job on it. In one word....awesome

Jon

[4est Trekker]

Thanks for the kind words, all. 

The calligraphy is done with a feather quill pen and white India ink.  I seal the bow first, sign it, then spray the finish over top of that. 

toomanyknots:

I did some math to figure out that I wouldn't need string bridges, but I glued on temporary ones with superglue for tillering at a low brace height.  These consisted of little more than a 1/4" square piece of wood that I sanded a valley into with a small sanding drum.  Once the brace height increased and the string cleared the siyahs, I simply knocked the bridges off.

The siyahs were resawn from a board and are a quartersawn as I could get from the stock.

The siyahs are finished at a 29" angle to the BELLY of the bow.  However, the back is angled to increase the surface area of the glue joint and facilitate a smooth transition between the stave and siyah.

okie:

He's raring to go to put some meet in the freezer!  Congratulations on those twin grandbabies...I'll see what I can do 

[4est Trekker]

I talked to my brother-in-law last night, and he's been shooting the bow like mad.  He's finally got a weekend off and is planning on heading out to the deer woods with it.    He's shot an osage longbow for fun for about 3 years now and is very good with it, but he's really taken to this bow.    He currently shoots a decked-out Matthews compound with a finished price tag of nearly $1200.  Yet, I haven't seen him as excited to hunt as he is with this one.  We may have a convert in the making