Just finished up this unbacked 62 ˝” osage bow. I hit my weight and it finished out 57# @ 26”. It started as a belly split and I decided to do a glue on handle because I didn’t want to do another D bow. This was my first stab at this and I had a lot of issues with the handle popping off during tillering. Apparently I was starving the joint and also getting some flex in the handle. After my second attempt, Hickory Bill suggested I glue the handle again using only to tape to hold it instead of clamps. He also suggested I do a deer sinew wrap for a little extra security. It worked like a charm but I had to sacrifice the beauty of the bacote I used. I tillered the bottom limb a quarter inch stiff and shot the bow around 300 times. It took less than a 1/2 “ of string follow and is straight at rest. The tiller stayed true and it was time for the finish, which had me stumped. At first I was going to go with a more modern long bow appearance but with the sinew I wanted to go with more of a primitive look. I stopped at this point and decided to go down the house and watch some tv. I didn’t sit down for a minute a could picture in my head what I wanted the bow to look like which is why I named the bow “the vision”. I used alcohol based stains and five coats of tru- oil for the finish. The tips are also maple and bacote. I liked the way the handle looked so I didn’t cover the sinew with leather. The side plate and shelf is dyed brain tan and the string is artificial sinew. This bow is a real shooter and I decided to keep it for myself. I think it may have earned the spot as my hunting partner this year
Jon
