My granddaughters are home from the Philippines. We went out the other day and spotted a snake hit on the road, stopped and skinned it real quick. Marcela asked what we were going to do with it and I said we'd put it on a bow. She asked if we could make a bow for her (she's 8 years old) and I said sure. So, when we got back home we headed for the shop. First, we tacked the snake on a board. It is a beaut, jet black with orange overtones.
Then, we picked a very thin osage split I'd taken to a growth ring a year or so ago. She started watching me work and held on to the bow to keep it in the vice while I thinned with the draw knife, but it didn't take long for her to get on the draw knife. She's still learning how to use it, but there's no lack of energy and motivation.
Once we got it bending Marcela really liked the tillering setup and pulled the bow so we could look at it.
She has no problem pulling it to 50lbs with the rope, way further than she'll be able to pull the actual bow. I kept having to hold her back. Her younger sister Harmony was fascinated with how we could see the bow bend. Marcela immediately picked up how to identify stiff spots. Harmony tried to pull the rope to bend the bow, but wasn't strong enough.
I thought we had the bow ready to string, but it's still a little too stiff. I didn't get another picture but it is bending much better.
That's as far as we got today. Marcela and her Dad are heading out do a little camping over the weekend so we won't make any progress on it for a couple days. When she gets the bow done we'll put that snake skin on it.
As soon as Marcela's bow is done, Harmony is chomping at the bit to make hers. In fact, it may get started before Marcela gets back.
George
