hickory/horn/sinew

[BowEd]

It's a lacquer finish.Magnalac it's called.Hedge,Black Locust,Hickory will all work.Oh how about rock maple?

[BowEd]

I don't know what you think but to use an elastic tension strong wood that is'nt too dense because of limb mass weight would be my choice.I've never worked hard maple yet and would like to give it a go.This was shagbark hickory which I have a lot around me here,but I think pignut is a little better really which is here too.Hedge would look very nice.Choice of wood sometimes is like trying to split hairs if you know what I mean,but there is a difference that's for sure.

[BowEd]

OHHHH....I forgot ironwood is an opton too.

[BowEd]

Markus....That buffalo hide I braintanned back in the 1980s.Got took on a deal where a fella gave me 2 of them and said tan both and you can keep one.Lot of work.

[Lee Slikkers]

It's a lacquer finish.Magnalac it's called.Hedge,Black Locust,Hickory will all work.Oh how about rock maple?

I'll have to make a note on that lacquer, not sure I've seen that locally but worth the search I think.  I'm not sure I have Rock Maple around here (lower southwestern MI) but we do have Sugar Maple.  We also have Hornbeam which from all I've read on here from those who has worked it, it is quite the resilient and impressive white wood (seems a lighter white wood would help with the mass issue.)

The I think the hickory paddle/pyramid I have is Pignut but I got it from Blackhawk and maybe he knows for sure...I'll have to pick his brain and see if he recalls.

[BowEd]

Lee...Sounds like a weiner to me....LOL.The magnalac comes from the woodsmith store in des moines,Iowa.The reason I like it is two fold.It dries a lot lot quicker than poly[recoat every 10 min. and you can be shooting the bow in 2 to 3 hours.]If you have to sand to retiller you can recoat and it blends right back in with no lines whatsoever.It is harder than poly but still flexible enough for a bow.Get the dull version if you can.the precatalized magnalac.
I'm no expert about these composite bows at all but have been in the ballpark a while and have sat in a few of the seats ok.The thinner the core gets like to only 1/3 of the thickness of the limb it basically is just there as a glueing surface and performs nill.It does help to stabilize your limbs though and that is important too.Maybe you have watched it before I don't know but if you go to you tube and type in [YamtarCeri] Jeff Schmidt is there with John Mchperson and they will show you.
Sounds like you've got the right kind of wood around.Sugar maple IS hard maple.You won't go wrong with ironwood either.

[blackhawk]

It's a lacquer finish.Magnalac it's called.Hedge,Black Locust,Hickory will all work.Oh how about rock maple?

I'll have to make a note on that lacquer, not sure I've seen that locally but worth the search I think.  I'm not sure I have Rock Maple around here (lower southwestern MI) but we do have Sugar Maple.  We also have Hornbeam which from all I've read on here from those who has worked it, it is quite the resilient and impressive white wood (seems a lighter white wood would help with the mass issue.)

The I think the hickory paddle/pyramid I have is Pignut but I got it from Blackhawk and maybe he knows for sure...I'll have to pick his brain and see if he recalls.

It was shagbark Lee. Hickorys all the same to me

[BowEd]

Hey blackhawk....Sounds like a typical hedge man response.....LOL.I've noticed pignut staves pull themselves into more reflex the more wood you remove from their belly.Not so much with shagbark.

[Josh B]

I been waiting to see this one Ed!  Nice work my friend.  That will do!  Josh

[Carson (CMB)]

Wow!  That is a stunning piece of work. 

[BowEd]

Thanks Gundoc & CMB.It's just a bow and the shine of it will wear off.Then it's off to another you know.This was a bit different than your regular self bow though.

[Trapper Rob]

Great looking bow need to get you to tell me how you made it hope to see what you kill with it this year

[BowEd]

Back on reply #41 I mentioned to Lee Slikkers that the glue line of the horn and wood would hold and it will.I feel responsible to say this.Now I used smooth on epoxy for this.According to the instructions.It takes an extreme amount of heat starting at 280 degrees F. to loosen the glue line of smooth on.I've heard from a couple of expert bowyers that they tried it with titebond 3 and it did'nt hold.My glass bow making friends use smooth on on all of their bows they make and they do make a bunch of bows and have never had a failure unless it is a dry joint.I personally have used it on a few bamboo backed hickory bows with horn bellies and have never had a failure either.Hide glue was used by the Asiatic bow maker Jeff Schmidt.I used hide glue with the sinew on the back of course.

[Lee Slikkers]

Ed, interesting to hear someone using the Smooth On epoxy.  I am kinda of a hide glue nut for the obvious stuff like sinew and snake skins and hadn't ever considered using the epoxy for horn work but it is something to "noodle" on and consider I guess.

I checked out that YamtarCeri on youtube and what a huge wealth of info...over an hour and 3/4's of instruction...many thanks for that link, still need to finish the series but very interesting stuff.

Thanks

[BowEd]

Yes hide glue has stood the test of time that's for sure.My concern or rather over concern maybe is that hickory is a magnet to humidity I think more so than most woods.The horn on there with smooth on then the lacquer over that made me feel more assured of barriers to the humidity.As the titebond 3 then snake skin then lacquer barriers on the back.I weighed the pros and cons around in my head hide glue or smooth on a while and that is what I decided.Smooth on has been used for decades for laminated bows.I really believe it is a stronger glue than titebond 3 in load bearing stressful situations but guys have been making laminated bows of high poundage war bows with titebond 3 too.Glueing is like a paint job on your classy car.Preperation is 90% of the success.