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Author Topic: snakey vine maple  (Read 9150 times)

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Offline aaron

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snakey vine maple
« on: November 27, 2012, 12:40:18 pm »
The stave- Two inch diameter Vine Maple harvested in Skamakowa WA earlier this year, it had one sideways wiggle and two "roller coaster" wiggles, but showed good tip alignment and no overall deflex/ reflex. Started out 7 feet long.
The Bow- Finished out at 69 inches nock to nock. Width at grip is 1 1/8, tapering to 1/4 inch tips. Tillered to bend equally in all parts (more on this later). Draws about 35 pounds at 28 inches.
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Ilwaco, Washington, USA
"Good wood makes great bows, but bad wood makes great bowyers"

Offline Pappy

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Re: snakey vine maple
« Reply #1 on: November 27, 2012, 12:43:03 pm »
Now that is wicked looking,another shooter. :)
   Pappy
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Offline aaron

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Re: snakey vine maple
« Reply #2 on: November 27, 2012, 12:44:59 pm »
...
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Ilwaco, Washington, USA
"Good wood makes great bows, but bad wood makes great bowyers"

Offline Dictionary

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Re: snakey vine maple
« Reply #3 on: November 27, 2012, 12:48:02 pm »
 :o
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Offline aaron

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Re: snakey vine maple
« Reply #4 on: November 27, 2012, 12:53:45 pm »
I want to describe how I tillered this one- a technique I use on almost all my bows. First I floor tillered it, achieving the initial taper using calipers to measure width and thickness every couple inches.
Then I heat treated it, inducing about 2 inches reflex and adjusting tip alignment.
Next, I drew straight lines on the sides of the bow, each line must be of equal length, and you draw a bunch of them down the length of the whole bow (see picture one below).
Then I brace the bow and use the same straightedge I had drawn the lines with to judge how each line has bent, (photo 2 below). By comparing the bend in each line, I can see exactly how much each section is bending.
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Ilwaco, Washington, USA
"Good wood makes great bows, but bad wood makes great bowyers"

Offline steve b.

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Re: snakey vine maple
« Reply #5 on: November 27, 2012, 01:00:10 pm »
I love it.  The more primitive the better, IMO.
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Offline aaron

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Re: snakey vine maple
« Reply #6 on: November 27, 2012, 01:04:44 pm »
The finish on the bow and the braintan grip is iron acetate and tannin. First apply black tea to increase the tannins in the wood- several coats. Then apply a mix of vinegar and steel wool which has been sitting for at least a few weeks. The results can be hard to predict - as you see on this bow- each limb was stained at a different time due to some retillering i had to do- one limb is reddish, while the other is just black- I think i used two different jars of the vinegar/ steel wool mix. Depending on how you do it, this stain can be anything from grey to reddish black to black.

The nocks are 1/4 inch wide cow horn back nocks wrapped with sinew.
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Ilwaco, Washington, USA
"Good wood makes great bows, but bad wood makes great bowyers"

Offline RyanY

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Re: snakey vine maple
« Reply #7 on: November 27, 2012, 01:25:10 pm »
Very cool. I really like the look of this one. What does the front profile look like?
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Offline Carson (CMB)

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Re: snakey vine maple
« Reply #8 on: November 27, 2012, 01:40:39 pm »
Wow! Nice bend on a really difficult stave Aaron.  I like those wrap on tips too, how wide are those tips?
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Offline Onebowonder

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Re: snakey vine maple
« Reply #9 on: November 27, 2012, 01:43:26 pm »
Wow!  I've never seen that particular technique for monitoring the tiller, ...but I like it much!  I love the way it allows you to pretty clearly see exactly how much each "facet" or the limb is working as compared to the rest.

Is that a white wax pencil you are using to mark the staight line on the edge of the bow?

OneBow
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Offline Bryce

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Re: snakey vine maple
« Reply #10 on: November 27, 2012, 01:48:42 pm »
That's one snakes VM right there! Killer work man! Love it!


YOU LIVE IN ILWACO??!!
Dude I live right across the bridge!

-Pinecone
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Clatskanie, Oregon

Offline aaron

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Re: snakey vine maple
« Reply #11 on: November 27, 2012, 01:53:52 pm »
thanks for the kind words everyone!
ryoon- the front profile is fairly straight on one limb, but the other has a dogleg near the tip- see it in the photo above showing a bow tip against a green lawn.
cmb- those tips are one quarter inch wide by about 9/16 thick.
onebow- yes white wax pencil- easier to see on the black bow.
Bryce- you live in astoria?
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Ilwaco, Washington, USA
"Good wood makes great bows, but bad wood makes great bowyers"

Offline Bryce

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Re: snakey vine maple
« Reply #12 on: November 27, 2012, 01:55:33 pm »
Well closer to knappa but yeah man!
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Clatskanie, Oregon

Offline Will H

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Re: snakey vine maple
« Reply #13 on: November 27, 2012, 02:28:41 pm »
Cool bow man!  8)
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Offline killir duck

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Re: snakey vine maple
« Reply #14 on: November 27, 2012, 02:29:44 pm »
i don't think i would've even tried that one, but you got a bow out of it and a good one too
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