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Author Topic: Here goes Round 9  (Read 5530 times)

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Offline bowhntineverythingnh03743

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Here goes Round 9
« on: August 14, 2014, 12:29:54 am »
As the title says this is going to be my ninth attempt at making a selfbow. It has been quite some time since I have posted on the site but am itching to jump back into the primitive art of selfbows. Here is my question for you all... I am looking to get a nice, easy, clean stave that is well seasoned and ready to work.

Where and what type of wood would best suit me for building a selfbow that may actually make it through the process?

I have many high tech laminated bows under my belt but these selfbows have me frustrated to no end. I sit here and review all of your bows which are awesome and think to myself that it would be a blast to hit the woods next spring with a snake backed selfbow for myself.

Any help, tips, comments are welcomed... Thanks to you all in advance!

Justin
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Offline GB

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Re: Here goes Round 9
« Reply #1 on: August 14, 2014, 04:52:32 am »
Hey Justin-
    I recognize you from the TG forum where I'm aka "takefive".  I'd go with an osage stave.  That stuff is just amazing and I've seen so many of them that look great with snake skins.  I buy staves on ebay and have found that if I read the description and study the pictures carefully, I can get a stave that I'm happy with for a pretty decent price.  Some sellers seem to fudge the ring thickness a bit, (what they call medium, I think of as thin) but as long as the early/late wood ratio is good, it will still make a good bow.  Good luck!
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Offline chamookman

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Re: Here goes Round 9
« Reply #2 on: August 14, 2014, 05:40:10 am »
1. Osage 2. Osage 3. Osage. Where do You live Justin ? Maybe You can find someone close, to help Ya thru the first Bow. Good luck - Bob.
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"May the Gods give Us the strength to draw the string to the cheek, the arrow to the barb and loose the flying shaft, so long as life may last." Saxon Pope - 1923.

Offline NeolithicMan

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Re: Here goes Round 9
« Reply #3 on: August 14, 2014, 09:26:37 am »
Hockory is not a ba option as it can take a LOT of abuse and mistakes and still turn out a very good bow. It tends to grow real straight with thick rings. not that osage orange would be a bad starter, but for me osage is a little harder to get
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Offline George Tsoukalas

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Re: Here goes Round 9
« Reply #4 on: August 14, 2014, 09:43:39 am »
Hickory stave or  a nice, straight grained red oak board are good places to start. Jawge
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/archer.html
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Offline Pat B

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Re: Here goes Round 9
« Reply #5 on: August 14, 2014, 09:45:39 am »
Have you studied each of your 8 failures to see why they failed? I'd bet most weren't the wood you used.  ::)
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Onebowonder

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Re: Here goes Round 9
« Reply #6 on: August 14, 2014, 10:06:18 am »
Hey Justin - good to see you back around man!  I would echo the suggestions of those that are saying Hickory.  It was my first wood for building a self-bow too.  It is more forgiving than most and can endure minor errors in grain violation better than other bow woods.  The only draw back to hickory is that it can be a bit of a 'wooden sponge' - which limits it's ability as a 'wooden spring'.  This is not really too big of an issue, as you can easily heat treat the snot out of it and then seal it as well as possible.  Nothing will actually lock out all humidity, but you can radically slow down the rate at which the wood will take up humidity from the air.

...again, it's good to see you back!


OneBow
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Offline bushboy

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Re: Here goes Round 9
« Reply #7 on: August 14, 2014, 10:16:42 am »
 Elm stave!I can't even managed to break one!you may bust the belly,but not the back!
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Offline 4dog

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Re: Here goes Round 9
« Reply #8 on: August 14, 2014, 10:37:06 am »
osage osage osage...the new bowyers buddy!!
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Offline SLIMBOB

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Re: Here goes Round 9
« Reply #9 on: August 14, 2014, 11:28:43 am »
I am an Osage guy, and I think it's hard to beat whether one is a newbie or a journeyman but, any of the well known bow woods will work.  Elm, Ash, Hickory, Pecan, Hackberry, Hard Maple, and many others.  Start with a good straight stave with as few blemishes as possible.  Make sure it was cared for properly and it is dry.  From there design and execution will get you just about anything you want.  Design and execution being at the top of the list before wood choice. 
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Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: Here goes Round 9
« Reply #10 on: August 14, 2014, 11:38:26 am »
Didn't I send you some elm and osage last year? Or was that somebody else? Ive shipped so much I forget.
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Offline bowhntineverythingnh03743

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Re: Here goes Round 9
« Reply #11 on: August 14, 2014, 11:50:06 am »
Thanks for the input guys. Chris you sent me an elm stave and it had a little curve towards one tip. I didn't follow the grain perfectly and ended up snapping that tip during the tillering process. I do think I have a nice hickory stave... I also have two billets of hickory that I received to make a takedown but I do believe I'm not ready for a takedown. I really like Osage and may try and squire and or buy a clean stave of it. I do have some really cool snaky Osage billets for a takedown but I'm saving those until I get more experience.
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Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: Here goes Round 9
« Reply #12 on: August 14, 2014, 11:53:31 am »
Now I remember. I made Pat a bow from the split off that one. At least you recognized your error, that's a big step forward.
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Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline bowhntineverythingnh03743

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Re: Here goes Round 9
« Reply #13 on: August 14, 2014, 12:44:58 pm »
Yes all of my staves have had some sort of dog leg in them or a grain that has some sort of character in it. I need to start with a clean straight stave for a few bows and learn the correct dimensions before I go diving into a character stave.
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Offline Pat B

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Re: Here goes Round 9
« Reply #14 on: August 14, 2014, 12:50:34 pm »
George's suggestions are the cheapest and easiest to build a bow from.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC
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