Author Topic: pole or sapling stave  (Read 7852 times)

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Offline Little John

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pole or sapling stave
« on: February 11, 2015, 11:37:11 pm »
Looking for a quality osage pole stave, split and dried into reflex would be great. And or a green, straight sapling of any good bow wood suitable to be made into a stone tool bow, must be fresh cut so as to be easily worked with stone tools. I have knapping stone, cane shafting, sinue, trade points, brass pointed nail points for bamboo or cane arrows, tie on trade field points, geese fletching.
May all of your moments afield with bow in hand please and satisfy you.            G. Fred Asbell

Offline Pat B

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Re: pole or sapling stave
« Reply #1 on: February 12, 2015, 12:38:24 pm »
Kenneth, I'm planning on cutting a small hickory soon, about 4" at the base. If you'd like a piece of that its yours.
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline lebhuntfish

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Re: pole or sapling stave
« Reply #2 on: February 12, 2015, 01:17:30 pm »
I'm cutting two smaller black locust. Hopefully this weekend. If you would like some of those. Patrick
Once an Eagle Scout, always an Eagle Scout!

Missouri, where all the best wood is! Well maybe not the straightest!

Building a bow has been the most rewarding, peaceful, and frustrating things I have ever made with my own two hands!

Offline Little John

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Re: pole or sapling stave
« Reply #3 on: February 13, 2015, 09:39:13 am »
Thanks Pat and Patrick, probably either of these would work, especially if you think so. I guess that the trick would be to get them shipped with out loosing moisture and without splitting or warping. An old wood carver was showing me a life size carving of a flying eagle with a rabbit in his talons (Beautiful piece of work), he said that he kept it from checking and cracking by keeping it in a large plastic bag and sealed except when he was working on it. It would build up lots of condensation between work sessions but this kept the wood from checking and cracking. Oh I know you both know that that the stone tool bow is much easier roughed out while still green and easily worked.  A stone age bow will be fun and I have been wanting to try one for a long time. Pat, the pole bow I made with the split osage pole you sent me years ago turned out pretty nice but I can see where I could do much better with the next one, I always wished I had it to do all over, so maybe some day I can get another nice piece.
                                                                                                              Kenneth
« Last Edit: February 14, 2015, 02:28:44 am by Little John »
May all of your moments afield with bow in hand please and satisfy you.            G. Fred Asbell

Offline RidgeRunner

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Re: pole or sapling stave
« Reply #4 on: February 13, 2015, 10:41:13 am »
One word of advice on your stone tool bow.
Don't try to use tiny little tools.
Use tools that large enough so that both BOTH hands can be used.
They work so much better.  If you don't find your sapling let me know.
There is a lot of Hophornbeam in this area. 
My stone tool bow was made from a Hophornbeam.

David
David Key / N.W. Alabama

Offline Little John

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Re: pole or sapling stave
« Reply #5 on: February 13, 2015, 06:37:53 pm »
Thanks for the advice David. How did yours turn out. and any adittional  help appreciated, I will let you know if I need the hopbeam.             Kenneth
May all of your moments afield with bow in hand please and satisfy you.            G. Fred Asbell

Offline lebhuntfish

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Re: pole or sapling stave
« Reply #6 on: February 13, 2015, 07:02:21 pm »
Hey buddy, thought I would let you know that I may not get to cut that locust this weekend. Life and kids. But if it don't snow Monday I may try to then. Patrick
Once an Eagle Scout, always an Eagle Scout!

Missouri, where all the best wood is! Well maybe not the straightest!

Building a bow has been the most rewarding, peaceful, and frustrating things I have ever made with my own two hands!

Offline Little John

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Re: pole or sapling stave
« Reply #7 on: February 14, 2015, 02:40:39 am »
Absolutely Patrick, take care of them kids. There is no great hurry here. If you come up with some thing you think will work for my needs PM me and I am sure we can work a good trade. Oh and I am an Eagle scout as well. Have a nice weekend.         Kenneth
May all of your moments afield with bow in hand please and satisfy you.            G. Fred Asbell

Offline RidgeRunner

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Re: pole or sapling stave
« Reply #8 on: February 14, 2015, 07:40:12 am »
Well John:
To tell the Truth it looks like someting a cave man hacked out with stone tools......
That is not the fault of the stone tools or the hophornbeam sapling stave.
It is my fault.

Stone tools, used correctly, can produce a selfbow as nice as any made with modern tools.

Mine took a bit to much set as it was strung and shot while still somewhat green.
The draw weight increased quite a bit after it dried.
Someday I hope to re tiller it and maybe dress it up some more.

David
David Key / N.W. Alabama

Offline lebhuntfish

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Re: pole or sapling stave
« Reply #9 on: February 14, 2015, 01:06:07 pm »
Absolutely Patrick, take care of them kids. There is no great hurry here. If you come up with some thing you think will work for my needs PM me and I am sure we can work a good trade. Oh and I am an Eagle scout as well. Have a nice weekend.         Kenneth

How big around would you like the stave? Congrats on the Eagle Scout achievement! It's quite an accomplishment!Patrick
Once an Eagle Scout, always an Eagle Scout!

Missouri, where all the best wood is! Well maybe not the straightest!

Building a bow has been the most rewarding, peaceful, and frustrating things I have ever made with my own two hands!

Offline Pat B

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Re: pole or sapling stave
« Reply #10 on: February 14, 2015, 06:37:30 pm »
Kenneth, this will be winter cut hickory with the bark stuck. That's what I was going for. Will it work for you?
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Little John

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Re: pole or sapling stave
« Reply #11 on: February 14, 2015, 09:51:12 pm »
Patrick, 2 1/2" plus or minus would probably be perfect, the less wood removal the better. Any way I will try to let the wood tell me what kind of a bow it wants to be. I need at least one totally primitive bow in my arsenal, hope I can pull it off.

Pat, yes stuck winter bark would be fine and would make a real cool bow if I can do  my part. Hopefully the community can help me out, would be nice if it could turn out to be a bonafide hunting bow. Maybe I should plant some linen in the garden. Well then I will need a birch bark canoe, so where doe it all end. Well it is the journey that counts any way.

                                                                                             Kenneth
« Last Edit: February 14, 2015, 09:55:23 pm by Little John »
May all of your moments afield with bow in hand please and satisfy you.            G. Fred Asbell

Offline lebhuntfish

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Re: pole or sapling stave
« Reply #12 on: February 14, 2015, 10:24:05 pm »
The locust I'm planning on cutting is about 4 inches or so. Patrick
Once an Eagle Scout, always an Eagle Scout!

Missouri, where all the best wood is! Well maybe not the straightest!

Building a bow has been the most rewarding, peaceful, and frustrating things I have ever made with my own two hands!

Offline duke3192

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Re: pole or sapling stave
« Reply #13 on: February 17, 2015, 08:49:52 pm »
Little John, I've got half of a split osage limb, it is about 2" wide and an inch thick, 70" long, but the bark is still on and this has been in my shop for ten years +.
charter member of traditional bow hunters of Florida.

Offline Little John

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Re: pole or sapling stave
« Reply #14 on: February 24, 2015, 08:32:28 pm »
Duke, I would love to have the osage pole. The other one I worked with came out ok but under weight and I know I can do much better with the next one.
May all of your moments afield with bow in hand please and satisfy you.            G. Fred Asbell