Gemsbok horn bow build along with new full draw pics!!!

[fiddler49]

Lot of pics of build along on PaleoPlanet   http://paleoplanet69529.yuku.com/topic/61736/Gemsbok-horn-bow-build-flexed-horn-limbs-plus-sa

I got a pair of old gemsbok horns from a friend and made a very cool take down bow!!! I used a new 1/4 sawn  ash wheel borrow handle to join the horns. Horns are 34 inches long and have 1 3/4" butt ends after cutting off the ragged bits. I tillered the horn on belly and back and re flexed limb ends with heat gun. I also pinned the horns to handle with 16 penny nails for safety and are easily removed to take down bow. Here's a few pics a lot more on PP.  cheers fiddler49

[fiddler49]

I still need to sand out the limbs but it shoots great. I draws like a war bow, I can get it back to around 26 inches
likely around 60 lbs. Bow is about 72" ntn the handle is 9 inches between horn butts and extends into horn 4 inches. The red thread wraps are fast flite.  cheers fiddler49

[tattoo dave]

Pretty cool take down there fiddler!

Tattoo Dave

[GlisGlis]

cool bow fiddler
did you stained the horns or is it natural colour?

[Zradix]

that's cool!

[Parnell]

You know you can't post a bow like this without a full draw picture.  AGAINST THE RULES!

Let's see it.

[adb]

Yup... full draw please!

[Springbuck]

  Sweet. 

[Arrowind]

Very nice.  I really like that bow.  Thanks for sharing!

[fiddler49]

Thanks lads. I don't have a full draw of the re flexed limbs but but when the sun comes back out I'll get one!
 Here's a full draw pic with the limbs before re flexing and few others. These horns were pretty old at least 30 years maybe older! I filled the horns with clothes softener and rubbed it into the out side and left them for a couple hours. Softener,hair conditioner, and hoof flex do pretty much the same thing, replace the plastisizer on the surface that keeps the material flexible. I measured 60 plus at 26 inches. I usually draw 31.5 " but can't get it back that far at the moment!! cheers fiddler49

[fiddler49]

The arrow on the full draw pic is 32 inches I got it back to about 30 " The limbs had about 6 inches of deflex
unbraced. I re flexed the limbs to get early draw weight and arrow speed up and boy did it!! There is also an unbraced pic on the bench. The tiller tree pic is at 26 inches.  cheers fiddler49

[sieddy]

That bow looks absolutely amazing! Thanks for sharing fiddler you seem to have a really unique and creative approach to bowmaking. (I've enjoyed seeing some of your other work on PP)
Keep em coming! 

[fiddler49]

When I first braced the bow I could not pull the limbs past about 15 inches so I took my angle grinder to the back and belly. The horns were evenly matched and balanced but way to strong!!! It was still too strong so I took off the knobs down to the wraps. The cross section is more rectangular now. I read on wiki that the female gemsbok
has longer but narrower horns than the bulls. The pics showed a lot of variation in lengths, dia., curve and symmetry. Something to think about if you order them. cheers fiddler49

[iangriffin]

Hi Fiddler49
I spent 18 years in Southern Africa and have never seen one of these bows in the flesh. I only seen a few in pictures. Some those where in build alongs. Did you know that Gemsbok is the the Africaans name for this animal. In english its an Oryx. Its is true that the female is smaller than the male but not by much. This bow has two other nicknames. The Oddyseus Bow(can't spell it) and the 10 minute Bow. Everyone who's made one of these bows talks a lot about the difficulty of tillering it, I've never heard of anyone using an angle grinder. Your bow looks great in every way. Everyone talks about the end product at full draw being 160-180lbs. Pardon my sugguestion but you could repair a lot of broken hearts by posting it on youtube. Fantastic work.
       

[Parnell]

Very interesting.  So what do you account the "lower" 60# weight of this bow to?  How is that tillered?