Author Topic: Snakey Hickory Board  (Read 5237 times)

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Offline make-n-break

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Snakey Hickory Board
« on: May 03, 2015, 05:37:07 pm »
This one was real hard for me to tiller.  It was fun to make but has pretty severe prop twist and I couldn't tiller it out for the life of me. It has a little bit of a bump when shot but it's center shot so the arrows fly nice. I'm guessing the little bit of hand shock is from the heavy prop twist.

57# at 28". 68" long, 1.75" wide for all but the last 6 inches. One pin nock and one side nock (for string alignment).

 8190 string with plaited loop and Japanese bowyers knot on the other end. Small cut in shelf and a thin vineere of red oak to keep the arrow pass from bending too much. Jute handle and some decorative thread on the limbs.

Unbraced profile is right after 100 arrows (400 shots or so as of now)
"When making a bow from board staves you are freeing a thing of dignity from the humiliation of static servitude." -TBB1

Offline make-n-break

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Re: Snakey Hickory Board
« Reply #1 on: May 03, 2015, 05:38:32 pm »
More. It's got some mud smeared on it from stumping in a soupy marsh today.
« Last Edit: May 03, 2015, 05:43:13 pm by make-n-break »
"When making a bow from board staves you are freeing a thing of dignity from the humiliation of static servitude." -TBB1

Offline make-n-break

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Re: Snakey Hickory Board
« Reply #2 on: May 03, 2015, 05:39:17 pm »
The last.
"When making a bow from board staves you are freeing a thing of dignity from the humiliation of static servitude." -TBB1

Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: Snakey Hickory Board
« Reply #3 on: May 03, 2015, 05:42:35 pm »
You say "board" bow and yet it is snakey....did you follow the grain of the wood thru the board? 
Guns have triggers. Bicycles have wheels. Trees and bows have wooden limbs.

Offline make-n-break

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Re: Snakey Hickory Board
« Reply #4 on: May 03, 2015, 05:47:38 pm »
Yes JW. It had real nice grain on the sides of the board but some even width snakey grain on the faces of the board. It came from the outer edge of a 1"x8"x6' flat sawn board so it's essentially a rift sawn bow. The waves were followed faithfully and that's also why I chose 1.75" for the whole length, cuz it was real evenly spaced.
"When making a bow from board staves you are freeing a thing of dignity from the humiliation of static servitude." -TBB1

Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: Snakey Hickory Board
« Reply #5 on: May 03, 2015, 05:59:16 pm »
Well, then!  Wow, man! 

It can be a challenge to follow snakey grain in a stave that has been split a little fine, but when snakey grain is found in a sawn board, you have very few choices.

Well played, sir. Well played, indeed.
Guns have triggers. Bicycles have wheels. Trees and bows have wooden limbs.

Offline make-n-break

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Re: Snakey Hickory Board
« Reply #6 on: May 03, 2015, 06:02:40 pm »
Thank you!

Just made you a very, very crude drawing of the board to better explain what I'd struggle to put into words.
"When making a bow from board staves you are freeing a thing of dignity from the humiliation of static servitude." -TBB1

Offline burchett.donald

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Re: Snakey Hickory Board
« Reply #7 on: May 03, 2015, 07:05:45 pm »
   Good use of that board 8)  I really like the looks of that bow...
                                                                                                                       Don
Genesis 27:3 Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison;

Offline Drewster

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Re: Snakey Hickory Board
« Reply #8 on: May 03, 2015, 07:32:17 pm »
Compliments on a terrific board bow.......one of my favorites ever.  Except for the grain direction, I never would have guessed that one came from a board......fine work.
Drew - Boone, NC

Offline George Tsoukalas

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Re: Snakey Hickory Board
« Reply #9 on: May 03, 2015, 07:42:17 pm »
That's a beauty! Did you do an overlay? I could not tell but it looks like you cut through the back at the nocks. Jawge
Set Happens!
If you ain't breakin' you ain't makin!

Offline half eye

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Re: Snakey Hickory Board
« Reply #10 on: May 03, 2015, 07:56:19 pm »
M&B, First off nice use of the wood the way it came to ya.....I dont know if you thought about it like this but here is a crazy old man's take....look at your drawings the one showing the "end" of the board with the grain orientation.....That's the same way a "decrowned" stave would look on it's back (and belly if thin enough) and by following the "course" of the rings ya got your self a real fine bow stick.

Boards aint that much different from stave, eh? Again, nice use of the wood.
rich

Offline make-n-break

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Re: Snakey Hickory Board
« Reply #11 on: May 03, 2015, 09:27:13 pm »
I appreciate the kind comments everyone.

Donald - thank you!

Drewster - it's got some pretty hasty finish work to deserve a favorite ever, but thank you.

George - no overlays. It would be a self bow if not for the veneer on the handle. The back is the "back" of the board just as it came out of the mill (besides being trapezoidal). It's not violated where the string rests, I just rounded off the edges of the tips.

Half eye - it was just like a decrowned stave, I agree. I'd have used the center if there weren't so many run outs. I like the ease of board bows being closer to dimensions, but I still get more enjoyment out of messing with a stave!

If I could change some things about this bow, id make the tips a little thinner and prettier, and do more finish work. Right now it's just sanded with 100 grit and burnished, beeswax finish. Still tool marks all over the thing. Didn't want to put all that time into it before I knew it would survive. Might get around to some finer finish work later on.
« Last Edit: May 03, 2015, 09:32:37 pm by make-n-break »
"When making a bow from board staves you are freeing a thing of dignity from the humiliation of static servitude." -TBB1

Offline paco664

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Re: Snakey Hickory Board
« Reply #12 on: May 03, 2015, 11:49:49 pm »
Dude. .. that is completely awesome. .
I'm too drunk to taste this chicken"~Col.H.Sanders

Offline Peacebow_Coos

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Re: Snakey Hickory Board
« Reply #13 on: May 04, 2015, 02:27:46 am »
Nice work man!

mikekeswick

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Re: Snakey Hickory Board
« Reply #14 on: May 04, 2015, 02:30:44 am »
Well if a board is junk for sawn backing why not just follow the grain and let the true stave out!
I think your handshock is because the lower limb is bending too much overall and the outer half isn't really bending.