2016 Primitive Archer Bow Trade Sign up and Information

[mwosborn]

Wow - I am out of town one evening and when I return I am 5 pages behind on the trade thread!  Lots of activity here - I love it.  Fred you are doing a great job.

Ok - I think I am going to start 2 bows.  Thinking of a hickory backed trilam and hackberry selfbow.  We will see how it goes.

[---GUTSHOT--->]

Cock a doodle doo. That's my rooster outside saying get up its 3:45 And tell your trade buddies good morning from KY.  Waiting on the black brew to get done and gonna head to work. Let's see the to do list includes going to work BOO! Coming home tonight work on a bow and raw hide YAA!  Hope to see lots of chatter on here today it makes the day go by quicker.

[hunterbob]

I am in the scoundrel trade but I am up and at it already this morning. Well sitting here drinking coffee. Wife at work my day off. Bows to make.

[stuckinthemud]

Accidentally got a day to work from home - lots of cancelled appointments- no-one said to work on what, so been roughing out and heat-straightening a hazel lever-arm bow  never made one before so this'uns for practice before the main event, unless it turns out really well, that is.   

[ajooter]

What a great thread to follow and be involved in....I'm jealous of you lucky dogs home from work today.  Tomorrow the stave press is coming to work with me tho! 

[Sidmand]

Well, hunting season is now over for me - no luck this year, at least not on deer.  BUT, I did find a whole bunch of bows growing in the woods, I just need to go pluck em

I'm going to try to split my stave in two, but I wanted to check first:  Would it be a safer bet to bandsaw that guy apart, or could I kerf it down the center with a fairly thin blade and then split it?  I know with a bandsaw I can get it even, but I'm not sure what (if anything) that would do to the staves integrity.  I'm worried that if I split it, the split would wander off and I'd lose my backup plan.

[bubbles]

What kind of wood is it? I have had bad luck splitting elm without Kerfing it first.

[---GUTSHOT--->]

Good morning Fred, at what point of the build do we need not to show no more pics of the bow we are building. I really don't want my person to see the finished bow on here unless you want them posted. Now I'm no where near even close to being finished. Heck not even got a tiller string put on it. I was just here at work thinking so I thought I would ask before I forget.

[half eye]

Sidman,
      If you have enough saw, cutting will not hurt your stave one lick....do it all the time with red and white elm and Ironwood. If you use the kerf and split you wont be gaining anything but a lot of work
rich

[Sidmand]

bubbles - it's Osage

half eye - that's what worries me a bit too.  I'm not sure I have enough saw.  All I have is a saw I need to get from my Dad, it's a table top band saw.  It might be a bit to light in the poop to cut that stave.  I will try to get it from him and take some pictures.  If I have to do the kerf thing, your absolutely right, it will be a boat load of work.

[half eye]

Sidman,
       When I split my Ironwood I make my kerf with the chainsaw....about 1" deep maybe more, drive the wedges to get it split, then cut the intertangled grain with the chainsaw....dont hit a wedge with the saw ya dont want to know how I know that, even more than once,too
rich

[Fred Arnold]

I like splitting osage and have never cut a kerf except for elm. I've split out 4 full osage trunks and ended up with 26 staves.

Gutshot, I'd like to see pictures from everyone through each building stage the reason being that way I'll know who's not keeping up and who needs help. Besides if those pics are available for all of us to critique the chances are the newer bowyers have a better chance of getting all of our knowledge and advice. That should be a tremendous opportunity for them to send out a bow they can be proud of.

Since no one knows who's building for them the surprise will come when the package arrives on the doorstep.

I'm planning on showing my work through every stage and hope everyone else does also. I did a little heat straightening last night indoors on the bw and will finish with 1 more session outdoors today on the caul.

I think? that showing the process will help us all learn something but if anyone doesn't wish to I will allow them to email me a pic instead of posting it here. I just want assurance that no one is falling behind.

[half eye]

Hey fellas,
      need to catch up on what I've been up to (besides no good ) I wanted to prep some staves for members that I promised some to. Now have all those done. (check out the shop pic....cut just a couple,eh?)
     Got my victim, and dont want to give anything way but had to rough a 3rd set of bows to accommodate his specs.
     Got up to no good on a matter that cant be discussed at this time, and even dragged some otherwise nice guys into it too, my bad
    The quiver is nearly finished, pics in a couple days
Have the award bow waiting for some bling to arrive....if it's OK I'll wait to post it till it's done.

I think I'm mostly caught up so tomorrow I'm going to be chuckling while hackin and slashin on my victims bows. I will post regular pics of that.

Finally, I got a "face shot" to put up....sorry Fred it took so long....so here are the pics
rich
     

[half eye]

the rest

[TimothyR]

Cock a doodle doo. That's my rooster outside saying get up its 3:45 And tell your trade buddies good morning from KY.  Waiting on the black brew to get done and gonna head to work. Let's see the to do list includes going to work BOO! Coming home tonight work on a bow and raw hide YAA!  Hope to see lots of chatter on here today it makes the day go by quicker.

I wish the rooster next door only did that at daybreak. It cock a doodle doos all day and night. I may use the new bow when its done just to shut it up. Lol!!