2016 Primitive Archer Bow Trade Sign up and Information

[jandersson]

mwosborn:
I could drop my peanut butter sandwich upside down on your work table and have no issues with finishing that sandwich.

[jeffp51]

Here are a couple of staves I am thinking about.  One is a White oak floor tillered stave I got in the Christmas trade.  It has already been through a few hands, so it might be a nice community project to get to a new bowyer.  The other is an elm stave from a neighbor's tree.  I haven't had much luck with this siberian elm so far, but this one is a different tree, and feels stronger than the others I have played with so far, and the stave is also cleaner.

the other picture is from last year's trade, and shows off my best bow so far, and my best side.

[Dakota Kid]

jandersson,

The antler will be a stronger patch. I prefer the powdered antler in most cases where taking stress is more important than the fill matching the wood color. If you don't have access to powdered antler, sawdust would be a suitable substitute, I wonder about bone meal, but have never used it so I can't make a recommendation. 

[jandersson]

Dakota Kid,
Epoxy? Or is saying that like swearing in church in this neck of the woods?

[Dakota Kid]

Most epoxy won't be very flexible. Plus that stave's too pretty for epoxy. Sawdust or antler and hide glue or TB3 would be my choice.

It's not exactly swearing like mentioning FG, but it's close.

[Fred Arnold]

I don't like the grain runoff towards the tips especially with that much twist. I'm hoping some of the more experienced members here jump in to give their opinions. Maybe hammertime, turtle, or one of the others guys will give their opinion.

It might be a good idea to post all of the pics in a new topic under the bows section. There are a lot of guys over there with vast experience with character staves that might not be checking on what we're doing here.

That's what I'd do before I tackled it.

Pearl Drums said he would help. You might PM him and get his opinion.

[stuckinthemud]

Hope I sneaked in under the wire. Here are my stats: anything under 45# at 26 to 28" draw although I don't mind short bow and short draw, I'm a lefty and have no preference as to type or style, whatever my partner wants to make is fine by me.  This should be fun.

Not much of my stash is seasoned fully but

left to right, holly, split yew stave (mostly sap wood but might make nice take-down), blackthorn and hazel - the hazel is really lovely so thats most likely candidate at the moment

[half eye]

Mr. Anderson,
        Looking at the picture of the belly side of your stave I believe that you can not successfully bend that limb laterally. I took the liberty of marking one of your pics to point out a grain sworel....it runs perpendicular to the knot on the bows back. Even on pristine wood you shouldn't try that bend because of the grain at that point.......
      Having said that I went back to your original picture where you are looking down the long axis and it sure does look like if you put a string from tip to tip it would be damned near center of the grip, and if thats so then you could steam to remove some propeller twist in the lever....and if a small amount of string alignment is needed then go to side string knocks......
      I cant see or touch your stave but to me I dont think you need a whole lot of movement. Just something to consider.
rich 

[Fred Arnold]

I agree Rich. If you leave the entire area stiff for levers and take out the twist you may have a good chance of making it work. IMO you should follow the grain as close as possible on the entire tip end. That's why I wanted to know how long it was.

[ajooter]

A little tweak at the handle can bring the tips right into alignment as well

[PatM]

Most epoxy won't be very flexible. Plus that stave's too pretty for epoxy. Sawdust or antler and hide glue or TB3 would be my choice.

It's not exactly swearing like mentioning FG, but it's close.

Plenty of flexible types of Epoxy are available. Modern glue is modern glue. Epoxy is older than TB3 that's for sure.

[---GUTSHOT--->]

Started the process of making dome raw hide. Never have to much materials. Might even back my trade bow then lay some snake skins down on it.

[jandersson]

My wife calls me a lazy communicator and I think I've been that, I gotta think about what I'm saying with all these new terms. That half eye is pretty sharp, the string alignment is 1/4" from spot on. I think I'm good on the lateral plane as long as I get some propeller twist out as you say. I was afraid steaming the twist out could crack open the crevice but I like Dakota kid idea of gluing and wrapping to prevent that from happening.

Fred: I started a thread about it a week or two ago but didn't have much luck on the specifics of that area. I might just pm Pearl. (EDIT)I was a little to eager roughing it out a year or two ago or I tried to remove a check I don't remember but I've learnt since then. Yeah keeping it stiff is the plan!

Dakota Kid: Ok, I'm going hide glue keeping it natural Just gotta make some.

[half eye]

Mr. Andersson, first off sorry about miss-spelling your name before. Before you get carried away with the prop twist....consider this. If you have a lever that does not bend and you shape it to a circle cross-section.....there is no prop twist. Propeller twist is the most offensive with a broad flat limb, on a skinny lever I have never had a problem.......between the levers cross section, and the normal string knock you will get a straight, even draw.......Levers can have different sections....square, oval, circular, even octagonal.
rich

Gutshot.....sweet .....you would not have snitched some young lady's deer hide would ya?
rich

[---GUTSHOT--->]

Half eye
           That's one of the few I have left that's mine. Lauren's  is next. She has requested a Rug with the hair left on for her room. So we are gonna get it fleshed and pickled before we ran that joker out, all while trying to get 3 bows made. There's just not enough time in the days any more. Lol