42" sinewed osage / 47# @ 25"

[half eye]

Thanks Crooket, Stix

Howard, I really like it, we'll see this year
rich

[JW_Halverson]

My knees go all wobbly when I look at that full draw pic.  I am sorry, Rich, but everything in my experience with little bows being "overdrawn" makes the reptilian hindbrain in me wanna run and hide behind something solid to avoid being pierced with the inevitable shrapnel.

But that is a Half Eye Production, and my imagination soars thinking about how awesome that little stinker is!!!  Hooowah!

[half eye]

Mr. JW,
     got just over a 100 arrows through it as of now and the unbraced profile has not changed at all. I'm confident that this bow is not over stressed, believe it's gonna last a good long time.
rich

[davey]

thats lovely man... do you have any tips on the outer layer if you got no snakes?  bit worried about my sinew in this changeable british weather.  I hear bear fat, but theres few of those either.. would birch tar work ? lard ?  ps just trying hemp for the first time. longer and easier than sinew

[half eye]

davey,
    I think birch tar and wax (bees wax or similar) mixed about 50/50 to start and add in small amounts of lard or rendered fat untill you have the cooled consistency of shoe polish. I apply by heating it untill it applies easily with a rag, then run over it with a hair-dryer to melt it into the wood. Buff with a rag and you should be darned near water-proof.  To waterproof your sinew just slightly warm the mixture and rub on with a rag (avoid any excess heat to the sinew and hide glue)
    My finish consists of spruce pitch, rendered deer fat and beeswax.....the idea with mixtures is to accomodate the local weather conditions....norther Michigan gets really cold so my finish is less "stiff" than say if I lived down south where heat is the issue.
    Hope that helps you some
rich

[crooketarrow]

  That's unreal RICH my friend Crooketarrow used that same mixture. He was over 1/2 IROQOUS and from NY. He called that his cold weather finish. He'd boil off resins then add warm deer fat and wax. He also had a Bush's root bark. He'd boil until it stared to thicken then blend with the others warm.

   He'd ad it all together slowly heat mix well it there and heated until it drip ed off a stick. He'd never put any heat directly to the sinew. But keep the finish warm and apply with a warm rag. he'd really rub it in fast and hard to help create it's own heat.

  Let completely dry in side where it was warm a day or so, usually 3 coats. I've never seen or hear him say anything about a crack in the finish.

  Howed you come up with your mixture.

  If he did he would have exspearmented until he got it right. One other thing he'd coat it with just wax and a warm rag on the last coat.

[Del the cat]

Slick stick Rick 
Del

[JW_Halverson]

Mr. JW,
     got just over a 100 arrows through it as of now and the unbraced profile has not changed at all. I'm confident that this bow is not over stressed, believe it's gonna last a good long time.
rich

You routinely pull off things I say are impossible.  You may be a witch!

[bradsmith2010]

the sinew and tiller is the key,, also,bows in that weight range seem to be able to bend further,, I think as they get heavier the is more chance of failure,, but that is just one of my crazy thoughts based on pure speculation,, the width to poundage ratio or something like that,

[JW_Halverson]

the sinew and tiller is the key,, also,bows in that weight range seem to be able to bend further,, I think as they get heavier the is more chance of failure,, but that is just one of my crazy thoughts based on pure speculation,, the width to poundage ratio or something like that,

Oh, I know the fail rate is higher with higher poundage bows because you are asking much more of the material!  Look at how the curls come off a sharp card scraper...can you get bends like that from a 3/8" inch thick piece of wood?  Of course not, beyond the pale. 

Rich sure knows how to eke the absolute most out of a stick, don't he?

[JonW]

I think it's blind luck

[JW_Halverson]

I think it's blind luck

Well, maybe half blind...

[JonW]

What? No comeback? Are ya feeling alright buddy?

[half eye]

Well my friend I'll have ya to know I been cogitatin on how to get my latest discovery out of the woods. I run across a whole stand of white Ash about 12 to 18 inches diameter and at least 60 feet of clear trunk......but not looking forward to knocking them down and splittin 'em up and the umpteen trips in and out a couple staves at a time. They are way to nice to let the borers have 'em.

Maybe if I can blaze a 2-track into the area I can save a few. Besides that I'm all out of bat wings and eye of newt and can't seem to find any right now Ya know I got to have my magic rub
rich

[Parnell]

That's probably the most I've seen a stick bend!  Remarkable bow, Rich.