Fred Arnold 2017 Bow Trade, Pictures Please, housekeeping issues

[Swamp Thang]

As for me I'm game for anything. Would be could if it was a short bow but def. Won't be disappointed no matter what I get. So let's get to 

[gfugal]

So this is what I have planned. The first picture is of the juniper I harvested (and gave a blood sacrifice too), and the second is some honey locust I got from springbuck (the crack doesn't go deep and is closer to the belly side, should rasp away). I plan on doing a similar design for both. I'm going to splice the two billets together at the handle. I'm also playing with they Idea of inducing about 2 inches of deflex when I splice them. I'm also thinking of splicing some siyahs on the tips to extend the length and help with string angle and provide an earlier draw weight since I plan on deflexing the handle a bit. I plan on baking the juniper with sinew and the honey locust with linen, and wrapping the siyahs on both with linen. If one breaks hopefully the other will prevail. If they both live I get to keep one  . I'm looking forward to it. First time I've ever done splicing so I'm a little nervous but I've been reading up about it quite a bit. Do any of you have a preference for either of them (like if sinew won't hold up in your area or something due to humidity)? I'm planning on the juniper being about 60 inches in length (its 31 inches to that giant knot on the right limb) with a width > 2" on the working limb before the siyah splice. The locust will be bit longer and about 1.75 inch wide. The splice will add several inches in length to both.       

[High-Desert]

Im a huge fan of short bows, 52" - 60". What are your guys preferences? Length and design?
Brendan, I know I'd be happy with any of those woods, although for me, the I'd prefer ocean spray, plum or hazel, only because juniper and yew are the two woods I have no shortage of.


Eric

[tattoo dave]

Good looking staves Greg.

Eric, I'm a big fan of the short bows also. I need to get some pics posted soon of what I have in the works. It'll be a shortish bow.

Tattoo Dave

[DuBois]

Brendan, they all sound great but for some reason juniper or OS sound best. Maybe cause I never touched the stuff yet (except for ERC)
I am also a fan of shorties but sometimes sure is nice shooting a longer bow too.

[Greenriverwoodcraft]

I have a bunch of really nice hickory and a little elm worthy of this task and I've got a few bows in process as we speak. Ill mostlikely flip the tips a bit and finish with a mahi or cod skin back but keep it pretty primitive looking

[penderbender]

That sounds cool greenriver.  I was wondering about halibut skins? Will any fish skins work? Cheers- Brendan

[Swamp Thang]

I was thinking of using Gar lol

[Mo_coon-catcher]

If you can get the skin cleaned and degreased, it'll work for a backing. The gar will look awesome. I can see it being difficult to work, but definitely doable.

 I'm planning on using my ball python sheds myself to add a little texture to the bow. Those little buggers are starting to get a little size to them now. I wish my Sumatran short tail was larger so I could use her shed, but she's a little small. Think of how these noodles will look on a bow. Not sure if I could do it when they pass on, but it would look awesome. Here's the group, though the Sumatran will be more like a suasage than a noodle when she's an adult, short and thick, 3-4' long but 4-6" wide. She's the Orange head, dark body with a busy pattern.

Sorry if I freaked out anyone with the pics. Can't pass up an opportunity to show them off a little.

Kyle

[High-Desert]

There's a lot of great ideas here, I'm going to have to take this build slow to avoid getting ahead of myself just in case more great ideas pop up. I can see why some plan on making several bow for the trade, to get just to get the right one.

[bjrogg]

Kyle those are some beautiful snakes. When I was I trade school I had a couple tarantulas and I little bull snake. It's so cool when they shed. I still can't figure out how the tarantulas did it. I'd wake up in the morning and it would look like another tarantula in there. One standing there looking a little old and faded, the other bright and shiny new.
Bjrogg

[Greenriverwoodcraft]

Hey Brendan I assume any fish skin will work if you can get rid of the oils and the skins are substantial enough. I soak them water with dawn dish soap and then scrub the hell out of it. By rubbing it scale side to scale side you can remove the scales and remove the oils at the same time. It's worked great for me thus far and I like snakes to much to justify killing them for their skins but when I use fish skins I know the fish were dead anyway and I'm just using something that was destined for the trash can. Please do not take this as a judgement of anyone using snake skins! I do use them on occasion but I prefer using fish since I know I'm helping use up the entire animal that died not allowing any of it go to waste.

[High-Desert]

Who doesn't eat the snake when they kill one? It's good meat. I kills snakes for the skin, and the meat is just an added bonus. Kind of the opposite of fish.

[Greenriverwoodcraft]

I had it once and yeah it's not bad high desert. I'd buy skins from you if I ever need some

[penderbender]

Thanks Greenriver! I think halibut belly skin would look great on yew, as it's very white. Also the back skin is mottled browns and would be cool for camo. Could get quite a few backings from one fish. What do you do after skinning? Thanks- Brendan