Author Topic: Making a Snake (finished pics on pg 5) (Read 21200 times)

upstatenybowyer · « **on:** November 18, 2018, 07:42:49 am »

I've always wanted to make a really snakey osage bow, so here's how I'm gonna try...

After splitting up a very large and very old log that had been standing dead for lord knows how long, I had the two billets shown below. My plan is to splice them together after chasing a ring and roughing them out. Hopefully the pics show the symmetry that would result from positioning the sister billets as shown.

Think it'll work?

I'll post pics as I go if anyone's interested.

BowEd · « **Reply #1 on:** November 18, 2018, 08:20:53 am »

I've got faith in ya Jeff.Nicely matched pair!!!

bjrogg · « **Reply #2 on:** November 18, 2018, 08:29:26 am »

That should Otta work.

Bjrogg

DC · « **Reply #3 on:** November 18, 2018, 09:12:55 am »

Yup, keep posting

upstatenybowyer · « **Reply #4 on:** November 18, 2018, 09:42:54 am »

Thanks for the encouragement fellas.

I got a little busy this morning.

Chasing the ring I wanted was kinda tricky cause the were a few concave sections. I used a goose-neck scraper for the more shallow areas and a gouge for the deeper ones. Came out pretty good

upstatenybowyer · « **Reply #5 on:** November 18, 2018, 09:43:37 am »

a few more...

upstatenybowyer · « **Reply #6 on:** November 18, 2018, 09:48:15 am »

The only other thing I did was draw out the front profile on each billet. I drew straight lines for the first 5" (which will be the spliced handle section) on each billet, and followed the natural curves of the wood for the rest of the limbs. I'm gonna leave them parallel for the first 14" of working limb then taper to an inch at the end (eventually I'll reduce the width of the tips).

DC · « **Reply #7 on:** November 18, 2018, 10:00:28 am »

I bent an old file and sharpened the tip like this to use for my hollow limb bow. It would work for dips and hollows following a ring.

bjrogg · « **Reply #8 on:** November 18, 2018, 10:05:18 am »

Looking better already Jeff. I got a set of those scrapers from Andy-n-Sheryl "Feathers-Wood" at Marshall this year. Don't know how I ever got along without them.
Bjrogg

Del the cat · « **Reply #9 on:** November 18, 2018, 10:22:25 am »

Nice pair of billets, that should be real fun to make and will draw some admiring looks when she's done

Del

bradsmith2010 · « **Reply #10 on:** November 18, 2018, 12:48:11 pm »

wow thats looking great

bentstick54 · « **Reply #11 on:** November 18, 2018, 06:16:38 pm »

Looking good. Keep up the good work and definitely keep us posted.

Danzn Bar · « **Reply #12 on:** November 18, 2018, 06:25:14 pm »

Looking forward to seeing it finished up.
DBar

upstatenybowyer · « **Reply #13 on:** November 18, 2018, 06:30:00 pm »

Don, I bet that tool does the trick just fine. I do like my set of scrapers though. How many did yours come with BJ?

I hope I get that far Del, for some reason whenever I post these type of threads something ends up going wrong. Fingers crossed.

Thanks Brad, bentstick and Dbar.

I just finished up the last of today's work. Roughed out the thickness and marked and cut my "go to" splice, a 2" tapered finger joint. I've done a ton of these and never had one fail. The fit gets a whole lot better after a boil and clamp.