I've been gone a while working on real life stuff (divorce, near-fatal illness, bankruptcy, new fiancee) and I've moved from Jasper AL to Brewton AL, right near the Florida line. I lost all but two bows in the divorce and move, lost all my supplies and tools in the divorce (what does my ex need with bags of pounded sinew?) My bow doesn't even have a string. I am not posting for sympathy, just to let you know I'm working steadily away at making all those replacements, using what i learned from the originals I made what to do better this time.
There are lots of you I have missed. I'd love to know how you guys are doing. Even though I lost all that, my life is so much better. I have the best person anyone could ask for. She takes such good care of me, and I take care of her (actual legal caretakers, we're both disabled) and she fully supports my working on all this (and is even interested in learning how to make a lot of what I make.) So I'm blessed beyond comparison, even if I lost my stuff. She is truly the virtuous woman of the Bible.
I have plenty of privet, cherry, and oak here, just have to find the right piece. First privet I cut had a 390 degree twist in it. It literally spiraled. After that was a cedar, too many branches for my skill level and almost no heartwood.
Is there anyone here in South AL that can point me in the right direction for wood, most likely boards? I need to pass my horn bow down to my son and build a new, sinew-backed bow. When I measured my fiancee's DL, (28.5 in) She asked me to measure my maximum DL. I got 42 in. 36-38 is where I like best, but my kyudo or Manchu draws can get a lot longer. I figure a 76" stave with heavy sinew would work if I'm careful. I'll post a question about it in Bows after this.
I've missed this place. I'm just now finally getting back into the swing of things. I'm working up some stuff so I can try to trade for things I can't get here (or haven't figured out how to get yet.) But I'm definitely glad to be back.
