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Author Topic: Introduction  (Read 3333 times)

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Offline Ozi Sapling

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  • Posts: 30
Introduction
« on: June 17, 2019, 10:29:40 pm »
Hi all,
I've recently joined your fine forum after snooping around for a bit.
I thought it rude not to introduce myself before posting comments or asking questions. So here goes.....

I'm an aussie. I'm a total novice at bow making, here to learn from you fine people. But I seem to have caught the bug.  How do I know?
- 6 bow making books by my bed or on the coffee table
- hours 'wasted' watching u-tube videos on bow making (my wife scratching her head wondering what's going on)
- a serious increase in 'shed time' creating shavings (with no idea really about what I'm doing)
- spending time scouring second-hand stores for old spoke shaves, draw knives, scales in pounds, etc....
- carrying a small saw in the car in case I see the perfect stave......

My dream: to one day make a Yew warbow with horn nocks.
My understanding of reality: lots of failures and rubbish bows between now and then!!


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Offline Del the cat

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  • Posts: 8,322
    • Derek Hutchison Native Wood Self Bows
Re: Introduction
« Reply #1 on: June 18, 2019, 12:45:14 am »
Hi, good to have you on board.
Sounds like you have the right idea... just jump in and have a go, the first attempts will help you learn the process...
It takes some time to get your eye in, but doing it is the only real way.
Google "Bowyers Diary" to see what I do, failures and all :)
Del
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Health warning, these posts may contain traces of nut.

Offline bjrogg

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  • Cedar Pond
Re: Introduction
« Reply #2 on: June 18, 2019, 03:01:54 am »
Welcome to PA Ozi Sapling. Got a few others here from down under. They have been experimenting with local woods.

Yes it does sound like you have the symptoms. The only cure is to make enough shavings to get yourself a good shooter. It actually won't cure anything, but it'll make you feel really good. Then you'll want to continue to make shavings and more n better shooters. I don't think there is a cure. But we can treat the symptoms.
Bjrogg
PS my wife didn't scratch her head nearly as much when I watched bow making YouTube videos as she did flint knapping ones. She'll hopefully get accustomed to it and even learn to embrace it.
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A hot cup of coffee and a beautiful sunrise

Offline Ozi Sapling

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Re: Introduction
« Reply #3 on: June 18, 2019, 03:47:53 am »
Thank you gentlemen, for your welcomes.

Ha ha! She’s going to freak when I build my forge for arrow tips.
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Offline jeffp51

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Re: Introduction
« Reply #4 on: June 18, 2019, 04:19:21 am »
My wife knew I had lost it (and I had to admit I had a "problem") when I came home one day from the game processor with 6 elk legs in a plastic bag. I set to skinning them to extract the sinew. I hear behind me, "Jeff, what are you doing" in a slow, worried voice. "Don't ask" was all I could answer. Welcome to the new drug. I wonder how good kangaroo sinew would be
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Offline PaSteve

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Re: Introduction
« Reply #5 on: June 18, 2019, 05:28:46 am »
Welcome to PA. You've come to the right place. There's many great bowyers here willing to share their knowledge. The only true way to learn is to get the tools out and start making shavings. Ask a lot of questions and take pictures. Enjoy the ride.
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"It seems so much more obvious with bows than with other matters, that we are the guardians of the prize we seek." Dean Torges

Offline NorthHeart

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Re: Introduction
« Reply #6 on: June 18, 2019, 05:45:58 am »
You sound like us. Welcome to the family )P(

Order up some yew staves and get started immediately to help alleviate your symptoms.

jeffp51. My buddy had some Kangaroo tail sinew and I was in awe of its length.
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Offline George Tsoukalas

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    • Traditional and Primitive Archers
Re: Introduction
« Reply #7 on: June 18, 2019, 06:00:25 am »
Welcome! My site has info.

http://traditionalarchery101.com

Jawge
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Set Happens!
If you ain't breakin' you ain't makin!

Offline Pat B

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Re: Introduction
« Reply #8 on: June 18, 2019, 06:56:53 am »
Welcome sapling. We won't hold the Ozi thing against you.  ;) After many years of bow building and collecting "stuff" that goes along with bow building and all things primitive my wife hardly mentions it any more. I guess she got tired of mentioning it with no results. Just tell your wife she'll get used to it pretty soon.  :OK
 I think some of your gum trees make good bows and I think black locust was exported to Oz and used as wind screens and erosion control.
 Roo rawhide is excellent backing material, thin and strong and roo sinew is good too. Emu (i think they are Ozi)leg sinew is long and strong.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline osage outlaw

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Re: Introduction
« Reply #9 on: June 18, 2019, 07:09:09 am »
Welcome to PA.  Thanks for introducing yourself.   It sounds like you have the same archery illness as the rest of us.  Post some pictures of your work.  People will give you honest advice and feedback.
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I started out with nothin' and I still got most of it left

Offline Hawkdancer

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Re: Introduction
« Reply #10 on: June 18, 2019, 09:57:46 am »
Welcome to the club, Ozi!  Like BJ said, There is no cure!  The easiest way to appease the wife is tell her you are practicing to make her bow, and you want it to be really nice!  Of course, you then have to make her one!  But be careful, the bug may  bite her, too!  Take plenty of pictures and ask plenty of questions!  The only dumb (not smart) question is the one you don't ask!  You do get free humor on occasion!
Hawkdancer
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Life is far too serious to be taken that way!
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Offline airkah

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  • Posts: 148
Re: Introduction
« Reply #11 on: June 18, 2019, 11:12:43 am »
Welcome! I read quite a few books before I started too, I think it helps in getting the theory down, but I felt just as lost when I started actually trying to make one. There is so much that you will learn in your first few attempts as you develop the skillset. Don't get discouraged if you have a few failures along the way. I think it goes like that for most of us, at least it did for me. It sounds like you have the right idea jumping in and making some shavings. I'm looking forward to seeing how it goes for you.
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Offline SLIMBOB

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  • Deplorable Slim
Re: Introduction
« Reply #12 on: June 18, 2019, 11:49:12 am »
Welcome. For many, myself included, this is more an obsession than a hobby. I have mentioned this before, but before the internet I was just dying to show somebody, anybody my newest bestest bow. My wife referred to them as my girlfriends. I was always with one or more of them and would as rumor has it, stare longingly at that newest beauty I was sporting around with. Taking them to outings with friends and dinner parties. Few ever seemed to be as smitten with them as I was, but I was not deterred. My wife finally just got used to the whole thing. Now that we can show off our newest eye candies on PA, that changed the whole game. I don’t have to any longer carry one into Applebee’s, although I may still do so from time to time. Build ‘em and post ‘em on PA where others with this affliction can share in your delight. It beats taking them to dinner parties. 
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Offline Rākau

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  • Aotearoa-the land of the long white cloud
Re: Introduction
« Reply #13 on: June 18, 2019, 12:26:39 pm »
welcome to the adiction bro, stoked to jave another south pacific member on here. Where abouts in Auz are you based mate? rumor has it that osage is classed as an invasive weed in places on the east coast. find the nearest strait tree belonging to the myrtle family and have at it bro, there are a heap of them over your way and most of them worth a shot I believe, especially the smaller scrubbier ones like the paper barks and the maleleuca genus. good luck mate and show us how you  get on!
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Offline kbear

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Re: Introduction
« Reply #14 on: June 19, 2019, 03:52:53 am »
How good is this community.......  (=)

Welcome Ozi!
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