« previous next »
Pages: [1] 2

Author Topic: First osage self bow  (Read 6654 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Hilongbow

  • Member
  • Posts: 84
First osage self bow
« on: September 23, 2019, 04:50:58 pm »
Aloha all,

I just completed my first osage selfbow thanks to the generosity of the people on this board sharing their knowledge. I got the stave in a trade with dylanholderman.

I shaved down through the bark, sapwood, and a few layers of heartwood to get below some minor bug damage and find a thicker ring. Got a good ring with lots of ups and downs, concave areas, flat areas, pin knots, etc. It was pretty fun to work.

Due to knot placement I ended up laying out the profile a hair over 1 1/8" wide for the middle third, tapering to 1/2" tips. I had originally intended to end up with a 50# @ 26" draw, but early on in tillering (long string, drawing 10" or less) it started taking a lot of set. I figured it wasn't wide enough and started tillering towards 45# and it took no more set for the rest of the tillering process.

Turns out my draw is actually a little shorter with this bow, so it finished up 56" ntn, 42# @ 24" measured to the back. Haven't drawn it past 24.5"

It shoots pretty well. If you don't hold it quite right it's got a mean hand shock and makes some noise, but with just the right touch, all you hear and feel is the arrow sliding around the bow over your hand.

With this bow, I was going for something that to the untrained eye just looks like a stick when unstrung. Take a look:























Mahalo for looking!
Logged

Offline Stickhead

  • Administrator
  • Member
  • Posts: 940
Re: First osage self bow
« Reply #1 on: September 23, 2019, 04:56:01 pm »
Congrats on a fine first Osage bow!
Logged

Offline JW_Halverson

  • Member
  • Posts: 11,923
Re: First osage self bow
« Reply #2 on: September 23, 2019, 05:12:09 pm »
Tiller looks pretty good, nice execution, and I absolutely love the wonky-tonk badonk in it!

You got nothing to carp about, you done good!
Logged
Guns have triggers. Bicycles have wheels. Trees and bows have wooden limbs.

Offline Hawkdancer

  • Member
  • Posts: 5,040
Re: First osage self bow
« Reply #3 on: September 23, 2019, 05:20:29 pm »
Nice work!  It has character
,
Hawkdancer
Logged
Life is far too serious to be taken that way!
Jerry

Offline Weylin

  • Member
  • Posts: 2,296
Re: First osage self bow
« Reply #4 on: September 23, 2019, 06:43:25 pm »
That's a first bow to be proud of! You did a great job with the tiller, especially considering the character in the stave. You were wise to keep the design simple and focus on getting a good bend. I bet you learned a lot from making that bow.
Logged

Offline Deerhunter21

  • Member
  • Posts: 2,261
  • What do you despise? By this are you truly known.
Re: First osage self bow
« Reply #5 on: September 23, 2019, 06:48:14 pm »
Thats a really nice bow you got there!
Logged
Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination.

Offline bjrogg

  • Member
  • Posts: 11,016
  • Cedar Pond
Re: First osage self bow
« Reply #6 on: September 23, 2019, 06:51:07 pm »
What Weylin said. Is that your first bow to? Or just first osage?
Either way nice job on a tricky stick.
Bjrogg
Logged
A hot cup of coffee and a beautiful sunrise

Offline M2A

  • Member
  • Posts: 878
Re: First osage self bow
« Reply #7 on: September 23, 2019, 08:30:20 pm »
That's a tough stick to tiller. Very nice work!
Mike 
Logged

Offline SLIMBOB

  • Member
  • Posts: 3,759
  • Deplorable Slim
Re: First osage self bow
« Reply #8 on: September 23, 2019, 09:47:19 pm »
Looks pretty dang good!  You nailed the tiller.
Logged
Liberty, In God We Trust, E Pluribus Unum.  Distinctly American Values.

Offline leonwood

  • Member
  • Posts: 762
    • Leonwood Bows
Re: First osage self bow
« Reply #9 on: September 24, 2019, 08:52:20 am »
Great tiller on that one! Love that wonky osage too!
Logged

Offline Pat B

  • Administrator
  • Member
  • Posts: 37,633
Re: First osage self bow
« Reply #10 on: September 24, 2019, 08:54:33 am »
Nice simple bow from a challenging stave and beautiful tiller. Well done.   :OK
Logged
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Eric Krewson

  • Member
  • Posts: 5,432
Re: First osage self bow
« Reply #11 on: September 24, 2019, 11:38:36 am »
That is a great first bow, 10 times better than first. I see a slight issue on the lower limb but nothing that will cause any trouble down the line.
Logged

Offline kbear

  • Member
  • Posts: 157
Re: First osage self bow
« Reply #12 on: September 24, 2019, 05:31:30 pm »
Very nice bow mate. Simple, elegant, characterful, nice bend. Great job!
Logged

Offline Hilongbow

  • Member
  • Posts: 84
Re: First osage self bow
« Reply #13 on: September 25, 2019, 05:00:10 am »
Thank you all for the nice comments! It was a joyful challenge to make, and that "wonky-tonk badonk" certainly had me scratching my head a lot. To clarify, this is my first osage selfbow but not my first bow. I've made about 10 other bows of various design, including 1 crappy selfbow early on.

Eric, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the lower limb. Oddly enough, even though it was the straighter of the two limbs (at least from the front), I probably spent more than twice as much time on it. It had some natural deflex along its length that made it hard for me to judge an even bend while tillering. This deflex originated from a kink about 5" south of the center.

So far after a couple hundred shots it is still holding at 42#@24".

Aloha and happy shaving  :BB
Logged

Offline Eric Krewson

  • Member
  • Posts: 5,432
Re: First osage self bow
« Reply #14 on: September 25, 2019, 07:23:17 am »
From your full draw picture it appears you have a slightly weak spot about 7" in from the nock. It could be the picture as they tend to distort things. From the rock in the background the weak spot is just below the rock. You have a thicker limb above the weak spot that looks slightly stiff as well. Again, pictures tend to distort things and I could be wrong.
Logged
Pages: [1] 2
« previous next »