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Author Topic: Wild Rose Bow  (Read 16346 times)

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Offline Allen7

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Wild Rose Bow
« on: June 09, 2008, 04:02:18 am »
I was inspired and amazed by Keenan's Syringa Bow.  It is really a work of art.   It gave me the idea to make a bow out of wild rose.   I have been making arrows out of wild rose for years.   I had a big wild rose "stave" drying with bark on for quite a while.   It was not straight and had a big kink in the middle, but was determined to give it a try.   Spent most of this weekend on it.   It turned out to be a pretty reasonable lightweight bow.   It is a one piece selfbow, 67 Inches in length, 30 lb pull @ 28 inch, and no backing.  It pulls fairly smooth back to a 30 inch draw.  I put the kink in the middle of the bow at beginning of upper limb, just above the grip.   I tillered it and shot it about 50 times with the bark on.   Occasionally, the bark would crack and pop and make scary noises.  Shot another 75 arrows with it after removing the bark and finishing it.   Did some flight test shots out in my pasture - shot several 440 grain arrows about 155 yards.    Here are a couple photos of my kinky wild rose stickbow.  I think it will be a keeper!

Allen - Happy Knapper

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jape

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Re: Wild Rose Bow
« Reply #1 on: June 09, 2008, 04:16:35 am »
Thanks for showing us, a great bow! I really prefer to see bits of wood turned into bows like this, whatever the poundage. I love my Chekmate Longhorn, and I want a Shrew one day, but nothing will ever look better or be more satisfying than a simple wooden self bow made from the materials found around us! Wild rose, a romantic name, maybe you have a daughter or niece it would suit that would get the bug and pass it on down the line?
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Offline Hillbilly

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Re: Wild Rose Bow
« Reply #2 on: June 09, 2008, 07:54:06 am »
That's just too cool. I would never have thought about using rose as bow wood, haven't seen any around here big enough. Awesome.
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Smoky Mountains, NC

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DBernier

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Re: Wild Rose Bow
« Reply #3 on: June 09, 2008, 08:02:31 am »
Oh God Hillbilly, now we have to look for some "Rose" for the stash. Will it never end?   ???

Dick
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Offline Hillbilly

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Re: Wild Rose Bow
« Reply #4 on: June 09, 2008, 08:04:11 am »
Dick, hopefully not any time soon. :)
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Smoky Mountains, NC

NeolithicHillbilly@gmail.com

Progress might have been all right once but it's gone on for far too long.

Offline Pappy

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Re: Wild Rose Bow
« Reply #5 on: June 09, 2008, 08:40:31 am »
Nice job Allen,never would have thought it.Tiller looks good and sounds like it will fling and arrow. :)
   Pappy
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Offline DanaM

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Re: Wild Rose Bow
« Reply #6 on: June 09, 2008, 09:32:47 am »
Very nice tiller Allen, I'm with Hillbilly never saw Rose used before.
It don't get that big up nerth here so I doubt I will find any, good to see a different wood used :)
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Offline Gordon

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Re: Wild Rose Bow
« Reply #7 on: June 09, 2008, 10:25:25 am »
That's a really cool bow.
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Gordon

Offline Fundin

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Re: Wild Rose Bow
« Reply #8 on: June 09, 2008, 10:33:24 am »
Lovely bow, I enjoy the beauty of such a simple and elegant weapon.
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Offline Ryano

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Re: Wild Rose Bow
« Reply #9 on: June 09, 2008, 10:37:24 am »
Cool bow. Did it take much set? Is there still a pith inside it when it gets that big?
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Offline Keenan

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Re: Wild Rose Bow
« Reply #10 on: June 09, 2008, 11:24:04 am »
  Simply Awesome Allen, Good for you, taking a new wood with challenging character and seeing what is possible ;D I love it !   This is the kind of pioneering that helps us all learn. I'm sure someone, somewhere has done it befor but seldon did we hear of what has been accomplished befor the internet and sites like this with people sharing knowledge.  You nailed the tiller on that one. Congratulations. ;)   Keenan
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Offline Allen7

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Re: Wild Rose Bow
« Reply #11 on: June 09, 2008, 12:23:48 pm »
After seeing how Syringa worked out for Keenan, I thought this should work.  Wild Rose stems are similar to Syringa and make tough arrows.  We have huge patches of wild rose thickets along the rivers here. This particular rose "stave" was cut during a work party out at our local archery range, while pruning the trail on the field course.  Someone was about to start wacking it with a machete and I screamed "Stop, I want that one!"   At the time a couple of the guys thought I had gone nuts, because I was so excited about it.    This wild rose stem has a fairly small pithy center.   The groove near the limb tips is from removal of some of the exposed pith.    So far the bow has only taken about a 1/2 inch set.   We'll see how it does after a couple hundred more arrows.   

In the photo; I am shooting one of my primitive wild rose shafted arrows with the wild rose bow.   I have a sister named Rose Marie, who is a bit on the wild side.  If I give it away - it will go to her.   

Allen   (Happy Knapper)
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Offline david w.

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Re: Wild Rose Bow
« Reply #12 on: June 09, 2008, 12:51:54 pm »
thats sweet! ;D  i love seeing people try new things
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Offline OldBow

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Re: Wild Rose Bow
« Reply #13 on: June 09, 2008, 02:59:25 pm »
Excellent self bow. Good for you.
The rose family includes serviceberry, hawthorn, chokecherry, oceanspray, and, of course, willd rose. All are good bow woods in the hands of a patient crafter such as yourself.
J. D. Duff (Oregon) made a wonderful bow of yew backed with oceanspray for a BOM winner last year.
This is a great entry for June Self BOM.
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Offline DirtyDan

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Re: Wild Rose Bow
« Reply #14 on: June 09, 2008, 04:16:17 pm »
Durn, Allen, I think you could make a bow out of a popsicle stick!  Great job.  Thanks for stretching our imaginations.

Dan
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