Author Topic: Stone Age Witch Hazel (updated 1/18)  (Read 190821 times)

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Offline ricktrojanowski

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Re: Stone Age Witch Hazel
« Reply #45 on: November 05, 2008, 06:59:16 am »
The stone age witch hazel is not dead.  I finally am getting a chance to work on it again.  I started laying out the outline on the back of the bow.  I'm using a dogbane string as a measuring device.( It was supposed to be the bow string but failed miserably).  Also a small piece of burnt wood as a marking tool.  I'll try to get some new pics up this week of the reduction and straightening of the bow.  It has quite a bend in it.  I was going to try to bend it through the handle over our outdoor fireplace in order to get the tips and handle to line up. 
Traverse City, MI

Offline ricktrojanowski

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Re: Stone Age Witch Hazel
« Reply #46 on: November 06, 2008, 11:10:14 am »
I have the bow marked out for shaping the handle and limb tips.  I used a really poor attempt at a dogbane string for this.  I first stretched it from end to end then folded in half to get my center point.  I made about a 3 1/2" handle with fades about 1 1/2" or so.  I'm not using a tape measure so I don't have exact numbers.  Then I started the taper of limb 2/3 of the distance from the fade to the tip.  Using the string again as pictured.   As you can see the stave needs some major heat bending in the handle to get the string to track over the center of the handle.

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Traverse City, MI

Offline ricktrojanowski

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Re: Stone Age Witch Hazel
« Reply #47 on: November 06, 2008, 11:11:17 am »
more pics.

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Traverse City, MI

Offline JackCrafty

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Re: Stone Age Witch Hazel (updated with pics)
« Reply #48 on: November 06, 2008, 12:26:35 pm »
Very cool. 8)
I'm curious about the string...was it too thin?
Any critter tastes good with enough butter on it.

Patrick Blank
Midland, Texas
Youtube: JackCrafty, Allergic Hobbit, Patrick Blank

Where's Rock? Public Waterways, Road Cuts, Landscape Supply, Knap-Ins.
How to Cook It?  200° for 24hrs then 275° to 500° for 4hrs (depending on type), Cool for 12hr

Offline cowboy

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Re: Stone Age Witch Hazel (updated with pics)
« Reply #49 on: November 06, 2008, 02:17:59 pm »
Bow building the hard way - I'm glad it's not dead :). I've been tinkering with cordage myself here lately, wondering about that string also?
When you come upon a track or trail you do not know, follow it to the point of knowing.

Offline ricktrojanowski

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Re: Stone Age Witch Hazel (updated with pics)
« Reply #50 on: November 06, 2008, 03:20:24 pm »
My first attempt I used a method I found in an old issue of Prim archer.  Basically you get enough fibers to span about 24 feet that would be the thickness of 1/4 of the finished string diameter.  You then tie off one end of a bundle, splice another bundled then another until you get to a 6' mark  then wrap it around something stationary and go back to the point where you tied off.  Now you have 12 feet.  Then work your way back to your 6' mark wrap it and back to your point of origin now you have 24 feet.  Then unwrap so you now have a 24 foot straight string.  Twist until it kinks than fold and now you have 12 feet reverse twisted.  Then repeat that and you have 6 feet again reverse twisted.  The magazine explains this much more clearly than I do.   ???  When I did this then tested it the splices kept ripping out.  I was really PI@@ed.  That was a lot of fiber. And a lot of time.  The string I am making now is more like the TBB shows.  Basically a Flemish twist staggering splices like you would do with sinew .  Much easier and hopefully much stronger.  I am sure the way in the Prim. archer article describes works, but I must have missed something.  Here are a couple pics of the unfinished new string.

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« Last Edit: November 06, 2008, 03:25:39 pm by ricktrojanowski »
Traverse City, MI

Offline JackCrafty

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Re: Stone Age Witch Hazel (updated with pics)
« Reply #51 on: November 06, 2008, 04:07:56 pm »
Looks good.  I've had good results with sisal fiber using the flemish twist as you describe...haven't tried dogbane, though. I make my sisal strings a bit thicker than 1/8" and it seems to work well for short bows less than 55#.
Any critter tastes good with enough butter on it.

Patrick Blank
Midland, Texas
Youtube: JackCrafty, Allergic Hobbit, Patrick Blank

Where's Rock? Public Waterways, Road Cuts, Landscape Supply, Knap-Ins.
How to Cook It?  200° for 24hrs then 275° to 500° for 4hrs (depending on type), Cool for 12hr

Offline DanaM

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Re: Stone Age Witch Hazel (updated with pics)
« Reply #52 on: November 06, 2008, 05:11:29 pm »
Looking good Rick, I have a bunch of dogbane processed but have done anything with it as of it, If ya run short
let me know and I will send it to ya :)
"Prosperity is a way of living and thinking, and not just money or things. Poverty is a way of living and thinking, and not just a lack of money or things."

Manistique, MI

jamie

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Re: Stone Age Witch Hazel (updated with pics)
« Reply #53 on: November 06, 2008, 09:10:06 pm »
rick i made a half dozen strings before i got one to stay togetehr. your doing great keep it up. next we'll work on the arrows ;D

Offline ricktrojanowski

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Re: Stone Age Witch Hazel (updated with pics)
« Reply #54 on: November 06, 2008, 09:40:17 pm »
Here are a couple of pics on the handle shaping.  I used a few different obsidian flakes and a "foot vice"  which Jamie showed me how to use.  I have since forgotton the correct way of doing this.  Oh well this worked out pretty well.  I have learned a new appreciation for my regular woodworking vices.  Tomorrow I will start reducing the tips.

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Traverse City, MI

Offline ricktrojanowski

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Re: Stone Age Witch Hazel (updated with pics)
« Reply #55 on: November 09, 2008, 11:21:56 pm »
After struggling with some less than ideal obsidian flakes for shaping the handle I decided that I would "make" some new tools.  This involved little more than me bashing some nice rocks of Obsidian that I got from Eddie (Mullet).  There was no real plan, just smacking and hoping something good came out of it.  I was pleasantly surprised when I got some really nice new scrapers and other tools.  All this with absolutely no knapping skills.  Just dumb luck.  The first pic is of my favorite three new tools. The one on the left is a little hand axe that I used to get the bulk of the wood off with.  The center is the saw for cutting the limb tips to length.  The right one is a awesome scraping blade that I would put up against any steel tool.

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Traverse City, MI

Offline ricktrojanowski

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Re: Stone Age Witch Hazel (updated with pics)
« Reply #56 on: November 09, 2008, 11:27:06 pm »
First using the mini hand axe.  Second using the saw.  Not as quick as the Japanese pull saw but it worked.

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Traverse City, MI

Offline ricktrojanowski

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Re: Stone Age Witch Hazel (updated with pics)
« Reply #57 on: November 09, 2008, 11:33:22 pm »
The shaped tips.
 A side note.  Jamie told me not too worry about keeping the tools sharp.  That they sharpen themselves when you use them on the wood.  I now know what he meant.  Lots of tiny tiny flakes keep popping off and the result is blood loss.  I would wear gloves but that would totally kill the primitive mojo. ;D

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Traverse City, MI

Offline JackCrafty

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Re: Stone Age Witch Hazel (updated with pics)
« Reply #58 on: November 10, 2008, 12:11:30 pm »
Isn't it a little early to be painting that bow? ;)

Looks like you're making progress....you're a lot more patient than I am.
Any critter tastes good with enough butter on it.

Patrick Blank
Midland, Texas
Youtube: JackCrafty, Allergic Hobbit, Patrick Blank

Where's Rock? Public Waterways, Road Cuts, Landscape Supply, Knap-Ins.
How to Cook It?  200° for 24hrs then 275° to 500° for 4hrs (depending on type), Cool for 12hr

Offline DanaM

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Re: Stone Age Witch Hazel (updated with pics)
« Reply #59 on: November 10, 2008, 12:41:36 pm »
Its coming along rick, I would have broke out the power tools by now :o ;)
"Prosperity is a way of living and thinking, and not just money or things. Poverty is a way of living and thinking, and not just a lack of money or things."

Manistique, MI