Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Del the cat on June 23, 2010, 05:15:55 pm

Title: Del's Primitive Yew
Post by: Del the cat on June 23, 2010, 05:15:55 pm
58" ntn 38# @ 28" (pulled back to 29.5 for overdraw test) a fair bit of natural deflex on one limb, the other limb was steamed to match and a little flip tip added.
The stave had a nice natural wiggle. I've blogged the whole build in my blog http://bowyersdiary.blogspot.com/ (http://bowyersdiary.blogspot.com/)
There was very little heart wood to play with and not much thickness (hence the glued on gip).
I had to work down the sap wood through loads of rings so I could preserve almost almost all the heartwood, I left extra sap wood on the back of the grip. It's hard to get nice pics of the back as it's soooo white, hopefully the heart wood will darken up with age.
Here are some pics.
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp195/Del_the_Cat/Website%20stills/bowstump.jpg)

(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp195/Del_the_Cat/Website%20stills/testshots.jpg) Not bad shooting for me (mind it was only from 10 yards)

(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp195/Del_the_Cat/Website%20stills/Finaltiller.jpg)

I used an idea which was discussed here a week or two back, the handle is glued on over a pad of leather, see below.

(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp195/Del_the_Cat/Website%20stills/Arrowplate.jpg)

I've done my usual style of Waterbuffalo horn nock overlays and arrow plate.
Hope you like her, she's really sweet, I gotta hand her over to her new owner on Friday (I'll try not to cry)
Del
Title: Re: Del's Primitive Yew
Post by: hammertime on June 23, 2010, 06:27:35 pm
nice  looking bow del I like the handle glue up and flipped tips.Hammertime.that is good shootin!
Title: Re: Del's Primitive Yew
Post by: medicinewheel on June 23, 2010, 06:33:03 pm
Sure is a very nice bow!
Title: Re: Del's Primitive Yew
Post by: Josh on June 23, 2010, 06:57:20 pm
bow looks great Del.... looks purrrrfect!  LOL  :D
Title: Re: Del's Primitive Yew
Post by: George Tsoukalas on June 23, 2010, 07:23:15 pm
Outstanding bow! Josh, that's funny. :) Jawge
Title: Re: Del's Primitive Yew
Post by: gmc on June 23, 2010, 07:52:40 pm
I love to see this wood made into this style of bow. The handle intergrates nicely into the wood to complement the character. Nice job!
Title: Re: Del's Primitive Yew
Post by: bcbull on June 23, 2010, 07:53:51 pm
looks real nice del  tiller looks exllent  brock
Title: Re: Del's Primitive Yew
Post by: TBod on June 24, 2010, 05:27:11 am
Very nice!

Is it bending through the handle?
Title: Re: Del's Primitive Yew
Post by: Pappy on June 24, 2010, 06:42:33 am
Nice bow,lots of bend in that. :)
  Pappy
Title: Re: Del's Primitive Yew
Post by: Del the cat on June 24, 2010, 08:17:20 am
Very nice!

Is it bending through the handle?
Ha, good question, the answer is 'maybe a tad' I don't really know!
I wanted it to bend through the handle, but where the stave was split a chunk had come out where the handle is leaving a potential weak spot, so I left a few extra layers of sapwood on the back of the handle, and I filled the little divot with slivers of Yew and epoxy hoping that as I worked the bow down it would all get taken out. Well there was still a bit showing, so I went with the leather and wood grip idea.
It was a tricky job getting a bo out of it as there was also a tin spot on one limb from how it split, that spot was marked with a big fat W  for "weak..don't teven think about removing anything from here" while tillering and it only just about got worked out in the end (I can still see a slight trace of it)
The stave was from a log which had a branch on one side so, there was a longbow stave one side and this tricky little runty stave from the other. Funny how sometimes the tricky little staves sometimes turn out the best, it's the challenge maybe!
Del
Title: Re: Del's Primitive Yew
Post by: dwardo on June 24, 2010, 10:31:37 am
Man thats nice!

It looks like every inch of wood is doing its fair share of the work which just makes it look lovely.

Nice work very nice..
Title: Re: Del's Primitive Yew
Post by: Del the cat on June 24, 2010, 10:59:33 am
Thanks guys, glad you like her.
Del
Title: Re: Del's Primitive Yew
Post by: Parnell on June 24, 2010, 12:40:54 pm
That's a beauty Del, well done!
Title: Re: Del's Primitive Yew
Post by: barney on June 24, 2010, 01:25:48 pm
Beautiful organic simplicity. Looks spot on.

Barney
Title: Re: Del's Primitive Yew
Post by: ken75 on June 24, 2010, 06:25:49 pm
great lookin bow del !
Title: Re: Del's Primitive Yew
Post by: TBod on June 24, 2010, 06:32:04 pm
If it's bending in the handle it's a trilaminate with wood and leather and not a "primitive" bow. You started a new bow category here :D
Title: Re: Del's Primitive Yew
Post by: Phil Rees on June 24, 2010, 06:54:56 pm
beautiful bow Del ... congratulations
Title: Re: Del's Primitive Yew
Post by: bowkee on June 25, 2010, 02:17:52 am
Looks like a great big smile :)
Title: Re: Del's Primitive Yew
Post by: mox1968 on June 25, 2010, 10:05:40 am
wow del that bow is fabulous your attention to detail is superb I love the finish all smooth curvy lines great job.
Title: Wiggly Stave
Post by: Del the cat on June 25, 2010, 12:31:10 pm
This shows what I had to start with, shows the wiggle in the handle...
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp195/Del_the_Cat/Website%20stills/Wiggle.jpg)

Del
Title: Re: Del's Primitive Yew
Post by: acker on June 25, 2010, 08:20:31 pm
Nice bow , great work !

But, let us know what happened to that ( plum ? ) tree in the back of the bow ...did you run out of staves  ;D  ::)
(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp195/Del_the_Cat/Website%20stills/bowstump.jpg)

acker  ;)
Title: Re: Del's Primitive Yew
Post by: Del the cat on June 26, 2010, 03:36:28 am
We took it down as the roots were right under our vegetable patch, there wasn't a decent stave in it >:(, as it was loads of little twisty stems all entwined.
We sawed off that chunk and have it as a free standing natural sculpture/garden ornament... the birds like to sit on it.
Del
Title: Re: Del's Primitive Yew
Post by: shamus on June 26, 2010, 12:34:56 pm
Del, very nice bow.
Title: Re: Del's Primitive Yew
Post by: PeteC on June 26, 2010, 01:27:40 pm
That's a very nice bow Del.I really like it. God bless
Title: Re: Del's Primitive Yew
Post by: DirtyDan on June 28, 2010, 03:18:07 pm
Outstanding, Del.  Awesome tiller.  I love to see bows tiller to full circle like that.  It is so pure and shows such great craftsmanship.
Well done.
Dan
Title: Re: Del's Primitive Yew
Post by: Del the cat on June 28, 2010, 05:37:10 pm
Outstanding, Del.  Awesome tiller.  I love to see bows tiller to full circle like that.  It is so pure and shows such great craftsmanship.
Well done.
Dan
Cheers, I was indeed aiming for an arc of a circle for the tiller, I was daft enough to announce this as an aim on my blog at the start of the build.
I've constructed a circle centred on the nocking point in paint to see if I'd made it!

(http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp195/Del_the_Cat/Website%20stills/fulldrawx.jpg)
I think I just about made it  ;D
I meant to take a full draw with an arrow on it shot...but it's gone to it's new home already...dratt.
Del
Title: Re: Del's Primitive Yew
Post by: ohma on June 29, 2010, 03:24:28 pm
outstanding Del , that tiller is candy to my eye.
Title: Re: Del's Primitive Yew
Post by: Gordon on June 30, 2010, 02:24:04 am
That's a neat little bow. I like it!