Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: gstoneberg on December 24, 2010, 04:48:34 pm
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I finally sucked it up and grabbed one of the old fenceposts off the pile. Boy did it look weathered...
(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5256/5538375805_ec98e2b475_z.jpg)
I was a little apprehensive about all the weather checking but after 4 growth rings...it began to look like the osage I'm used to.
(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5091/5538375811_f8b974b40d_z.jpg)
In the end, it is 42" long and nice and straight with just a hint of twist.
(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5258/5538375817_0c4d15ae58_z.jpg)
I'm not sure what to make? I could do another post and make a takedown...but I just did one of those. Too short for a regular longbow, it would make a nice kids bow but my grandkids are too young. I've thought about gluing static recurves on the tips and going for a bend through the handle bow, that would be blazing new ground for me. I just don't know. Sure could use some inspiration, I've not made that many styles of bows.
Thanks
George
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Wow, that cleaned up nicely!
Normally I make short bows, so forgive me for saying that I think you should glue some tips on there and see where you end up.
I did one a while back with that kind of tip and I really liked how it looked and felt.
Sean
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I think it would look awesome if you glued some siyahs on there and make a horsebow looking bow
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Jerk another post out of the pile and splice build your next one.
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That will make a fine bow. The first 2 bows,I built I'd bought 2 BL post from a farmer I hunted on.I sinewed both and still have them.
Then back in the early 90's I deer hunt some on a friends farm in KS. Came across and old fence line and corner post. Ask my friend and he said his great grandad had put the fence in over 100 years before.
He gave it to me for a bow.We took the tractor pulled it out. And it looked fine. I got 6 staves 1 did'nt make it. I built 5 bows. They were all shooters. And I kept and shot,hunted with the one for over 6 years.Before I LET IT GO.
I'VE ALWAYS BEEN TOLD THE OLDER THE BETTER WHEN IT COMES TO OSAGE. I think the old sayings right.
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i still cant believe that...
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Just just incredible....it's like buried gold ;)
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i d grab another post go for a take down that gonna be a snappy shoot as old as that stuff is i love them ol post espically if i can find one not fulla staples lol brock
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Just just incredible....it's like buried gold ;)
I agree, it is like buried gold. I expected some cracks to go all the way down, but they stopped in the first couple rings. Came out better than I hoped. I've made bows from fence posts before, but never one that was this weathered. There were staple holes all over, but none that went as deep as the ring I chose for the back. Thanks for all the suggestions.
George
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I don't knoww what to make from it but good save.Any bow from that piece has to have a lot of soul. Good luck with her.
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This post was at least 2 feet across and the check marks were 5 or 6 inchs on one side the other mabe 2"s. The center was just fine. Sence then my friend has dieded.But be for he did die he also built a couple bows from fence post he pulled out of the ground. Same fence line.
He killed a 161 inch buck with a selfbow from a post bow. Matter of fact he had 2 others in the 130's. and over 20 other smaller bucks. Killed with recurves and longbows.
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That's great. I've always felt old osage was special. I have an old corner post I found in Nebraska that has produced 2 bows, both 60+ draw weights that took no set at all. I've not made a bow for me from it yet. I think it has maybe 3 more bows in it but I've been very carefully saving it.
I've cut 2 mesquite short static recurves to glue onto the ends of this short stave. Gonna be interesting to see if it works. I may sinew back it just to give it a better chance for success, though I'm really curious to see if the old wood could take the strain.
George
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Looks like one I had several years ago. I bought an osage sign post that had been in the ground supposedly for over 100 years. It was a beekepers sign post advertising fresh honey. Once Icleaned it up the wood itself easn't too bad. Some kind of huge ant had invaded it but I had enough for a 54" bow, a bit too twisted but I got a few shots out of it. wood was fine just not a good stave. Steve
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Nice save on the stave. I too am amazed that there was gold still under that rough exterior. I look forward to seeing what you come up with. Danny
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I've made some progress on this bow, now that the Christmas exchange work and deer season are past. It will be a 48" bend through the handle static recurve. I glued on some mesquite recurves and have it bending the way I think it should with a slightly long string. It looks like this:
(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5015/5538954780_ca8490f669_z.jpg)
Right now it is 70#@10" on a string tight against the bow's belly. It pulls deceptively easily for that much draw weight, I suppose some of that is likely the long string. I was shocked when I looked at the tillering scale and realized how much weight I had on it. This brings me to my next question. I glued the recurves on (using smooth-on epoxy) with a fishtail splice that started at 2" long but is now less with limb thinning. I plan to wrap this joint on the finished bow, but I'd rather not do that until I have the limb to thickness. I could put a pin through the splice sideways the way I do handle splces but I don't know if that is a good idea or not. Will that joint take the stress of going to full draw without being wrapped?
Here's what the joint looks like.
(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5092/5538375903_e9b07dccbc_z.jpg)
I'm anxious to get the bow braced and finish it up, but I don't want to break one of the recurves off either.
Thanks in advance.
George
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George.....I think the Glue Joint looks strong and tight...should be fine...especially with the Glue You used...When I have glued them together ....I have always used a long mitered cut...from back to belly...gives you more surface area for a stronger glue up...jmo.
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looks good to me! thats gonna be a nice bow! what you gonna do with it when your done? thats my type of bow! lol
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OK thanks Mike. I'll go back to scraping on it. I'm not sure what I'll do with it, a lot will depend on how it shoots for me. I've never shot short glass recurves well, but this'll be the first short selfbow I've shot so we'll see. If I can't shoot it worth a hoot who knows what I'll do with it. Course, we're counting our chickens before they're hatched since the bow isn't even braced yet. I'd never bet against an old fence post though. ;D
George
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lol! your right!
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Bad day today. Started well as I finally got the bow on a short string and took a bad picture putting the camera on my workmate.
(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5096/5538954798_d7ffb9e0b7_z.jpg)
But, it wasn't a good shot. Good enough to see that right limb needed more scraping inboard. So, I did that, shortened the string a little and brought my tripod over to take a proper picture. I was looking at the camera screen framing the shot and evidently not paying attention to how far and hard I was pulling when the bow went BANG. Been a long time since I had a blow explode like this one did. It took me a minute to find the pieces. Now it's a 3-piece.
(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5174/5538954812_5fdd40aaaa_z.jpg)
I'm not sure if the limb broke on a knot, or along one of the weather checking cracks on the side. There was some old insect damage there too. Not sure if the recurve at the other end broke a the same time or when that piece of the bow hit the floor hard. I suspect the latter.
(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5059/5538375959_e13cfba2b9_z.jpg)
Too bad, it was still carrying about an inch of reflex when it broke. At least the glue joints held to the end. Guess my wife gets a couple new paint stirrers. ::) Have another bow out there to work on at about the same stage. Trying to decide what to build next... Perhaps my osage backing strips are dry enough to go on the ipe I bought a while ago?
George
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Try to get someone to take your pic drawing the bopw next time. Holding a wood bow at a static draw for any length of time is bad for the bow. By hand holding and drawing you can control the length and duration of the draw and IMO a better situation for wood bows.
To bad this one broke. Will you post other pics of the break so we can try to figure out what the problem was. I think that is as important of a tool for wood bow building as anything. We learn from our(or the woods) mistakes...usually! ;D
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Sorry George She was looking good ' Frank
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Yea Pat, I agree. I just got distracted with the camera and held it too long and pulled it further than I should have. But, I did take more pictures and I'm pretty sure now it was an insect damage problem. The first picture is where you can see the damage.
George
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I agree! The insect damage was the culprit!
Here is what an inch too far looks like on one of my bows. This bow had over a thousand shots through it before this happened.
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/PatBNC/ShereKhanbroke001.jpg)
The only bugs here were in my brain!!! d;^)
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That's a shame George. I was really looking forward to seeing what could be made from that old piece of wood.
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That's a bummer Pat. Looks like it was a good bow and had mellowed to a beautiful amber. I love them at that color. Very sad.
I hope all those fenceposts aren't riddled like that. Do you think if I'd backed it with some rawhide or sinew it would have survived?
Thanks OO, there's plenty more posts out on the stack. This was a pretty aggressive design, I think I asked too much from that old post. Maybe I'll be a little more conservative next time? Maybe not. ;D
George
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Nothing would have helped that bow. Too much internal grub damage.
If they have worm holes in them there is not much to do unless you can find clear wood between the holes.
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Not to worry. I broke a a really nice little osage static recurve this morning while working on the final tiller. :-\ Sorry yours broke, though. It's never fun, is it? And, I still haven't found all of the pieces to mine ;D
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Too bad - good luck on the nextone, glad ya didn't get hurt!
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Bad luck Bro... but it happens... Pat, that makes me a little nervous knowin im shootin her sister... :o ;D
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Thanks guys, I broke out a new stave this afternoon to take my mind of this morning's explosion. It's a bandsawed off sister with a real crook in the handle. It has a really nice group of knots off the handle I'm only about half done with. Sadly, it has a bad flaw, a pair of weather checks that go all the way from belly to back. Not sure if it'll make a bow or not. If it gets close I'll start a new thread.
George
(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5220/5538891858_01e636cc40_z.jpg)
(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5172/5538313495_77058c0e8f_z.jpg)
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2437/5769775980_567cdfa8a1_z.jpg)
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You sure do like a challenge.
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Brian, yours was the first with tiger stripes! 8)
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George, I just broke an osage stave too. If we ain't breakin' we ain't makin'! LOL. Jawge
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Thanks Jawge, you are so right. :D
George
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George,sorry you broke that good lookin' recurve,but I agree with you,it sure looks like insect damage. By the way,I think I broke a half dozen in 2010,2 of them in one day. :P.Nice try though,and your doing right gettin right back on that bronc. ;) God Bless
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George...don't worry about the Lateral Cracks...they give it Character...and should not hurt the Limbs at all...unless they run off the Edge...then they will be trouble!