Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: huntersim on June 17, 2007, 07:33:23 pm
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Hi everyone. Dave Rue sent me a slat of osage some time back and it was just long enough to sneak a 58" bow out of. It was one of the darkest pieces of osage I've ever seen, also had some fascinating grain to it. I sent Dave a few photos of it and he asked if I was going to post it. I really didn't have any plans to but when he asked if I was, I figured why not.
So the stats for the bow are, 58" long. 62-63 lbs at 28" (just under 60 at my 27" draw). Just a bit over 1 1/4 wide at the widest. The finish is paraffin, something I've never used before.
One thing about the bow is it took a lot more set than I expected. The tips sit about 1 1/4" behind the handle, and close to 1 3/4" behind the handle just off the string. Early on I mentioned this to Dave and he thought it may be from the osage, I had suspected the backing, still not sure why it took so much. I've build a few more off the same platform and 2 of them, within 4 lbs of this one, have limb tips about 3/4-1" in front of the handle, a few others Ive tried let go. I'm still trying to find a limb tip of the last one that let go.
A couple of more things; even though the bow took as much set/follow as it did, it shoots pretty well (in the, I can hit what I want department). Perhaps because the tips do sit back as far as they do, I'm not sure. I have a bow I built last year that has almost the exact profile as this one, but was made that way intentionally. Something I thought was interesting was the bow from last year loads up totally different from this one with a lot of forced set in it. Tiller between the two differs a bit but not a lot.
Anyway, here's a few photos. And thanks Dave, for the neat looking osage.
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Nice looking bow Matt. That Hickory will realy offset the Osage in a year or more. Good looking tops. Feels good when they turn out nice doesn't it. Good job.
Dick Bernier
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Hunter, good looking bow. You brought up some real good and interesting points about how bows load up when the set was induced by tillering or natural. This is omething I have spent a lot of time on in the last year.
Seems if you build a bow straight and it takes 1" set, it will shoot a better than a bow that had 2" of reflex and ended up straight. Lately I have tried to induce not more than about 1 1/2" reflex and try to keep close to 1" of that if I can. Sure makes a diff. Steve
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Looks pretty darn good to me. I don't remember seeing a hick backed osage before. I like the look of the combination. I also like the tips. Justin
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nice bow.
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Very nice looking bow. I haven't seen a hickory back osage before. But I really like it. It looks great. The tiller looks really good. You have a keeper.
Ron
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Thanks guys, I appreciate the complements.
Badger, Thats the thing thats funny about this one. The bow I built last year loads up real hard mid-draw and then stays steady out to 28". This bow actually draws smoother than that one. I agree with what you said though. I usually only glue in about 2" of reflex and end up with about 3/4" of reflex left. It could be the tiller difference, I'm not sure.
Dick, Yeah its nice when they turn out, I just wish it would of held a bit more reflex.
The first backed bow I built was hickory backed osage that slightly bent through the handle. I managed to hing the lower limb and it met its demise. I think this is the first since then.
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Very nice bow. Hickory backing makes for a really nice clean look. I have found it doesn't hold the reflex like bamboo will though. Might not have been the osage. Although the osage looks pretty thin-ringed too, did it have quite a bit of spring wood in it? Looks like most of your set came in the deflexed inner limb area, is that right?
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very sharp bow. That hickory looks great with the osage.
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I've made a few hickory backed osage and like the combo. On one I added cherry bark backing for a real sharp look. This combo performs very well when glued up with Perry reflex. I usually used a straight reflex and not R/D. Pat
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Thats a pretty bow. :) 8) Ive made a bunch of hickory backed Osage bows. Its a great combo, and if done right it will hold as much reflex as bamboo or any other wood on wood combo. ::) How wide is it? and how thick was your hickory backing strip? I like to taper mine.....Thats a pretty heavy draw weight for a bow that short, thats probally the cause of so much set. Some of my fastest shooting selfbows hold nearly that same profile. The limbs are still reflexed but the tips rest just slightly behind the handle, of course mine are longer and narrower and lighter draw weight.
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I like....you comin to Mojam Matt?
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I forgot to comment on that tiller, outstanding, harder than it looks on those shorter bows, have you thought about entering this bow in the ambush contest, he extended the entry period a bit, Looks like it would make a good contender. Steve
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tom sawyer,
it seems the follow was pretty even throughout. If I compare it to another I have that holds reflex (off the same platform), it looks like the mid-limb flattened a bit and the inner limb took some set. It was fine ringed, but I've used some fine ringed stuff in the past that made a terrific bow. I think the amount of set came from both pieces of wood.
Pat,
I have another planed :) Id like to get ahold of some cherry bark. Cant seem to find it around here.
Ryano,
I'm sure the length accounted for the set, but i have a few that are built just like it, and show around 3/4" reflex. It's maybe 1/16 over 1/4 wide at the widest. Hickory was a heavy 8th and tapered to just under that.
Brian, thanks. I hope to make it but its not looking good right now. If I do it'll be one of those "spare of the moment" deals. Pack and leave Fri because everything aligned for me.
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Badger, yes. But its to close to my entry from last year. It shoots a bit better but after my showing last year I decided that if its not where I want it, its not worth entering. So i disqualified this one on my own accord. I did talk to Dean about an extension. I had a similar bow built out of bullitwood and bamboo. It was at around 65 lbs at 28". It blew for no reason (other than crappy bamboo).
Thanks for the complement though. Good luck with your entry. It looks good. And good luck to everyone that enters.
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Looks great with the contrast between the hick and sage, I like it.
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Very nice bow ,tiller looks great,well done. :)
Pappy
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A really pretty bow Matt. I cut the wood, so I will add 2 points that 1) it is thin ringed but with virtually no early growth. Very high density and heavy on the osage continuum,. 2) one factor is that it is a slat cut from a very gnarly piece that goes hither adn thither across the rings. I've had a few take some set when hard-backed. The wood hold profile well in a selfbow, but very little of the lumber was suitable. Also works better in quartersawn orientation, but there wasn;t much of that either..
Dave
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Nice bow, Matt.
I've made several hickory backed osage. The latest I just finished this past weekend. 63" NTN, 70# @ 28", 1'' of set from a starting point of zero reflex, bendy handle, with no riser. She's got terrific cast with that length and weight. I was a bit worried about hand shock, but she shoots sweet, and very quiet. Where I live, it's too dry for bamboo, and I've had nothing but trouble with it cracking and splitting. Bamboo is very hydroscopic. Hickory is so much less labour intensive, and when you stain it dark, it looks nice, and you can use the bow to hunt with. Cheers!!
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One great thing about hickory backings is that they get stronger in tension if the moisture goes up a bit. Steve
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Wow - This combo must be for a very fast bow. Great entry for June Backed Bow of the Month.
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I like the contrast between the osage and hickory. Beautiful tiller too. What did you use for the handle wrap?
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Steve, why would that be? I thought it would be the opposite.
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Tom, not sure why but a lot of fibers get stronger in tension when mc goes up, hickory is both exremes, the belly gets like a noode and the back gets stronger. Probably in the small mc changes we are dealing with it wont make a big difference as it does with hickory in the belly wood. Steve
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Thanks for the complements guys, much appreciated.
Dave,
Thanks for the input, I agree that the early to late wood ratio was low.
adb3112,
I agree that hickory is easy to work with. I'm used to using bamboo and it was nice to use a piece of hickory for a change.
Gordon,
the handle wrap was some brown dacron wrapped the length of the grip, the I went over it with some fake sinew. I wasnt sure how it would look but it turned out halfway decent looking.
Interesting comment Badger. I've been keeping it in the hot box while I've worked on the tiller. I wonder how it will change buy the end of the month.
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That's a nice bow Matt. Hickory seems to be a good backing for Osage. I like it better than Bamboo.
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Marc, I have a question for you. When you build a hickory backed bow vs. a bamboo backed bow do you add a little more reflex to the hickory backed bow? Or do the seem to work out about the same to you? Thanks for the complement.
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Wow!
A fine and nice bow!
Compliments!!!