Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: DirtyDan on July 15, 2007, 11:54:18 pm
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Here is a sinew-backed mesquite bow that I made for a rancher friend of mine in Dickens, Texas. He was kind enough to let me hunt on his ranch and he wanted me to build him a bow and some arrows for his son for graduation from Texas Tech. I made this set for him. The bow is 62", 52 lbs. at 28". It took many steamings and clampings to get it straight enough for a bow. The points are trade points. I used the Hamm-Allely pictures in Encyclopedia of North American Bows and Arrows for Comanche style in both arrows and bow. The tiller is not bad for a crooked piece of west Texas scrub mesquite. The bow is plenty fast, and I am convinced that in the hands of a Comanche warrior, it would have done the deed.(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b243/Dirty44Dan/mesquite%20bow/sideclose.jpg)
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b243/Dirty44Dan/mesquite%20bow/handledetail.jpg)
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b243/Dirty44Dan/mesquite%20bow/handleandarrowcloseup.jpg)
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b243/Dirty44Dan/mesquite%20bow/draw.jpg)
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b243/Dirty44Dan/mesquite%20bow/bowsetback.jpg)
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I wish the pics were a little bigger, getting old you know. ;D
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Sorry about the size of the pictures, but with the byte limits on this board and the type of camera I have, it is hard to get bigger pictures. I am going to try to reduce the quality on my camera and see if that helps.
Dan
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Dan, it took me two years to figure to reduce the quality on the camera to the lowest. On our 2 dig cameras that comes out to 640x480; perfect for posting on PA site.
Your bow and arrows look cool from what I can see. Hope the info above helps you with your pics. Pat
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I use the highest quality picture I can. Just crop the extra background, reduce it to 600X400 and it comes out great. Justin
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Come on Dan you know an old man like me can't see that. ;D But from what I can see it looks good.
Pappy
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Thanks, guys. I will keep working on getting the size right.
Dan
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Looks good and I betcha the grandson was real happy!!
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I may have this sizing right for the pictures. We will try this.
Dan
[attachment deleted by admin]
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It worked, but only for one picture. Here is another.
[attachment deleted by admin]
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Awesome project. Booy, that chart is some detailed business.
Dave
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Good looking bow (and arrows and the rest of the set).
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The lucky graduate should be pleased with it. Heck of a job on a tough stave.
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Nice looking bow, I tried to make one from mesquite but when I split the tree, it had such bad propeller twist that I couldn't continue. :(
Sean
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Trust me, Sean, I spent almost a year steaming, clamping and straightening to get the bow as straight as this. Mesquite is a real challenge.
Dan
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Beautiful set Big Guy. This looks a lot like the one I saw last time I was over. Way to go bro.
You do a beautiful job every time.
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Dan - I have an interest in Mesquite! seeing as how I live in North Central TX. I've been himhawing around about it for a year or more and have actually been arguing with a friend of mine about it. He says the wood is too brittle and I'm kinda leaning that way but also thought that if it was backed with something it would work - and you've proved it.
I'm wondering is that mostly sap wood or did you color the back white? Oh, sorry almost forgot I got too excited - that is a good looking bow ;D.
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Cowboy,
Thanks for your interest in this project. I did paint the sinew after I sanded all of the grooves and irregularities out of the surface. I just mixed up a kind of sand color in acrylic to put down for a base for the colors. I think the Indians used a white clay mixture on the sinew to achieve the same effect. Now to the wood itself. The rancher and I looked almost a half a day to try to find a branch or trunk somewhat straight enough for a bow. I brought three good sized branches home to Georgia. Each was about five inches in diameter. I then sliced these up and took about 3/4" slats out the middle. I then steamed, straightened and shellacked each piece until I found one that would cooperate enough to make a bow. The shellac is important after each steaming or scraping in order to keep checking from occuring. Several of the blanks did twist and crack so badly, I could not use them. But this one seemed to hand in there. I took it down to 1/2" at the ends and began to tiller it. When I got it tillered, I continued to work on straightening it, using both wet and dry heat. Shellac after EVERY TREATMENT. Then I sinewed about three layers of elk sinew on the back and then sanded and re-tillered. Boy, those Comanches around the Red and White River valleys had to work really hard to make weapons!
Dan
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Thanks Dan: I'll be cutting some Mesquite for smoker wood here in the next couple of weeks. Going to try and pick some of the straighter one's to start some staves. I may need to refer back to this post from time to time. Wonder if the sap wood would make a backing?
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Pretty neat bow. Anybody around to crank it back to full draw?
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I'd like to get some Mesquite for knife handles,risers and tip over lays.I think it is nice looking after it's polished.
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Looks good. Congrats for using mesquite. We'll look at it again for BOM.