Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: aaron on November 27, 2012, 12:40:18 pm
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The stave- Two inch diameter Vine Maple harvested in Skamakowa WA earlier this year, it had one sideways wiggle and two "roller coaster" wiggles, but showed good tip alignment and no overall deflex/ reflex. Started out 7 feet long.
The Bow- Finished out at 69 inches nock to nock. Width at grip is 1 1/8, tapering to 1/4 inch tips. Tillered to bend equally in all parts (more on this later). Draws about 35 pounds at 28 inches.
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Now that is wicked looking,another shooter. :)
Pappy
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...
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:o
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I want to describe how I tillered this one- a technique I use on almost all my bows. First I floor tillered it, achieving the initial taper using calipers to measure width and thickness every couple inches.
Then I heat treated it, inducing about 2 inches reflex and adjusting tip alignment.
Next, I drew straight lines on the sides of the bow, each line must be of equal length, and you draw a bunch of them down the length of the whole bow (see picture one below).
Then I brace the bow and use the same straightedge I had drawn the lines with to judge how each line has bent, (photo 2 below). By comparing the bend in each line, I can see exactly how much each section is bending.
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I love it. The more primitive the better, IMO.
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The finish on the bow and the braintan grip is iron acetate and tannin. First apply black tea to increase the tannins in the wood- several coats. Then apply a mix of vinegar and steel wool which has been sitting for at least a few weeks. The results can be hard to predict - as you see on this bow- each limb was stained at a different time due to some retillering i had to do- one limb is reddish, while the other is just black- I think i used two different jars of the vinegar/ steel wool mix. Depending on how you do it, this stain can be anything from grey to reddish black to black.
The nocks are 1/4 inch wide cow horn back nocks wrapped with sinew.
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Very cool. I really like the look of this one. What does the front profile look like?
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Wow! Nice bend on a really difficult stave Aaron. I like those wrap on tips too, how wide are those tips?
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Wow! I've never seen that particular technique for monitoring the tiller, ...but I like it much! I love the way it allows you to pretty clearly see exactly how much each "facet" or the limb is working as compared to the rest.
Is that a white wax pencil you are using to mark the staight line on the edge of the bow?
OneBow
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That's one snakes VM right there! Killer work man! Love it!
YOU LIVE IN ILWACO??!!
Dude I live right across the bridge!
-Pinecone
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thanks for the kind words everyone!
ryoon- the front profile is fairly straight on one limb, but the other has a dogleg near the tip- see it in the photo above showing a bow tip against a green lawn.
cmb- those tips are one quarter inch wide by about 9/16 thick.
onebow- yes white wax pencil- easier to see on the black bow.
Bryce- you live in astoria?
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Well closer to knappa but yeah man!
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Cool bow man! 8)
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i don't think i would've even tried that one, but you got a bow out of it and a good one too
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Amazing what you can get out of a skinny Vine maple stick! I have one similar that is 1" dia. with knots and it is a snappy 35# shooter. Lots of people on here say "it doesn't take much Osage to make make a good bow" and I think the same can be said of Vine Maple.
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I like the bow and your tillering method, I have never seen that done before.
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That's a real humpty dumpty!!
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Aaron,that is a great looking stick...that is one thing i love about vine maple..all the character in the world...great job and have fun with it..john
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Coooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool !!!