Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Christian Soldier on April 06, 2013, 09:42:35 pm
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Hey yall. As probably everyone here knows, you win some, you loose some. This was something of a 'fixer upper' bow that I made from a Black Walnut log that I hacked into pretty hard with a hatchet over most of its length (long story), so I tried to chase a few rings and get a clean back on the bow. Unfortunately I couldn't really see the rings that well and I did get one side pretty perfect but the lower limb had a few nicks across the grain (this is bad). I continued on anyway doing my best to sand out any imperfections, getting the tiller as best I could and polishing the back. I shot it a few dozen times yesterday with no worries. Then today I put some linseed oil on it and it was beautiful.
However, as I was drawing for a F/D pic, the back couldn't take the stress anymore and it blew. :o :-[ >:( ??? I had all of those feelings in about a second and then I was just okay with it. Its not the first bow I've broken and it won't be the last. Cussing and pouting won't put my bow back together. So, I went inside, put the pieces in the corner, and grabbed a new hickory stave with a clean back. :)
Anyway, This bow was gorgeous before it broke, here are some pics. The Pics are a little big but if you go to 'View' in your tool bar and turn the zoom down to 75% you can see the full picture. Then just change it back when you are done.
(http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc495/KenpoFighter1/HPIM5682_zpsadf31348.jpg)
(http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc495/KenpoFighter1/HPIM5683_zpse552e9bc.jpg)
(http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc495/KenpoFighter1/HPIM5691_zps5ad799ae.jpg)
(http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc495/KenpoFighter1/HPIM5692_zps1507eb75.jpg)
(http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc495/KenpoFighter1/HPIM5689_zps38b2b103.jpg)
(http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc495/KenpoFighter1/HPIM5690_zpsaf63e6c3.jpg)
(http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc495/KenpoFighter1/HPIM5693_zps68716ef1.jpg)
And the break...
(http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc495/KenpoFighter1/HPIM5696_zps9f881590.jpg)
(http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc495/KenpoFighter1/HPIM5695_zpsdcbed112.jpg)
Its pretty dissapointing putting 40+ hours into a piece of what is now just firewood. But, hey, if it was the easy path, than everyone would take it. I know the broad path isn't for me so I'll endure and keep on making. Stay tuned, there'll be a hickory short bow up in a week or so. :)
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I love Walnut- thats a beautiful bow ( was ). Shame, try again?
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Sorry to see it CS, it was looking real good.
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That sucks man. Sorry things didn't work out this time
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Shame on the break.
Maybe you could keep the good limb, get another black walnut billet, make a matching limb and splice the handle - or more probably, affect some form of two-piece take-down?
Be a shame to waste it all...
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I have another BW stave that's about 67" long (The sister stave) that I'll probably try again with in a couple months.
I haven't done this before, but I'll probably back that one with hickory to ensure that the same thing doesn't happen.
I might be able to get some knock overalys out of the handle, but other than that, there's not a whole lot you can do with just half a bow.
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Beautiful grain and character. I hope you try another one. I like your attitude, I would have been so disappointed.
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Ouch!!!
That was a good lookin piece of walnut.... maybe to much heart and not enough sapwood???
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Thats a shame, was a real good looking bow. Sometimes bows are just gonna do that, disappointing but hey there is more wood in
the forest right. Hope to see your next walnut bow succeed. :)
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Damn man that is a beautiful bow sucks that it broke I really like the design you used on it
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that was a great looking bow,,i have never used walnut,,i have seen some really nice bows but they were mostly sapwood
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She was looking real nice. Rawhide backing would give you some back protection.
The only BW bows I've made were mostly sapwood(under the bark) with a trace of heartwood in the handle except for one boo backed BW that fretted to the backing on the bottom limb. A thin hickory backing should work fine for BW but I hate the thought of decrowning a perfectly good stave just to add backing strip. That's just me. ::)
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I have another BW stave that's about 67" long (The sister stave) that I'll probably try again with in a couple months.
I haven't done this before, but I'll probably back that one with hickory to ensure that the same thing doesn't happen.
I might be able to get some knock overalys out of the handle, but other than that, there's not a whole lot you can do with just half a bow.
atlatl!
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Pat, I didn't even think of rawhide! I might try that on the next one I've got some pretty thick rawhide that'll need to be sanded down but it'll probably be a lot easier than shaping a hickory back and decrowning a stave with knots in it.
I'll look into that. I've got some thinking to do before I start on the next stave. Its certanately a beautiful wood and I'd like to keep as much as the heart wood as I can. Thanks.
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Man... Sorry to see it Break...
Miss Sadiejane You Said IT!!!
AtlAtl!!!
-gus
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Christian Soldier, I am so sorry that you spent so long on the stave and it broke on you. I l know what that feels like to me. You are right it does look well shaped. Let me ask you what you think you could have done differently? The stave is heavily crowned, it looks short, it is really knotted and I couldn't tell you if you heated in some reflex. Jawge
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Christian Soldier, I am so sorry that you spent so long on the stave and it broke on you. I l know what that feels like to me. You are right it does look well shaped. Let me ask you what you think you could have done differently? The stave is heavily crowned, it looks short, it is really knotted and I couldn't tell you if you heated in some reflex. Jawge
The crown isn't too bad. It came from a tree about 7" across so its a little higher than I'd prefer, but nothing debilitating. It is short, not much over 5ft. I screwed up the ring chasing really bad on the lower limb (I thought I was one ring high but I was actually one ring low) so I had to pike that one side (I hadn't cut in the handle so it was okay) by about 4". No reflex in this one, I was nervous as it was and I didn't want to put any extra stress on the stave.
I think on my next one, I'll work the rings more carefully and back it with rawhide, I'll also keep it full length probably a similar design, and then I think it'll be quite a looker and a shooter. :)
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Beautiful wood. Make an Atlatl from the pieces or a scrapper or something.