Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Stringman on July 04, 2013, 07:14:48 pm

Title: Fence post bow
Post by: Stringman on July 04, 2013, 07:14:48 pm

In the last few days of deer season last year I spyed a nice pile of fence posts that had been pulled and stood tepee fashion just inside the woods at one of my hunting properties. After gettin permission, I drug a likely stick home and set it in the corner. It took me awhile to figure out which end was up but finally I started makin shavings.

I had to remove a lot of weathered and bug damaged wood, but I eventually found a place to start and began shaping a bow. The handle had a weird "S" shaped side profile that gave me fits all the way thru the tillering process. I heated the limbs and trained a mild reflex to even them out a bit and after that the old girl didnt see the heat gun at all.

A very tough old bird to force into shape, but patient scraping revealed the beauty and durability of old Osage. She ended up 45# @ 28" and shoots very smooth. I wish I had a guess as to her real age, but like most women some secrets are never told.

(http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s670/cotton7611/0974F982-8842-4737-9FD3-68F6AD564FA7-7147-00000C1ED3E2ED31_zps96dc1d5c.jpg)

(http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s670/cotton7611/36263CBF-FC90-4DD7-B4C6-4E223ECB3CE9-7147-00000C1EE0E04EC0_zpsb27d91f5.jpg)

(http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s670/cotton7611/89676E46-452B-4189-9221-F76F973CA369-7147-00000C1EEBBFCEC4_zps7a4ed198.jpg)

(http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s670/cotton7611/15B8F55B-B9CD-4E42-9AB0-D4CECCEF4099-7147-00000C1F0306E64E_zps5f743351.jpg)

(http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s670/cotton7611/5DE0E170-24E7-4520-A67F-76F7B71AF0B5-7147-00000C1F3AF05410_zps2b7bd6ef.jpg)

(http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s670/cotton7611/51266398-EC03-4114-9C7F-2AF9D573463B-7147-00000C1F45231699_zpsf99e2424.jpg)

(http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s670/cotton7611/B1F35AC9-3DBA-4AD9-AF3C-6B65A1B43B3F-7147-00000C1F55832FD1_zps1997b9fa.jpg)

(http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s670/cotton7611/D817C4E4-B079-4CCB-839A-9A70B0B92746-7147-00000C1F5C732C91_zps672f9d19.jpg)

(http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s670/cotton7611/D7615D38-E1D5-4555-B1BB-456F66EB26D9-7147-00000C1F61939255_zps1b363931.jpg)

(http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s670/cotton7611/74D9012D-0B79-4088-B3DD-0639222691DE-7147-00000C1F680DF593_zps439116a8.jpg)

(http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s670/cotton7611/F9BD61FA-38D4-4A71-B2BE-FCDF00278296-7147-00000C1F6D16AFC4_zps791aa0e8.jpg)

Thanks to my buddies Cipriano and Erik for providing a half a copper to skin my bow.   ;)

Title: Re: Fence post bow
Post by: DuBois on July 04, 2013, 07:29:32 pm

That is beautiful. Any suggestions for mine? Thanks for the pics. How long is that?

Title: Re: Fence post bow
Post by: BOWMAN53 on July 04, 2013, 07:42:49 pm

Thats one sick bow scott

Title: Re: Fence post bow
Post by: osage outlaw on July 04, 2013, 08:32:25 pm

Nice job on that one Scott.  I bet it was a pain to tiller that thing with the way the limbs come out of the handle at different angles.  Where is the full draw?   :)

Title: Re: Fence post bow
Post by: lesken2011 on July 04, 2013, 09:46:33 pm

If only those old fence posts could talk. No tellin what they've seen. Nice job and sweet skins.

Title: Re: Fence post bow
Post by: Trapper Rob on July 04, 2013, 09:58:48 pm

Nice bow skins look good.

Title: Re: Fence post bow
Post by: Badly Bent on July 04, 2013, 10:10:57 pm

Nice job getting a bow out that old weathered post, looks like a good one too. I cut my bow making teeth on 65yr old
osage fence post staves. Hard and dense as stone they were and all of em' have survived and still shoot, durable is the right word. Bet that one of yours will be around a long time stringman, nice one.

Title: Re: Fence post bow
Post by: Stringman on July 04, 2013, 10:16:48 pm

Thanks guys, this old piece of wood was fun to work with.

Clint- it was hard to get any momentum on it. I kept puttin it back in the corner cause of the lower limb. It seems to have a bad hinge but considering everything, I'm inclined to believe its pretty close overall. I'll try to get a FD pic up later, but it won't be very flattering.

Lesken- I'm with you. This tree was born and raised in big buck country. Fed an untold number of squirrels then spent a lifetime holding cattle in and providing a roost for every bird that swooped by. In the early years that log took a tan from some of the prettiest sunsets in the nation. Bugs chewed it up and farmers ran staples up and down its length. And now after all that I made a bow from it that should last another lifetime. Incredible...

Title: Re: Fence post bow
Post by: twisted hickory on July 04, 2013, 11:20:23 pm

Beautiful and a meat maker for sure ;)

Title: Re: Fence post bow
Post by: criveraville on July 04, 2013, 11:26:39 pm

That's a sweet bow!! Nice work on half skins!! I bet there's hundreds of post out there.. I like the old color in that old wood! Excellent work amigo  ;)

Cipriano

Title: Re: Fence post bow
Post by: H Rhodes on July 05, 2013, 02:10:51 am

Outstanding.  That's a fine bow Scott.  Great work as usual. 

Title: Re: Fence post bow
Post by: Joec123able on July 05, 2013, 02:24:08 am

Man I love these bows from old fence posts the wood we call Osage is just plain amazing tht they can still be turned into bows after being through The test of time out in the elements

Title: Re: Fence post bow
Post by: Will H on July 05, 2013, 06:41:16 am

You done a fine job on that bow Scott. I've built a few and thrusts some of the best IMHO. Gotta love old Osage!

Title: Re: Fence post bow
Post by: Pappy on July 05, 2013, 06:43:01 am

Nice job and loved the story above, wicked tillering one like that in the handle,sometimes you just have to shoot it and if it shoots good all else is        out the window. :) That's all that really matters anyway. ;) :) They do sometimes look hinged out of the handle when they are like that,most really aren't ,just look
like it. :)
   Pappy

Title: Re: Fence post bow
Post by: burn em up chuck on July 05, 2013, 09:49:27 am

    well done

        chuck

Title: Re: Fence post bow
Post by: SLIMBOB on July 05, 2013, 10:06:25 am

Just too cool right there.

Title: Re: Fence post bow
Post by: missilemaster on July 05, 2013, 10:12:22 am

very nice! Copperheads and osage go so well together dont they?

Title: Re: Fence post bow
Post by: Stringman on July 05, 2013, 12:37:58 pm

Money shots!

(http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s670/cotton7611/A063E660-2B9F-477B-A582-E80A8486EA46-177-0000000AD8E7F8B8_zpsb8b38e40.jpg)

(http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s670/cotton7611/BBAAA889-CDD1-485C-B4C0-D166280F751D-177-0000000ADDED3F7B_zps2fe401d4.jpg)

(http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s670/cotton7611/81988277-8B7E-4C73-9486-D7E600B699A9-177-0000000AE2639C04_zps4b05e086.jpg)

(http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s670/cotton7611/323F9E9D-542B-47BD-A88A-04F2CB995E21-177-0000000AE721920C_zps9361aafa.jpg)

Tell me what ya see.

Title: Re: Fence post bow
Post by: dbb on July 05, 2013, 01:46:25 pm

Nice bow!

P.s lower that elbow a bit and you gain an inch dl and lessen the risk of injury to the shoulder longterm. D.s

Title: Re: Fence post bow
Post by: BowSlayer on July 05, 2013, 06:14:13 pm

Your not helping my craving for sage >:D

Title: Re: Fence post bow
Post by: JonW on July 05, 2013, 09:15:47 pm

Osage never dies. It just dries out and makes bow wood!! Lower is a tad flat but if it feels good call it good. I see a cool looking bow.

Title: Re: Fence post bow
Post by: Will H on July 05, 2013, 10:39:05 pm

Goin off the unstrung profile I'd say your tiller is fine. Good job on a tricky piece of history ;)

Title: Re: Fence post bow
Post by: chamookman on July 06, 2013, 05:02:46 am

I agree with Will - there's ALOT going on in that lower limb. Nice save ! Bob

Title: Re: Fence post bow
Post by: arklowrebel on July 06, 2013, 06:15:08 am

Beautiful.  Just beautiful!   :)

Title: Re: Fence post bow
Post by: Stringman on July 06, 2013, 04:31:05 pm

Thanks guys, looks like y'all are seeing the same things I'm seeing. It's hard to expect perfect symmetry from a stave like this one. But it sure is shooting where im lookin!

Title: Re: Fence post bow
Post by: Oz on July 22, 2013, 04:38:45 am

Very nice bow. Great idea as well. Every fence post I look at now will be with thoughts of making a bow.

Title: Re: Fence post bow
Post by: The Gopher on July 22, 2013, 10:46:26 am

i love the old fence post bows, they make my imagination run wild.