Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Stringman on October 16, 2013, 07:30:00 pm

Title: HHB by me
Post by: Stringman on October 16, 2013, 07:30:00 pm: Man it has been awhile!

I've been laboring over this gift Hophornbeam stave for months now and finally have it ready to post. Mr. Bybee felled several trees off his farm earlier this year and this comes from a log that we drug out together. I had it split and ready to work at the classic, but never got around to it. When I finally did start to move on it there seemed to be no end of set backs.

After gettin a short string on it I decided to use a very impressive milksnake skin I got from Art and glued it down. I then realized I should have heat tempered the belly first. SO I got the heat gun out and promptly scorched the sides of the skin near the tips. In an effort to cover my tracks I cut the milksnake to a "v" and applied a dark rat to the end if each limb.

Next came tips of bocote and purple heart. The colors work well with the dramatic colors of the milk snake and the bocote is dense enough to handle the cutting tendency of fast flight. For a strike plate I shaped a small piece of taqua nut "vegetable ivory" also from Mr. Lemos and incised the arrow pass to accept the plate. After a final sanding and finish of Spar urethane I stitched a black leather handle to further bring out the color contrast of this beautiful skin.

I have been struggling to honor these special gifts from my friends and wanted to challenge myself to showcase them like they deserve. The end result is a stout 65# @28" HHB bow that screams to be shot. The bow has a modest amount of string follow, which mostly relaxes after an hour. After several shooting sessions it occurs to me that there isn't an ounce of hand shock!

Hope you enjoy!

(http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s670/cotton7611/9BDB8C60-CB9A-4B3E-AEF9-B8A82EB0A860-642-0000006CB51E6EEE_zps8d5f5943.jpg)
(http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s670/cotton7611/BB46B7EA-CE97-49CA-A623-08BDBD618F50-642-0000006CBB712310_zpsdaa753ce.jpg)

(http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s670/cotton7611/240EFB0E-3048-4B1F-8541-6EF10FF4264D-642-0000006CADCBDB9F_zps66bff8ef.jpg)
(http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s670/cotton7611/1CA6D324-BA8B-4940-866E-623A54151A33-642-0000006CA91ECC02_zpsa4a522f6.jpg)

(http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s670/cotton7611/69B7AF0D-8580-4BCF-994E-39ACEB491FA1-642-0000006CA281EAAE_zpsb24b0a67.jpg)
(http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s670/cotton7611/32CCB1B0-3CC7-4CDB-BAEC-E45A80420ADC-642-0000006C9857300A_zps5e27e7a6.jpg)

(http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s670/cotton7611/D2B2375C-D562-4FAD-B1D7-B988E5D00F48-642-0000006C920F0894_zps4a8add4d.jpg)
(http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s670/cotton7611/95C05179-A390-4CE8-99C0-DEB3DB388235-642-0000006C8CA3C3BB_zpsf9be9a6e.jpg)
(http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s670/cotton7611/A737ABC5-C2CC-4530-9FB2-32C1E3BB24ED-642-0000006C87358CC3_zps05a67911.jpg)

(http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s670/cotton7611/9D2D3667-F8B9-42CD-8E91-A5454AAFCF08-642-0000006CC9D72AAD_zps83ab8eeb.jpg)
(http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s670/cotton7611/564F170B-0524-4845-9136-F87C210DB944-642-0000006CD01BF8C0_zps08231faf.jpg)

God Bless!
Title: Re: HHB by me
Post by: Bryce on October 16, 2013, 07:32:33 pm: Love every inch buddy! Gorgeous bend!
Title: Re: HHB by me
Post by: osage outlaw on October 16, 2013, 07:34:09 pm: Great looking bow!
Title: Re: HHB by me
Post by: missilemaster on October 16, 2013, 07:40:16 pm: Wow! Those skins are out-a tha park cool! Great job
Title: Re: HHB by me
Post by: BOWMAN53 on October 16, 2013, 07:41:46 pm: QUICK GO PUT IT IN FOR BOM!!!!!!

seriously, that bow is sick.
Title: Re: HHB by me
Post by: adb on October 16, 2013, 07:48:08 pm: Very nicely done! You've done that stave proud! The top limb is a smidgey stiff, but I'm guessing it's the one with the two knots in it? Good tiller. Yes... BOM!!
Title: Re: HHB by me
Post by: blackhawk on October 16, 2013, 08:02:31 pm: Cool skin job Scott ;) ...yeah..I agree..hope to see it in next months BOM 8)
Title: Re: HHB by me
Post by: Badly Bent on October 16, 2013, 08:51:19 pm: Very nice indeed and with those specs will no doubt put a deer down quickly. Sweet bow Stringman!
Title: Re: HHB by me
Post by: seabass on October 16, 2013, 08:54:42 pm: I like everything about it.especially the tip overlays.great job.
Title: Re: HHB by me
Post by: Josh B on October 16, 2013, 09:18:08 pm: Very nice Scott! Good fix on the skins! Josh
Title: Re: HHB by me
Post by: PEARL DRUMS on October 16, 2013, 09:48:51 pm: That finished off nice man! Gotta love the beam!
Title: Re: HHB by me
Post by: George Tsoukalas on October 16, 2013, 09:59:55 pm: Very nice! Jawge
Title: Re: HHB by me
Post by: Trapper Rob on October 16, 2013, 10:00:25 pm: Looks nice & like what you did with the skins.
Title: Re: HHB by me
Post by: Danzn Bar on October 16, 2013, 10:03:54 pm: Really like the bow Scott, the skin job is 8)
DBar
Title: Re: HHB by me
Post by: Weylin on October 16, 2013, 10:10:02 pm: That's topshelf, Scott! beauty from necessity, makes it even better.
Title: Re: HHB by me
Post by: criveraville on October 16, 2013, 10:15:46 pm: Wow excellent bow Scott!! Love the tips ;)

Cipriano
Title: Re: HHB by me
Post by: Arrowind on October 16, 2013, 10:30:23 pm: Very very very nice! Awesome bow for sure!
Title: Re: HHB by me
Post by: Peacebow_Coos on October 16, 2013, 11:40:45 pm: nice work sir! I'm sure your buddies will be proud!
Title: Re: HHB by me
Post by: Stringman on October 16, 2013, 11:52:19 pm: Thanks all for the compliments. I'm extremely happy to have this one behind me. HHB is a great bow wood, but it's not one I'm used to so there were moments of challenge for sure. All in all I'm extremely pleased with my first attempt, but happy to get back to the yeller wood. ;D
Title: Re: HHB by me
Post by: soy on October 17, 2013, 01:13:14 am: I have been told that the painter makes everyone look good ....cool job with the skins!!!
Title: Re: HHB by me
Post by: Pappy on October 17, 2013, 05:33:31 am: Beautiful bow,got to love HHB. Nice wor,finish work is out standing. :)
Pappy
Title: Re: HHB by me
Post by: mullet on October 17, 2013, 05:40:05 am: Very nice, Scott. HHB has to be one of two whitewoods I like to work. When I get home I'll be posting a HHB I was hoping to hunt with this year.
Title: Re: HHB by me
Post by: TimPotter on October 17, 2013, 05:51:15 am: Looks well worth all the time it took you to finish it. >:D

Personally I dig it a lot. Some of my most "unique" bows came out of things like what happened to your snakeskin and such, but I make it sound like I meant it to turn out that way. :laugh:
Title: Re: HHB by me
Post by: koan on October 17, 2013, 08:23:18 am: Love everything bout this bow! ....and...it would be a serious contender for BOM... Brian
Title: Re: HHB by me
Post by: dwardo on October 17, 2013, 09:06:27 am: Great character in there to boot. Nice work.
Title: Re: HHB by me
Post by: killir duck on October 17, 2013, 11:17:35 am: love it!! those skins are awesome
Title: Re: HHB by me
Post by: Carson (CMB) on October 17, 2013, 11:57:33 am: Nice save on those skins! Great work on that bow. 8)
Title: Re: HHB by me
Post by: IdahoMatt on October 17, 2013, 11:58:48 am: Wow very nice work. Way to make use of sorter skins. That really tuned out nice :)
Title: Re: HHB by me
Post by: Stringman on October 17, 2013, 12:11:22 pm: Quote from: soy on October 17, 2013, 01:13:14 am
I have been told that the painter makes everyone look good ....cool job with the skins!!!

I hear ya, in this case the Painter was God cause that snake has some serious cool factor. Wish I hadn't buggered up the edge cause tip to tip was when it looked its best

(http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s670/cotton7611/B0D10EBD-F096-490F-8A50-B541EF0C1D63-1425-0000011BFD9C1A94_zpsb5b4c07c.jpg)

Sometimes you just gotta quit crying long enough to think creatively and make lemonade.

Eddie -- can't wait to see it buddy! And let me know when u get home and I'll get that knife sent off.
Title: Re: HHB by me
Post by: paoliguy on October 17, 2013, 01:11:32 pm: That has to be a BOM contender, everything about it is really well done!
Title: Re: HHB by me
Post by: Christian Soldier on October 17, 2013, 05:31:21 pm: Absolutely gorgeous bow you got there man! I'd like to see more milk snake skin backed bows now!