Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: half eye on December 09, 2013, 09:13:14 pm

Title: Little Yellow Birch Paddle bow, Trade bow for Thomas H
Post by: half eye on December 09, 2013, 09:13:14 pm
Just finished this up for Thomas H. It's a yellow birch (self bow) paddle bow. Not as wide or as short as the sinew backed juniper types. It's 52", 1" wide at grip, 2" wide at mid limb and has 3/4" wide tips. The draw weight is 40/42# @ 26" and is really smooth drawing. I don't know what the draw profile is supposed to look like so I made this one more elliptical than round. The other differences are the "cuff" are moved 3" from the string knocks (so Thomas can have an upper string loop instead of totally unstring between sessions) I also used some hand spun cotton (from raw cotton) to wrap the grip area, fish glue and paint over that. It bends through the handle and seems to shoot very well.
     Sure hope you like it Thomas, because I love the quilled bag and the pipe hawk that you forged.....think I got the best end, bud. Just wanted to post because this is the first yellow birch I've made and really like the stuff (63 sg @ 12% moisture)
    Enjoy the pics
rich
Title: Re: Little Yellow Birch Paddle bow, Trade bow for Thomas H
Post by: thomas h on December 09, 2013, 10:16:27 pm
thanks rich it looks fantastic ,cant wait  to shoot it . :laugh:
Title: Re: Little Yellow Birch Paddle bow, Trade bow for Thomas H
Post by: DuBois on December 09, 2013, 10:21:05 pm
You make some very nice bows Rich. Great job!
Title: Re: Little Yellow Birch Paddle bow, Trade bow for Thomas H
Post by: bubby on December 09, 2013, 10:36:58 pm
That looks fandamntastic rich, great detail and bend, bub
Title: Re: Little Yellow Birch Paddle bow, Trade bow for Thomas H
Post by: Accipiter on December 09, 2013, 10:56:56 pm
That bend is something to aspire to! Really nice work.
Title: Re: Little Yellow Birch Paddle bow, Trade bow for Thomas H
Post by: Badly Bent on December 09, 2013, 11:41:51 pm
I haven't seen a bow made by you that I didn't like but this one may be my favorite Rich. Lot of style in that bow and
bends very nicely too. He ought to love that one. Any close up pictures by chance, would love to see more.
Title: Re: Little Yellow Birch Paddle bow, Trade bow for Thomas H
Post by: Arrowind on December 10, 2013, 12:14:47 am
Outstanding!  Really like that one.   Very well done as usual.  I've only made one yellow birch bow and I agree.  I really like the wood.  Really that paint job dude!
Title: Re: Little Yellow Birch Paddle bow, Trade bow for Thomas H
Post by: H Rhodes on December 10, 2013, 05:22:23 am
Rich, that sure looks fine.  I agree with Greg and I would like to see some close ups of the art work too.  Looks like perfect tiller to me.  Looks damned cold up there! :)
Title: Re: Little Yellow Birch Paddle bow, Trade bow for Thomas H
Post by: dwardo on December 10, 2013, 05:52:56 am
Lovely stuff as usual Rich. Art work especially  8)
Title: Re: Little Yellow Birch Paddle bow, Trade bow for Thomas H
Post by: TRACY on December 10, 2013, 07:02:07 am
Nice looking bow Rich! Yellow birch has a spearmint odor when peeling the bark back right? Love the decorative painting!

Tracy
Title: Re: Little Yellow Birch Paddle bow, Trade bow for Thomas H
Post by: JonW on December 10, 2013, 08:29:46 am
Very cool Rich. I like your style Buddy.
Title: Re: Little Yellow Birch Paddle bow, Trade bow for Thomas H
Post by: WhitefeatherFout on December 10, 2013, 08:59:27 am
That's a sweet looking bow.  Love the artwork.  Real nice bend. Matt
Title: Re: Little Yellow Birch Paddle bow, Trade bow for Thomas H
Post by: rps3 on December 10, 2013, 09:00:39 am
I would be proud to own that. Real sharp bow there.
Title: Re: Little Yellow Birch Paddle bow, Trade bow for Thomas H
Post by: Blackcoyote on December 10, 2013, 09:04:13 am
as usual amazing work Mr. Rich....enjoy that one thomas!

Title: Re: Little Yellow Birch Paddle bow, Trade bow for Thomas H
Post by: burchett.donald on December 10, 2013, 09:09:59 am
  Rich,
          It don't matter what the draw profile is supposed to be because it couldn't be any better than what you did. Dam that is a pretty bow. You knocked that one out the park bud...
Title: Re: Little Yellow Birch Paddle bow, Trade bow for Thomas H
Post by: IdahoMatt on December 10, 2013, 09:43:44 am
Wow Rich,  great job.  That puppy is pretty darn bad @$$.  I love th detail work.
Title: Re: Little Yellow Birch Paddle bow, Trade bow for Thomas H
Post by: lesken2011 on December 10, 2013, 09:57:36 am
Another sweet bow, Rich. What's all that white stuff in the background?? :o
Title: Re: Little Yellow Birch Paddle bow, Trade bow for Thomas H
Post by: Tom Leemans on December 10, 2013, 10:40:05 am
Looks awesome!
Title: Re: Little Yellow Birch Paddle bow, Trade bow for Thomas H
Post by: half eye on December 10, 2013, 10:43:30 am
Well thank you very much everybody, I just wanted to try and give equal value back to Thomas. The color pattern is modified from an actual artifact bow that I found a picture of. My grip isn't as fancy as the real one nor is the paint but we both liked the pattern and the colors.

Be happy to take some close up pics for you, before it hits the post office today.

No it aint cold at all.....just an optical illusion >:D ya right
rich
Thanks again for the nice comments, fellas means a lot. Here is that articat bow ,sorry for the small pic
Title: Re: Little Yellow Birch Paddle bow, Trade bow for Thomas H
Post by: Parnell on December 10, 2013, 10:48:27 am
Wow Rich!  You really hit a homerun with that bow!  The finish work looks very good, I like the tiller and yellow birch is one of those woods that have always caught my interest.  I think it's because it is accessable by some of the native people that inhabit really cold areas liker Siberia and higher in Canada.  To me, that is exotic wood, I guess.

Really nice one!

Parnell
Title: Re: Little Yellow Birch Paddle bow, Trade bow for Thomas H
Post by: half eye on December 10, 2013, 11:12:48 am
Thanks Parnell, we aint in Canada but we have lots of the stuff in these parts.

Forgot to say the finish is 3 coats of pitch/grease, set for 3 days and then painted, then a couple coats of beeswax and grease. The "grease" is rendered deer fat.

Fellas here's the close up shots....well some anyways.
rich
Title: Re: Little Yellow Birch Paddle bow, Trade bow for Thomas H
Post by: dragonman on December 10, 2013, 11:17:49 am
nice one Rich....tiller profile looks exellent
Title: Re: Little Yellow Birch Paddle bow, Trade bow for Thomas H
Post by: NeolithicMan on December 10, 2013, 11:38:59 am
Love this beautiful little bow. especially the painted on design and fur accents. really cool!
Title: Re: Little Yellow Birch Paddle bow, Trade bow for Thomas H
Post by: autologus on December 10, 2013, 11:49:54 am
Another masterpiece from a master craftsman.  I love it beautiful form and beautiful decoration.  Is it from a stave or from a board?

Grady
Title: Re: Little Yellow Birch Paddle bow, Trade bow for Thomas H
Post by: thomas h on December 10, 2013, 12:18:17 pm
rich it looks better every time i  look at it thank you so much. love the cordage wrap-------thomas ;D ;D
Title: Re: Little Yellow Birch Paddle bow, Trade bow for Thomas H
Post by: Jodocus on December 10, 2013, 01:08:49 pm
Perfect   ;)
Title: Re: Little Yellow Birch Paddle bow, Trade bow for Thomas H
Post by: Atlatlista on December 10, 2013, 01:13:12 pm
That paint job is stunning!  And I love that it's based on an actual museum example - that really gets my heart thumping.
Title: Re: Little Yellow Birch Paddle bow, Trade bow for Thomas H
Post by: Pat B on December 10, 2013, 01:25:22 pm
Another cool little "Half Eye" bow Rich. Well done.
 I gotta try another paddle bow. My last one blew cause I narrowed the handle too much...and it was sinew backed yew.  :(
Title: Re: Little Yellow Birch Paddle bow, Trade bow for Thomas H
Post by: burn em up chuck on December 10, 2013, 03:07:26 pm
      very cool

            chuck
Title: Re: Little Yellow Birch Paddle bow, Trade bow for Thomas H
Post by: JacksonCash on December 10, 2013, 05:11:13 pm
Beautiful bow! I see bows like this and it makes me want to build more. I need a shop or basement or garage. Stupid apartment living.
Title: Re: Little Yellow Birch Paddle bow, Trade bow for Thomas H
Post by: half eye on December 10, 2013, 05:23:15 pm
Thanks again fellas. The entire "overall" look of it is pure Native American, don't give me credit. I believe they had some of the best artistic sense of anyone at anytime (in my opinion).

Grady it's a riftsawn board.

Pat, don't believe there aint a bow type around you cant make, and like I said I don't have a clue what they are supposed to look like at full draw so this may not be right at all.

Thanks again all of ya, and I'm real glad ya like it Thomas, the post office says it's gonna be there Saturday.
rich
Title: Re: Little Yellow Birch Paddle bow, Trade bow for Thomas H
Post by: KHalverson on December 10, 2013, 07:11:28 pm
great looking bow rich.
Title: Re: Little Yellow Birch Paddle bow, Trade bow for Thomas H
Post by: ken75 on December 10, 2013, 08:24:47 pm
still turning out some beauties I see . excellent work as always rich
Title: Re: Little Yellow Birch Paddle bow, Trade bow for Thomas H
Post by: Carson (CMB) on December 10, 2013, 11:28:14 pm
Beautiful bow Rich.  I have always liked that one, looks like you did it justice. 
Title: Re: Little Yellow Birch Paddle bow, Trade bow for Thomas H
Post by: Onebowonder on December 11, 2013, 01:24:06 pm
I have a piece of long seasoned Ash from Upstate New York that I'd like to try one of these with.  It has the right width, I mean the stave looks like a paddle bow already and it hasn't even been debarked or shaped yet.  ...but I'm not certain about using Ash for this design.  Any body know if it'll work well enough in this application?

OneBow