Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: (bow)Hunter on January 13, 2015, 01:40:11 pm
-
I received this unfinished bow from a friend of my brother's several weeks ago. It's a beautiful osage spliced together at the handle with flipped tips. My brother, unfortunately couldn't remember what exactly his friend said was the next step for this bow. I'm not a very experienced bowyer (working on bow 3 right now!) so I don't want to ruin this! I was hoping to get some insight here, I think I just have to back it and maybe some finishing touches? The nocks indicate it's already started tillering and the handle has "55-60" on it so it's probably finished.
-
Are You in Michigan (bow)hunter ? Can You find out a bit more on the bow ? Bob
-
That looks like a Gary Davis bow blank. It is probably at floor tiller stage. If it is one of Gary's bows you probably don't need to back it either.
-
Looks like a Gary Davis blank possibly to me ???
Looks like its ready to start tillering to me. Have at it
Edit...pat beat me by seconds...lol.
-
Yup, that looks like Gary's writing. Most of his blanks are nearly tillered, you just tweak a bit and reduce draw weight.
-
Yep, and the resorsinal glue in joint. That's why I was asking where He is from - definitely a GSD Bow Blanc. Bob
-
Would 2009 be pre Matt Wirwicki? His are similar to Gary's.
-
Matt has totally different chicken scratch Pat.
-
I'm actually in Texas (Houston/College Station when school starts back up), the bow is from Alabama, my brother went to Auburn for a couple of years where he met the guy and gave me the blank. I'm just drawing a total blank on what his name was! I don't think it was Gary though
Hunter
-
ok put it on long string and see how it bends, if it is even,, then it might string if the weight is not too high,,when strung you can adjust tiller if needed
,,
-
Hunter, Gary assembled that blank. Now how it got to you and your friends is another story, but that is a Gary blank all the way.
-
Will someone explain to me why the splice looks like that?
-
Yep, the splice looks very strange to me :o
-
You're probably right Pearl, I just assumed it was from my brother's friend because he's a very experienced bowyer!
So long string tiller to check the bend first then go from there?
And I probably don't have to back it?
There are a few small pin knots on the back of each limb and it's chrysalled on the belly where the tips are bent
-
I don't think those are crystals, looks like cracks from dry heat bending when someone got in a hurry. :-\ They look a little deep to me, but cant really see the thickness at that point.
DBar
-
Yep, the splice looks very strange to me :o
That is the back your looking at and the billets have been glued together with some reflex in the handle, that is why it looks like that..
DBar
-
Those cracks are from heating bending. Just fill them with super glue. By the time you finish up the tips the cracks will probably be gone or almost gone. I've had a few bows crack like that when bending tips and never had one fail. You can always add an underlay if it worries you.
Once the handle is final shaped and a handle wrap you won't see the splice. It looks just like all of Gary's splices.
-
Yep, that's a Gary Davis stave for sure. I'm like Pat, I would put some "special sauce" lol on them cracks and go on about tillering :)
-
Most of my tips crack like that when I flip them. I've always been able to remove them when tillering and still had enough thickness to keep them from flexing. Check out some of PatB's build-a-longs. He has put underlays on tips before. If they go to deep that might be an option.
-
Just noticed that bow is 70" long according to the writing on the handle. What kind of draw length are you wanting out of it? You probably have enough length to cut a couple of inches off of each tip and redo them if you wanted.
-
the cracks don't look good. Worse case scenario is turning into a 62-64 incher. You can try sanding down until the crack disappears, and if it isn't too deep wrapped it with artificial sinew and glue it with superglue.
-
The cracks are on the belly, don't worry bout em. Definatley would not wrap em.
-
This is a similar crack I got when I bent these long recurves with dry heat.
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/PatBNC/56csinewbackedstaticrecurve011_zps1eaf9766.jpg) (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/PatBNC/media/56csinewbackedstaticrecurve011_zps1eaf9766.jpg.html)
This is the shaped tip with a yew and thin ipe underlay covering the "special sauce" filled cracks.
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/PatBNC/56sinewbackedstaticrecurvetillercontinues004_zpsf44931fb.jpg) (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/PatBNC/media/56sinewbackedstaticrecurvetillercontinues004_zpsf44931fb.jpg.html)
...and the finished tip. The tip overlay is shoe leather with "special sauce".
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/PatBNC/LilThumper013_zps705341cc.jpg) (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/PatBNC/media/LilThumper013_zps705341cc.jpg.html)
-
The cracks are on the belly so I was hoping it wouldn't be that big of a problem, I'll put some superglue on them and then cover with leather like Pat B suggested just in case. Thanks for the input!
And as of now I'm not going to back it, that should be fine right?