Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Sidewinder on February 21, 2008, 05:00:27 pm

Title: 60" 65# Osage takedown Buffalo Bow?
Post by: Sidewinder on February 21, 2008, 05:00:27 pm
I want to make an Osage takedown with either buffalo bone or horn for the handle section as the joining portion. Could you guys post some of your takedown designs. I have seen Mark St.Louis's and although I would like to get the performance his limbs produce I think I have a different handle and limb attatcment idea in mind and would like to see what is out there. The goal is 65#@26" for the buffalo bow for next years buffalo harvest. I have a couple of real nice billet sized pieces I have been wanting to do a splice or takedown on and this is what I have decided to do. I have access to a fella with an exceptional lathe set up and think we can get the take down handle joint pretty flush with about any material his lathe will handle, so although its not as paleo as it could be I think it is way do able and should be both unique and practical. As you all know I am a new bowyer and your suggestions are greatly appreciated.    Danny
Title: Re: 60" 65# Osage takedown Buffalo Bow?
Post by: Pappy on February 22, 2008, 08:59:51 am
You got me,I am working on a take down now but it is Brass and steel.I am
sure it can be done just don't know what to tell you.Just go for it with your
idea and show us what you come up with.Good luck on this project.  :)
    Pappy
Title: Re: 60" 65# Osage takedown Buffalo Bow?
Post by: Sidewinder on February 22, 2008, 10:40:22 am
Thanks Pappy, I have had a fella offer me a piece of Titanium tubing for the joint section, but I thought it might be neat to have the bow made from all natural materials. How do you intend to do your attachement of the tenons to the handle section? Are you going to make your tubing oval? Try and give a description if you can.  Danny
Title: Re: 60" 65# Osage takedown Buffalo Bow?
Post by: Pappy on February 22, 2008, 11:14:34 am
Here are a few pictures on where I started and where I am now.
   Pappy

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Title: Re: 60" 65# Osage takedown Buffalo Bow?
Post by: Sidewinder on February 22, 2008, 01:38:36 pm
There you go. Thats exactly what I needed to see. A Picture is worth a thousand words.I don't see any reason why bone or horn either one would'nt work with ends like that. what are they 1 1/4" across? Do you rough out the limbs and prepare the joint and then tiller it Pappy? Whats the thinnest tenon you think a guy could go with? Considering that I think bone or horn might be a little thicker than metal for same the rigidity, I should have known that you woulld have a functional design. I love your work.   Danny
Title: Re: 60" 65# Osage takedown Buffalo Bow?
Post by: Far East Archer on February 22, 2008, 02:34:41 pm
Your idea is good and sounds interesting,but what worries me is the probability of the horn splitting? If it was me I would make the horn "tube" smaller than what you want your finally handle to be and then wrap it in sinew and polish it up after its dry. Maybe covering the sinew in cherry or birch bark also. Thats just me though, and I tend to like to over build things a lot, especially handles...

-Alex
Title: Re: 60" 65# Osage takedown Buffalo Bow?
Post by: Jesse on February 22, 2008, 02:45:54 pm
Very cool and interesting I hope it works out. post pics
Pappy was that from billets or did you cut a finished bow in half?   Jesse
Title: Re: 60" 65# Osage takedown Buffalo Bow?
Post by: Marc St Louis on February 22, 2008, 06:58:33 pm
Leg bone of a Moose might work for a takedown
Title: Re: 60" 65# Osage takedown Buffalo Bow?
Post by: Sidewinder on February 22, 2008, 07:01:25 pm
Alex, I have not worked with bone or horn yet. Your insight into possible failure of that material is appreciated. I am sure there are those that have tried it, is there not? I would like to hear from anyone that has tried it and what is their input. I am in the conseptualizing stage at this point and just like a lump of clay am very pliable. Not having shot or handled a takedown of any kind up to this point, I am just curious if we can keep the pressure from being too great in the handle area by buffering the bend a couple inches in the limbs before the fades. Kind of like I did on my glue on handle pyramid bow.  What do you think of that?   Danny
Title: Re: 60" 65# Osage takedown Buffalo Bow?
Post by: Sidewinder on February 22, 2008, 07:16:15 pm
Mark, how about leg bone of a buffalo?  Danny
Title: Re: 60" 65# Osage takedown Buffalo Bow?
Post by: Marc St Louis on February 22, 2008, 07:26:10 pm
Don't see why not Danny. Bone is extremely strong
Title: Re: 60" 65# Osage takedown Buffalo Bow?
Post by: Sidewinder on February 23, 2008, 02:47:30 am
Then its settled. Its Bison femur bone for a handle splice and horn tip overlays for show. Gut string with a buffalo bugger for a knock point...lol  but seriously...alll of the above without the bugger.  Danny
Title: Re: 60" 65# Osage takedown Buffalo Bow?
Post by: Stickhead on February 24, 2008, 10:25:13 pm
I had a similar thought a while back, so I got some big dog bones at the pet store (cow) and did some experimenting.  I put some heavy dowels into each end and put some strain on it to simulate the draw weight strain.  The bone crackled before it felt like typical draw weight.  I got frustrated and shelved the project temporarily.

Please don't let this deter you.  My experiment was very crude, and didn't use working limbs.  I didn't even measure the weight.  Just  be aware that the bone is a big suspect for a failure point.  I suggest you do some proper experimenting (unlike me), before getting too far into it.  You might have to come up with some sort of reinforcement.
Title: Re: 60" 65# Osage takedown Buffalo Bow?
Post by: Stickhead on February 24, 2008, 10:37:10 pm
There's an interesting thread on Stickbow, about some T/D techniques using angled cuts.  Maybe it will be useful for your design:

http://leatherwall.bowsite.com/TF/lw/thread2.cfm?forum=23&threadid=170036&category=

(I hope that posting this link isn't a violation.  If it is, I apologize.)
Title: Re: 60" 65# Osage takedown Buffalo Bow?
Post by: Sidewinder on February 25, 2008, 04:03:40 am
Thanks stick head I will loook into it. More ideas is good.  Danny
Title: Re: 60" 65# Osage takedown Buffalo Bow?
Post by: The Burnt Hill Archer on February 25, 2008, 06:10:59 am
thats an interesting idea with the f- glass....shiver.... sorry, anyhow, what do you guys think about maybe wrapping strips of rawhide around the splice, rather than the f-glass? maybe to keep it a bit more paleo?

Phil
Title: Re: 60" 65# Osage takedown Buffalo Bow?
Post by: Pappy on February 25, 2008, 08:14:35 am
I think it was 1 in.  across.It was not a shooting bow,well it was at one time,it was 2.Had a top limb break on one and a bottom on another so I just cut them at the handle and put them togeather.
I spliced them first then re tillered.They were 2 different kinds of Osage one real yellow and the other dark so it was interesting to tiller but seemed to work out fine.It would probably be eaiser to take a shooting bow already tillered and cut it in half.That shouldn't change the tiller much.  :) See if this helps the picture,don't know what happened.
    Pappy

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Title: Re: 60" 65# Osage takedown Buffalo Bow?
Post by: Dustybaer on February 25, 2008, 09:34:45 am
my idea was to make the sleeve out of cow-rawhide, as used in dog chewing bones (entire width of handle wrapped around twice) and then wrap it with hemp soaked in woodglue.  that should be able to handle the stress (i hope, since i was gonna try it one of these days  ;D ) like pappy said, i already had a candidate with a straight parallel handle i was gonna cut in two.
Title: Re: 60" 65# Osage takedown Buffalo Bow?
Post by: Pappy on February 25, 2008, 12:12:41 pm
I would think that would work,but I will let you try if first,just watch your eyes on the first
full draw. ;D ;) Let us know how it goes if you are able. :)
    Pappy
Title: Re: 60" 65# Osage takedown Buffalo Bow?
Post by: Sidewinder on February 25, 2008, 09:12:12 pm
Yeah, I really don't want to use synthetic materials if I don't have too. If I do it will be to sleeve it with the Titanium Orien offered and then maybe put some horn sections cut in half and then glued together to form fit for a paleo exteriror of the splice section. I would be interested in hearing from anyone that has worked bison bone before though so that I can get a good idea of its density and how thick I would need to leave it in order to hadnle the strain. I will probabely do some tests on it before I go full bore in one direction or another where that parts of it is concerned.  I not only want it to be durable and functional but beautiful as well without having too much of a modern manufactored look.  I like the discourse though fellas. Keep em coming.  Danny