Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Knotty on June 17, 2016, 01:33:22 pm
-
Good morning bowyers and archers of PA!
Yesterday I was having a quick walk down around the neighborhood and to my surprise there was a massive tree that someone fell, all the leaves were already dry so I guessed it was cut in the earlier week or so which got me thinking that the tree would have been already infested by bugs, so, I continued my walk.
On the way back I thought "Might aswell take a branch and see what's up with it"
So I headed home, got myself a hacksaw and cut the branch off..
I didn't even take a picture of the branch because I thought it would be a failure all eaten by bugs on the inside..
But surprisingly , I de-barked the branch and there was no signs of bugs whatsoever.
I roughed it out to final shape and it's pretty heavy at about 80 # I would guess (still green wood) ,
Which is still too high for me.
When I cut the branch, it was perfectly straight.. But as soon as the roughed out shape was done, it revealed a beautiful natural reflex which I have never experienced before.
Pictures will be coming!!
-
http://prntscr.com/bhm9z1
Full profile view ^^^
http://prntscr.com/bhmaoy
View down the side of the stave ^^^^
-
Will be letting it dry for sometime and I'll keep posting progress on this thread , wish me luck to not screw it up.
-
That looks like the shape your looking for Knotty. Might want to seal the back so it doesn't dry to fast and check. Good luck
-
Alrighty, thanks for the advice!
-
seal the ends with some glue or polyurethane to help prevent it from drying too quickly.
depending on the type of wood, it can begin to check/split/crack within a few hours to a few days/weeks if not properly sealed.
you can also use plastic or vinyl bags over the ends to keep the moisture from leaving too quickly. just put a few rubber bands to hold them in place.
-
Seal the back and ends and strap it down to stop it from taking any more reflex. I just duct tape them to a 2x4. It looks like you were a little rough with the back, can we have a better picture of it.
-
Sure can! @DC , coming right up !
-
Here you go http://prntscr.com/bhnegw
It's a closeup,
The little fibers sticking up are there because its still green, but as soon as its dry , they go away with a light sanding on the back.
If I went too rough tell me, and I'll probably sinew back it 😉
-
I think that looks OK. The other pictures looked like you'd attacked it with an axe ;D ;D ;D
Do you know what kind of wood it is?
-
Well I attacked it with a machete if that counts 😂😂😋
Jokes apart, I'm happy that looks fine and by the way le0n I did as you said,
Since I dont really have any sealing product right now I added two plastic bags at the tips and tied them with an elastic, I guess that should work!
Thanks guys, in about a week I'll go back at it and post some progress!
-
Good luck Knotty. Should make you a fine bow.
-
what kind of tree was this from?
-
Got no idea le0n but I assume it's some type of native wild fruit tree.
-
You don't know? You... don't... know? It might turn out to be a suborbital anti aircraft arrow launcher and we'll never know what kind of Brazilian super-yew it was that you found! :P
-
Hahaha @Strichev , don't worry I'll hurry myself tomorrow and see if there's any leaf there to try and identify .
-
Question:
Would the stave get even more reflex after backing with sinew?
I really hope not , or it'll have so much that it'll end up breaking.
-
That's one of the reasons to strap it to a 2x4. If it's taken as much reflex as the pictures show(you said it was straight when you started) in one day you want to tie it down yesterday :D
-
I don't really understand how to strap it... Do you have a picture or some way to make me understand how it should be done? Thanks.
-
Here's a couple of Douglas Maple staves taped to a 2x4. You don't need two staves, I was just running short. 4 or 5 wraps of duct tape will hold it.
-
Ah I get it now, thanks!
-
Good luck with your bow, Knotty. I love finding fresh cut bow wood sitting on the curb. So far I've scavenged apple, buckthorn, and ash from my neighborhood.
I guess it does pay to walk the dog. ;)
-
I totally agree, but this time I was walking my posterior ! 😂
I really hope this works out, and if it ends up breaking.. At least I learned something with it.
-
Fruit and nut trees apparently make good bow wood, at least in North America. Probably no need to sinew.
-
Really hope so @DC , we'll see what happens, only time will tell.
-
Here's a couple of Douglas Maple staves taped to a 2x4. You don't need two staves, I was just running short. 4 or 5 wraps of duct tape will hold it.
The one problem, DC is their Duc Tape is like tissue paper. Isaia, since you are learning and experimenting with wood you don't have a clue what it is, you try making "simple" bend in the handle bows instead of rigid handle bows?
-
Eddie , I lived for 4 years in the US so I so know what Duct Tape is 😂
What you said is true, but I could use the type of tape to isolate electricity here, you know what I mean?
I have tried making a bendy handle type bow "D style" and I got one to work great on me, unfortunately it got too much set over time and it became trash..
However , I've always loved stiff handle bows, and I'd like to experiment with that design.
Any tips you could give on this piece of wood I got here?
Thanks and I appreciate your reply 😉
-
I'm wondering if you roughed it out too narrow.You'll be surprised as to how quickly that reacted reflex pulls out.Just my two cents here but cutting the branch at least 65" long leaving it 2" wide in the limbs[if that was possible] and 3/4" thick is a good dimension to start with roughing a bow out to dry that you don't know what the wood actually is.That way you've got a better chance of the bow not coming in too light weight in the end.
A picture of the tree bark you cut the branch from might help identify what kind of wood it is.
-
I'll see today , but I'm pretty sure all the wood is not there anymore .. I'll have to check.
-
Binding the stave to a 2x4 with cord or rope works too. With small diameter "poles" I will saw them in half, lengthwise, and bind the two halves back together with small spacers between them for air circulation. This will let the two staves hold each other in line and help prevent backset or twisting.
-
Thanks for the advice Pat!
-
Alright well ,
This didn't turn out as I would have wanted to..
I started off with a goal in mind : Hunting weight bow.
I got it tillered to my weight but I felt that the tension was going to make it explode on me, this wood may not be the best for bow wood ..
As I didn't want to give up I ended up making it a kid's bow,
Will probably be finishing it off and gifting it to some kid around the neighborhood.
Here are a couple shots, just gotta fix a hinge on one of the limbs,
Put a couple coats of oil on it and tip overlays.
http://prntscr.com/bies0a
http://prntscr.com/bievbh
PS: I'll let it dry for about a month still hehe
-
Is this the same stick that you started this thread with? That was on Jun 17, 2 days ago!!! Granted, you thought the tree had been down for a week or so and that it's hot where you live but even if you live in Death Valley you can't dry a stave in two days. Sloooooooowwwwwww dooowwwnnnn.
-
Haha @DC , trust me it was actually very dry believe it or not 😂
I was able to scrape with no problems.
But I do agree I gotta slow down, sometimes excitement wins me over.
At least it'll make a kid happy 😉
-
That's fast, take it slow, you don't wanna spend all that wood on disappointment or death. :P Death being so much deflex that the string is hardly under tension at full brace. I've heard people with musical talent say that my first bow sounds and feels like a guitar with full on string bending blues mojo. Whatever that means. Low tension strings and all that. Let the wood dry man, let it dry.
-
Yeah @Strichev, I only did the design but I kept it unbraced with its reflex to finish drying now.
-
You don't know? You... don't... know? It might turn out to be a suborbital anti aircraft arrow launcher and we'll never know what kind of Brazilian super-yew it was that you found! :P
I laughed way too hard at Brazilian super-yew, lol.
-
Yew is one and one only there's no brazilian wood that can compete with the tension and compression that yew can take 👍
-
Argentine Osage sounds like it could come pretty close.
-
As you said "pretty close" 😂