Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: backtowood B2W on January 31, 2019, 12:29:58 pm

Title: 67“ Ash Pyramid 60#28“ Popeye“
Post by: backtowood B2W on January 31, 2019, 12:29:58 pm
hy guys!67“ Ash Pyramid 60#28“ Popeye“

braceheight: 5 1/4“
Max w: 2“
Stiff Handle: 4“
Fades: 3“
Crosssection: flat belly, tapered back; rectangular tips
Mass: 617gramm
Pin nocks with cow horn overlay
Stain: back - with some woodstain left over, belly -  resin with pigments,
Finish: 8 coats tung oil

The stave was the most straight, flat, even and symmetric piece I’ve worked with so far.
Only 2 humps in the middle and a little one in the outer gave it some character.
I layout the handle just between the humps to make it symmetric and a little bit of deflex in the fades.
Chased a nice thick grow ring section and left some as overlay in the tips and some at the fades/handle - where I carved out some eyes. They are copied from a panther, but I cannot see cat eys…more like an owl…Up side down looking like frog eyes
So whatever … I call her popeye … hoping it will not occur and it´its my heaviest bow as well…
The tips have been steam bent and reflexed slightly about 2“. Holds up 1/2“ reflex. After unbracing she’s flat.
I´m very happy with the outcome as it was the first, holding up a bit of reflex!
I wanted to make her a bit shorter and with thinner tips, but shooting her in - she shot so nice and fast, without any hand shock so I didn’t change anymore.
I call this my first hunting bow as I let it strung up for 6 hours during tillering and in fact she holds up draw weight very good.
Let me know whose eyes this are, Popeye isn't burnt in yet...
Thank you guys
B2TW
Title: Re: 67“ Ash Pyramid 60#28“ Popeye“
Post by: backtowood B2W on January 31, 2019, 12:31:12 pm
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Title: Re: 67“ Ash Pyramid 60#28“ Popeye“
Post by: backtowood B2W on January 31, 2019, 12:32:04 pm
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Title: Re: 67“ Ash Pyramid 60#28“ Popeye“
Post by: backtowood B2W on January 31, 2019, 12:34:10 pm
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Title: Re: 67“ Ash Pyramid 60#28“ Popeye“
Post by: backtowood B2W on January 31, 2019, 12:35:42 pm
thanks for watching!
Suggestion, critic, tips....welcome ;)
Title: Re: 67“ Ash Pyramid 60#28“ Popeye“
Post by: smoke on January 31, 2019, 12:48:29 pm
Awesome bow!  Really love the eyes!  Well done!
Title: Re: 67“ Ash Pyramid 60#28“ Popeye“
Post by: bassman on January 31, 2019, 01:41:30 pm
Really nice bow.Good work. The eyes look like Marty Feldman,s eyes if you know who that is.I like them.
Title: Re: 67“ Ash Pyramid 60#28“ Popeye“
Post by: PEARL DRUMS on January 31, 2019, 01:49:24 pm
Great bow. You kept a very flat unbraced bow, with ash that can be tricky.
Title: Re: 67“ Ash Pyramid 60#28“ Popeye“
Post by: meanewood on January 31, 2019, 03:03:30 pm
Wow, love it!
Title: Re: 67“ Ash Pyramid 60#28“ Popeye“
Post by: Pat B on January 31, 2019, 03:54:39 pm
That's a naturally beautiful bow. Well done.  :OK
Title: Re: 67“ Ash Pyramid 60#28“ Popeye“
Post by: Hrothgar on January 31, 2019, 05:49:23 pm
Very Cool!
Title: Re: 67“ Ash Pyramid 60#28“ Popeye“
Post by: peacefullymadewarbows on January 31, 2019, 06:03:44 pm
That's a piece of functional fine art. Sweet bow! You kept that profile without heat treating? Very good job.
Title: Re: 67“ Ash Pyramid 60#28“ Popeye“
Post by: Bayou Ben on January 31, 2019, 06:04:36 pm
What an awesome bow!   Man your skills have improved dramatically.  I love it  :OK
Title: Re: 67“ Ash Pyramid 60#28“ Popeye“
Post by: bjrogg on January 31, 2019, 07:31:18 pm
Nice bow backtothewood. You've got a nice even bend there. You've got a beautiful background in that full draw picture to.
Bjrogg
Bassman I like the Marty Feldman eyes. Young Frankenstein you can call me Eye Gore. He really fit the part.
Title: Re: 67“ Ash Pyramid 60#28“ Popeye“
Post by: Knoll on January 31, 2019, 07:54:40 pm
Unbraced image is soooo flat. Impressive.
Like the nocks.
Ya stained the back and bit of edges? Really sets off ash's natural color on belly.
Congrats!
Title: Re: 67“ Ash Pyramid 60#28“ Popeye“
Post by: Bob Barnes on January 31, 2019, 09:28:09 pm
that is nice... and making an ash bow without noticeable set is a testament to your tillering and design I think.  :OK
Title: Re: 67“ Ash Pyramid 60#28“ Popeye“
Post by: backtowood B2W on February 01, 2019, 01:47:59 am
Marty Feldman, ha that's good bassman. His eyes were in danger to pop out too.
PD, peacefullymadeWB, Knoll, Bob B - I think the trick was tapering towards the back, I did some heat treating after I got it balanced. A lot of wood was removed until I got it to full draw. Wanted to do a second heat treating but the heatgun died - so I think maybe a little credit to heat treating.
Knoll, I stained the back and the tapered sides with this dark woodstain, than sanded the edges to the belly to get a nice straight line. The belly and the rectangular sides are stained with pigments. I wanted the early growth rings to match the color from the back.

Thanks to ALL of you guys for the feedback - I appreciate it
B2TW
Title: Re: 67“ Ash Pyramid 60#28“ Popeye“
Post by: leonwood on February 01, 2019, 04:28:17 am
That's a top class bow if you ask me! Keeping that profile with ash is not an easy thing and the finish work is beautiful and original with the eyes in the handle. Love it!
Title: Re: 67“ Ash Pyramid 60#28“ Popeye“
Post by: PaSteve on February 01, 2019, 05:36:39 am
Beautiful work. Really like those eyes.
Title: Re: 67“ Ash Pyramid 60#28“ Popeye“
Post by: M2A on February 01, 2019, 06:07:06 am
Very nice tiller! Great job on that "looker" of a bow  :D. Great backdrop in the fd pic.
Mike
Title: Re: 67“ Ash Pyramid 60#28“ Popeye“
Post by: hoosierf on February 01, 2019, 06:35:13 am
Well done.
Title: Re: 67“ Ash Pyramid 60#28“ Popeye“
Post by: ohma2 on February 01, 2019, 07:37:11 am
Thats a good lookin bow ,very nice stain work.
Title: Re: 67“ Ash Pyramid 60#28“ Popeye“
Post by: Hawkdancer on February 01, 2019, 10:37:24 am
Very nice!  Eye accent is cool and original!  Does look like Marty Feldman! (lol)
Hawkdancer
Title: Re: 67“ Ash Pyramid 60#28“ Popeye“
Post by: upstatenybowyer on February 01, 2019, 04:19:00 pm
That's very unique and beautiful work. Congrats!
Title: Re: 67“ Ash Pyramid 60#28“ Popeye“
Post by: Philipp A on February 01, 2019, 08:54:39 pm
really like this bow, great work! I have some ash curing in my shed you inspired me to make a couple ash bows as well now :)
Title: Re: 67“ Ash Pyramid 60#28“ Popeye“
Post by: Badger on February 01, 2019, 10:51:36 pm
   Beautiful job, I would be careful about any carvings in the back of the bow even in the non bending handle area. The stress carries through the handle and it can let go suddenly where the grain is cut through.
Title: Re: 67“ Ash Pyramid 60#28“ Popeye“
Post by: backtowood B2W on February 02, 2019, 03:49:35 am
   Beautiful job, I would be careful about any carvings in the back of the bow even in the non bending handle area. The stress carries through the handle and it can let go suddenly where the grain is cut through.
Thank´s for the advice - I didn't cut the back but this upper growth rings may cause delam cracks. I made two bows where I had delam cracks because I reduced and tapered this upper growtrings to less:
One TD where I needed some wood to fit the sleeve
and on my just finished bow where I wanted to make a little bit of an forward handle
Both holding up the fix up.

Thank you guys --- you are giving me the feel that I´m on the right track
Title: Re: 67“ Ash Pyramid 60#28“ Popeye“
Post by: rps3 on February 02, 2019, 10:19:07 am
I think you did great on this bow. Tiller is sweet and the whole bow has such a unique look to it with those eyes. I have come to realize ash likes a profile just like you made. With a good heat temper it can hold its own. I wish I would have cut more ash around me...they are all dead now.
Title: Re: 67“ Ash Pyramid 60#28“ Popeye“
Post by: Rākau on February 03, 2019, 02:17:26 am
I really like this bow! Congrats on making this beauty!
Title: Re: 67“ Ash Pyramid 60#28“ Popeye“
Post by: backtowood B2W on February 03, 2019, 04:15:40 am
rps3 - yep this ash disease is around here (Alps) too already. Where do you live? I cutted 2 trees and got some nice staves. ;D
I think its good beginners stuff, - after a few you get better and better and know what does it like and what not.
Thank you all for the nice feedback

PS: I changed my username to backtowood - it was always my intention to use this expression.
      Sorry for my bad English  :(
      and, I'm not that primitive as I would like to be/work - to say back to the wood

B2W
Title: Re: 67“ Ash Pyramid 60#28“ Popeye“
Post by: simk on February 03, 2019, 05:50:45 am
Once again you did great work with your sharp eye for stylish detail. Well deserved all those compliments, +1
Cheers
Title: Re: 67“ Ash Pyramid 60#28“ Popeye“
Post by: rps3 on February 03, 2019, 06:13:45 am
B2W, I live in sw pa here in the US. That is a shame to here about the ash in the alps facing the same fate. I never realized how many ash were around here until I noticed them all dying, its pretty sad.

I made my first 2 bows from ash, and combined with what seemed like a pretty low opinion of ash from my reading, plus such a strong desire to work with osage, I didnt try it again for a long time. I recently made a couple for my buddy and his wife who let me cut a couple trees off their property and was very surprised at how well they turned out. I have enough to make another dozen or so bows, so I am happy about that. I hope you have more as well because it looks like you figured it out yourself.
Title: Re: 67“ Ash Pyramid 60#28“ Popeye“
Post by: Sidewinder on February 05, 2019, 10:16:37 am
I really like it. Beautiful stain contrast, eyes are a googling and the unbraced profile looks like you nailed it. Great job on a nice piece of ash.
Title: Re: 67“ Ash Pyramid 60#28“ Popeye“
Post by: Artus on February 05, 2019, 01:35:38 pm
May I ask were you come from? The mountain looks so familiar to me!

And the bow looks great! Never seen such a properly built Ash bow!
Title: Re: 67“ Ash Pyramid 60#28“ Popeye“
Post by: backtowood B2W on February 06, 2019, 11:09:19 am
Thank you for the flowers!
Artus, I live close to Zell am See ,Austria. The mountains in the background are called Steinernes Meer.
Title: Re: 67“ Ash Pyramid 60#28“ Popeye“
Post by: Artus on February 06, 2019, 09:48:04 pm
Oh that‘s why they are so familiar to me.
I‘m originately from St. Johann in Tirol, but live now in Salzburg. And I went to school for 8 years in Salzburg.
Title: Re: 67“ Ash Pyramid 60#28“ Popeye“
Post by: Bojahu on February 09, 2019, 11:31:37 pm
Beautiful! Great work!I love the fades at the tips.
Title: Re: 67“ Ash Pyramid 60#28“ Popeye“
Post by: txdm on February 10, 2019, 11:30:17 am
Amazing bow!

I'm curious what the dimensions are at the tips, width and thickness.

Also, did you tiller it by adjusting the width primarily or the thickness?
Title: Re: 67“ Ash Pyramid 60#28“ Popeye“
Post by: backtowood B2W on February 11, 2019, 06:27:33 am
hey Artus, we should meet one day!
txdm, the last 3 inches of the tip is tapering towards the belly.So width at back is 9mm, width at belly is 6mm and thickness there is 16mm - without the additional growthring and horn overlay.
First I cut the triangle, then tillering by thickness till bracing. Next was tillering the taper towards the back and thickness at the same time. the taper towards belly was the last I did. I wanted to make them skinnier, but there was no need to so I left them as I also liked how they look and how the string loop hooks up.
B2W
Title: Re: 67“ Ash Pyramid 60#28“ Popeye“
Post by: Artus on February 13, 2019, 01:50:56 pm
PM sent