Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Rākau on June 03, 2019, 07:22:22 pm
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For those that are interested this is a carry on from a thread I started a week or two ago.
This bow started off as another bow. . . a 72" 65# @ 28" elb that was never shot because it was a shocky pig (read: poorly tillered) I initially piked 10.5" off her reducing her to 60" ntn. I have been tinkering away with her for a the last week or so and now have her finished up. It was quite a ride. I got a bit gung ho with the shinto while floor tillering/ sussing the brace profile out and very nearly botched it all with a close call on a hinge in the bottom limb. I then, just in the nick of time, scolded myself and switched to a scraper. The process of reducing everything to match the weak spot left me at 35 lbs at 26" and maybe 1.25" string follow, well below what I was hoping. Feeling somewhat deflated, I was ready to throw it (and myself, for my impatience and happy go lucky use of the shinto) in the fire when I noticed that I had definitely reduced the whole stave to well below my earlier heat treat. So back on the form she went and each limb got a solid toasting. Couple of scrapes had her evened up and pulling 41 lbs at 26" still below my target but with only .5" of immediate follow. So I did some calculations that told me another inch off each tip would get me close to what I was after.
I'm glad I didn't give up on her cause she will make a damn fine bush bow that's for sure.
VITALS
58" ntn 48# @ 26" and holding 3/4" just unstrung follow after a few hundred shots.
between 1.5" and 1.25" wide for most of the length with about 4-5" stiff tips.
side nock on the upper to bring the string over a bit (I straightened her up with heat initially but it wouldn't hold for whatever reason)
5 coats of true oil and some beeswax boot waterproofer to finish her (how amazing is tru-oil by the way? I don't think I will use anything else again)
Far and away the shortest I have made and maybe the beginning of a love for shorter bendies.
lots of the inspiration for this came from reading a heap of half-eye's and Ken75's posts, so thanks for that!
PROFILES
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/47997345726_6e4082c149_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2g8mWFy)20190603_202422 (https://flic.kr/p/2g8mWFy) by Zachary Press (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157468780@N02/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/47997309577_52d3e7d00e_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2g8mKWi)20190603_202243 (https://flic.kr/p/2g8mKWi) by Zachary Press (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157468780@N02/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/47997302088_e63b995275_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2g8mHHb)20190603_202314 (https://flic.kr/p/2g8mHHb) by Zachary Press (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157468780@N02/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/47997309672_d32346f41e_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2g8mKXW)20190603_202036 (https://flic.kr/p/2g8mKXW) by Zachary Press (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157468780@N02/), on Flickr
DETAILS
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/47997347676_5a94b27698_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2g8mXgb)20190603_201921 (https://flic.kr/p/2g8mXgb) by Zachary Press (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157468780@N02/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/47997348576_4da475d5f7_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2g8mXwG)20190603_201844 (https://flic.kr/p/2g8mXwG) by Zachary Press (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157468780@N02/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/47997305158_c37b0c1125_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2g8mJC7)20190603_201735 (https://flic.kr/p/2g8mJC7) by Zachary Press (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157468780@N02/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/47997310567_2499e815ac_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2g8mLen)20190603_201910 (https://flic.kr/p/2g8mLen) by Zachary Press (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157468780@N02/), on Flickr
SOME INTERESTING THINGS
cicada damage on the belly
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/47997312372_67d0e11603_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2g8mLLu)20190603_201647 (https://flic.kr/p/2g8mLLu) by Zachary Press (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157468780@N02/), on Flickr
Massive growth ring violation on the back (upper limb), from when I had previously hashed a de-crowning job, that didn't give me any trouble thankfully
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/47997312502_e59168bec0_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2g8mLNJ)20190603_201621 (https://flic.kr/p/2g8mLNJ) by Zachary Press (https://www.flickr.com/photos/157468780@N02/), on Flickr
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Nice work,
The short bendys are good fun alright! ;D
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yeah bro, real good fun, man kanuka loves a heat treat! haha the lack of a rawhide back adds a pucker factor but so far so good.
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Nice one
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It doesnt seem to be a fan of heat bending though,
I tried putting some curves into one recently and lifted a splinter on both.
Maybe i'm a little rusty. :o.
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yeah I haven't had any luck with sharp bends either, splinters every time. But it took the mild bends of the form really well, then again, I haven't gone the whole hog with boiling/steaming and supporting the belly with a metal strap etc on the sharp curves yet.
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Good work man. Thanks for the story, and the pics. This is what I come here for!
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Yup I'd say you have gone and done it. I'm thinking you learned a thing or three in the process. Nice tiller Zachary. Good Luck in the bush.
Bjrogg
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Nice balance...Bend looks great...
Don
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Beautiful. Only made one that short before, from Ash. Great job!
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Nice one. Bet that’s a fun bow to shoot.
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Sweet bow. Well done.
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Beautiful bend. 8)
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Good job on that one
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Great profiles! That fd is awesome.
Do you know the latin name of that wood?
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hey thanks for the comments guys.
kbear- me too, haha thought I should give back a little, maybe some nicer photos next time.
bjrogg - Haha I learnt that if I am overly impatient and screw it up I can always fix it later ;) thanks, I'll let y'all know when I get myself some tucker with her.
burchett.donald - thanks!
jareddchazen - I've never played with ash, not a heap of it down this way, the shorties are fun!
hoosierf - haha yeah bro, she's a sweet to shoot alright
Hamish - thanks mate, you know how it is figuring out these south pacific woods, I am pretty sure that there are kunzea species growing in the southern areas of Aus too.
Upstate & Badger - cheers, that means a lot coming from the likes of you guys.
Simson - thanks, from the king of sweet bends haha. the species name is Kunzea ericoides. Endemic to NZ, but part of the myrtle family which is a massive group of tropical to subtropical trees around the pacific, includes the likes of guava, eucalyptus, clove and allspice.
It was used by Maori for pretty much anything that required a resonably tough wood like agricultural tools (digging sticks etc) and for weapons which in NZ were often man long spears or quarter staff type weapons. all the other woods that are denser or stronger are also far less common so it makes sense that kanuka was used so often.
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Simson - thanks, from the king of sweet bends haha. the species name is Kunzea ericoides. Endemic to NZ, but part of the myrtle family which is a massive group of tropical to subtropical trees around the pacific, includes the likes of guava, eucalyptus, clove and allspice.
It was used by Maori for pretty much anything that required a resonably tough wood like agricultural tools (digging sticks etc) and for weapons which in NZ were often man long spears or quarter staff type weapons. all the other woods that are denser or stronger are also far less common so it makes sense that kanuka was used so often.
Oh man, don't call me king of anything!
Kunzea, I never heard from that species, but it looks really nice and seems to be a good bowwood.
Thanks for your answer!