Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: wstanley on March 24, 2020, 02:56:30 pm
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Second bow is a California baywood sinew backed bow modeled somewhat after the Mono/Miwok bows of the Sierra Nevadas. Sinew tips (first time doing this) and pine pitch/charcoal coating. Pulls 45-50lbs at a 22-23'' draw, 4 layers of sinew, 40'' TTT. Sinew string. The bow took a lot of "set" (I think I'm using that term correctly), it had 1'' reflex after sinew application, and now has 1.5'' deflex unstrung (again not sure if I'm using these terms correctly hopefully you all get it). I attribute this to getting it to brace tiller height too early and with too much material still on the belly? The arrow in the photo is 25'' elderberry with black oak foreshaft. Not that I have made a lot of bows, but I am really impressed with bawyood and how much it can bend/compression. I can see why the Miwok and Mono who use some of the best compression woods in the Western U.S. (when used with sinew Juniper and Incense Cedar) chose baywood as their second choice for bow wood. I really like this bow however, it shoots hard but too much of a bow for me in my stage of archery.
Thanks for looking. I would have consolidated both bows in one post but I have a heck of a time on getting photos to show up! User error.
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Nice bow.
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Nice work. We have spoken a bit about these bows. I have only heard of bay being used for self bows in that area. I'm glad you did this experiment.
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Hi chuck. Yeah that’s what the ethnographic accounts say. I know some knowledgeable Mono elders who say simply they were backed and also not backed when it came to Baywood but the design was the same. I imagine their self bows were longer?.
I’ll continue to do this combo. Really like it.
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How long did you let the sinew cure for?
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Well done
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Thanks all.
Jakesnyder: 2 months