Congratulations to simson for winning November/December Backed BOM!!!

[criveraville]

Congratulations to simson for winning November/December Backed BOM!!!

http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,36287.0.html

simson’s osage lightning 62#/24"


simson from Bavaria had this to say about his bow:  Well, this is a bow I begun 3 years ago. Its old Osage and the heaviest and darkest I ever had, it was very oily but had a lot of drying cracks (vertical). the bow several times piked and new tillered, because I was not satisfied with the result. So it became shorter and shorter  ...
At least I decided to make something like a plains Indian bow. but with unusual cross section (wider)and unusual sinewing (only the bending parts to save mass). I had to correct this piece several times (twist and alignment). Tipsare steamed back (20 min). The back was carefully prepared for sinew job (acetone, roughing the surface).

This bow was a NIGHTMARE ! She has thrown off the sinew backing in one whole piece and that for two times!!!!!    What a mess.
See the pics, I wonder if I could use this layers on another bow, perhaps glueing on in one whole piece??

After a long long time, I gave her a third try:
I prepared the back again, washed with acetone (3x, got every time a yellersoup); then used oven-cleaner-foam. Now I believe this was the deal!

O.k. here is then the third and hopefully last attempt, I started in January. Three layers of sinew, strengthened with sinew bindings (red) After drying I painted the bacing with a kind of lightning (from heaven or hell ??). The upper tip is decorated with a horse hair tassel, glued on a little plug. The handle is brain tanned buckskin (got it from my friend Kare - thanks!)

specs:

48" ntn
62#/24"
string: 8strands 425X + 4strands of Dacron at the ear / bowyers knot
bending handle, stiff levers 5" each
deer sinew

simson
Here are what some forum members had to say about simson’s bow:
What a sweet little bow! Very authentic looking  Nice job all around  WillH
Well done amigo looks like third times  a charm.  Skyarrow
Very nice simson, love the way you dressed this bow up (decorations).
Greg
Beautiful shorty,love the finish work and tiller looks great to boot.  Had a few of them nightmares myself.    Pappy
That is a looker.  It does look very authentic.  Also, I really like your arrow, the fletching, your point.  Great work, really noteworthy.  Parnell

[Keenan]

Congratulations Simson , very nice bow indeed!

[killir duck]

gorgeous! that's all there is to say

[Josh B]

Congratulations on a tough win!  Josh

[BowEd]

Congrats simson.Perserverence has paid off.Very nice bow.

[simson]

Thanks for looking and voting, guys!

[MWirwicki]

Very nice piece, Simpson.  Congrats on your accomplishment.

[mullet]

Beautifull bow, museum quality, for sure.

[Pappy]

Beautiful bow.Very nice work,Congrats on the win.
   Pappy

[Buffalogobbler]

Very cool bow! Congrats!

Kevin

[beardedhorse]

Simson,  congrats on  win.  Some of us scrub an osage bow's back with a good grease cutting dish detergent after scratching shallow longitudinal grooves with a dulled hacksaw blade to prep for sinew or rawhide backing.  Then  use boiling water to rinse out soap.   Wear heavy rubbber gloves to prevent scalding. When dry, do three washes with acetone or the cheaper lacquer thinner.  MEK is also a good de greaser.  All three are dangerous and you should use in an area with good ventilation and solvent resistant gloves.   Keep away from flame.  They are terrible for the liver and the skin and the brain if inhaled too often. The first washing or scrubbing will "flash" dissolve  and de grease the oil  but alsoevaporate leaving some of the oil as a film.  The subsequent two washings should float away this film.   Next I prime the back by diluting some of the same hide glue that is used full strength when glueing on pre dampened leg sinew from elk or bison or deer or antelope.   Back sinew gives you longer lengths but not as much strength as leg.   Too wet a sinew saturates it with moisture so that it can't absorb as much hide glue.  Wrapping with "bandages" of split bicycle inner tire tubes will squeeze out excess glue and hold sinew in place or move it out of position if you wrap too tight or carelessly.    Nice job.  Sorry this reply is so late.  Just now getting around to opening this mail.  Keep up the good work.