Author Topic: Hazelnut Sapling bow  (Read 17779 times)

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Offline Bullitt

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Re: Hazelnut Sapling bow
« Reply #15 on: March 14, 2009, 01:27:12 pm »
She's a beauty Gordon! Curves in all the right places. I too, like the sapling bows. Your a man after my heart. A man from Ohio, named Sonny Inman caught my eye with osage limb or sucker shoot bows in the late '80s. I have made 3 myself  an adult size and 2 kids for my boys. I love them. Hope i can learn something from you and the fellas on here! Have you ever use any osage saplings?

Offline wakosama

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Re: Hazelnut Sapling bow
« Reply #16 on: March 14, 2009, 02:15:43 pm »
How do you people do this...!?!  You take a piece of wood I wouldn't use as a tomato stake and make something awesome.  I've already messed up four bows since I joined this forum and they were all nice clear grained wood.

Oh well, I learned alot each time.  Maybe if I make another hundred or so I'll figure it out.

Keep inspiring the rest of us... please.

LUK
Think as if your LIFE depends on it... IT DOES...!

Offline Okie

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    • Bear Creek Selfbows
Re: Hazelnut Sapling bow
« Reply #17 on: March 14, 2009, 02:18:31 pm »
I don't know how you keep makin 'em better Gordon... but you do! Awesome job on this one.
Take a kid huntin' (If not who'll drag your deer out when you get old)
<---------<<<Founding Member Oklahoma Selfbow Society>>>-----------> Vice President OSS

Offline George Tsoukalas

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Re: Hazelnut Sapling bow
« Reply #18 on: March 14, 2009, 02:59:12 pm »
Beautifully tillered! What an attractive bow. Nicely done. Jawge
Set Happens!
If you ain't breakin' you ain't makin!

Offline Gordon

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Re: Hazelnut Sapling bow
« Reply #19 on: March 14, 2009, 03:13:58 pm »
Thank you Bullitt. Fashioning bows from saplings is wonderful for a number of reasons, not the least of which saplings are so abundant. I've not made a bow from an osage sapling because I do not have ready access to osage where I live. But I am confident that osage would yield excellent results.

Wakosama hang in there, I broke several bows before I began to figure it out. I'll mention one insight that has contributed greatly to my improvement as a bowyer that I learned by observing John Strunk. John does not utilize a tree to tiller his bows. In between scraping sessions he assesses the tiller by running the limb thickness between his finger and thumb. What he is doing is ensuring that the limb is tapered evenly along its length. I began using this method a little more than a year ago and have progressed to the point where I no longer need to view the arc of the bend to know that the tiller is correct. In fact, I am for the most part, only using the tiller tree for exercising the limbs between wood removal. Now I only pay close attention to the arc during the final stages of tillering. I have found this method superior to the commonly employed method of trying to tiller using primarily visual cues (i.e. looking at the arc of the limbs). The reason is that the bend of the limbs if often deceptive during the early stages of tillering, particularly with selfbows, and will frequently change as the bow settles in. The other problem is something I call "arc fatigue". For me, at least, the longer I gaze at an arc, the harder it is to discern the details. It takes some practice to get a feel for this method, but once you do you'll find that hitting tiller, profile and weight becomes much easier.

Thank you for the nice words Okie.

Thank you for the compliment George. That means a lot coming from you.
Gordon

Offline George Tsoukalas

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Re: Hazelnut Sapling bow
« Reply #20 on: March 14, 2009, 03:44:53 pm »
Thanks, Gordon. I agree that the bowyer who uses only his vision in tillering is missing something. Hearing, vision and touch can all be used as you described. Jawge
Set Happens!
If you ain't breakin' you ain't makin!

Offline Woodland Roamer

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Re: Hazelnut Sapling bow
« Reply #21 on: March 14, 2009, 08:21:37 pm »
Another beauty Gordon, great craftsmanship as usual.

Alan
Alan Shook-Taylorsville NC

Bring back the Stone Age!

330bull

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Re: Hazelnut Sapling bow
« Reply #22 on: March 14, 2009, 10:55:08 pm »
Another awesome bow Gordon, nice work!!!

Offline Jesse

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Re: Hazelnut Sapling bow
« Reply #23 on: March 14, 2009, 11:14:59 pm »
Nice one Gordon. Good job 8)
"If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere."
    --Frank A. Clark

Offline Gordon

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Re: Hazelnut Sapling bow
« Reply #24 on: March 15, 2009, 02:24:31 pm »
Thank you Alan, I appreciate the nice words.

Thank you Joe. Your fine hazelnut bow inspired me to pull this long-forgotten stave out of my pile.

Thank you Jesse.
Gordon

brian melton

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Re: Hazelnut Sapling bow
« Reply #25 on: March 15, 2009, 10:49:34 pm »

 Another fine bow Gordon  ;D

Offline GregB

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  • Greg Bagwell
Re: Hazelnut Sapling bow
« Reply #26 on: March 16, 2009, 08:37:16 am »
Another great looking bow Gordon, your finish work is always inspiring!
Greg

A rich person can be poor monetarily, the best things in life are free...

Offline Gordon

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Re: Hazelnut Sapling bow
« Reply #27 on: March 16, 2009, 12:02:06 pm »
Thank you Brian. It's good to hear from you again.

Thank you Greg.
Gordon

Offline Staver

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Re: Hazelnut Sapling bow
« Reply #28 on: March 16, 2009, 02:03:53 pm »
Beautiful bow Gordon!!

I love that style of bow.  I made my second bow by basically following your tutorial and I can't thank you enough for that.  I just broke the back of my third bow and first recurve attempt; the thing I learned was to slow down and "feel" the continuous taper with my fingers.  I'm doing that now with my second recurve attempt and its currently working so far :-\.  Thanks for all the hot tips and sharing your awesome work! ;D  Joe H

Offline Keenan

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Re: Hazelnut Sapling bow
« Reply #29 on: March 16, 2009, 02:39:10 pm »
 Gordon, your quality and attention to detail is something that is always a constant in every bow that you make. I would have to look with a magnifying glass to find a flaw I'm sure, and even if I did I'd be a fool to try to pick apart your work.
  I think John was referring to the the thoughts that it's probably just to short for you and that you should find someone who can truly appreciate a short 58" sapling beauty such as that ::) >:D

 You sure are mastering those sapling bows ;)