Author Topic: incense cedar and elk sinew miwok  (Read 7375 times)

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Offline loefflerchuck

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incense cedar and elk sinew miwok
« on: June 25, 2009, 02:09:08 am »
  Here are 2 of about half a dozen sinew, incense cedar miwok replica bows I have been experimenting with the last couple years. The first one is 41". It pulls 42# at 23". The second is 37" and pulls 46# at 22". Bolth bows have 2 ply sinew strings and like the origionals the knocks are made of molded sinew that extends past the wood. The arrows are cane with live oak foreshafts that cast over 150 yards from bolth bows.
  Incense cedar seems to work great with sinew. I am finding out that the limbs are far superior the trunk. Almost like a different wood

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Aosda

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Re: incense cedar and elk sinew miwok
« Reply #1 on: June 25, 2009, 02:27:42 am »
That full draw is amazing.  Is it the wood, sinew, or a combination of the two that lets you pull so far on a short bow like that?

Offline loefflerchuck

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Re: incense cedar and elk sinew miwok
« Reply #2 on: June 25, 2009, 02:36:13 am »
it's the sinew. Incense cedar will not tolerate that kind of strain, but there is a reason it was preferred by central California Indians

Offline Pappy

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Re: incense cedar and elk sinew miwok
« Reply #3 on: June 25, 2009, 06:40:04 am »
Very nice,lots of bend in a little wood.Great job. :)
   Pappy
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Offline Dauntless

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Re: incense cedar and elk sinew miwok
« Reply #4 on: June 25, 2009, 12:11:44 pm »
Those are some pretty impressive overdraws.  Is Incense Cedar a heavy wood?  The wikipedia page states the wood is quite soft.

150 yards from short bows like these is pretty respectable too.  Do you have any plans for decorating these works of art?
The starving grad student with too many hobbies.

Offline OldBow

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Re: incense cedar and elk sinew miwok
« Reply #5 on: June 25, 2009, 12:28:59 pm »
Looks primitive to me. Impressive full draw and bookmarked for June Self BOM fun. Thanks for participating.
When you're retired, every day is Saturday

Offline adb

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Re: incense cedar and elk sinew miwok
« Reply #6 on: June 25, 2009, 03:25:09 pm »
Wow!! Very cool little bows, and Holy @#*$ do they ever bend! Gotta love that sinew backing... makes sticks into bows! I love the sinew nocks, as well.

Offline venisonburger

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Re: incense cedar and elk sinew miwok
« Reply #7 on: June 25, 2009, 03:50:39 pm »
I love short bows like that, the ash ones that I've made ended up with chrysalls but it may be that I was going for a traditional draw length instead of short 22" draws.
Maybe they'll shoot and last awhile if I don't push them.
I really like the two you've made.
Where do you get the incense cedar from?
VB

Offline JackCrafty

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Re: incense cedar and elk sinew miwok
« Reply #8 on: June 25, 2009, 06:26:20 pm »
Excellent work!!  Looks like the real thing....and they work well too.  Wow. :)
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Offline ricktrojanowski

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Re: incense cedar and elk sinew miwok
« Reply #9 on: June 25, 2009, 09:34:10 pm »
That is some impressive bow building.  Really nice work.
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Offline cowboy

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Re: incense cedar and elk sinew miwok
« Reply #10 on: June 25, 2009, 10:04:03 pm »
Good looking bows! And wow - that bend is very impressive!
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Offline burn em up chuck

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Re: incense cedar and elk sinew miwok
« Reply #11 on: June 26, 2009, 12:06:51 am »
very,very impresive. got all the bend you could didn't you? nicely done.

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Offline billy

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Re: incense cedar and elk sinew miwok
« Reply #12 on: June 26, 2009, 12:45:47 am »
HEy Loeffler,

I've seen several original Sierra Miwok bows, and I think they were also made of incense cedar (though I'm not sure).  The ones I saw had flat bellies and rounded backs (probably due to the fact they were made from small diameter limbs).  Every original one had a three ply sinew string.  They also had a very narrow strip of braintanned deerskin that wrapped around and around the loop of the string to protect it from abrasion.  They also had the same very narrow strip of braintan that wrapped around the limb, right at the arch of the recurve (I'm assuming to silence the sound of the string slapping against the belly side of the recurve when it was shot). Don't take my post as trying to critique your work...I'm just trying to pass along what I've seen, just in case you were trying to make an exact replica.  If you don't care to copy the originals that closely, then you can just ignore everything I just posted. 

But that's a sweet looking bow nonetheless, and amazing full draw pic.  That thing takes a hell of a bend!  Great job!     
Marietta, Georgia

Offline Traxx

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Re: incense cedar and elk sinew miwok
« Reply #13 on: June 26, 2009, 01:28:13 am »
Looks like outstanding work to me.

Offline ravenbeak

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Re: incense cedar and elk sinew miwok
« Reply #14 on: June 26, 2009, 03:54:05 am »
wow i love that arc, well done

how does the unbraced profile look?

cheers,
Jamie
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