Ash and Silk

[rossfactor]

This bow has really got me back on the bowyering horse.  I'd had a couple frustrating failures, that I wasn't eager to repeat.  Found this piece of Eastern Ash at a local hardwood store, and picked it up.

The bow took steam bending very well, but I lifted a splinter on one of the recurves.  You can sort of tell, one of the curves is a little bit less pronounced than the other. Some oblique grain violations so I backed it with very thin silk (7oz maybe).  After tillering and multiple rounds of heat treating I noticed a few very small chrysals forming on the top fade. Since it was all tillered and I couldn't afford to remove any more wood at the fade, I glued a rawhide patch over that area to try and take some of the compression force of the belly.  No other chrysles formed.  I thought the rawhide looked out of place so I tried some acrylic paint over that, but I am not a very fine artist. 

Anyway the bow 47 lb @ 28in, and she's just a blast to shoot.  I shot a 500grain field point arrow about 165 yards.  Life is good.  The arrow pass is rawhide. The handle is wrapped leather cord.

Thanks for looking,

Gabe

p.s Excuse the elbow,  its up cause my arm was broken and never healed right. 

[Pat B]

Nice bow Gabe. Full draw looks very good and those curves seem to be working a little.    Looks like a lifetime supply of arrows behind you in the last pics.

[Bushbow]

That bow look great at full draw. Nice job.
Chuck S.

[JustAim]

That bow looks great! And so does the full draw and paint job. Great job!

[chasing crow]

Ya, I'll bet you're glad you got back to it. Nice bow.
Chasing Crow

[rossfactor]

Thanks Pat, the curves are working some.  And thats a baby redwood, not even 200ft tall. Second growth.
Thanks, Chuck the tillering was fun on this one, but pretty straight forward.
Thanks Just Aim, the acrylics are easy to paint with, but my paint brush was to stiff.
The Chasing Crow I am very glad.

Thinking about some hogs on a friends ranch.  I need about a month more time practicing. 
Gabe 

[VenomBOWslinger]

Nice BOW and nice pics...thats one heck of a tree behind u!!! By the way is that a fred bear limited hat u got on?Glad to see ur back interested in bows I find myself overwhemed with life sometimes and lose the desire for awhile but when u read about people and what they did and what inspired them kinda get me going ...know what I mean!
CHEERS!!!

[George Tsoukalas]

THat is a nice bow and an excellent tiller. Congratulations! Jawge

[rossfactor]

Thanks Venom, No the hat is just a felt hat its made by Scala, but I sure enjoy it.

Thank Jawge, I'm another one whose learned a lot from you.

Gabe

[medicinewheel]

That's a really nice bow you made!
Great tiller, nice finish work!

[xin]

Excellent example of the accomplished bowyer's craft.  Splendid splinter you have there.  The setting for the photos is not so bad either.

[nugget]

looks like a winner to me. I also like the background scenery in the last picture

[gmc]

Man the tiller looks spot on, what a nice spread on that bow. I may have missed it, but what's overall length of the bow and how wide at the fades? I've been tripping over a few Ash staves that I may be interested in after looking at this one. I've heard that Ash does take steam bending pretty well. Again, nice job on that bow.

That is a good size sappling behind you......

Greg

[rossfactor]

Thanks Medecine, Xin and Nugget.
Thanks gmc,  The bow is 1 5/8 inch wide at the fades (which are pretty short) and remains 1 5/8 for 2/3 of the limb.  The outer 1/3 tapers to 1/2 inch.  Its 64inch ntn. I think Ash likes steam, but takes a little extra set.  I also think it is a very durable wood, great for dragging through the brush.

[Pat B]

Is your handle wrap hemp cordage from Wally World?  I've been using that lately, set in Massey finish, and it makes an excellent, weather proof handle wrap.