Newbie in East Texas

[Stretch]

Hey All,

I just figured I'd check in and introduce myself.  My name's Mark, but I'm just as comfortable going by Stretch.  I've been a custom furniture builder and wood carver by trade for the past five years, but I've always been interested in building my own bows.  I've got a fully equipped wood shop so tools aren't a problem, but I've been poking around the forum here and have come realize I know basically nothing about building a bow.  So I plan on poking around more to gain knowledge and asking a question here and there as things start to make sense to me.  In the mean time, if anyone has any good sites, build threads or books you suggest I look let me know.  It seems like a really friendly place around here and I look forward to participating. 

Mark

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Welcome Mark, I'm new here myself. These guys will get you started building your own bows, be careful though because it's addictive! 
I started a year ago with the intention of just building myself a longbow. Now a couple tons of Osage and now Hackberry later I'm still building them, I just can't stop myself. 

Hi I'm Chris and I'm a bow woodaholic. 

[Pat B]

Welcome Stretch. If you like wood and great folks, you will like PA.     Now, it is time to climb out of the wood box you've become accustome to and build some bows. 

[skyarrow]

Welcome to PA mark glad to see another Texan on here where in east Texas do you live I'm in Victoria

[Pappy]

Welcome Stretch, any questions never hesitate to ask,someone here usually has an answer and don't mind giving it. That is what is so great about this place. No secrets 
Enjoy the ride.
   Pappy

[ErictheViking]

Welcome Stretch, make yourself at home. look at the build-along section and go back through all the old post that spark an interest, you will learn alot from them. And like Pappy said, ask questions.

[gstoneberg]

So I plan on poking around more to gain knowledge and asking a question here and there as things start to make sense to me.  In the mean time, if anyone has any good sites, build threads or books you suggest I look let me know.  It seems like a really friendly place around here and I look forward to participating. 

Mark

Welcome Stretch!  If you aren't too far from Dallas, come on over.  I work on bows in my shop most nights and love company.  Be happy to help you get started and would provide you a crooked old osage stave to play with.

George

[Stretch]

So I plan on poking around more to gain knowledge and asking a question here and there as things start to make sense to me.  In the mean time, if anyone has any good sites, build threads or books you suggest I look let me know.  It seems like a really friendly place around here and I look forward to participating. 

Mark

Welcome Stretch!  If you aren't too far from Dallas, come on over.  I work on bows in my shop most nights and love company.  Be happy to help you get started and would provide you a crooked old osage stave to play with.

George

Thanks George.  I'm in Lindale, about 1.5 hrs east of Dallas.  I'll definitely take you up on your offer when I get a chance. 

Thanks for the welcome all!  I'm glad I found this place.

[criveraville]

Bien venido Stretch. You probably have bow wood living in east Texas, but if you need something to get started on let me know.

Cipriano

[gstoneberg]

Stretch,

Jawge on here has a nice set of web instructions on bow building, http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/

You should have good bow wood close.  I have cut osage up by Sulpher Springs and there's hickory and pecan all over east Texas.  You should also have good hogs to chase once you get your bow done.

George

[aero86]

welcome texan!  get to building bows, but watch out, its addictive!  youll be looking at every tree wondering what bow is hiding in there! 

i myself live in greenville.  george is a nice guy too!  always trying to make people build bows, i mean really, who here wants to do that!! lol  i still need to take him up on that offer

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Don't even get started on hogs! I've been wanting to stick a pig with my bow ever since I started bowhunting, but we don't have many here in Missouri. My little brother lives in Dallas and we go down about once a year for a visit, so any of you fellas that live close and have property loaded with hogs just let me know and next time I go down to Dallas for a visit I'll bring bow wood with me to hand over to the "Guide" for the oppurtunity to poke a piggy. 

Don't mean to bust the post Stretch, but your in this too. Same offer goes for you if you have some hogs to share, I've got tons of osage, hackberry, locust, hickory, you name it..........I got it. Still haven't dropped any hickory but it's coming soon!
I can even offer tips on working a stave if you want. I ain't no expert, but I can build a fairly nice bent stick. The BBO I just finished with snake skins reaches Bear Grizzly Recurve velocities with the same 490gr. arra............not bad for a bow build in my garage on a home made caul. 

[Stretch]

Don't even get started on hogs! I've been wanting to stick a pig with my bow ever since I started bowhunting, but we don't have many here in Missouri. My little brother lives in Dallas and we go down about once a year for a visit, so any of you fellas that live close and have property loaded with hogs just let me know and next time I go down to Dallas for a visit I'll bring bow wood with me to hand over to the "Guide" for the oppurtunity to poke a piggy. 

Don't mean to bust the post Stretch, but your in this too. Same offer goes for you if you have some hogs to share, I've got tons of osage, hackberry, locust, hickory, you name it..........I got it. Still haven't dropped any hickory but it's coming soon!
I can even offer tips on working a stave if you want. I ain't no expert, but I can build a fairly nice bent stick. The BBO I just finished with snake skins reaches Bear Grizzly Recurve velocities with the same 490gr. arra............not bad for a bow build in my garage on a home made caul. 

I got a place to hunt hogs.  They haven't been hitting the feeder lately, but they'll be back once the acorns start falling.  I gotta get one with my rifle before I step into bow hunting them though.  I do have a line on a place to hunt that is bowhunting only.  I've yet to scout it out, but it's east Texas forest that's not being hunted so it should be promising.  As for staves, I should be set.  I've got plenty of woodworking contacts and places to cut, so that shouldn't be a problem.  Heck, I've got a whole stack of 2" slabs E. Red Cedar that's been air drying for three years, I ought to be able to find some staves out of it.  Heck I can always dive into my pile of scraps and find something to make a board bow outta.  Oh, and I have a vacuum bag for doing bent laminations so I have planty to play with in the mean time. 

Oh, one more thing... BBO??? I've yet to pick up all the lingo so help a brother out.   

[Stretch]

Stretch,

Jawge on here has a nice set of web instructions on bow building, http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/

You should have good bow wood close.  I have cut osage up by Sulpher Springs and there's hickory and pecan all over east Texas.  You should also have good hogs to chase once you get your bow done.

George

Thanks George, I've actually been looking Jawge's site over a bit.  I"m thinking of starting a board bow from his instructions pretty soon, once I get the giant entertainment center I'm building out of my shop so I have some space.  I should have no problem finding osage where I'm at,  I've got a buddy who's a woodturner who's turns it all the time, so I've got a hook up there. 

[gstoneberg]

BBO = Bamboo Backed Osage.

You guys are invited to this: http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,25825.0.html  Be a long drive from Missouri.  It's a healthy drive from the Tyler area as well.  Anyway, any time you come to Dallas SH, let me know.  I try to get to the lease at least once a month.  Like Stretch, I often rifle hunt, but there are bow setups there.  Be a touch hot out there in a month or so though.

I went and looked at a clump of osage this afternoon.  The owner wants to park his RV where it is.  It is smaller than I prefer, but it has several nice straight trunk sections.  I'll be cutting yellow wood later this week.

George