Author Topic: Oregon ash bow selfbow - quick and dirty.  (Read 5657 times)

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Offline Carson (CMB)

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Oregon ash bow selfbow - quick and dirty.
« on: April 05, 2012, 04:41:45 pm »
Steelslinger, this stave was sister to that stave you made your first bow from. 

I wanted to make this bow simple and dependable in wettest conditions, and also quick to make.  Sorry the pictures where also taken quickly. 

60" ntn. 43lbs at 28" after shooting about 100 arrows through it.  Each limb took about 2" of set. Unbacked, but cambium left on as natural backing. I wanted to darken it up, so I stained it with charcoal and ash from the fireplace, soaked in lighter fluid (I had a big can of kingsford sitting right there).  Then torched it lightly with a butane torch.  Not heat-treated, just some surface toasting for to darken it up, while still warm and smelling of lighter fluid finished it with beeswax and mink oil.   

I was hoping for a heavier weight bow, but the 60lb primitive bow eludes me again.  I think the character wood is not helping.  One limb had kink of reflex at the outer third at a knot, almost identical to the osage bow I am working on.  Same story on that one. 
"The bow is the old first lyre,
the mono chord, the initial rune of fine art
The humanities grew out from archery as a flower from a seed
No sooner did the soft, sweet note of the bow-string charm the ear of genius than music was born, and from music came poetry and painting and..." Maurice Thompso

Offline Carson (CMB)

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Re: Oregon ash bow selfbow - quick and dirty.
« Reply #1 on: April 05, 2012, 04:47:19 pm »
Tips are simple style seen on many native american bows. 

Kids helping me take pics.  Keaton trys to pull my 65# hill the only way he can.
"The bow is the old first lyre,
the mono chord, the initial rune of fine art
The humanities grew out from archery as a flower from a seed
No sooner did the soft, sweet note of the bow-string charm the ear of genius than music was born, and from music came poetry and painting and..." Maurice Thompso

Offline Del the cat

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    • Derek Hutchison Native Wood Self Bows
Re: Oregon ash bow selfbow - quick and dirty.
« Reply #2 on: April 05, 2012, 05:03:51 pm »
It may be quick, it may be dirty, but this is PRIMITIVE archer so I think it does the job.
We don't want no fancy bows roun' here ;D
Del
Health warning, these posts may contain traces of nut.

Offline lesken2011

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Re: Oregon ash bow selfbow - quick and dirty.
« Reply #3 on: April 05, 2012, 05:34:32 pm »
Not bad for a quick one. Lighter fluid and charcoal?!?....there's a thought. If it was made out of hickory, you could call it the BBQ bow!! ;D
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9

Kenny from Mississippi, USA

Offline steelslinger

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Re: Oregon ash bow selfbow - quick and dirty.
« Reply #4 on: April 05, 2012, 05:42:37 pm »
I had fun working around that knot area as well. Looks good, I like quick and simple.

Offline tattoo dave

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Re: Oregon ash bow selfbow - quick and dirty.
« Reply #5 on: April 05, 2012, 11:51:48 pm »
Good lookin bow, and I bet it flings an arrow great. Keep up the nice work.

Tattoo Dave
Rockford, MI

Offline Arrowind

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Re: Oregon ash bow selfbow - quick and dirty.
« Reply #6 on: April 06, 2012, 12:08:06 am »
I like it.   It gives me the feeling that you could have made it with your pocket knife while sitting around the campfire getting ready for a hunt in the morning or something like that.  Very natural, functional, dependable, appealing and cool. Good job!
Talking trees. What do trees have to talk about, hmm... except the consistency of squirrel droppings?

Offline coaster500

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Re: Oregon ash bow selfbow - quick and dirty.
« Reply #7 on: April 06, 2012, 12:11:57 am »
Cool looks like a protein collestion tool to me!!!

Now shoot something for that hungry mob...  the look hungry :)
Inspiration, information and instruction by the ton and it's free,,, such a deal :)

TurtleCreek

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Re: Oregon ash bow selfbow - quick and dirty.
« Reply #8 on: April 06, 2012, 02:58:09 am »
  I really like how the grain pops with the fire ash/charcoal you used, nice lookin' bow.

Offline Carson (CMB)

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Re: Oregon ash bow selfbow - quick and dirty.
« Reply #9 on: April 06, 2012, 03:36:19 am »
Thanks for the compliments everyone. 

TurtleCreek, Ash grain really pops with any stain. It's that good old ring-porous wood. 

coaster, thanks I am heading out for a overnight bear hunt tomorrow morning, was hoping to use this bow, but I am opting for that howard hill pictured.  Hope to bring back some meat, but mainly this is a scouting trip to a section of the woods I have never been.  Those kids always look hungry..doesn't matter how many cans of chili or peanut butter honey sandwiches they have scarfed down! ;D

Arrowind, thanks it could have been made around the campfire just as easily.  I was going fro that kind of a bow.  It got me thinking of trying to go on a hunt with no bow at all, and see what I could whip up in camp.  but obviously, as I am reaching for the fiberglass bow for tomorrow's hunt, I am a ways off from that.

Thanks Dave, it does fling em.  I had fun shooting a mixed spine bag of arrows and seeing them group by spine.  Surprisingly it likes a heavier spine arrow. Must be closer to center shot than I can judge with my eye.

Steelslinger, I am glad you caught this post.  I have one more stave from this log. A third sister. I will get that one posted up at some point.  How is your sinew-backed ash shooting?

lesken, BBQ that would be a funny theme bow.  I did not use charcoal briquets, but I am sure that would work, probably easier than what I did.  I took hard-wood charcoal chunks out of the fireplace and ground them up with a mortar and pestle.  Probably the most work that went into this bow.

Del, thanks! It felt good to take one from start to finish in a day.  I feel like so many of my bows are tied up in various states of almost done. This one felt good.
"The bow is the old first lyre,
the mono chord, the initial rune of fine art
The humanities grew out from archery as a flower from a seed
No sooner did the soft, sweet note of the bow-string charm the ear of genius than music was born, and from music came poetry and painting and..." Maurice Thompso

Offline Pappy

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Re: Oregon ash bow selfbow - quick and dirty.
« Reply #10 on: April 06, 2012, 08:36:37 am »
Simple/functional and quick. :) Can't ask for more.Nice bow,I have done the charcoal thing before, It looks very cool and blends very good in the fall woods. :) :)   
   Pappy
Clarksville,Tennessee
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