kids douglas maple mollie (done!)

[campx]

52" ttt, 51" ntn.  4" handle, 1.5" fades. 
Limbs taper from 1.75" to 1.25" wide, then they turn into levers. 
8" levers, tapering from 1/2" wide to 1/4" at the tips, 5/8" to 3/8" deep.
20 pounds at 16 inches.

I got a request from a friend of mine.  She wanted a bow for her daughter, for Christmas, who is 9 years old.  Her daughter is friends with my 9 year old, and lately they have been playing in the backyard with a couple other bow I have built.
The knotty applewood bow that I had been working on suddenly exploded on the tillering tree, so Plan B went into effect.  I had an actual straight stave of Douglas maple drying in the rafters downstairs, so I drew some lines on it and started drawknifing away.  3 hours later, I had it completely tillered, the big hack marks sanded out, ebony tips glued on.  I glued a wedge piece of acacia on for an arrow rest. I used rawhide from the mule deer I shot last year as a handle (soaked it in warm water for 15 minutes first).

Just got to put a finish on it now, got my hands on some beeswax........


IMG_20131127_061432-1 by CampX, on Flickr


IMG_20131127_061702 by CampX, on Flickr


IMG_20131127_062054 by CampX, on Flickr


IMG_20131127_062419 by CampX, on Flickr

[Dan K]

She should love it!  Looks great, post pics when you get her finished. Thx for posting.

[IdahoMatt]

She should be a happy little camper.  I love to hear of putting so much time and energy into something for someone else.  Great job Campx.  Keep the pics coming.  Isn't that maple nice to work

Matt

[campx]

More photos

Calling it done.   Used Rit dye with rubbing alcohol as a stain, faded black to red.  Dyed the rawhide handle also.  Used a mixture of beeswax-olive oil-coconut oil and rubbed it in real good on all the wood, hit it with a bit of heat to really suck it in.  Linseed oil on the Rawhide.
Sting is 3 ply jute, twisted in a drill.  Dyed one string black just to give it a barber-pole look.


IMG_3047 by CampX, on Flickr


IMG_3062 by CampX, on Flickr


IMG_3068 by CampX, on Flickr

Got my wife to pull it back to approximately 16 inches.  I tillered it to 22" for a margin of safety, and it bends nioce and pretty, with the bottom limb slightly stiffer.

IMG_3002 by CampX, on Flickr

[DuBois]

That should make one happy kid! Good work man!