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Author Topic: Sioux Bows  (Read 5960 times)

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Offline IrishJay

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Sioux Bows
« on: October 20, 2019, 08:36:18 pm »
Does anyone here know if the bellies on traditional Sioux bows were rounded or flat? I've been all over google looking at pictures of Sioux bows and other plains tribes gullwing bows and it seems to be a mixed bag of rounded and flat bellies.
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"The best camouflage pattern is called, 'Sit down and be quiet!' Your grandpa hunted deer in a red plaid coat, think about that for a second." - Fred Bear

Offline bradsmith2010

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Re: Sioux Bows
« Reply #1 on: October 20, 2019, 08:53:42 pm »
I would say mostly...semi flat...I will check some references and get back
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Offline IrishJay

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Re: Sioux Bows
« Reply #2 on: October 20, 2019, 08:57:02 pm »
Thanks Brad. I was leaning toward "semi-flat" myself as the pics I've seen with rounded bellies don't have any where near the crown of an ELB, more like a flat belly with rounded edges.
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"The best camouflage pattern is called, 'Sit down and be quiet!' Your grandpa hunted deer in a red plaid coat, think about that for a second." - Fred Bear

Offline bradsmith2010

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Re: Sioux Bows
« Reply #3 on: October 20, 2019, 09:01:02 pm »
Jim hamms book...shows flat,..and a little rounded on some,,.
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Offline IrishJay

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Re: Sioux Bows
« Reply #4 on: October 20, 2019, 09:14:14 pm »
Thanks for checking. Flat with slightly rounded shoulders should work nicely on this stave.
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"The best camouflage pattern is called, 'Sit down and be quiet!' Your grandpa hunted deer in a red plaid coat, think about that for a second." - Fred Bear

Offline IrishJay

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Re: Sioux Bows
« Reply #5 on: October 22, 2019, 10:42:09 pm »
Just thought I'd share some progress on this one since there aren't many gullwings posted on here. When straight the stave was 61" ttt, which is long for a Sioux style bow. I went longer on it because it's Black Cherry, which is comparable to the green ash the Sioux used in crushing strength and m.o.e. but it is weaker in tension.

The highest reflex, located at 17.5" from center stave is 2.5" forward of the handle. Tips are 1.5" forward of handle. Stave is 5/8" x 1.5" along its entire length. At this point I probably could force a low brace, but the wood needs to cure and the tips still need shaped. 



« Last Edit: October 22, 2019, 10:55:30 pm by IrishJay »
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"The best camouflage pattern is called, 'Sit down and be quiet!' Your grandpa hunted deer in a red plaid coat, think about that for a second." - Fred Bear

Offline IrishJay

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Re: Sioux Bows
« Reply #6 on: October 23, 2019, 03:40:22 pm »
Tappered the tip width and cut in nocks. Measured in a straight line bow is 57.75" ntn. Also did some more heat shaping on the limbs. They now reach 2.5" reflex at 17.5" from center and then stay straight to tips, meaning tips are now 2.5" forward.





« Last Edit: October 23, 2019, 08:51:02 pm by IrishJay »
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"The best camouflage pattern is called, 'Sit down and be quiet!' Your grandpa hunted deer in a red plaid coat, think about that for a second." - Fred Bear

Offline silent sniper

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Re: Sioux Bows
« Reply #7 on: October 24, 2019, 10:48:09 am »
Looking good! I am very interested to see how the black cherry does for you. I have lots of black cherry around but have I havent made a cherry bow yet.
Cheers,
Taylor
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Offline IrishJay

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Re: Sioux Bows
« Reply #8 on: October 24, 2019, 12:21:04 pm »
I've had mixed luck with the cherry in the past. My first shootable selfbow was black cherry. But I've had other cherry bows fail spectacularly on the tillering rig. It can be a good bow wood if you get the right piece. Where some of the "higher grade" bow woods will let you get away with soaking a knot in CA or wrapping a ring violation, cherry will not. But if you have a nice clear piece and you treat it right, it'll make a good bow.
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"The best camouflage pattern is called, 'Sit down and be quiet!' Your grandpa hunted deer in a red plaid coat, think about that for a second." - Fred Bear

Offline gifford

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Re: Sioux Bows
« Reply #9 on: October 24, 2019, 01:38:56 pm »
Good Looking Bow, I like the lines in profile.

Have to admit, don't recall anyone using the roof of their car in a bow profile picture before, extra points for creativity. :-)
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Offline IrishJay

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Re: Sioux Bows
« Reply #10 on: October 24, 2019, 01:54:49 pm »
My garage is a cluttered mess right now, that was the only place I could get a pic with a blank wall behind it.  ;D
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"The best camouflage pattern is called, 'Sit down and be quiet!' Your grandpa hunted deer in a red plaid coat, think about that for a second." - Fred Bear

Offline bassman

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Re: Sioux Bows
« Reply #11 on: October 24, 2019, 03:22:47 pm »
So far looking good.
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Offline IrishJay

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Re: Sioux Bows
« Reply #12 on: October 24, 2019, 03:34:44 pm »
Thanks for the encouragement fellas. Hoping to make a Christmas gift for my father from it.
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"The best camouflage pattern is called, 'Sit down and be quiet!' Your grandpa hunted deer in a red plaid coat, think about that for a second." - Fred Bear

Offline IrishJay

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Re: Sioux Bows
« Reply #13 on: October 24, 2019, 08:48:11 pm »
Ran into a sticky wicket on this one tonight. Was truing up the stave trying to get the belly parallel to the back, which went fine.  However, when I finished I realized I hadn't left enought meat in the handle/fades. Fortunately I had a nice straight flat 1/8" x 74" lam strip made from the heartwood of the same tree the stave came from. Unfortunately this makes it even less historically correct. I cut 3 24" lams and am building them up on the center of the stave. They whole shebang will still get tillered as a bendy handle bow. Just wish I could have gotten it right without the need for the lams.
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"The best camouflage pattern is called, 'Sit down and be quiet!' Your grandpa hunted deer in a red plaid coat, think about that for a second." - Fred Bear

Offline IrishJay

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Re: Sioux Bows
« Reply #14 on: October 25, 2019, 09:25:42 am »
Two lams glued up one to go.



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"The best camouflage pattern is called, 'Sit down and be quiet!' Your grandpa hunted deer in a red plaid coat, think about that for a second." - Fred Bear
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