And I diverge .............

[Jim Kidwell]

there are better places for this that are more appropriate. Here is a start:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUbLr1ItUzo FWIW...............

[mdeland]

I suppose that is true if all we ever talked about was archery but none of us interested in a bit of bow building and flint knapping are really hard core archers . Were gun people who talk all sorts of interesting topics and bow building is one of those that is attractive to some of us.When it runs it's course we'll go right back to shooting, gun building and hand loading just like when we talk politics,cars, motorcycles,airplanes, horses , road trips and what have you that has nothing to do with shooting per say but is none the less interesting and a nice change of pace.
I would bet that a large percentage of those who have taken a fancy to BPCR and Muzzle loader guns have also dabbled a bit with bows and arrows at one time or another in their lives.

[Glen Ring]

Agreed..One little trick I learned to keep the propeller bows straighter is to use calipers to keep the thickness even. Propeller bows still shoot good and some last a long time..but on bois d'arc self bows they are really handy. Tillering is labor intensive for sure...Like flint knapping, knife building and Shooting BPCR.

[mdeland]

That's a good idea Glen, I have several dividers over my lathe that would work perfectly for getting the thickness even in laminates or self bow cross section. I think I'm trying to rationalize another tool as I would really like to have a good 12 inch plainer around for such stuff although the natives did fine work with nothing more than a flint scraper.
I bet Woody has a good one in his shop! I have a hand plain and electric power plain that works good but does not have the same capability to mill boards or laminates perfectly flat and level.
The table saw works quite well though but still nothing like the precision of a good plainer.

[mdeland]

Got the new string served and waxed. Shot the bow for the first time yesterday and it's pretty smooth. I still have to put the finish on it and it did take some set. Looks like about 2 inches so apparently the Ipe does not like to be vertically grain aligned. It draws 42 lbs at 28 inches and is fun to shoot.

[Kurt]

Here you go Mike. A real ABO bow and arrow

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[mdeland]

I love it! That's a great survival bow and arrow. Folks would be surprised how well one could defend and feed themselves with such a set up! Great pictures!

[Kurt]

Just had to do it Mike.

When I was a kid I made my bows usually from green willow and made the arrows from dry cane if I could find it but I used twine for the string instead of Mulberry bark like I did for this one. It really surprised me that the bark when rolled in my hands was strong enough to string the bow using it. The bow is about 4' long and about 1 1/4" round. After taking the picture I shot that green arrow at a tree inside 20 yards and it broke the green shaft when it hit and it was a hard full drawn pull and the bark string held.

it was fun doing and it took less than 2 hrs finding the sapling Mulberry in some Cedars and making it Like I said, this lockdown is working on me LOL.

[mdeland]

The belly coated with the Minwax Spar Varithane. I measured the set last night after it relaxed after shooting it the other day and it is about 1.5 inches. If it stays that way I'll have a good bow.

[mdeland]

Ipe is kind of purrrrty when you get finish on it.

[Glen Ring]

Cool !! I still have bones, horns and rocks laying around from years ago. I can make a knife/spear point in just a few minutes, I can make string from plant material..bows , spears, ataltls.......but the friction fires still elude me.

[mdeland]

I just got home from work and gave the hickory back a coating of the Spar Urethane. I left it outside, belly up, all day in the sunshine and it dried pretty well. I'll let her tack up and give the back one more coat to seal the wood up thoroughly and then let it cure for 72 hours.
Just about finished with bow #2. I can see why it takes years to become a first rate bow maker,there is just so much to learn about how different woods respond to design and crafting techniques. Seems to fit right in with the gun making though in my opinion !
This is the stuff I use on gun stocks for sealing the wood. I use True-oil over the top when it is cured to get a natural oil finish look.
I really like how these moose antler tips came out but I think I should have made them shorter to discourage tip twist. I'll do that next time but it is fascinating to see cause and effect in the fabrication of these bows.

[mdeland]

I compared it with my 45 lbs. Wing hunter recurve the other night and it is not as fast with the 500 grain hunting arrows I practice with but it was definitely quieter and drew quite smoothly for an all wood beginners bow.I'm waiting for the touch up finish on the handle portion to dry for 72 hours and she should be ready to go.
I foumd a design for a short Comanche bow I'm going to make for my grand daughter next . I haven't decided yet wither or not to use hickory alone or another laminated bow of Hickory and Ipe. Pretty simple design I'm thinking I may try to steam in a bit of deflex. Perhaps back it with some copper head skin.

[Kurt]

Mike your bow looks nice. You will enjoy using it. Practice the instinctive shooting using it.

I unstrung my ABO this morning it was still tight as the day I strung it and to my surprise it did not take a set after laying on that bench 7-8 days strung. Maybe it the sap wood mulberry is ??

IMG_3609.jpeg

[mdeland]

Boy, that's pretty impressive wood! I'm sure anxious to try some of that Bodark I have coming!
I've been wondering about trying a stick of Alder brush. The place is covered with it! I think I'll go out and whack a chunk, skin off the bark and stick it up in the shed rafters to dry until winter and give it a try.