A few off the Lathe

How to make a Bow, a String or a Set of Arrows. Making equipment & tools for use in Traditional Archery and Bowhunting.

Moderator: Moderators

Post Reply
Message
Author
User avatar
UPTHETOP
Posts: 1187
Joined: Mon Jun 11, 2007 9:03 pm
Location: Dalby
Contact:

A few off the Lathe

#1 Post by UPTHETOP » Thu Mar 20, 2014 3:33 pm

Not much to do with the bows but have scored some great wood off cuts recently. So put them on the lathe and turned some mugs and a wine goblet for the old girl.
The wine goblet is Olive tree, the port mugs are of Burdekin Plum, and a piece of Dead finish or Red lance wood to the locals. Just thought you would like the pics.

Cheers Wayno
Attachments
DSCF0018.JPG
DSCF0018.JPG (181.41 KiB) Viewed 3023 times
DSCF0004.JPG
DSCF0004.JPG (157.63 KiB) Viewed 3023 times
DSCF0001.JPG
DSCF0001.JPG (180.23 KiB) Viewed 3023 times
Last edited by UPTHETOP on Thu Mar 20, 2014 4:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Justastik Arrow Craft, Its all about the Wood.

User avatar
Mick Smith
Posts: 4957
Joined: Mon Feb 21, 2005 9:09 pm
Location: Surf Coast Victoria

Re: A few of the Lathe

#2 Post by Mick Smith » Thu Mar 20, 2014 3:43 pm

Lovely grain, both in pattern and colour. The turning isn't too bad either.

I particularly like the red lancewood. The rich red colour is striking. I've read somewhere that lancewood makes a good selfbow, but that wasn't the 'red' variety. I wonder how that would go as a selfbow timber?
There is no use focusing on aiming if you don't execute the shot well enough to hit what your are aiming at.

User avatar
UPTHETOP
Posts: 1187
Joined: Mon Jun 11, 2007 9:03 pm
Location: Dalby
Contact:

Re: A few off the Lathe

#3 Post by UPTHETOP » Thu Mar 20, 2014 4:14 pm

Mick don't think it would be to good as have never seen a piece longer then about 30 cm that didn't have a knot or crack or floor in it. Not from this neck of the woods anyway. Although they tell me you can get a lot of different colours in the lance wood but we only get the red in our area. Took a picture with the flash which shows the colour a little better.
Cheers Wayno
Attachments
DSCF0012.JPG
DSCF0012.JPG (170.68 KiB) Viewed 3009 times
Justastik Arrow Craft, Its all about the Wood.

User avatar
Gringa Bows
Posts: 6331
Joined: Thu Aug 30, 2007 7:09 pm
Location: Bundaberg QLD

Re: A few off the Lathe

#4 Post by Gringa Bows » Thu Mar 20, 2014 4:30 pm

Very nice mate :biggrin:

User avatar
rodlonq
Posts: 2096
Joined: Wed May 06, 2009 3:02 pm
Location: Ingham NQ

Re: A few off the Lathe

#5 Post by rodlonq » Thu Mar 20, 2014 6:22 pm

Very nice Wayno. I like the size ratios. A little snoot for the wine goblet and a big one for the port to go in :lol:

Cheers.... Rod

User avatar
cmoore
Posts: 204
Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2014 9:35 am
Location: Melbourne VIC

Re: A few off the Lathe

#6 Post by cmoore » Thu Mar 20, 2014 6:41 pm

Beautiful work! :biggrin: how long did they take to turn up? ...wish I had a lathe now :cry:
Set Happens

User avatar
bigbob
Posts: 4098
Joined: Sat Jul 10, 2010 8:55 pm
Location: sunshine coast

Re: A few off the Lathe

#7 Post by bigbob » Thu Mar 20, 2014 8:06 pm

Love em all, very nice and the lance wood is my favourite too!
nil illigitimo in desperandum carborundum
razorbows.com

User avatar
UPTHETOP
Posts: 1187
Joined: Mon Jun 11, 2007 9:03 pm
Location: Dalby
Contact:

Re: A few off the Lathe

#8 Post by UPTHETOP » Thu Mar 20, 2014 8:48 pm

Cmoore Im just an hack on the Lathe mate but the lance wood one took me about 3 hrs as the block started about 4 times the size but you know after mistake after mistake it was lucky there was anything left spinning.
Rod bit of a habit when you drink the port by the litres mate.

Cheers Fellas
Justastik Arrow Craft, Its all about the Wood.

User avatar
ole_silver
Posts: 451
Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2005 9:15 am
Location: Townsville, Qld

Re: A few off the Lathe

#9 Post by ole_silver » Fri Mar 21, 2014 8:20 pm

well done Brother.............................
ole_silver1..................

"have a go now, 'fore ya can't have a go at all"

User avatar
rodlonq
Posts: 2096
Joined: Wed May 06, 2009 3:02 pm
Location: Ingham NQ

Re: A few off the Lathe

#10 Post by rodlonq » Mon Mar 24, 2014 5:21 pm

ole_silver wrote:well done Brother.............................
Gidday Steve, have seen you around the traps for a while. Glad to see your still putting one foot after the other mate.

Cheers.... Rod

User avatar
ole_silver
Posts: 451
Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2005 9:15 am
Location: Townsville, Qld

Re: A few off the Lathe

#11 Post by ole_silver » Mon Mar 24, 2014 9:14 pm

yeah Rod,

I am happy bout that too, just cause Wayno has promised a drinkin mug...........

in exchange i'll stop in Bowen n pick him up to get to Gladdy.......

fair deal?

(ps. he always bring some port as well)

cheers..................
ole_silver1..................

"have a go now, 'fore ya can't have a go at all"

User avatar
rodlonq
Posts: 2096
Joined: Wed May 06, 2009 3:02 pm
Location: Ingham NQ

Re: A few off the Lathe

#12 Post by rodlonq » Tue Mar 25, 2014 11:25 am

Sounds like a good deal Steve. A fine upstanding gentleman such as yourself will probably need a valet to carry your port :lol:, especially while you are trying to hit a target with your longbow :lol: :lol:. Good onya Wayno.

Cheers..... Rod

User avatar
greybeard
Supporter
Supporter
Posts: 2992
Joined: Tue Feb 07, 2006 9:11 am
Location: Logan City QLD

Re: A few off the Lathe

#13 Post by greybeard » Tue Mar 25, 2014 4:56 pm

Wayno, nice work, we need these little distractions to help make life interesting.

Mick, lancewood can make a good selfbow if you can get a good tree.

This is an offcut from a billet a friend harvested.
Lancewood.jpg
Lancewood.jpg (97.6 KiB) Viewed 2881 times
Daryl.
"And you must not stick for a groat or twelvepence more than another man would give, if it be a good bow.
For a good bow twice paid for, is better than an ill bow once broken.
[Ascham]

“If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?” [Einstein]

I am old enough to make my own decisions....Just not young enough to remember what I decided!....

User avatar
rodlonq
Posts: 2096
Joined: Wed May 06, 2009 3:02 pm
Location: Ingham NQ

Re: A few off the Lathe

#14 Post by rodlonq » Wed Mar 26, 2014 11:29 am

Nice sample Daryl. I would be interested to know where you would locate the back of the bow in a stave like that?

Cheers... Rod

User avatar
UPTHETOP
Posts: 1187
Joined: Mon Jun 11, 2007 9:03 pm
Location: Dalby
Contact:

Re: A few off the Lathe

#15 Post by UPTHETOP » Wed Mar 26, 2014 4:15 pm

Daryl nice sample of Lancewood, we don't get that colour in our neck of the woods ( although A fella was selling it buy the pallet load up the tablelands the other day) or the size by the looks of it. I can understand the definite ring pattern for the self bow ring chaser for shore.

Cheers Wayno
Justastik Arrow Craft, Its all about the Wood.

User avatar
greybeard
Supporter
Supporter
Posts: 2992
Joined: Tue Feb 07, 2006 9:11 am
Location: Logan City QLD

Re: A few off the Lathe

#16 Post by greybeard » Wed Mar 26, 2014 5:36 pm

rodlonq wrote:I would be interested to know where you would locate the back of the bow in a stave like that?
Rod, that offcut was from the upper part of the tree which was about 5 1/2" diameter.

Without having the billet in my hand the outline is an approximation.

If anyone has suggestions please put them forward.
Lancewood Growth Rings.jpg
Lancewood Growth Rings.jpg (39.97 KiB) Viewed 2854 times
The belly profile could change during shaping and tillering, perhaps even slightly concave.

Wayno, if you have not already seen the following link it covers a lot of local timbers and also shows photos of objects turned from that particular timber.

http://www.ttit.id.au/timbers_menu.htm

Daryl.
"And you must not stick for a groat or twelvepence more than another man would give, if it be a good bow.
For a good bow twice paid for, is better than an ill bow once broken.
[Ascham]

“If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?” [Einstein]

I am old enough to make my own decisions....Just not young enough to remember what I decided!....

User avatar
rodlonq
Posts: 2096
Joined: Wed May 06, 2009 3:02 pm
Location: Ingham NQ

Re: A few off the Lathe

#17 Post by rodlonq » Wed Mar 26, 2014 6:29 pm

Thanks for the sketch Daryl. It is clear you expect the sap to carry tension better than the heartwood. It would be nice to find an Aussie hardwood species that regularly only has 1/4" of sap. Sometimes ironbarks can be like that if they are in hard country, but they are nearly always hollowed out by termites as well in our part of the world. Perhaps knocking over some smaller ones to make way for a new fence could yield something....mmmm :roll: It would be much easier to start out making selfbow if you could just remove the bark and there you have the back of the bow :smile: .

Cheers... Rod

User avatar
greybeard
Supporter
Supporter
Posts: 2992
Joined: Tue Feb 07, 2006 9:11 am
Location: Logan City QLD

Re: A few off the Lathe

#18 Post by greybeard » Wed Mar 26, 2014 7:52 pm

rodlonq wrote:It would be much easier to start out making selfbow if you could just remove the bark and there you have the back of the bow.
Rod,

If you can get hold of some Alphitonia excelsa (RHAMNACEAE); Soap tree, red ash you are in with half a chance.
Alphitonia excels Red Ash.doc
(27 KiB) Downloaded 80 times
Growth Rings In Red Ash Billet.jpg
Growth Rings In Red Ash Billet.jpg (30.52 KiB) Viewed 2850 times
You can strip the bark off and the back is ready.
Red Ash Longbow Back.jpg
Red Ash Longbow Back.jpg (31.98 KiB) Viewed 2850 times
Daryl.
"And you must not stick for a groat or twelvepence more than another man would give, if it be a good bow.
For a good bow twice paid for, is better than an ill bow once broken.
[Ascham]

“If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?” [Einstein]

I am old enough to make my own decisions....Just not young enough to remember what I decided!....

User avatar
UPTHETOP
Posts: 1187
Joined: Mon Jun 11, 2007 9:03 pm
Location: Dalby
Contact:

Re: A few off the Lathe

#19 Post by UPTHETOP » Thu Mar 27, 2014 7:38 am

Thanks for that link Daryl very interesting.

Cheers Wayno
Justastik Arrow Craft, Its all about the Wood.

User avatar
rodlonq
Posts: 2096
Joined: Wed May 06, 2009 3:02 pm
Location: Ingham NQ

Re: A few off the Lathe

#20 Post by rodlonq » Thu Mar 27, 2014 12:24 pm

Hello Daryl,

Thank you for that information. I have seen soap trees in the bush and even used the leaves for soap out of interest. In NQ (at least in the drier areas) they tend to be gnarly, scrubby smaller trees much like the black wattles in size and shape. However, it is now a mission to find one with enough straight wood to harvest a stave or even a pair of billets to splice.

Comparing the size of the grip with the width of the fades on the longbow pictured, it appears the limbs are quite narrow. Might this indicate it is indeed an excellent self bow material? As far as I understand, the better the wood, the narrower you can make the limbs to improve performance?

Wayno, That could be just the stuff mate. How good would it be to have a soap tree self bow with matching port mug :lol:

Cheers... Rod

User avatar
greybeard
Supporter
Supporter
Posts: 2992
Joined: Tue Feb 07, 2006 9:11 am
Location: Logan City QLD

Re: A few off the Lathe

#21 Post by greybeard » Thu Mar 27, 2014 4:00 pm

Wayno, apologies for derailing your thread.

Rod,

The red ash that I have been using is suitable for ‘D’ cross section and rectangular cross section bows. Both bows were spliced at the handle.
Redash Longbow And Flat Bow.jpg
Redash Longbow And Flat Bow.jpg (25.1 KiB) Viewed 2825 times
When working with red ash its spoke shaving and sanding characteristics seemed similar to hard rock maple.

Although it contains a fair amount of resin it is reasonably kind to sharp edged hand tools.

I have found that it responds well to steam bending however I have not tried dry heat.

Daryl.
"And you must not stick for a groat or twelvepence more than another man would give, if it be a good bow.
For a good bow twice paid for, is better than an ill bow once broken.
[Ascham]

“If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?” [Einstein]

I am old enough to make my own decisions....Just not young enough to remember what I decided!....

Post Reply