3 and a half hour shooter...

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hunterguy1991
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3 and a half hour shooter...

#1 Post by hunterguy1991 » Tue Apr 21, 2015 6:32 pm

Evening everyone... Just thought I would share my afternoons work.

I started this bow at 10 past 1 this arvo from a sawn half tree stave... the wood is Red Ash, 69" nock to nock. side nocks cut for tillering.

At about 10 to 4 I had it looking like this...

Brace around 6 inches.
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28 inches pulling 58lbs
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The left limb is the bottom limb and bends a tiny bit less when held exact centre on the tiller but when its shot the limbs bend evenly.

Not too shabby for an arvo's work I reckon.

Just needs a good sand and some tips now.

I think I have this Red Ash ELB self-bow thing worked out now :biggrin:

Colin

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cmoore
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Re: 3 and a half hour shooter...

#2 Post by cmoore » Tue Apr 21, 2015 7:38 pm

Looks good colin :smile: did you chase a single ring for the back?. How long did you let the stave dry for?
Set Happens

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The Ranger
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Re: 3 and a half hour shooter...

#3 Post by The Ranger » Tue Apr 21, 2015 7:42 pm

That's not a bad effort Colin.

Ranger
Don't practise until you get it right. Practise until you don't get it wrong. Ranger Bows.

hunterguy1991
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Re: 3 and a half hour shooter...

#4 Post by hunterguy1991 » Tue Apr 21, 2015 7:46 pm

Cheers mate,

No need tho chase a ring with this stuff... you can barely see them as is. Just take the bark and cadmium off and theres your back. I leave flecks of the cadmium on to give it a bit of character but you could take it all off for a pure white back.

That stave has been sitting for about 10 months I think... Probably could do with longer but I got impatient :biggrin:

Very easy wood to make self bows with tho, very forgiving.

Thanks Ranger!

Colin

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perry
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Re: 3 and a half hour shooter...

#5 Post by perry » Tue Apr 21, 2015 11:43 pm

Love reading your Posts Colin, brings back memories of when making Bows was fresh and new for me back in the mid 90's! I was never into the ELB because I felt Aussie Woods where not the right choice for a high stacked D Belly so made Flatbows, Crikey I made literally Hundreds of them. I get great pleasure seeing the growing numbers of Longbowmen shooting 120# plus Bows - wish my Body was not messed up, feel like I'm missing out because once upon a time I could Draw such Beasts! Keep it up, your passion really shines!

When I started I was churning out a Bow a week, often 2 and occasionally more for Years there. For some reason my Mrs used to Arc up when I was Tillering on the Lounge Room Carpet in the Evening after Work, funny Cattle Women :confused: at least I wasn't roughing them out in front of the Teli while She Cooked Dinner - well maybe a few times :oops: Geez I spent some time under the Mango Tree back then aswell. I got into the habit of keeping all the Wood Chips and Saw Dust and still do for the BBQ or Smoker

regards Jacko
"To my deep morticication my father once said to me, 'You care for nothing but shooting, dogs and rat catching, and you will be a disgrace to yourself and all your family.' "

- Charles Darwin

hunterguy1991
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Re: 3 and a half hour shooter...

#6 Post by hunterguy1991 » Wed Apr 22, 2015 7:52 am

Thanks Perry!

Its just something I really enjoy doing now and with the red ash I can make the English longbows I've become very fond of so it works out perfectly. I had no intention of getting this bow shooting in an arvo but with the right tools it was easy to get it there... That and when I start a bow I find it hard to stop working on it until it shoots or breaks.

I reckon mum might disown me if I started tillering bows in the living room haha :biggrin:

I made this one using only 5 tools, small hatchet, draw knife, spoke shave, small round file and my Shinto rasp. Have started to really enjoy the hand tools over machinery lately, more like how it was back in the ages I guess.

This bow will be on Display at the Abbey so I hope we get to catch up there and you can have a look at it in person.

Colin.

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rodlonq
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Re: 3 and a half hour shooter...

#7 Post by rodlonq » Wed Apr 22, 2015 7:58 am

Great result Colin. Very inspiring work.

Cheers... Rod

hunterguy1991
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Re: 3 and a half hour shooter...

#8 Post by hunterguy1991 » Wed Apr 22, 2015 8:11 am

Thanks Rod!

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bigbob
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Re: 3 and a half hour shooter...

#9 Post by bigbob » Wed Apr 22, 2015 3:36 pm

Great work chief, going great guns!
nil illigitimo in desperandum carborundum
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hunterguy1991
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Re: 3 and a half hour shooter...

#10 Post by hunterguy1991 » Wed Apr 22, 2015 3:57 pm

Haha cheers Bob!! :biggrin:

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perry
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Re: 3 and a half hour shooter...

#11 Post by perry » Fri Apr 24, 2015 7:22 am

Good to read your thoughts on Hand Tools Colin. From the start I made a point of learning to make a Bow using minimal Tools so that I knew that in a Pinch I could make a Bow under adverse conditions and to be more connected with the Past. From the start I used a Tomahawk or Machete, Small Hand Plane, Farriers Rasp a Knife or Cabinet Scraper. I have made Bows using nothing but a Machete. You have shown just how efficient Hand Tools are in Skilled Hands

One great Tool I was introduced to at the Abbey by Cliff Turpin was an Adze. I rarely use a Tomahawk now. The Adze makes for far more controlled and precise Chipping than is possible with a Tomahawk. My Adze has become indispensable. The only time I'd pick up a Tomahawk now is for quick Roughing out.
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I made mine from this tiny Pick - http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Mini-Pick-Ma ... 416c605e79 Not quite Period being made from Stainless but it's cheap enough. At the time I could not find a cheap Carbon Steel Adze or Pick that was small enough for the Job

regards Jacko
"To my deep morticication my father once said to me, 'You care for nothing but shooting, dogs and rat catching, and you will be a disgrace to yourself and all your family.' "

- Charles Darwin

hunterguy1991
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Re: 3 and a half hour shooter...

#12 Post by hunterguy1991 » Fri Apr 24, 2015 7:43 am

I have an Adze here that was made by a friend after I mentioned it in conversation... 2 days later he presented it to me. Needs a little refinement tho as the curve in the blade is much to pronounced at the moment. Just needs the be heated and straightened a little.

I have seen videos of bowyers using the adze to rough out the stave. I usually use a draw knife for this as its more precise for me I think. I find I'm less likely to introduce twist into the blank then when I'm using a tomahawk.

Definitely better off making the tool tho as to purchase new they run several hundred dollars... Certainly worth having one in the collection I think.

Colin

Hamish
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Re: 3 and a half hour shooter...

#13 Post by Hamish » Fri Apr 24, 2015 7:06 pm

Very quick. Nice effort especially for the time. I would be lucky to have the stave floor tillered, at best I'd be up to having a loose string on the tiller stick. I am very particular, slow and methodical and usually have staves with a bit of character. Wish I had a bit more of your youthful energy, that's for sure.
Do you reckon the red ash is suitable for the warbow draw weights that you usually like to shoot?
Hamish.

hunterguy1991
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Re: 3 and a half hour shooter...

#14 Post by hunterguy1991 » Fri Apr 24, 2015 9:02 pm

G'day Hamish,

Firstly thanks for the kind words, though I'm not sure if its youthful energy or just the fact I cant stop once I'm started... going slow is definitely best practise with making bows tho that's for sure...

This stave was very "well behaved" through the process and the back is very even, without knots. There is only one knot in the whole stave and its close to the left tip in the photo on the opposite side of the bow.

I have a red ash warbow that came in 110lbs @ 30 inches but I think that was just a freak stave... it was reflexed about 3 inches at either end when I started and is now dead straight when un-braced... unfortunately I'm yet to finish it because I cant seem to get some horns for the tips... need to order some from flee-bay or the longbowshop.com.

These self bows are just practise for a Yew stave when I finally get one so I don't bugger it up. Next up will hopefully be one done in Chinese Elm to see how it performs.

Cheers,

Colin

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perry
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Re: 3 and a half hour shooter...

#15 Post by perry » Sat Apr 25, 2015 6:30 am

Chinese Elm makes a good Flatbow [ Lenticular Cross section ] A Mate also made a very good Penobscot Bow from Chinese Elm. Makes a very good Heavy Arrow also. The Spalted Grain is gorgeous Polished up

regards Jacko
"To my deep morticication my father once said to me, 'You care for nothing but shooting, dogs and rat catching, and you will be a disgrace to yourself and all your family.' "

- Charles Darwin

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