Ozbow

Been watching a lot of primitive American hunting videos on youtube lately and decided to set myself a little challenge.

The Challenge: Make an American self-Flatbow using as few tools as possible...

Split a stave off a log I had here and got to work on Wednesday last week. First thing was to get a thinner stave from the split log so using a tomahawk I started thinning. Unfortunately the stave split with a twist at one end so that would need fixing later on.
Can see the twist in the end of the thinned stave.


Then I roughed in the handle. Next was to get the limbs thinned out a bit so it started looking like a bow. Still with the tomahawk. Some serious blisters kicking in by this point!!
I made sure to follow the twist when thinning. After this photo there was a second pass of thinning done with the tomahawk and then the limbs were rough shaped to width profile.

Heres where the picture stopped for a bit... and so did the work because my hands were had it!!

Will get more photos and continue the story tomorrow

Colin

Good Stuff Colin, just go with the Propeller Mate, it will be fine ! Never would have picked you as having Girly Hands

regards Perry

It wouldn't bend right with the twist in it Perry... so I oiled it and heat bent it out and now shes good and straight

I got good calluses for picking things up not so good for hitting stuff with an axe for a few hours straight though.

A few more photos for you guys.

Limb profile. Twist removed (pretty much) Final brace height. Came to about 5 and a half inches... don't really want to push the timber much further than that since its only 68" nock to nock and has a stiff handle. Weighed it and pulls 55lb@28" which is a good hunting weight (not that I was too worried about exactly what it was anyway being a primitive bow )

Seems to spit an arrow fairly fast going off the few shots I managed to tough out so I'm stoked!! Very much looking forward to hunting with this bow when I can. I think it and the recurve I made recently will be my go to trad sticks for a while.

Let me know what you guys reckon.

Colin

I'm lovin it certainly sheds a new light on doing things tough!, imagine if you only had stone tools in which to accomplish the task. Can we get a full draw pic?

Neat!
What sort of timber? Did you go to any finer tools after the tomahawk, or just stayed with that?

As a completely random aside, I remember wonderful recycled-tyre doormats like that from my childhood!

Thanks Cam,

Ive seen a few done with stone tools and they came out just as well... might just take a little longer is all. Good obsidian or flint tools would get through it pretty well tho I think. I cant really shoot it properly and I'm saving this one as mine only so when the shoulder is right to pull it I will get some up.

I didn't do any work on it on a tillering stand, was all by feel and sight. The only time it went on a stand was to weigh it and I didn't look at the shape I was too busy looking at the scales.

Cheers Cadet,

I used the tomahawk for all the rough shaping then swapped to a rasp to do the fine stuff... I toyed with the idea of only using the tomahawk but decided against it... After wrecking my hand I wanted a working bow in the end and didn't want to risk it!

The timber is Australian Ash (Alphitona something... Im not exactly sure which species as it could be several, they all look very alike) but its great bow wood and seems to really like the wider limb profile of this type of bow.

On your random note, been walking on that mat since I was a toddler as well. They're certainly hard wearing

that is terrific Colin!Really hope you get a great shooter out of it, to repay the blisters! Hope to see it at full draw some time, good one!

Great work Colin, a very satisfying project I'm sure. Enjoy shooting it, would be great to see a pic of some game taken with that bow.

Thanks Bob! The few shots I have struggled through have been good and fast so I think I have a good shooter. When I can manage it comfortably I will get some drawn shots of the bow for you to have a look over.

Cheers Rod! Yes definitely very satisfying to have finished it with limited tools. When I'm fit again this will be coming along hunting for sure. Love to get a few bunnies and maybe a goat and pig with this bow!

Now I just have to work out this Flint Knapping business and make some primitive style arrows to match it...

Asked little bro to stand in for me for a drawn shot for you all... hes normally a lefty but I got him to hold it the right way round for the photo

Not a bad job for completely by eye and feel I reckon.
Colin

Great bow! I love the concept and the finished product has worked great. How many hours all up did it take? How wide were the limbs?

Man! For the tools you used that tiller looks great, excellent work!

Couldn't say how many hours exactly Neil... I know I put 3 into the rough shaping tho, was pretty hard going but worth it. Maybe 6 to get it to where it is now id say... I tend to "have to finish" things like this when I get going on them.

Limbs are "about that" wide mate nah they're about 2 inches at their widest. I did it all by eye and made pretty much no measurements after cutting the stave to length and finding middle.

Thanks Bob, I'm very happy with how it has come out. Definitely my go to hunting bow I reckon.

Last thing to do will be add some buff horn tip overlays just to strengthen them a bit, a leather grip and arrow pass and some rabbit tail string silencers.

hunterguy1991 wrote:It wouldn't bend right with the twist in it Perry... so I oiled it and heat bent it out and now shes good and straight

I got good calluses for picking things up not so good for hitting stuff with an axe for a few hours straight though.

My Hands don't blister but Cramp up Chipping out Bows with Hawk, Adze and Knife, I prefer to work with Green Wood on the Roughing out stage because its less Work, even with Steel Tools. Nothing but respect for those that use Stone Tools.

Looks good in the Pic Colin- but it's straight now Gnarly Rules Mate Never had the patience to use Heat to remove Bends and Twists, very Cool, now to see it next to a tasty Critter.

Good luck with your endeavour

regards Jacko

For not looking at the bend throughout the tiller, the end result looks absolutely tremendous. Good work!

I got good calluses for picking things up not so good for hitting stuff with an axe for a few hours straight though.

Would they be deadlifting/cleaning blisters, perchance?

Thanks Dave, very happy with this bow. Put some buffalo horn tips on it this morning to strengthen the tips up a bit. Very simple but came out well I think.

They would be deadlifting calluses and pull-ups...

Horn tip photos.
Simple but effective. might even do an arrow pass now just to really set if off (and be a little bit fancy )

Good work came out very nice. however I didnt catch the name of the timber you used?

Alphitona Excelsa - Red ash/ Pink Ash this one is mate