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Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: Steve O on February 05, 2009, 10:38:00 PM
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My friend Darrell (Lechwe) bought a Black Widow SAV last year at Kalamazoo. He liked it so much, he wanted to get another, but wanted something really special...a "dress" bow so to speak ;) .
I just happen to know my friend Mike Pyeatt (Leftyfred) supplies Black Widow with all their exotic limb and handle material. So we went over Mikes place to pick out some pretty wood
:goldtooth:
Here's Mike and his wife this past weekend at Kalamazoo:
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/P1310313.jpg)
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I saw some very nice wood at that booth. What did he pick?
Mike
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I'm sure most of us have seen the Tour-N-Tuning video by Black Widow.
I thought you all would like to see what happens to the wood before it gets to the factory to be made into bows.
Here are Darrell and Mike going over the intricacies of a couple blocks of Bubinga:
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/P2050323.jpg)
I am still amazed how Mike could look at that plain old block of wood and picture what was on the inside just dying to come out :notworthy:
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This is pretty cool. I was shooting at the club with Steve and Darrell just a few hours ago and got to see this beauty in action.
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Now that Darrell has his wood picked out, Mike can get to work.
The first step is the band saw:
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/P2050324.jpg)
Black Widow has precise and exact standards for the pieces of wood for their riser and limb laminations. Each model has it's own set of requirements and Mike has all that information documented to fill their orders accurately.
After the bandsaw, the pieces are taken over to the power planer to get them closer to flat and the proper dimension for the Widow works...
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The final step is this super duper belt sander. This thing will take as little as .0001" on a pass.
Mike checks them after each pass with calipers to make sure they are exactly right.
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/P2050325.jpg)
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cool
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Then, everything is packaged up and sent down to Missouri to the fine craftsmen at Black Widow and it comes back in a couple months looking like this:
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/P2050331.jpg)
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/osminski/P2050330-3.jpg)
Hopefully Darrell will come in tomorrow and post some better pictures of his new baby. It is simply STUNNING
I liked Darrell's Bubinga Beauty so much, I bought a set of the same vaneers to send out to my buddy Dave Windauer. I feel a one piece Silvertip calling to me :clapper:
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Wowzer!!!! That is down right purdy!!
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Looks great!
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Dude! My next SAX is going to be Bubinga or Kingwood. Beautiful! What do the vaneers run?
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Stunning it is :thumbsup: not everyone gets to pick his bow from the start to the finish. Has to be very rewarding.
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Highpoint,
No extra charge over the standard "X" on the Widow to pick your own. To just buy vaneers, you'd just have to get a hold of Mike, they are all different.
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Thanks for sharing!
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Well, it certainly IS a fantastic looking bow, but you might get an argument from some on the MOST beautiful claim...makes me want another new Widow though! The explanation of the process just in cutting the lams gives a little insight as to why they are a quality bow. Thanks for the pics, look forward to some more.
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Beautiful!
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that is too cool. what a beauty of a bow!!
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NICE
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That was pretty cool.
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That is a very nice looking bow.
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pretty
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It is pretty but Donnie Earl is right, for I think I have the most beautiful TFIII that was ever made. But then I guess all owners of Black Widows feel this way. Congrats to Darrell on another fine bow.
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Wow that's great!
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I have a PTFX, all bacote. The guys at the Widow Works let me sit in the back and go through every bacaote lam they had - and they had a bunch - to pick out my veneers, spent about an hour doing so. I am willing to offer that it is the best looking Widow ever. :D
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That's a very striking bow!
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very nice!!!!!!!!!beautiful Woods... :)
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Cool stuff Steve-O! Hard to beat exotics for beauty.
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MAN! You Widow guys will argue about anything !
:goldtooth: :biglaugh:
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Absolutely gorgeous. Prettiest Black Widow I've ever seen. I still think Leon Stewart made the prettiest bow I've ever seen, but I'll definitely conceed you the Black Widow title.
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Steve that is too cool can't wait to see your Silvertip.
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nice bow
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Very nice looking Widow!
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Wow!!! :notworthy: :notworthy:
Bill
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So wear is the contact info? Website?
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Steve, this is one great post! That bow is beautiful. Please post some pictures of your Schafer when Dave is done.
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Sweet!!
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Steve,
Yeah thats really cool, I just bought a riser blank from Mike in the graybark style for a silvertip I'll deffinately share with you guys when I get it done.
Tj
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:thumbsup:
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Sorry guys. I would have come on sooner with these but my computer died 2 days ago and I just got it back. Here are a few more pictures of the bow that show the wood a bit better.
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p187/lechwe/SAX006.jpg)
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p187/lechwe/SAX007.jpg)
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p187/lechwe/SAX013.jpg)
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p187/lechwe/SAX014.jpg)
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p187/lechwe/SAX004.jpg)
Mike spent over two hours with me going through his wood looking for that special piece. When we got there I had in my mind a Bacote SAX but once we stumbled onto his secret stash of Bubinga I was hooked.
The really neat part is that Mike is as particular about the wood for someone else's bow as he is for his own. He wants every bow be made from his wood to be the best it can possibly be. He took extra care to find the right wood for the riser. Once we found the one we wanted he made sure cut it so the best grain was facing out on the nose and then changed his cut so the same grain was showing on the sides of the riser and the fade outs. I sure this wasted some wood for him but he wanted it to turn out just right. I'd say he succeeded in Aces. He really has an eye for knowing how to cut so the best features of the grain will show.
I'm sure it was an inconvenience for him to spend so much time with me picking through all his wood but he didn't seem to mind at all. It turned out so well I may have to go back and do it again and finally get my Bacote once I save some money for that project.
If you're in the market for a new bow you may want to consider doing what I did especially if you are in the area at all. It's really pretty cool and rewarding being involved at this step of the process. If anyone has any specific questions get in touch with Steve or I and we can get you to the right guy. Better yet contact Leftyfred directly and he'll take good care of you.
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Wow, Darrell, that is just stunning. Just beautiful. Congrats on the effort/choice of woods. That is something to be proud of for sure.
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Holy @%$#&, thats got to be the prettiest widow I'v ever seen !!!
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Darrell, Thanks for the nice compliments. I just cut, the guys MAKE it happen. Bear Heart my web site is Rosewoodarchery.com. The real business is in Nixa. LF
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WOW!
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I had the pleasure of meeting Mike at Kalamazoo. I ended up leaving with some bocote, ziricote, and kingwood. That widow turned out great.
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Niccccccccccccee
Jer bear
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Grrrrrrrrrreeeeeeaaaaaaat goughtaa get a widow
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Geez gang, if a guy says his wife is the most beautiful woman in the world, I suspect most of you would just agree with him and shut up! Beautiful bow; nothing prettier than bubinga and a widow without that phenolic insert.
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Steve-o, You got a link to the video? I would like to check it out. Thanks
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TN,
You can get it from the Black Widow website:
http://ns1.bowsite.org/acb/showdetl.cfm?&DID=9&User_ID=1655988&st=8499&st2=90756102&st3=-57317203&Product_ID=464&CATID=6
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Darrell,
I will bet that Widow will be a real doe killer in your hands. The Piebald told me so.
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Thanks bro!
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Chief,
I plan on it being a doe killer for sure. It may even be a Piebald killer if things come together. You know you don't want to pick the fruit before it's ripe :goldtooth:
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that is a dandy!!!(understated)
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Wow Steve!!!! Now that's a looker!
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I got a used Sa in Autumn Oak a while back that I thought was a beaut, but after seeing yours I won't sleep tonight . That is stunning !
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Steve O, how do you get in touch with Mike and pick out some wood? Please email me his addy.
[email protected]
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Mike,
Email sent with Mikes contact info.
D
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Cool thread Steve, thanks for sharing.
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ttt for Herdbull...
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Yo, big Mike...do you want a set of these vaneers?
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I just sold Crash a Dwyer Dauntless made out of Highly Figured Bubinga, it is a beautiful wood. I think im going to be sick for selling it. lol.
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Steve- Yes get me a set of 4 vaneers. I will pick them up next week at Comptons. I trust your eyes. They will work well on another "HerdBull" Bow, or I can suggest their use on a a new Tall Tine bow. Mike