Taps

[Adam Keiper]

Today I gave my workshop a much needed housecleaning and finally purged billets and old bows that had issues on tillering tree or I wasn't happy with.  Some went back a dozen years.  It needed to be done, but I felt a bit like the Old Man, Frank Parker, in A Christmas Story.     :(  

With as much dignity as he could muster, the Old Man gathered up the sad remains of his shattered major award. Later that night, alone in the backyard, he buried it next to the garage. Now I could never be sure, but I thought that I heard the sound of "Taps" being played, gently.

 

 

[choochoou]

I feel your pain brother.

[Bowjunkie]

Adam, I swear you and I are cosmically connected sometimes... I recently did the same thing, again, cleaned the shop, then went through my entire stash of staves and billets and got rid of splits that didn't make the grade, that I was hesitant to burn because they were gifts, or that I thought one day I'd work as a test of skill or theory... up to and including staves that had been 'down the tree', but with issues that were beyond my ability to resolve. I've been saving some of those things since shortly after I began this journey.

I cut osage selfbows, bbo's, rawhide backed yew English longbows with carved horn tips, hickory, hophornbeam, locust, mulberry and such into cordwood length pieces and have been burning them in my wood burner the past few weeks to heat the house. Seems a shame throwing Ohio osage with 3/8" growth rings, or yew with 60 rpi, in the fire  :(  but feels good without so much hanging overhead. Also feels like I have a fresh start, with better quality material, on average, to work with. Sometimes ya just gotta make room.

[Roy from Pa]

Thank God I'm not alone on this:) I too have cut bows into pieces to burn. Hurts a little but that's life...

[jsweka]

       

I love "A Christmas Story" and make it a point to watch it at least once the whole way through when TBS has it running.

Just remember to write that Italian word on the package whenever you send out a bow  - "FRAGILE"

[Roy from Pa]

HUH?

[Bowjunkie]

Adam quoted the movie A Christmas Story in his first post, Roy. Excellent movie. Ever seen it? Try to keep up, old timer.

[TREESLEEPER]

I like the Christmas story quote. It's hard to part with some things but clutter is not good. I have a 30x60 I have trouble walking in! I should be cleaning it up today but I am in a treestand now.

[Bob at Work]

I don't know how you did it...I have a bunch with minor problems that I could never do that to... I plan to remove fretted bellies, cracked backs, straighten some, sinew some... but I will save them all for future projects...even if it's a lamp uglier than the one in A Christmas Story... LOL.

[Chisler]

What a great thread you started Adam- I'm gonna go clean my shop right now and get rid of all the crap that makes it so hard to clean. Yup, I'm gonna burn it.

[Roy from Pa]

Ah I see now, that's what I get for speed reading:)

[Adam Keiper]

I definitely have too many, "I'll get to that" projects.  I didn't even start on my stave stash, or "that logjam in the basement" as my wife calls it.

Be warned if you plan to follow suit, that sinew and horn nocks smell a little funny in the woodstove.  Oh, and it's guaranteed that a useful purpose for something you get rid of will come to mind just as you light it off.  For me, these were peg racks I included in my purge.  As I was watching the flames engulf them, it dawned on me how perfectly the wooden pegs would make stoppers for my flintlock's roundball bags.  "Ohhh, fuddggge.....", as Ralphie said.  Just remember to let it go, let it go, and focus on how clean your shop looks.

[red hill]

I haven't stockpiled that many mishaps yet. So far I've used bits and pieces of broken bows as handle blanks, tip overlays, arrow rests and such.