Hickory Cherokee Style

[Soonerlongbow]

Single sided nock?

[RedStag5728]

I went with the diamond tip shoulder nocks on both ends. Since these photos I have finished her up and she draws about 53# @ 27". I just need to heat treat it, stain it, put the finish on it and wrap the grip and I'll take some pictures.

She's a pretty quick shooter, was getting between 145 and 150 out of some of my wooden arrows that I have which are not of correct spine for it. But I'm sure once I make some arrows for it that fly true, and heat treat some reflex in it, it will surely be a hunting bow for this fall.

She does have some hand shock but I think it's due to that kink making one limb dip lower than the other, hopefully heat treating and straightening will fix that.

[Pat B]

Hand rubbing with finely ground charcoal and oil makes a cool, natural coloration for almost any whitewood bow. Hand rubbing heats up the oil and wood allowing the oil to sink in. After a few days you should be able to add a finish over it if you want or just hand rub oil in occasionally.
 Bear grease, pork grease, etc. or just veg oil will work.
 Also, you need some nice cane arrows with Cherokee two fletch to go along with her.

[RedStag5728]

Interesting Pat thanks for the idea! I might just try it! I got some cane from my uncle who found it growing naturally by the Potomac river. I don't know what species it is, but I am assuming it is river cane because he said it doesn't grow taller than like 6 or 8 feet and is narrower in diameter than bamboo when fully grown and it's not as invasive as normal boo.      

But I'll definitely try that stain idea! I never would have thought about that! Man you guys are great!    

[Pat B]

The cane your uncle has sounds like switch cane(Arundaneria tecta) one of the 3 native canes. Should make good arrows. It can become invasive but it can be controllable.

[JEFF B]

i like the look of it so far you are doing real good whats that saying take it nice and sloooowwwww LOL!!!  

[RedStag5728]

Thanks Jeff! This bow has taken me about 3 months to fully complete so far!                        

On the good side, that kink has now been flattened a bit and the hand-shock should be minimum or more tolerable at least.

Gonna give her about a week or so before stringing it back up and do some exercises on the tree and re-tillering it back to weight.

[Pat B]

Sounds like you still had some moisture in the stave. The quick drying caused it to check. Is the back sealed? I use shellac to seal any newly exposed back no matter how long it has been drying. The checks shouldn't hurt anything unless one runs off the limb. Super glue is what I fill cracks and checks with.

[RedStag5728]

None of them run off the sides of the limb they are just in the middle of it (both on the belly and back). I didn't seal the back with anything when the stave was drying, just the ends. On all my staves I left the bark on and sealed then ends with wood glue.

I've saturated these checks with superglue and once I get to where I am about to start using it I'll give them another coat just to be sure. I guess next time I'll use some type of oil to rub the limbs with while I am heat treating.

What oil do you guys use?

[Pat B]

I keep a can of Birdseye shellac on my work bench all the time just for this reason. I like shellac because it seals well, easy to use(especially a spray can), works for dry or wet heat and is easy to remove if necessary.

[RedStag5728]

thanks Pat, I will have to pick me up some.

[RedStag5728]

Ok fellas it's been a little over a week since I heat treated and just out of curiosity I strung her up and shot it. And I noticed she gained some weight and gained a good amount of speed.

I measured it and saw I was hitting 55# @ 24", and when I was shooting I was intentionally short drawing it just short of my draw length (27"). I shot it through the chrony and was getting 157-163 fps with a 550 grain arrow!      

I am really happy with the way it shoots (the hand shock was minimized), and so far all of the reflex (about 2 1/2") I put into it has come out and she is staying consistently straight (I've put about 200 arrows or so through her short drawing).

Since I am happy with the way it shoots now would it be ok to leave it heavier at my draw (I figure she's about 65# at 27" now) or should I re-tiller it back to 55#?

[Pat B]

Make it where it is comfortable for you to shoot, whether it be 55# or 65#.
 Lots of folks scoff at these simple hunting bows thinking they are just toys. You have found out how effective they can be when well made. 157-163fps with a 550gr arrow is pretty good for a 55@27" bow of any style.

[RedStag5728]

Ok thanks Pat, I just didn't know if it was always necessary to re-tiller it after heat treating.

Before heat treating I was getting around 150 fps and was happy with that result, but getting better speeds than that is just satisfactory as it means I did a decent job at building it. I never doubted a self-bows efficiency, it's that I'm excited that I managed to make one that was efficient enough to hunt with.

My first hickory self-bow (the second in my signature) is a mediocre performer. I wouldn't take it out in the deer woods; however it would be a great target/small game bow. This one is going to be my deer hunting bow and I am looking forward to it!

i'll post some pictures of the final result soon!

[JEFF B]

looking forward to seeing it sounds like it came out just right well done Buddy  

[Carson81]

Nice work Randy. It is amazing what a good thorough heat-treating can do.
Before heat-treating, I will keep a bow in the hot box (100F and 30% RH) for a couple of days, just to keep the moisture content low going into the heat treat. I think this helps with avoiding the checking while cooking you experienced. But when it does happen, I do as you and Pat and reach for a bottle of super glue.

Looking forward to seeing pics of it.

[RedStag5728]

Thanks Carson and Jeff! I haven't made a hot box yet, I'm still working on getting more experience and doing better with self bows before I start investing money and gadgets with tri-lams.

The loft on our detached garage is the perfect place for seasoning, it stays hot during the warm months and I can open the windows for ventilation. All our stored trim and wood (red oak lumber) is up there, and the MC for my hickory stays usually around 7% however I do believe I took it out for a little while and shot it a few times outside before treating it, so I'm sure I raised it to about 9%, that's probably where I messed up.

Oh well, forever learning with these things. Especially when you have such great help from experienced and knowledgeable individuals like Mr. Pat B to answer all your annoying rookie questions for you! I couldn't have done it without ya sir!        

This makes the fourth self bow I've made and third shooter.

Pictures are coming soon, I've got a few more coats of tung oil to put on it and I've got a little something to go along with it for the picture that hasn't come in yet. A few more days and it'll be ready for it's selfie!        

Going tomorrow while on the job to cut some bamboo. So I should have some 'boo arrows to be seasoned and ready to go before hunting season in october. I just need to get the jump on making some trade points from my ol' circular saw.

[RedStag5728]

Ok guys I got pictures.

Bow and quiver
   

Toasted belly
   

Back
   

Indian Symbol "Arrowhead": Symbol for alertness
   

Draw weight
   

Indian Symbol "Deer Track": Symbol for Plentiful Game
   


Symbols and draw weight were woodburned using a  woodburning tool (first drawn with pencil), arrowhead and deer track are indian symbols; I'm using as luck charms.

Bow was stained with the charcoal dry rub suggestion from Pat B (thanks again for the idea!) back was mildly stained but the belly took it well! It really defines the growth rings.

Quiver is a basket quiver I purchased through 3rivers to go along with the eastern woodland indian style! And arrows are marble dipped douglas fir arrows I made for my Redstag but fly really well out of this self-bow so they will be the arrows for it until my bamboo seasons.

[RedStag5728]

Finally the money shot:

 

I've decided to give her a name as well! Actually I've had this name picked out before I started the build, but I was waiting to see if it would fulfill it's name or not; and it has!

"Adahy" (Ah-Dah-Hey) Cherokee for "Lives in the Woods"

 http://babynames.merschat.com/name-meaning.cgi?function=View&bn_key=76757

It lived in the woods before it became a bow, and now it will live in the woods with me hunting!    

[Pat B]

Good for you! Looking forward to pics this fall. Cane arrows with Cherokee two fletch would set the combo off perfectly.