ABC2: Time for Action

[Dean Torges]

It's ambush bow time. I trust you are diligently fashioning this year's winning entry. The Challenge provides you an excellent opportunity to stretch your muscles and explore your craft. I know all the reasons not to enter. The biggest one is that you don't want to be embarrassed by doing poorly. I'm only guessing, of course. Having been surrounded by women all my life, from childhood through fatherhood and even into grandfatherhood, I've lost every semblance of pride any man might feel entitled to. Embarrassment and unworthiness are for me natural conditions, so fear of either is no hindrance to me.

C'mon, guys. Don't look at this challenge as though you have to defend your way of building bows. It's not that at all. Look at it as an opportunity to challenge yourself and to stir enthusiasm in the bowbuilding community. If you go down in flames, if you don't even meet your own expectations, if some wiry little know-nothing from Missourri trumps your best effort, so what? It's only your pride and self-respect on the line. And in the face of womanhood, what's that amount to?

And to all you women out there who aspire to have men acknowledge you and your talents, get busy shaving. Staves, that is. What reason can you give why a woman should not craft the winning entry? Imagine what a joy that would be.

[mich-mtnman]

good thing you added the word "staves" dean!
i was sceered enough of just bieng out bowed!
 now you say we have got to look out for talented hairy women!

[bvalentine002]

I love the ABC...but have a suggestion:

Any thought to making a bow challenge that will suit us knuckle-draggers (draw lengths greater than 31")? Or those with short arms (25" draw lengths)?

Seems like a moot point to redo the same competition year after year.

Thanks,
Brett

[Tom Leemans]

Polished up my sheriff's badge. Waiting to make spur of the moment judgement calls...

Seriously, as I told Dean. I have a piece of the magic Tollhouse osage waiting for something special to happen. I hope work lets me have enough free time to enter a little darling of my own.

[Tom Leemans]

Brett-
I suppose you have to look at the challenge in the spirit given. It's more about design and extracting the most out of the bow, given the parameters. You would be praised on high if your 58" entry would pull to your draw consistently and withstand the testing!

Now if you want to begin the knuckle draggers war bow challenge or say Mickey or Too Short wants to start the "draw length challenged" bow challenge, well go ahead and get it going! Just remember you need a panel of judges and some fabulous prizes!  

[Dean Torges]

Rather than change bow styles, we're staying with the ABC for a variety of reasons. Other styles have been explored almost exhaustively, at least to the point that every bowyer has found his comfort zone within orthodox styles. Hardly true with the ambush bow. Its requirements are practical and highly desirable, exceeded only by the difficulty in attaining them. After one year, we've hardly become comfortable with these requirements or arrived at anything resembling a consensus on the best approach, whether it's wrt style, materials, wood choices or alternatives. In short, it's a wide open challenge.

The ABC is not about building bows you are comfortable building. It's a challenge for an elementary hunting bow, as simple as abc, and as difficult to achieve as any bow you have attempted. The criteria are practical, easily justified from field experience. A bow which meets them should be highly prized, not as a contest winner, but as a superb hunting weapon built for the wheelhouse of today's hunting archer. Last year a 75 year old man who couldn't even draw his entry came within half a point of tying for the top spot. Now that's the spirit of the challenge.

[Dean Torges]

This  link  will give you background perspective on the Challenge, and this  link   establishes the guidelines for the 2007 entry.

The TradGang bulletin board usually has an ABC buildalong thread or two and the Bowyer's Journal bulletin board has a section devoted to the challenge. Check them out. Join in.

This challenge provides the community—paleos to machinists, osage apologists to whitewood enthusiasts—an opportunity to leave behind any agendas, politics, preferences or preconceptions and join up for a romp. It was conceived in that spirit, like the original Olympic Games, where diverse parties from all directions came together in mutual respect for the pursuit of excellence.

[Flint Head]

Dean, I don't have the first idea how to build a bow, but I didn't want you to feel alone... four years ago I was a proud manly man; now after marriage, a little girl, and one on the way, I'm only a shell my friend.  

[Dean Torges]

Mark, you are far enough along to be sympathetic, but you have a stretch to go before you fully understand. I was reared from earliest childhood by my mother and three much older sisters. Married and had four daughters. They in turn birthed four granddaughters. You don't want me to feel alone? For some reason, I just can't help it. I did have a neutered male cat around here for a while. We were tight. He died last spring.

PS, my daughters grew up in a house with one bathroom. Good thing for me we lived in the boonies in a woods.

[trashwood]

Oh my oh my Mr. Torges is at it again.  Last yr I was nice and just laid in the weeds.  I didn't want to embarrass any of 'em hot shot bowyers with the power of sinew and osage, for sinew is magic.  Now that in itself is kinda cheating, it don't hardly seem fair to compare 'em whimpy bows to a sure nuff fire breathing bow eating, thunder and lightening power trashwood bow but if ya want to bring it on dude.

I'll see if I can't whittle down one of 'em trashwood fire breathers down to a measly 60#  

rusty -sinew is magic- Craine

--------------------------
carve a little wood, pound a little sinew and magic WILL happen  -- Trashwood

[Dano]

Oh this is getting good now!!! I knew ya couldn't resist too long Rutsy  

[trashwood]

Oh dang I forget that Dean will be shooting these bows.  I guess I better make one about half strength so the old geezer can get it back to his anchor     I'd hate to get sued and have to buy him a herina belt.

Hee Hee I know I'll whittle one down to about 45# and just write 60# on the bow.  then Dean'll think his so strong he'll take on 'em porkers with a pocket knife.

Sound like fun.  I wonder who is gonna get second place?????  

Dano - ya up to this?  how ya been doing?

rusty

[Dean Torges]

These responses to the challenge reveal why I'm a huge Rutsy Craine fan. Passion melded to a keen appetite for fun. And here's another reason. On a trip to TX several years ago, Rusty, Lew and I stopped at a motel to clean up. Rutsy changed underwear. The pair he's holding up   here   are the clean pair he changed into.

Welcome to the Challenge, Rutsy. So far, you are indeed the clear winner. Onliest bowyer so far to declare himself, in a style likely to run the rest of them off trembling, looking to hide in tall grass. And you in your ambush mode, waiting there. Pretty clever.

[Linc]

Oh this is getting good.LOL.I can hardly wait for the next instalment.LOL.              

[trashwood]

Man they just don't make 'em Hanes the way they used to.  Not to fear, a little sinew patched and they were good to go for another 10 years.  Dangit Dean! Now Hollywood will be calling me again to try and get me for the movies when they see that picture.

This afternoon I'll go up in the attic and get the bow.  it's been drying there for a yr.  I'll post ya some pics if it won't scare ya off.    

Rusty -Hanes pressure tester- Craine

[trashwood]

I got one problem though.  It is hard to ship 'em trashwood sinew back bows.  The post office keeps trying to class them as a "weapon of mass destruction"!    

rusty

[Ray Lyon]

There appears to be a lot of trash(wood) talkin going on already.  

[Tom Leemans]

Don't talk about your bow too much Rusty. Homeland Security may be watching!

[bvalentine002]

Dean,
It's great that you participate in this public forum.

Might I suggest that it is equally difficult to build a 62" bow that will withstand a 32" draw (and not pinch the blood out of your fingers), as it is a 58" bow for 28".

Similarly, it's difficult to make a 54" bow for a 24" draw.

I'm 6'4", so 62" *IS* an ambush bow for me! :-)
Thanks,
-Brett

[Dano]

I'm doin good Rutsy, Still workin your hind end off? I think I'll juss practice at makin bows a tad more, then enter when all ya old guys are in the ol folks home