Home Grown Hunting Equipment for 2006/07 (UPDATE - Nov. 5th, 2006)

[Frenchymanny]

Osagetree,

Could these willow shoots be used as arrow shaft material?

Thanks,
F-Manny

[Marvin M.]

OT,

Great build-along.  I've been watching a Cattail patch at the golf course close to my house -- waiting till later in the year to harvest the reeds.  Looking forward to seeing what you are doing with this.

Marvin

[Osagetree]

Don't hold your breath Marvin,,, I already changed design on the cattail quiver idea.

Here we go with plan "B"!

Not wanting to give up on the willows being incorperated into the quiver, I had to come up with another idea as I could not get them to bend to make the bottom of the quiver the way I had wanted.

The cattails will not be sturdy enough on their own. I need a sturdy frame and that is what the willows are for. Just can't figure how to get it all to come togeter at the bottom without being cut by broadheads or looking like,,, well crap.

I tried a dried gourd I had as the base for the quiver, but trashed it when I was cutting slots for the tie on.

Then I had another idea,,, Don't know if it is the heat in the shop today that is making me think crazy, but this one just might work!

I had an old linemans belt I've been slowly cutting up for projects. This stuff is about 1/4" thick.I used this stuff for the base on my last all leather quiver, it worked great!

I cut a 3 3/4" diameter circle and drilled 8 holes evenly around the perimeter of the leather circle cut out. Then I took the fat end (Bottom) of the willow shoots and shaped on a knob by thinning the rest of the shaft with the belt sander.

 

Close up shot of the end on the willow branches.

 

There set my blackberry stain evaporating on the bench,,, I could not resist staining the leather and willow frame of the quiver. It should give the cattails nice contrast,,,, I don't know.

 

The four holes in the middle of the base were already there. But, they'll make good air holes for keepng it dry inside.
The willows were hard work getting through the holes that I drilled in the leather base that is intended to be the bottom of the quiver,,, gave me some blisters.
The base will not come over the knobs left on the willow shaft,,, for sure!

 

[Osagetree]

Frenchymanny,

I'm sure it would, if it's all you could get for arrow materials,,, it could work after drying well. My heat gun sure tempered them to a degree of hardness. But, my concern would be keeping them straight and spine issues.

I would not use it because I have rivercane and wildrose, and it is just as prevelent as the willows.

Anyone else may have other opinions.

I am by no means any kind of expert on anything, but I know a little about alot. LOL I just like gathering, hunting, primitive living, tools and gear.

[TexMex]

Awesome!!

[Osagetree]

Here is some more home grown archery stuff,,, I be growing this one for 19 years. Caught her in the act this evening.

 

[Jeremy]

I be growing this one for 19 years.

I don't care who you are, that there is funny!

Nice shot!  Her form is a fair bit better than mine too!

[TexMex]

Nice shot!
BTW, You're a good farmer.  

[DeanD]

Osagetree,

This thread is incredible.  I am very very impressed with your knowledge of Native North Americans and your ingenuity in using the "fruits of the land" to make your weapon.  Wish I could think like that....

Dean

[TimBow2]

great build -a -long  

[Frenchymanny]

Thanks Osagetree,

I do not have wild rosed or river cane here in Quebec so I might try willow!

F-Manny

[ChuckC]

Osage...did ya try scraping the willow sticks about half way thru in the areas you intend to bend (bottom of quiver) instead of bend them at full thickness, or, split the willow wands in half, lengthwise first, before you make the frame.  They should bend much easier that way and still be plenty sturdy for the quiver.
Chuck

[Jason Lester]

Osagetree,

    That is a cool pic of your daughter. That has to be the best pic of the actual release I have seen. I've caught an arrow in flight but never a release. Very cool.

BTW Nice to see your daughter in to shooting. Most girls her age have nothing to do with that kind of stuff.

[Osagetree]

ChuckC, funny,,,, we think alot alike! Tried everything you said. Dang things,,, I am not very good at the recurves on selfbows either. Messed up a few trying.

Wish I could figure it out. Seen a couple recurves posted on the gang the other day,,, cant remember whos thread but, man the recurves on those selfbows were extreme! Hows he do that?


SnailSkin, Just a lucky picture of the release.


And everyone,,, thanks for all the nice comments!

[Osagetree]

The dried cattail reeds have been soaking in water for about 15 minutes and they are ready to work.
It seems when you rehidrate the reeds there is a certain point when they are limber enough to work but, if you soak'm to long they seem to want to fall apart at the edges when they are twisted up to use as twine in the quiver.

15 minutes soak time is good, 45 min soak time not so good. It's not that critical but, I will keep it in mind for the future.

I pulled the reeds from their soak bath of cool water and holding one end to keep it from spinning, I roll the reed with the palm of my other hand to twist the reed into a twine.

 

When the reed is let go it will un-twist itself but, it will make it easier to twist with my fingers when going in and out, and around the blackberry stained, willow quiver frame.

Cattail after initial twisting on bench top.

 

I needed something to hold the frame as I add in the cattail reeds. So, I cut an old cardboard tube and used rubber bands to hold the frame in place while I tie in the cattail twine.

I kinda stole this idea from a thread on the Tradgang that inspired me to make this quiver. Thanks for the post and inspired idea!!

 

[Osagetree]

For the first run or two around the base of the quiver I just tied a square not around one of the upright willow shoots to hold the end of the start of my cattail reed twine. Then around the next upright, out and over the leather quiver base, back over the base and then around the next upright and so on until I had gone around the base two times.

   

Shot of the bottom.
   

For the third run I slipped the end of the twine under the first two runs and tied a knot in the end to hold it in place as I ran the rest of the twine around the frame in the same fasion as the first two runs

   

Making the third run around the base of the quiver.

   

I started to put in a couple more runs but after thinking if I had thought before to have another run of reeds running the opposite direction,,, I lst the heart and wanted to get on up the quiver with this cattial twine.

So, this will be the final look to the bottom of the quiver.

   
   

[longbowhntr]

Looking forward to it sir!!

This is one of the best threads I think I have seen in while.  

       

David

[Osagetree]

Longbowhntr, thank you!

Once I was satisfied with the base of the quiver it was time to get some material going horizontaly around the vertical willow shoots.

Very simply I started by tying a knot at one end of the cattail and around a vertical shoot. Then to the next shoot and around it and on to the next and around it.

 

When I had ran out of that reed I tied on anothe to the end of the first and just kept going round and round. When tying the reeds together end to end I tried to tie them so they would be on the inside and would not be as visible when finished.

 

Here it is after a couple hours work. I seem to be getting a little tighter as I go up and the top is now 3 1/2" diameter. I don't want it to get any smaller than that so, I'll watch it close from here on out.

 

Here is a closer look at the simple weave of cattail twine.

 

[Luke Vander Vennen]

dude you're my hero    

[ChuckC]

Osage...awesome.  Keep it up, I'm having fun watching and learning.  

My wife suggested that you could get by with willow sticks half as thick as what you started with.  Guess that may help with the bending. Also keep the quiver lighter in weight.  You are out of my league already so I'm just gonna watch.     Thanks
Chuck