Osage Rehab

[Col HJ]

I was blessed with the gift of a wonderful Osage self bow several years ago that was built my my favorite uncle when he was 14....in 1935! The workmanship is outstanding and the story that came with it even better. Well I was floored with the gift and set upon a mission to bring this bow to it's former glory, being convinced Osage doesn't "go bad." So as time I allowed which is not much in my life I made up a string and a simple sash cord handle, began exercising the limbs and then progressed to shooting it, the bow is 66 1/4" NTN and probably 50-53# and buttery smooth. Well no opportunities at game came and last summer I dug it out for a shooting session and after 6  arrows or so I heard a creak and immediately stopped. A visual exam revealed nothing, I can only suspect the glue joint joint where the handle was built up.

So my pea brain comes up with this ideal  -  Remove, clean and re-glue  the handle back with Titebond, sand the belly to remove some of the old, crushed cells and then put it on a caul with some dry heat and induce a couple inches of reflex or just get it straight again. I haven't measured it but as you can see in the pic it has developed close to 3" of set, which is probably very old damage from my very tall and long armed uncle shooting it until WW 2 called him away.

Being as this is a valued possession my much smarter than me wife suggested I find a competent bowyer (I am still breaking board bows     ) and let a pro handle it, even if it costs a couple nickels. And she DID just buy me a new Martin Savannah....

I appreciate all thoughts and suggestions.


           

[PEARL DRUMS]

Im no Dr. But I would simply assure the handle is glued down and there are no other structural issues, then shoot the bow. Heating it up would scare me with a bow that old with such meaning, may not be worth a touch of performance. If you insist on it you could try putting some relfex in the bow and sinewing the back?

[SEMO_HUNTER]

I agree, I would just put it away as a keepsake, or hang it on the wall and admire it. I personally would not take a chance on messing it up and ruining it, that would make me sick to my stomach if it happened to me.

[John Scifres]

Bows are made to be shot.  Find a way to get it shooting.  I would not mess with trying to fix the set.  It doesn't look all that bad to me.

I would figure out for sure what made the noise and then go about fixing it.  If it is the handle, you might be able to remove and reglue with little extra wood removal.  Sure would be a shame to remove all that nice oxidation that proves how old that bow is.

[PEARL DRUMS]

There is something to be said about a bow surviving long enough to get that dark! Thats a beauty.

[Roy from Pa]

Did you guys notice how short the lower limb is?

[Col HJ]

I never noticed it myself 'til now....but the tape measure revealed it is indeed 1 3/4" shorter than the top. The tiller is perfect.


The story - As mentioned before was 1935, in the small West Texas town of Roscoe. The master of the local railroad depot wanted to build a new fence which necessitated tearing down the old one. So being an enterprising sort he recruited several local boys, my uncle obviously being one and set them about tearing down the old fence. This being a tough farm town in the midst of the great depression their pay for a big day of labor was to keep any of the old fence materials for themselves. Well my uncle obviously knew of the gold inside the old Bois 'darc fence post and lugged a single specimen home. And the rest of the story is resting on my rack. He swears it was quite effective on the local jack rabbit and armadillo population.

My uncle is now 90 and living in Artesia NM and still very active, and passes his days in the wood shop making toys for kids. He would really get a kick out of a picture of his "kid" (I am 46 jajajaj) nephew and a turkey or deer taken with his old bow.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Keep it original and fire away Colonel!