TG BOW SWAP 2012 (pics and post)

[soopernate]

Black Locust is one HELL of a teacher.  I am sure glad that I didnt have a gal like that when I was in middle school lol.  TOUGH TOUGH TOUGH...but man when you get it right it is SUWEEEEEET.

[Dmaxshawn]

Well my bow is way too light good thing I have the opposite riser of black and white and cocobolo for another glue up.  This was the first time I tried it with a 0.030 glass accent strip and I kinda figured wrong.  So its back to the drawing boards.

I'll get another one glued and screwed up I'm sure.

[dinorocks]

Below are a few photos of my bow swap building – early phase.

 
Choosing my best hop hornbeam stave.  Tree was chopped down by hand last year (hard wood!…I think I still have blisters on my hands from the axe!).  I removed the bark from a few staves and sealed them up after I dropped the tree.  This particular hop hornbeam was the straightest and widest on my property.

 
The winning stave for my bow swap project!  I have some backups ready if needed.

 
Following some rough band saw help from my friend, I rasped to the bow design pencil marks.  64-inches with 1.75-inch fades to mid limb.

 
As straight as the blank was, I still wanted to put it on my form.  An aside note regarding rocks in background of photo; I’m a geologist (hence my online name “Dinorocks”) and have a very serious addiction to collecting rocks and minerals (fluorescent minerals are my forte’).

 
If all pans out as planned, I hope to make a couple dogwood shaft arrows to complement the trade bow.  My son Colton was happy to help me harvest some dogwood shafts.

I will post some picts of the bow as I get a bit further along.

This is the first time I’m working with hop hornbeam…please PM me any “lessons learned” if you have experience working with this wood.

Thanks for looking and good luck to all with your trade bows!!
Dino

[dinorocks]

My picts above look larger in size than others I have seen posted...I sized them down to 640x480 in Photobucket prior to posting.  Please let me know if I should reduce the photo size further.

Thanks,
Dino

[Stiks-n-Strings]

Nope Dino they are right on the money. Looks like you got a great start and a great little helper.

[Pat B]

After my trade bow sweated for about 2 hours I took her out and put about 15 arrows through her. She shoots well but has a bit of handshock at my normal 26" draw. When I stretched out and shot the shock was lessoned. It's not bad just more than I'm used to.
 Here she is at her regular brace height...
 

...and an end view...
 

  Anyway after 2 hours of sweating and 15 arrows I unbraced her and here is what she looks like...
 

[SportHunter]

Very nice profile Pat. Great job on the bow. Someone is going to be very happy with that unique bow.

[canopyboy]

Yup, I've heard black locust is tricky.  This will be my first attempt with it.  I figure I'll go slow and careful with the tiller.  Fair amount of advice in some of the old threads on here about it.  Nonetheless, that's what the bamboo backup is for.

Guess we'll see how she turns out    

[wood carver 2]

Nice looking bows Goose. I have a bow needing tillering and parts for another waiting for glue up. Hopefully this weekend.    
I feel so behind after seeing all those bow getting close to finished.
Dave.

[Jorgy]

Doesn't look like it's taking any set.Looks great.

[Dmaxshawn]

Looks good Pat.  I like cave drawings.

[SportHunter]

Pat, another vote for cave drawings.

[Goose Gossett]

Pat I would love me some skins on that bow... just saying

[Dan Landis]

Another vote for cave drawings here, it sure is coming along nice though.

My first one is coming in at the bottom end of the recepient's range, so I went ahead and started another one.  This one is hop hornbeam, have it pulling to about 20" so far with lots of room to spare on weight right now.  If all goes well I should be close to target weight tomorrow, will try to get some pics up tomorrow also....Dan

[David Flanrey]

Okay, time to go to work.  Here are two osage staves I hope turn out to be some good shooting bows.  I have an A#1 stave skinner that "helps" sometime.  I have spent longer this afternoon messing with photobucket than it would have taken to skin these staves so if the photo is too large i apologize in advance.

[D]

I belive that big fella looks to be a great stave skinner. Its great to have "help".  All the bows look awsome everybody..I've been fighting my firehose for a few days.  Dang thing keeps leaking, but well will see what happens tomorrow.  Maybe get in the form in the next day or two.  I hope anyway.

[David Flanrey]

Pat, that is a beauty.  I love the profile and skinny tips.  Boy, that string goes right down the center.

[Pat B]

Thanks guys. Over all I'm quite pleased with the outcome of this bow.
  Looks like the majority would prefer the cave drawigs. When I get home I'll post pics of another rawhide backed bow I use cave drawing type drawings on.

[adeeden]

Making a bit more progress on ******'s bow. Got it up to right at 6 inches braced measuring from the back.

 

I need to get the outer third of that left limb bending just a little more before I do anything else.

I have heard you all talking about toasting the belly on hackberry before and am curious as to when exactly you do it? This is a first go with it for me and only my 5th bow so I'm all ears on suggestions!

[Stiks-n-Strings]

You need to take a heat gun and heat the belly till it's good and brown (not black) but a good deep brown. Make sure you clamp it to a caul as well or will pull towards the belly as it cools. I out a little oil on the belly when I do this to keep it from burning the wood to quick. I use olive oil or vegetable oil. Some folks use crisco.