My first selfbow complete! Osage 50#@27", 62" ntn

[grouse11]

This journey began in January when I decided I was going to cut down an osage tree and try my hand at crafting a selfbow. After all of the splitting and cutting I was left with about 30 staves. I made one attempt before this one and did everything wrong from the start other than chase a ring so I don't really count that one. After that attempt I knew I needed to let the wood dry longer.

I began by picking out a atave and removing the bark. Chased a ring and got it close to dimensions. I made it 64" long and 1.5" wide. It was about 1.5" deep as well. I sealed the back and ends and then put it up, and waited, and waited, and waited. Now granted I didn't wait as long as some, but I measured the stave for 2 months twice a week. Surprisingly the last 2 weeks it lost no weight. It was then I decided to start working on it. The first thing I did was to take CA glue and fill all of the cracks. This bow had a lot of wind checks and even some dead wood? (The brown streaks) A lot of the cracks went the whole way through but I filled and clamped and filled some more. I wasn't aure if it would lead to a failure or not but I had come to far.

Anyway after all the standard layouts and rasping and scraping and sanding, I can finally say that I have successfully built a selfbow, from a tree that I cut down no less. If I made one mistake it was that I got it bending too much at floor tiller. Amazingly my goal was 50#@27" and I was within 10lbs after floor tiller. I only had to make two slight corrections once it was on the tree and a few scrapes later I was at my target weight with a good bend. Next rime I will get it just bending and get it on the tree. I sablnded to 400 and applied 6 coats of tru-oil. A cork rest and a deer leather grip glued with barge cement. It has taken less than 1" of set which I think is pretty good. Also as you can see each limb goes a little different direction but I didnt bother correcting because the string went through the middle of the handle.

Last look on the tiller tree before finish:

Some finished pics:

[grouse11]

A few more pics. With the nice weather I will get a full draw pic tomorrow!

And finally, my 23 yard group. I stepped it off after the shots. She shoots really smooth and with the leather grip on, the little bit of hand shock is gone.

[Nathan Shaw]

VEry well done sir! That’s a good looking bow for sure!

Nathan

[Forwardhandle]

Nice looking bow congrats 

[mwosborn]

Well done - looks nice and looks like it shoots nice too.  I bet there is a #2. 

[jsweka]

Very nice Mark!!!

[Shredd]

Not a self bow guy but it looks good to me...  Great Job..!!!   

[Pat B]

Very nice job with your first selfbow. Well done!   

[BMorv]

Great job on your 1st one!   I love Osage yellow and that one is a looker

[grouse11]

Thanks for the compliments everyone! Definitely more in my future. As promised the full draw pic. I'm not sure why but the photo makes it look like the bottom limb is shorter and bending more. To the best of my knowledge it isn't.

[Bob W.]

Nice first bow, your on your way enjoy.