Fiery black locust

[Tedd]

It's been a while since I made one of these black locust self bows. Or shot one for that matter. Got this one out over the weekend and wiped the dust off and was surprised how it has developed a really nice color. It looked nice when I took it out to shoot so I thought I'd post some photos. I made a new string afterward out of some 99-x and it shot just fine.
 I don't recall the finish type. I don't know if the pictures show it but the color is a really bold chestnut/red/brown. Maybe a half doz coats of Helmsman or Tru-oil? Hand polished with a couple grits of the powdered rotton stone possibly.
 Black locust doesn't like compression on the belly side. This one has no stress showing on the belly. I made the handle section very short to lengthen the limbs. It is 65" long. Cut from a tree on the farm. It's a little light on draw weight but would kill at 12-15 yards.
Tedd

[Tedd]

[GCook]

That does have a nice rich color to it.

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[Pat B]

Very nice locust bow. Locust ages nicely like osage and mulberry. Looking forward to seeing a bloody arrow from this bow.   

[Sam McMichael]

It really looks good.

[Terry Green]

Nice Tedd!!!

[The Whittler]

I guess it's pooch approved  nice looking.

[RAU]

Beauty!

[tippit]

Tedd,
That's not light at all for me.  I reduced your two old Morrisons to 40#@28.  Plus I'm getting a new WHD pup from the Jeannnenys.  Back in business...Jeff

[Tedd]

Tippit, it's a light draw weight but combined with the selfbow speed it sure seems a lot different than the modern longbows I usually shoot. I did find some light cedars to play with and it shoots a little faster.
A new pup! I saw those on the website. I bet Jeneanny has really got those things bred well now. Please post it's tracking progress, those things are amazing. That's got to be 8-10-15 generations newer than ours were?
We just got a Jack Russell at our house. I wanted a tracker that could jump into the F250. She can jump in the truck, but tracking isn't looking good. Possibly because I have not trained her at all for that. She's a lover. Mostly doesn't do anything but have fun. So far has terrorized the local chipmunk population but is scared of everything else. My WHD would have attacked a bear.
Tedd

[Roy from Pa]

Very nice job, Tedd..

[Possum Head]

Nice work Tedd! That a Hickory she’s leaning against in the second pic?

[Tedd]

Yes, that is a hickory tree. I've been eyeballin it for years. It is perfectly straight. And the first ring is right under the bark for an easy start on a bow. Hickory grows great here. The darn nuts keep putting dents in my truck hood. I made a hickory bow once, I didn't know what I was doing and ruined it. The bow was very light weight and fast. I never got a coat of sealer on it and it seemed like it had a mushy feel on a humid day. It took some set. Then it broke.
 All my mature oak trees have died one by one over the last 10 years. Huge oaks. It is some kind of blight or something. I have probably cut down 15 of them. Couple cords of fire wood ea.
Tedd