To the Bone! The primitive Rendezvous 2014

[Knawbone]

Side view, sorry about the sun.


 


 Hard to capture enough light with this little camera, but the interior walls are now covered and look much more like an authentic TP


 


Looking up to the top. I used Cats Paw underlayment for the peak and interior walls. Brightens it up a bit!


 

[Knawbone]

Yep that's me up to the peak. We had to lash two ladders together to reach. About 25 ft. up.


 


 The rocks we picked the day before. This should be enough to finish the primitive stone floor.


 


This camp should be in great shape for our hunt!

[Cyclic-Rivers]

This hunt is already becoming epic.  

[Sockrsblur]

Wow David!!!! I wish I was there with you guys. I love good honest outdoor work. That's a lot of rock buddy, you guys did a lot of work. Thanks for putting up the pictures it's fun to see what's going on.
 

[Sockrsblur]

So since I was able to get a batch of the pine pitch glue to workout I had to test it with a 2nd batch just to make sure it wasn't luck and it went real easy when I changed how I thought a little.

   

And I NOW totally understand why everyone said they don't measure but for me as with cooking... I like to start with a proven and repeatable recipe then after some success experiment and shoot from the hip. Once i experienced watching the pitch do the right thing I get it. For the brothers that think like me ill post my measured to the grain receipt here later...
My grain scale measured portion amounts for the 2nd batch that worked out the first time is as follows... SAP-160gr (this was sticky sap cooked down to brittle pure, debris free product), BEESWAX-80gr, OAK CHARCOAL-40gr. Worked out the first try.
Also notable is a rookie mistake I made. I ground up my oak charcoal in a cup with the flat end of a stick thinking that's good enough but it left little pieces of tiny coal... I didn't care till I tried to accomplish a super great fit with a bone head and the little lumps made a poor fit. I will make sure it is pulverized to complete dust next time!

[Sockrsblur]

With my glue ready to use I was excited to custom fit each specific head to each designated shaft. I tried to measure and cut as precisely as possible.

 

 

 

After the initial cut I made a few widening passes but then it was hand sanding. After the sweat running down me for way to long sanding and sanding I was less afraid to go a little wider with the ban saw next time.
 

[Sockrsblur]

Hand sanding was as simple as working larger tools in till you get the head to fit with a little room for pitch...

 

 

 

 
From what I have read looking at that last picture I didn't need to have the shaft come so far up the head but all I could think was the bone cracking hitting a rib. This simply seems stronger, I wanted it strong but looking at it I thought the taper could be improved to aid in increased ease of penetration... so I went back to the 150 grit disc sander and smoothed it out more...

[Sockrsblur]

Before...
   

After more tapering...  

   

I felt like this was a comfortable compromise. After the tips were fitting nicely and seated to the base of the notch I marked where I wanted the notches on the head with a fine permanent marker. I was particular about the inside of the notch being smooth and at the exact side of each shaft. My tendency is to want to load on the sinew and make it stronger but the big lump this made looked like a barrier to penetration so off it came and I did a simple, single figure 8 and then a single side by side layer  on the shaft to reinforce it...

[Pat B]

I like the way you support the bone point in the taper. That should add a lot of stability to the head helping with the penetration.

[Sockrsblur]

Glue up with the pitch glue on the first head was a little messy but my technique was better with the next ones.
   

I have to say too this primitive glue takes some time to make but is a surprising pleasure to work with. It warms/softens easily over a small candle. Once liquid will run in a crack nicely, is not hard to remove from where u don't want it, can simply stay on the end of a stick forever! Once the glue was dry I was curious how strong it was alone. I have to say that I'm confident the head would be strong enough with only the pitch glue... I was impressed much more than I expected to be!

   

   

The glue lines will get cleaned up some yet, ran out of time, life interrupts!

[Sockrsblur]

Thanks for your thoughts Pat. How far down your shafts do you bring the sinew from the heads? I measured and I'm varying 1/2" to almost 1" simply depending on the length of material I happen to chew. Does it not matter or is there a standard you like? I'm a little paranoid, I feel like everything is a compromise between strength and weight and penetration...

[Knawbone]

Probably not a new Idea, but I decided to make a BH out of the crotch of a deer antler, and then imbed the edges with something sharp! Still a little follow up work to do blending the edges but thought I'd share the build.


I started by milling the antler down to shape at work today and then finished sanding and shaping at home.
 

 

[Knawbone]

After checking the overall shape of the head, I began cutting a grove down the tip and both edges. The grove is about 3/32 in. wide and 1/8 in. deep.


 


Being satisfied with grove I then began filling the grove with Titebond III and then force dried it enough to start imbedding the obsidian flakes.

 
     

[Knawbone]

I mounted the head to the shoot shaft with deer back sinew for ease of handling, but a small vise would work. Once the glue completely cures, I will finish transitioning between antler and flakes. The head is about 1 3/4 in. long by 1 1/2 in. wide. It weighs 104 grn. The obsidian flakes are extremely sharp and I have no reservations about it's effectiveness. I think it will perform very well provided I don't hit heavy bone.
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[Knawbone]

Finished weight of the arrow should hit 560 grn.  

[silent sniper]

This is one of the greatest posts I have had the pleasure to follow!  One day I will take the dive as you have and make a complete primitive set up. This build along is quite inspiring in the least! Thank you very much for taking the time to post it.

[Pat B]

David, I like to go about an inch. It might be overkill but better safe than sorry. You can use 2 strands of sinew, applying one after the other to get a full inch of wrap behind the point.
  James Parker made a antler point a few years ago with a tip. He cut 5 grooves from tip to the back end, around the antler point and inserted 5 micro blade, kind of like the old Satellite points. James shot a doe through the shoulder blade, recovered the deer and only one micro blade came out of the head.
 That is a cool idea with the bone and obsidian. Should work fine, especially through the boiler room.

[Sockrsblur]

Thanks Taylor, ok Pat, ill extend those wraps to a full inch, thanks!
This is all exciting for me. This venture into the primitive side of traditional archery is bringing back many feelings I had letting go of my compound bow. Last year was my third traditional hunting season and I was very confident with my carbon fiber/foam R/D long bow shooting my Beaman MFX Classic with the hit inserts... I LOVE that bow!!! I love that setup! However I look at my Raptor 64" 60# @ 27" sinew backed yew heart & sapwood and I'm drawn to it... I want to make one! It's a beautiful piece of wood with no handle and no arrow rest, a string that I twisted into creation. Sitting on the couch in early September It's difficult to imagine leaving the Zipper home as I go on a hunt until I look at the arrows I built... it should prove to be a very interesting year and I can't wait to add the hunts to this thread. I take off all the weeks I can beg or steal 6-8, hunt hard, then tell all the truth I can bare to admit here. Lol
     

[Knawbone]

Thanks for your willingness to always share your knowledge Pat. I shall extend the wrap to one inch. I think the head will work just fine once the head is finished. I like it so much, I don;t know which I prefer more, killing a deer with it or keeping it as a display piece. If I hunt with it I would keep the range under 15 yrd due to it's possible planing.If I make more in the future I will make them a little narrower I think. On the other hand, it may fly great. I guessed on the length, but I measured it today and it's 2 3/8" x 1 1/2 "

[Knawbone]

Silent Sniper, Hopefully the best is yet to come....glad your enjoying it!        Thanks for the nice comment too!