More Primitve bowness

[Grantmac]

Here is the latest. About 55# at 28" or there abouts. Shoots very well although the tiller isn't perfect and the wood was worked a little fast.
Cheers,
Grant

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j161/grantmac017/DSCN1957.jpg
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j161/grantmac017/DSCN1958.jpg
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j161/grantmac017/DSCN1960.jpg
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j161/grantmac017/DSCN1961.jpg

[Spokerider]

Nice work there Grant!

What's it made from? Laminated?

[greybark]

:DHey Grant , Nice to see you involved in this pursuit and your improvment ia readily apparent .
Your kneeling position is for photo purposes and when launching an arrow from this position I suggest having the other knee forward . This will allow the longbow cant and wont interfere with your leg , this will hurt .
Cheers

[Onesock]

Barky- I think you mean he should be kneeling on his left knee instead of his right knee?

[greybark]

:tongue: Yuppppp !!!! I think that is what I referred to !!!! Had to check the photo several times LOL.

[Grantmac]

I never shoot kneeling, but thanks for the tip!
I'm buying some hard maple today to give a try with. Then I'm going to try and ween myself off of bought wood and only use staves. Might be hard considering we lack in really good bow wood around here. Once I get that figured out I'd like to try a few with stone tools, got to work them green a bit for that though.

Details on this bow:
Red Oak board with 1/8th Hickory backing. Glued-up 2" of reflex with Titebond2, lost almost all reflex out of the form. Started taking set during the tillering process so heat treated the belly (thats why it's got that nice pattern). Heat treating worked awesome but cause some glue issues, I will be heat treating in the future before glue-up.

New bow will be a somewhat Holmegaard design from a hard maple board. Hoping for 55-60lbs@28" and good cast.
Cheers,
Grant

[greybark]

:-) Hey Grant , The Holmgaard bow design is very efficent and you should be pleased with it`s speed .
Are you planing to attend the TBBC Championships , there is a selfbow class ????
Cheers

[Spokerider]

Yes, wood does take a set........

What part of BC do you live in? Vine Maple can be found on the mainland and there's lots of Yew on the island for bow making.

I've made a few laminated bows but have yet to complete a stave bow to my satisfaction. Self bows are by far the hardest bows to make due to the irregularities in each peice of wood, and of course, this changes inch-by-inch in the stave too!

What do you have in mind for a self bow, wood and design?

[sealevel]

Where do you live grant we have yew wood growing in a lot of bc. There is vine maple, mountain ash, juniper, I am not interrested in self bows so i give yew wood to self bow makers lots. If you live in a spot that has no yew wood i can find you a piece .

[Grantmac]

I'm on Vancouver Island. Appearently there is lots of Yew around but I haven't had any luck finding it. I am trying to use Bigleaf Maple in some designs but it really isn't great wood.
I want to do a Holmegaard from a small diameter sapling or branch as the originals were. The current champion flight-shooting self-bows are of an exagerated Holmegaard tiller which shows just how much they used to know about getting performance from marginal wood back in the stone age. I sure wish we had Elm around here thats for sure, it seems like an excellent northern wood.

I'd love to go to the TBBC championship but I don't think my skill level is there yet and it's a heck of a trip for me. But you never know, I might.

Cheers,
Grant

PMs are on there way to a few of you.

[greybark]

:smile: Hey Grant , It`s the attitude that counts not the level of skill . You seem to have that in spades . Ther will be several long time selfbow archers that will gladly help out .
Cheers

[sealevel]

don`t forget grant there is some mountain ash on the island . you will have to go up high to get it. But i would find yew wood there`s lots of it down there.

[Spokerider]

Broadleaf maple sucks for bow wood......poor compression, poor tension = set / crack / bang!

Google image yew, then set out and find some!

[Dirty]

You're on the island, try some Garry Oak..............................

:tongue:jk

[Grantmac]

Is there any other sort of oak on the Island? Because I know where I saw some oak out in the woods by my house. I'm sure there is some Yew up on the Malahat somewhere, I just need to go find it.
Cheers,
Grant

[blackwater]

Garry Oak is the only native...English Oak would be introduced especially around Victoria. Finding Western/Pacific Yew is pretty easy to find in the wetter forests - around rivers as well. I imagine you could find some around Goldstream - outside the park boundary of course.