Primitive selfbow

[stovie]

Found a coppiced stave of hazel. Not a good bow wood, too soft by any standard, but it was lying there and I felt sorry for it. De-barked it there and then and split it down the middle to finish off the drying.

It's around 3" wide and 1 1/2" deep now it's split....I will add to the thread over the next few weeks as i tiller a very primitive bow...

 

[torjusg]

You shouldn't be so sentimental Stovie... Now you are going to spend a lot of time carving a ought to be crappy bow.

You are definately a greater human being than me. :notworthy

 

[stovie]

You shouldn't be so sentimental Stovie... Now you are going to spend a lot of time carving a ought to be crappy bow.

You are definately a greater human being than me. :notworthy

Not a greater being...just very sentimental.....

 

[Gumbob]

Can't wait to see the finished article. Hope it works out ok.

Gumbob

 

[jon r]

how did you split it stovie?

And what happened to that scout canoe of yours, did you test it?

 

[Snufkin]

Try toasting the belly, it'll help fight set a bit (and it smells very nice, don't do it when you're feeling hungry!).

 

[stovie]

how did you split it stovie?

And what happened to that scout canoe of yours, did you test it?

Split it jon with my mora, working carefully down the length. It was still a bit green, so it split quite easily.

The canoe is waiting for its first victim...so on the first monday evening when it's light enough to see, someone will be playing guinea pig...

 

[stovie]

Try toasting the belly, it'll help fight set a bit (and it smells very nice, don't do it when you're feeling hungry!).

Cheers Snufkin, I had planned to do just that....

 

[stovie]

Roughed out the stave to general shape using spoke shave. 62" tip to tip

then shaped the handle area

Gradually scraped away wood, leaving some extra around knots and pins, and got to a half decent tiller

A little gentle scraping and a few more times on the tiller stick and she is all but done

At a later stage I will wrap some leather on the handle and trim the nocks down. Pulls around 30# at 28", and will be belly heat treated to keep the set down

Braced

 

[madrussian]

That is too cool. Nice one Stovie. :You_Rock_

 

[Heathenpeddler]

Good job there! One thing I would love to do is bowmaking but my partner would have a fit - it ain't safe to give a guy with a tic disorder projectile weapons

 

[Spikey DaPikey]

Nice looking bow

 

[torjusg]

It looks good Stovie!

 

[Snufkin]

Turned out nice, have you toasted it yet?

 

[locust_jrm]

Nice bow but what did you make it out of? i've tried lots of times but without sucess, any tips for me?

 

[bent-stick]

What's the set like?

 

[stovie]

It looks good Stovie!

Not too bad for a sentimental trip

 

[stovie]

Turned out nice, have you toasted it yet?

Not yet. Just leaving it to dry out a little more, indoors, and thena final sanding and toasting....

 

[stovie]

Nice bow but what did you make it out of? i've tried lots of times but without sucess, any tips for me?

This is made out of hazel...see first post...not a very good bow wood by any standards...use Ash for ease and a far better performance....that is a good wood to start with IMHO...

 

[stovie]

What's the set like?

2" after an hour braced and drawn 20-30 times...hopefully that will improve with drying and toasting...