Show is pics of your primitive bows

[firemaker]

So what do everyones favorite primitive bows look like??

Here is one that I just finished. Its a snaky 56" sinew-backed osage.

Well this one was so much fun to work on. It had a snaky grain that sort of mirrored itself after the handle again. The tips lined up with a little heat at the handle and then there's the propeller twist of the upper limb, but it all worked out ok. I added some red food color to the glue for the last layer of sinew. There are three sinew layers in all, some black paint rubbed into the low spots on the sinew back then sanded smooth some hemp wraps, Purple Heart tip overlays and a buckskin handle wrap .then some tongue oil to finish. As far as I can tell it has no hand shock. Its 56 inchs long 1 1/2 inchs wide to about 3/8 inch at the tips, 60# @ 25".

 

[Snufkin]

Nice, I like sinewed osage bows, got one under way at the moment.
Here's my yew longbow 70#@28". Backed with oaktanned salmon skin.

 

[bushman762]

Great lookin bows....keep them alive! I have a couple of longbows, but I didn't make them, would love to say I did!

 

[Keith_Beef]

I had a go at making a box, following the guidelines in "The Traditional Bowyer's Bibly" and on a couple of websites, but didn't have much joy. It cracked when I was tillering.

Last Friday, I picked up "Making Indian Bows and Arrows the Old Way" by Douglas Spotted Eagle (ISBN 0-943604-21-4).

This recommends black locust (robinia pseudoacacia), and it just happens that the Dept. of Public Works is cutting down some of these right by my house today. I just had a word with the team leader, who tells me that the logs are going to be left there overnight, so I can help myself.

Now if I can find somebody with a hydraulic log splitter...

Is green wood OK for splitting into bow staves, or should I dry the logs before splitting?


K.

 

[bent-stick]

I prefer to give my wood a year or so before spiltting it. Paint the ends with some PVA adhesive and put it somewhere dry.

If you split it green it will season quicker but if it decides to split while it is drying you could end up with something unusable becuse it has split down the middle of your stave.

If you let the shakes develop in the whole log then you can go with them when splitting out your staves.

I know some folks like to rough out a bow while the wood is still green because it can work a bit easier.

 

[firemaker]

I would split it green. You do have to worry about it drying too fast and having it crack and check. To prevent this, cover both ends and few inches down each side from the end with wax, paint or glue. Take the bark of the back and also cover it with wax, paint or glue. This will prevent little bugs that live under the bark from chewing at the wood.


Darrel

 

[Snufkin]

Just posted this bow over at paleoplanet but I'll stick it up here too.
Sinew backed osage with an oaktanned salmonskin covering, 44" nock to nock 1 1/4" wide and around 40lbs at 24" draw,. It has linen thread wraps and a buckskin handle.