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Any more self bow builders/shooters out there?

pacyewpacyew Member Posts: 18 ✭✭
Hi Y'all,

Are there any self bow builders out there? I just finished a self yew warbow replica, 76" ,80#@29". The single piece stave came into tiller beautifully - this one drawing into a circle, bending everywhere but it's very center. Horn nocks - relieved to take a larger diameter period hemp bowsting as well as the dacron one that it will shoot most of time.

I build far more in the 50#-60# range, but its fun to put out one of these period pieces once in a while.

'Bin hunting with a self yew exclusively these last twelve years - the animals seem to like them.

Anyone else out there with a similar addiction?

Jay

Comments

  • fishermanbenfishermanben Member Posts: 15,370
    edited November -1
    I don't have a similar addiction. But I would love to see pictures.

    Ben
  • SuspensionSuspension Member Posts: 4,783
    edited November -1
    How longs it take you to build bows pacyew? I can't see myself
    even attempting that. Is it an extremely hard process to get everything just so?
    I to would like to see pictures of some of your work.


    NRA Life Member ---"A pocket knife, a clean hankey, and a pistol... things I can use." - Ted Nugent
  • s.guns.gun Member Posts: 3,245
    edited November -1
    I have enjoyed making my own Bowstrings,Arrows,Knives,Powderhorns,and a few other things but thought to build a Bow it would be tough without a woodshop and all the proper tools.Also have heard that twisted limbs are common after some use.Good luck.Let us see some pictures soon.If it does twist later it will still be nice to hang on the wall and be able to say "I made that Bow".



    1-Powder
    2-Patch
    3-Ball
    4-Remove the Rod
    5-Do Not Forget the Cap.
  • pacyewpacyew Member Posts: 18 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Hello Fellas,

    A wooden bow built from, for instance, Osage Orange it built in a series of small stages, beginning with choosing and cutting a tree containing suitable straight clean wood. The bowmaker tries from the get-go to see the bow inside the tree - from there it's really a whole series of small decisions. The new bowmaker may take months to complete first bow, stopping tp consult a book or question a experienced friend. After a bowyer has build a large number of bows, this process begins to operate for him as if on auto-pilot. What takes a beginner months of head-scratching may only take the veteran one good day.

    It is a very focused process, bow building. You're building a wooden spring. To perform well and last any period of time it needs to bend in its much of its length as is possible and must be coaxed toward that end. The result, particulary when is very good, feels nearly like you've created a new child.
    It's a lot of fun, and not an expensive activity other than the time of learnign the process. To survive to become a seasoned bow maker, you have to be able to toss the occasion failure into the corner and move quickly on to the next.

    I do hunt with my own bows, only because it is just another of those things that help me have a really good day in the woods. And they work. There has been a lot written about bowhunting - what is usually left out is that it is mainly a game of patience and finese. If you're hunting with a close range outfit, you only shoot close. Within these parameters, these wooden bows can work as well for hunting as any that have exisited.

    I'd like to say also that my use of this tackle is not meant as a statement of commitment to any minimalist philosophy - it is simply the gear that I am enjoying hunting with. And I assume and respect that every other bowhunter has made their own choice for their own similar reasons.

    I'd like very much to post some bow pictures. What is the best way? Can images be directly posted or do they need to be posted as a link? What do I do?
  • SuspensionSuspension Member Posts: 4,783
    edited November -1
    My hat if off to you pacyew. You make it sound rather easy, though I couldn't imagine being able to complete the task at hand.
    As for pictures. You need to use a host site to post pictures, something like photobucket.com or a similar site. Once hosted copy your url then insert it using the "insert hyperlink" button.
    I can host a few pictures for you if you want to e-mail them to me.


    NRA Life Member ---"A pocket knife, a clean hankey, and a pistol... things I can use." - Ted Nugent
  • pacyewpacyew Member Posts: 18 ✭✭
    edited November -1
  • pacyewpacyew Member Posts: 18 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Here are a few photos of bows I've built. These are primarily out of yew. Some are Takedown - most are single piece

    Jay

    [http:www.selfbow.com/52td.jpg][/url][http://www.selfbow.com/56td.jpg][/url][http://www.selfbow.com/4028yew.jpg][/url][http://www.selfbow.com/Classicd.jpg][/url]
  • SuspensionSuspension Member Posts: 4,783
    edited November -1
    Those are nice. You hunt with what you build?

    NRA Life Member ---"A pocket knife, a clean hankey, and a pistol... things I can use." - Ted Nugent
  • pacyewpacyew Member Posts: 18 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    You betsha,

    I haven't hunting with anything but my own wooden bows since I started bow building full time back in '89. They even help me bring critters home once in a while. My current favorite bow, "Mr. Snappy" ,has been in service since '98. I shipped over 500 bows since then, but haven't kept any for a while. My personal shooting collection is pretty small.

    Building bows is and conducting bow building seminars has been my full time day job for the last 15 years. In many ways it's the best job I've had, although I do have many memories of my time behind the retail counter.

    Jay
  • salzosalzo Member Posts: 6,396 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    paceyw- Beautiful work. WHat kind of wood do you use. I met a bow builder at a party a few years back, he liked working with wood from the osage orange tree. What other woods are good for making bows?

    "Waiting tables is what you know, making cheese is what I know-lets stick with what we know!"
    -Jimmy the cheese man
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