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First Osage self Bow (progress) (Finished up 05/12)
ber643:
Back before the deer season (Early Sept here in NC) you may, or may not remember me posting the pic below and a couple others along with a story about my starting on my first Osage self bow (under the cautionary eye of my Mentor, Mike Brooks :) ). Ever since then I have been "threatening" to get back on it after the season. Well the season ended 1 Jan - dad-burn, I'm slow :D . Finally, both Mike and I had time to get together yesterday (Presidents Day), and I flat made some yellow shavings fly - :p .
Recap Picture (first day, probably in Aug.):
I was really pleased with how much I retained from that first session, and using my own old Draw Knife I (we) could even see some improvement in confidence in "Attack Mode". However my memory didn't improve any so I forgot my camera. I brought the stave home last night so I could record the progress after the (much postponed) second day. I had only got down to the "Back", on one end before. Yesterday I took it all the way to the other end - only to discover right at the end that there was some kind of half ring or camoflage transition that had hoodwinked us. So I started working back - had to go almost back to the original starting point - but what fun, and how well it went - and how much more I learned. On top of that we got a better looking back and it found it has streaks of almost a redish color in it. After that, Mike helped me lay out a would be bow outline - (similar to a bow of his that I had shot and liked, and that the stave looked like it might consent to - ). I proceeded to take the sides close to the outline and we split off the extra, under part of the stave. Here are a couple pics of how it looks now - I'm a pretty happy camper. We will have a little amount of character in both limbs but we will also have some heat bending to do, coming up soon. I am shooting for 58-60" and 40-45# @ 26"
The Ursus:
Look'n good! I'm work'n on my first piece of osage as well so I can appreciate your effort and enthusiasm. My hands are still sore from working a scraper for several hours yesterday. Lots of fun.
shawn:
So far it is looking good. I need to start making some shavings. I also need to build me a caul. Keep us up to date on your progress.
Shawn
ber643:
LOL - yep my hands cramped last night and were sore this AM - (but not enough to stop me).
I hope y'all want to see more "progress" pics, and are ready to . The Marines had a long weekend so Mike's company didn't have to work today either - so we were able to get together for more "larning" this afternoon. This time I took my camera. As you will see, I made a lot more shavings (big ones too) ;) . You folks are right, thinking, "clean stave". Only one tiny pin knot and one reg Knot - not in the way - but yes some problems with heat bending coming up - we'll see. Really made a lot of progress today and it's beginning to look like a bow - albiet a crooked one - :D at this stage :
As you can see in the forth pic - some pretty good natural reflex - if I get it right it should be pretty zippy.
ber643:
About three more:
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