Trad Gang
Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: Tunkel on June 14, 2008, 10:42:00 PM
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Heya gang- I've been pretty quiet on this forum, but I think it's time I get social and introduce myself. And what better way than a build along? I'm cutting some chokecherry tomorrow, and plan on starting something right away. I'll be drying the wood fast, and probably doing a pretty simple design. Would anybody be interested in seeing that? I'll also be working on some chokecherry arrows with Jaeger-bottle knapped points, too.
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got my attention!
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I'll make some popcorn! :thumbsup:
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Do you even have to ask?
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: )
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Bring it on!
KY :archer:
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Got my ice in the glass and pouring the whiskey
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Okay, some interest! I'll have the first pics up by dinner. Peace :)
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Got a choke cherry on my property. Let me know how this works out. I'll send you a whole darn tree!!!!
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Tunkel -- down here in SW Colorado, right now the mountain air smells of chokecherry blossoms. I have dozens within yards of my cabin that are 1" -2", all bent over under the weight of gorgeous buds ... but don't really want to cut any until the fruits come and go and the birds go nuts on them, or maybe a bear. Is this the best time to cut? In any event, here's another attentive student. Gotta have lots of clear pics, leaving out no critical steps, to make it work. Thanks! dave
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Is there a bow in here?
(http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t77/LTunkel/Copy2ofDSC01351.jpg)
The lucky piece
(http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t77/LTunkel/Copy2ofDSC01352.jpg)
My splitting method
(http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t77/LTunkel/Copy2ofDSC01353.jpg)
(http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t77/LTunkel/Copy2ofDSC01354.jpg)
Peeling the bark off is easy. I'm saving it, I hope to rett it later and maybe make a quiver.
(http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t77/LTunkel/Copy2ofDSC01355.jpg)
And, here's the stave with a couple of branches that may or may not make good arrow shafts. They look good to me at this point, we'll see how well they straighten. It will be cool to have a bow and a couple arrows from the same tree.
(http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t77/LTunkel/Copy2ofDSC01356.jpg)
(http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t77/LTunkel/Copy2ofDSC01357.jpg)
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(http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t77/LTunkel/Copy2ofDSC01358.jpg)
Just a rough layout, with a pretty generous width taper. I'll probably end up with something closer to a pyramid profile by the end. I plan on just letting whatever bow is in the stave come out, I'm not too attached to any particular outcome at this point.
Now I'm just getting it to a very rough profile with the hatchet. This way there isn't enough wood to cause any warping as it dries.
(http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t77/LTunkel/CopyofDSC01362.jpg)
(http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t77/LTunkel/CopyofDSC01363.jpg)
And, this is where I'll leave it for today.
(http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t77/LTunkel/CopyofDSC01364.jpg)
(http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t77/LTunkel/CopyofDSC01365.jpg)
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(http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t77/LTunkel/CopyofDSC01366.jpg)
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My kind of bow,,, primitive!
Keep the pics coming!
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Nice!!!
How long do you let it dry for?
Bakes
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Yeah, primitive and pure are what this bow is going to be. That's how I feel right now, so that's what's going to get expressed. This stave was actually cut memorial day, and split yesterday. The last chokecherry bow I finished I started immediately after the stave was cut. I kind of took my time with the rasp once it was roughed out, so by the fourth day it was ready to start floor tillering. At that time it was already pretty dry, I'm guessing 10-12%, so I just put it in my bathroom with the heater and a fan going for a day, then started tillering. I'll probably follow about the same timeframe with this one. I hope to get it rasped to near finish dimensions tonight, and leave it in the bathroom while I'm at work for the next couple of days. In the meantime, I've got some arrows to straighten and a Jaeger bottle to smash and knap :)
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Man the chokecherrys here in WY are shrubs not trees. Cant make a bow out of them.
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Lucas,
I found that a car is a wonderful hot box at this time of the year. And it doesn't cost you anything!
I have 2 roughed outs driving with me everywhere ;)
F-Manny
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Yeah, I usually keep a few arrow shafts on my dash when it's warm, and straighten them at lights or whenever. :) I don't really have room in my single cab pickup atm.
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Well, did some more wood removal with the rasp today. When I went to snap pictures my camera kept shutting off, and I just put in a new battery, so who knows. Here is a pic of the shafts I'm working on.
(http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t77/LTunkel/shafts1.jpg)
Cherry on top (heh) then 2 chokecherry, and 2 viburnum on bottom.
I'll be sure to get the camera situation sorted, and a pic or two of the bow up tomorrow night. It's already starting to feel like "something." You know, the feeling when you start getting a sense of the bow's personality. This one kind of feels like spring bear and turkey season. I might shoot for high 50's for a draw weight, and since it's 65" long, I'll probably be keeping all the width I can in the limbs. Who knows, still real early :) . I'm glad you guys are checking in on this, hope you enjoy it.
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keep em comin! and thanks for the effort.
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So- I got the front profile pretty close to where I want it (at this point), and I'm pretty close to floor tiller stage. I like the reflex in this stave. Tomorrow, I'll sand the back and hopefully have a string on it by evening. I'm working on another chokecherry bow that's at about the same stage. We'll see if I can tiller 2 bows in 1 weekend :) . The other one I'm working on is real special to me. It's the other half split from the stave I made into my girlfriend's first bow, and I want it to complement but not imitate hers. It will be fun when we can shoot them together :) . (mushy, I know- sorry gang :D )
(http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t77/LTunkel/profile.jpg)
(http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t77/LTunkel/profile3.jpg)
(http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t77/LTunkel/profile4.jpg)
(http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t77/LTunkel/profile2.jpg)
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Thanks for all of this, Tunk. When shaping, did you pay any attention to back grain, as with osage? What are the finer points to heed? Do you plan to back it? Sure glad your toes aren't painted red! :o dave
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The back is a pristine growth ring, and my centerline follows the grain. I don't think I'll back it, I want to keep it real simple. With the width and light reflex, I should have a pretty efficient bow as long as I creep up on my draw length nice and easy. I do want to try silk on one of these pieces of chokecherry, though. There are lots of cool little knots and pinholes that I think would look great peeking through a thin layer of silk, or even super thin rawhide. I like this wood, it feels a lot like pacific dogwood. And, I've got lots of it! Thanks for the interest, this is fun. Ah- another thing- can anyone point me in the direction of some good writing about finishes? I've been following Strunk's chapter in tbb mostly. All of my bows have either leather dye and polyurethane or varathane, or tung oil. I like the leather dye/varathane combo, but I wouldn't mind trying something new.