The wife and i flew out to Siloam Springs Arkansas to vist the kids and grandkids and for myself to get in a weekend of hog hunting. I was sitting down today surffing on the lap top and thought, I wounder where Nixa is, i looked it up and it was about 2 hours from me so in the car and off to Nixa i went. Its not often and California boy get to vist a place like this. Anway here is some pics of the visit.
Here is the view as you walk in the shop
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f85/wtpops/Picture011.jpg)
One of the widow guys (I am so bad with names and did'nt take notes so im sorry guys) met me and picked out a PTF and one of the new PA's to shoot. I had my gear out in the trunk and some arrows, i grabed the arrows and geard up. First i put 3 arrows through the PFT, CAN YOU SAY NICE, (its going to be my next bow). Here is a pic of the next 3 arrows out of the PA :eek:
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f85/wtpops/Picture003.jpg)
THink i should have took them up on their offer to use their arrows :knothead:
Here is some of the guys doing some sanding on risers
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f85/wtpops/Picture004.jpg)
Here is some nice looking lambs getting ready for glueup
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f85/wtpops/Picture014.jpg)
One of the machines doing its job on some tips
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f85/wtpops/Picture002.jpg)
The guys doing there thing after the machine was done
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f85/wtpops/Picture009.jpg)
To be continued:
Man that is impressive. A Robin Hood out of a Trad bow!! How many feet were you shooting from?
Great pics. I live just 3 hours north of Nixa and have only been there once. Ken Beck greeted me at the door, had a nice visit and tried out a few of the bows.
bhfp
One getting ready for glueup, think its a psr, at the end of the form you can see the door to the oven
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f85/wtpops/Picture005.jpg)
Here is a PTF just out of the oven
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f85/wtpops/Picture008.jpg)
Just a few out of the oven waiting their first sanding
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f85/wtpops/Picture012.jpg)
And some after their first spray and sanding
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f85/wtpops/Picture018.jpg)
To be continued:
Cool thread.
Hanging out for the final dry
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f85/wtpops/Picture001.jpg)
Did you notice the odd color of the middle bow, here is a close up
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f85/wtpops/Picture015.jpg)
Yes its a camo job
and one more
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f85/wtpops/Picture010.jpg)
They said this is the first one they have done in years, its not somthing they do they have to send it out to be done.
Hope you had a good time looking at my trip. I had a blast.
Hope my next post has some pics of some hogs, cant wait for this weekend.
Thanks for looking
Has that "kid in a candy store" feel to it :thumbsup:
I'll probably never get a chance to get out that way, so thanks for the walk through.
Nathan
Really enjoyed your photos and commentary.
QuoteOriginally posted by Wannabe1:
Man that is impressive. A Robin Hood out of a Trad bow!! How many feet were you shooting from?
Was not to far about 7 to 8 yards. And not to impressive even a blind squirl finds a nut now and then.
I attended the Black Widow shootong school and when it comes to the tour, the people, the experience and both my Widows all I can say is ....TOP SHELF!!!!
Cotton
Think them 'wider fellas are gonna regret that camo bow bein' shown in the pics eh??
:knothead: :bigsmyl:
Cool post, good luck with the hogs!!
Thanks Pop 's :thumbsup:
AWESOME!!!
David
Very nice!! I wonder if that's my Curly Bubinga PTF hanging next to the camo bow? Cool thread!
Visiting the Widow Works will be on my bucket list. Nice photo's. Thanks for sharing.
In the one sanding pic, I see that limb has 3 pin holes along with the bolt hole. Wonder what model that'd be off of?
Thanks, great pics and thread. I live about 3 hours away from Nixa, and have more than once, told my work I would be "a little late" and drove up to order or pick up a bow. More to get to Visit and see the shop than anything. They are usually there at 6:30 am so I could be back at work by 11 or so.. Nothing like pickin up your new bow!! Where are you hog huntin in NW Ar?? good luck!
DaveLay wish i lived that close.
Hunting at Shilo Ranch in Stonewall OK, its about 1 1/2 hours from my son's house, its about 5:45 am and im up packing the truck,going to be hunting tonight. Ive heard a lot of good things about this place and cant wait to get there.
Morning Star wish i would have noticed that while i was there i would have asked, when i get back from the weekend ill get on the widow wall and find out,
Great pics thanks for sharing. Good luck hunting this weekend.
I get my chance next May. I am enrolled in one of their semimars.
I love to see how things are made...this was a great post.
Thanks!!!
Josh
Nice photo's. Thanks for sharing. :thumbsup:
Rick, good luck on them pigs. Are you going to be at Neblina at the end of the month?
Thanks for sharing. I would like to visit there someday too.
Bill
cool post,thanks for the pics! :thumbsup:
Very nice post! How many people work there?
My visit to the shop last summer mirrored this one. First rate operation and even better folks.
Was there a few years ago when a bunch of us VTers went out to visit and hunt with our buddy Vern (the guy w/ ear muffs in the last pic). I got a personal tour when I dropped him off at work so I could use his truck to go bowhunting. It was quite impressive, although I had imagined a much bigger place. I guess I was just used to that aerial picture of the Bear plant in Florida. I got to meet Ken Beck that day as well and look at a huge deer rack that he had just taken in Kansas. That really floored this VTer. MO is a nice area for sure. Super nice folks everywhere we went. I wish the Fred Bear Museum had been in Springfield at the time. Definately would have made a visit there as well.
Whoops, just looked at that picture again, I guess he's wearing a phone headset.
Can you believe I lived 30 minutes from those guys for 5 years and never made it over to the shop. I thought about going over several times, but never made it. :banghead:
I just figured out my new fantasy when my better half finally gives in and lets me get my BMW R1200GS Adventure.
Travel around the country and visit bowyers. Widow, Great Plains, Morrison, RER, Dryad, etc.
The divorce lawyer can't cost too much. Right?
I like the clamps they use in the one photo.
Kevin
Here's a pic of my recently camo dipped widow. I think they look pretty excellent. Maybe the widow boys are starting up the camo dipping option again?
(http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y100/foxbo/100_4784.jpg)
Hey guys, those 3 holes in the limbs are for the jig that holds them for machining.
Oh yeah, that's why the newer models have the phenolic on the back side of the limb, cosmetic.
Thanks for the post, I really enjoyed looking at all the pics!!
Cool. Its great that such a well known company is still small enough to let you tour.
QuoteOriginally posted by foxbo:
Here's a pic of my recently camo dipped widow. I think they look pretty excellent. Maybe the widow boys are starting up the camo dipping option again?
(http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y100/foxbo/100_4784.jpg)
Oh.......My.......God.... :thumbsup: :archer2:
POP's
Good One!!! Don't know if I'll ever make it myself but this is the next best thing. Really like the Widow's. Thanks for this Post!!!!
I live about 3 hours from there. Went there in 2007 and ordered a new bow. Very friendly people and you can shoot all you want.
Looks like the "camo cowboy" model is coming soon....
Man, don't what you shoot, a Widow factory tour would be a great experience. Gonna have to put that on the list......just hope it doesn't give me a taste for the finer things!
Nice job pops! :thumbsup:
Looks like you had a fun trip.
Back in the early 90's I took a tour of the Harley-Davidson factory while on a visit to Milwaukee. For several years after that tour I was determined to buy a new Harley, but for various reasons never did so.
While I'd love to take a tour of the Black Widow facility there's another part of me that hopes that I am never in the vicinity of Nixa, Missouri. That's because I've often said that I consider Black Widow to be the Harley-Davidson of traditional bows. If I were to take that tour it is highly doubtful that I could resist temptation a second time and my poor bank account would never be the same.
:D
Thanks for sharing. :thumbsup:
Thanks for the tour! TD.
How neat is that, wish i lived near it. May be a good 2 week vacation trip.
Nice tour, I bet that was a lot of fun.
Ahh.... they do make pretty stuff
I got to hold a Black widow today. My brother and I went to visit a man that had a couple of bows for sale. He mentioned that his go to bow was a widow so I asked him if I could see it. Felt good, looked good
Thanks for sharing
My dream road trip.
In my younger years it might've been different.
Nice photos. I need to head down there sometime.
luv um
Widow is a first class outfit and maybe ya should of bought that bow :)