Look what I learned...Whisperstik and Snakeskins!!! (completed)

Oliverstacy · February 01, 2009, 11:21:00 AM

I went to the Kzoo show Friday night with JD and then learned what he does for living (when he's not doing his real job).

He was going to snakeskin a couple of bows so he said I could come over and learn, by learn he meant help. What a blast!

He was finishing up his new personnel bow (I'll call it "Not Worthy"

)! All Michigan Osage bow with Copperhead skins. He'll have it completed soon with a leather grip and sprayed with a satin finish. JD I want some completed photos soon!

Here he is finishing his bow:

Supplies for some upcoming bows:

Couple of him working on a customers bow...exactly the same bow but longer. Osage with Diamondback skins, both are two-piece takedowns.

Now for the learning part...since I was just watching until this point.

Getting things laid out to apply them:

More photos in the next post...only so many allowed per post from what I was just told.

Josh

Oliverstacy · February 01, 2009, 11:42:00 AM

Okay getting back to it.

Measure about 6 times, then cut...with Copperheads.

I was watching the Diamondbacks to make sure they weren't sliding around still, it was fun to watch them take the shape of the limb and hold tight. After you get them on the limb with the glue applied you take a round object and role in down the limb to take the excess glue and bubbles out.

Wet the skins and apply some glue:

Appling the skin on the glue:

One side glued on:

Finding some extra scales:

After they've been applied, set-up and slightly trimmed a very happy bowyer:

I learned a lot this weekend and got to see a bunch of stuff a the Kzoo show, what a great weekend.

I'm looking forward to calling in a turkey this spring for JD to shoot with "Not Worthy"!

I guess I'll need to find my calls and start practicing.

Thanks again JD for the lessons.

Josh

rastaman · February 01, 2009, 12:32:00 PM

Great pics! Way cool and what a way to spend a Friday nite!

longbowjim · February 01, 2009, 12:55:00 PM

Josh- You owe me a turkey this spring for posting pictures of my messy shop. I keep telling my wife that she is more than welcome to clean it if she doesn't like it. The messier it is, the less likely she is to bother me while I'm "working". I just rubbed the epoxy into the skins on the "Not Worthy!" bow a couple of hours ago. JD

Chris Surtees · February 01, 2009, 12:58:00 PM

Great looking bow!

loyd · February 01, 2009, 07:05:00 PM

looking good, love copperhead. loyd

Ray Hammond · February 01, 2009, 07:31:00 PM

JD,
I had the happy fortune to shoot one of your bows this past weekend and I was very impressed with that MOJO STIK...quick, quiet, and pretty. That's all you can ask for in a bow.

Nice work.

Oliverstacy · February 02, 2009, 01:35:00 PM

QuoteOriginally posted by longbowjim:
Josh- You owe me a turkey this spring for posting pictures of my messy shop. I keep telling my wife that she is more than welcome to clean it if she doesn't like it. The messier it is, the less likely she is to bother me while I'm "working". I just rubbed the epoxy into the skins on the "Not Worthy!" bow a couple of hours ago. JD

Make sure you post some pictures of the bow when it's complete, should be a real looker!

Josh

Hornseeker · February 02, 2009, 05:09:00 PM

Cool post!

pete p · February 02, 2009, 07:39:00 PM

never been a big fan of skins but those copper heads look awesome. good work JD

Oliverstacy · February 17, 2009, 11:52:00 AM

I just got some photo's of the completed bow:

All osage (burled/curly osage veneers) cores and riser. Love the curl of the osage on the back of the curve towards the tip!

2 piece take-down

Love the burled/curly Osage!

Wow did it turn out nice!

Josh

KentuckyTJ · February 17, 2009, 12:19:00 PM

Wow, looks great guys. How much would this bow be new?

DesertDude · February 17, 2009, 02:40:00 PM

Stunning.........

Oliverstacy · February 17, 2009, 03:13:00 PM

QuoteOriginally posted by KentuckyTJ:
Wow, looks great guys. How much would this bow be new?

KTJ...not sure how much it would be for him to build one like it...he said he knew the bowyer well enough to get the "employee discount"!

It is very nice looking!

Josh

loyd · February 17, 2009, 03:47:00 PM

turned out verrrrrrrrrrrrrry nice. loyd

Osagetree · February 17, 2009, 04:30:00 PM

Nice, but the shelf is cut in the wrong side!

Truly a great job. I love the osage look!

longbowjim · February 17, 2009, 05:32:00 PM

The same bow new without the hinge would be $800. With the titanium hinge that I made it would be $1000. I used all osage, even in the core. I'm trying to talk Ted Fry at Raptor Archery out of some osage footed spruce shafts to shoot out of it. I have another set of copperheads in stock waiting to go on to something. I also have some canebrakes, and watersnakes. I have more of the same osage sitting on my back porch.JD

EASTERNARCHER · February 21, 2009, 10:36:00 PM

JD, if the Juniper veneers weren't so dang pretty on my Mojo, I'd get ya to skin my bow!

I can't help myself...I love my Mojo.
It reassures me that I've seen so many posts and threads about Whisperstik bows and I can't recall hearing anything bad about them.hmmmmmm
Even my brother(who knows nothing about archery or wood working) stated that my bow was "a work of art". How's that? Good on ya JD!

Oliverstacy · March 04, 2009, 04:40:00 AM

JD sent this to me the other day...look like he's having fun!

Josh

LEOPARD · March 04, 2009, 04:46:00 AM

Awesome! Thanks for sharing!