I got this one going for Balding Kansan, and because it is a trad bow... Here are some pics for ya'll. It is going to be round the 64in. mark and shooting for 60@29. There are a few knots here and there, but nothin major it has some nice natural reflex in it so I may just heat straighten it a bit after it dries. I pulled the bark off and went to the ring above the one I want. I hope to have the bow in the steam tube soon and then into my hotbox @ low heat. I'm hoping it doesn't check as I speed dry it!
(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/CIMG0156.jpg)
Bear with me here, I can only post one pic at a time.
(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/CIMG0155.jpg)
Layout
This is the only bad knot, but it is well hidden. (http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/CIMG0154.jpg)
(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/CIMG0158.jpg)
a profile pic of the back after rougin it out a bit.
(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/CIMG0160.jpg)
a side profile pic (http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/CIMG0161.jpg)
wow you are quick.
Nice, DVS. Very nice.
Stan
Seal the back and ends with shellac. The shellac can take the heat and humidity of steaming and will help prevent checking when it goes into the hot box.
David you ain't wasting any time.
Balding kansan's guy was the only one I did not hear back from last week after I sent out final notice. Had several guys offer to build the extra bow and I let Kansan decide who he wanted a bow from.
Looks like he picked a good one.
Stiks
Thanks David! I'm going to try my hardest not to "peek" in this thread anymore.
Thanks Kris, I'm happy he picked me! It gives me some focus in the shop
Pat, thanks for the advice. I always seal everything with shellac. Especially when I know it's going to be steamed. That is the first tool needed for bow building. :-)
I'm going out to steam her up now. I will post some pics after. Thanks for looking.
I was able to squeeze in a few hours this morning and got out the steam tube for a little speed drying. (http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/CIMG0152-1.jpg)
(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/CIMG0153-2.jpg)
another pic. This is the open side of my steam tube. I use a small hotplate to boil water for the steam.
here it is out of the tube (http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/CIMG0155-1.jpg).
I will post more pics as I progress, but it's going to be a few weeks.
David,
I need some pics up here of how you set up your steam tube where the steam goes in. I been aiming to build me one just haven't given it much thought as to how i will do it.
Stiks
I will get some pics up soon. I just put the pot right under the tube and let nature do it's thing. The holes in the ends keep air flowing through the pipe. I think that I have around twenty bucks in the setup all together.
I pulled the stave out of the hot box today and took off one last ring. I left one on and sure enough it had a few checks from speed drying. They all only went one ring so I'm still ok. I will take the bow down to floor tiller dimensions tonight and then back into the hot box for another week or so. (http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/CIMG0154-2.jpg)
hey david happy thaNKS GIVIN TO U AND THE FAMILY BEEN A WHILE MAN UR GETTIN FANCY LOL WITH UR STEAMIN HAHA LOOKING GOOD SO FAR IM WATCHIN THIS ONE HOW S UR SPEED BOWS FOR MOJAM COMIN ?? BROCK
Brock,
Luckily all my time has gone into my new job so bow building has taken a backseat for now. That means my speed bows are still two pieces... One bamboo and one osage! Haha. I'll get around to it one of these days. I only have three bows to build first. :-)
been back at it now that the stave has dried, but my phone is acting up again. So I have hit 60@29 and am sanding her up now and putting finish on next week. I will try to get some pics up soon.
(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/CIMG0042.jpg) i got the pics up, lets give this a try. (http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/CIMG0047.jpg)
(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/CIMG0050-2.jpg)
(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/CIMG0048.jpg)
(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/CIMG0045-2.jpg)
I have been shooting it in for a few days and it shoots well. I have a few spots i want to address on the top limb, then a few finishing touches and a few coats of finish and off to its new home.
It definitly has some character, especially in the handle. (http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/CIMG0049.jpg)
Very well done and a great gesture on your part. Thanks from all of us.
Do you think we can see a full draw pic?
Pat, I will have the full draw pic when she is finished. A lady reveals herself before she is ready. Look for it sometime around Wednesday. I just came in from shootinf after the few adjustments, and want to shoot her some more.
Dimensions are 60in. ntn and 55@29. It has a smooth draw, but it is hard for me to overdraw it by three inches with my 26in. draw, but I have arrows that are 29bop that i have been shooting. I hope to get some finish going this weekend.
That's the problem I had with Joe's bow. He wanted 29.5 and I draw 26" on a good day. I tillered it out past 30" just in case and told Joe to break it in to his draw length. So far so good!
The handle is cool!
david looks good i like the handel how u incorperated the knot into the handel brock
david looks good i like the handel how u incorperated the knot into the handel brock
typical thinking they are needing to get all dressed up whey they are pretty just he way the are.
(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/CIMG0046.jpg)
(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/CIMG0043-1.jpg)
(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/CIMG0053-1.jpg)
(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/CIMG0055-1.jpg)
I got up early this morning and skinned her up. Texas rat snake skins from a member here.
(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/CIMG0054-1.jpg)
I soaked the skins, spred the tb3 and layed the skins down following the curves of the limb. after I get them down i trim off the extra skin and let it sit for about five minutes before wrapping it up to dry completely.
I remember skinning those snakes with my daughter !!! I can't wait to see the final bow. I love the knot in the handle. Bhill
Good lookin' bow, David.
Stan
tanks everyone. I still have a few moew touches for it, but have trimmed the skins and am ready for a few cosmetic touches and then off to kansas before the nwxt swap. It was a fun, super fast build and I only wish I could have built it faster for him. Hopefully no one gets shorted this go round.
dave
Can't wait to see the finish!
I'm having issues with the skins. They came off once so I had to clean them and the bow again and re-apply. Then they came off again! I think I need new tb3. I'm open to ideas though. I've never had skins come off before, and I think it's cuz the glue may have froze once. Oh well I aint given up yet! Sorry balding!
I always lay my wet skins on a bath towel and roll them up to remove water, if they are to wet they wont stick properly. also after putting the skins on i wrap them with an ace bandage for about 1 hour, then remove and let them finish drying. This is just the way that has worked for me. great looking bow and the skins are going to really make it superb.
Great looking love the skin!
kerry, that's how I do it as well. I just didn't post the pic of patting them dry I'm really leaning towards the glue being bad so I'm going to get some new tb3 anf try yet again. More pics to follow.
How long did you wait to check the skins ? I have only skinned a bow once but I remember having to to let the bow sit in a dry spot for ten days without fooling with it (hard for me) because it took so long for the skins and TB3 to dry completely. My little 2 cents. If those skins won't work, give a call and I have a few more that I can send. On a side note, I received the stave you sent and I'm dying to pick your brain about my next stab at osage. Thanks, Bhill
brent, I gave it 24hours which should have been enough? I cleaned the skins with dish soap and rinsed them well also. Feel free to ask away about your stave. The post office always used to ask what I was sending and I always said "A bow in a case even you guys can't break." they always chuckled.
Wow! looking great.
Looks great,BoisdArc selfbows are about as good as it gets.Good job
Finally finished this baby up, so here are a few pics. This is the last bow of the first bow swap ever here on tradgang! Thanks sticks for starting something great. Hope you like it Balding Kansan. Patience is a virture, and you definitly have it. it ended up at 60@29 took very little set and is 60in. knock to knock. very sweet shooting and quite quiet as well. The knot hole protruding from the grip makes a nice feel in the hand. The skins are from Brnet Hill here on TradGang and are Texas Ratsnake. I had to put them on three times due to some previously frozen titebond3 glue. What a pain the the bum. They were long enough to cover the whole bow, but I wanted to show the raw wood handle off so I used string to cover the ends and keep them from lifting in the future. I will have this bow in the mail soon and hopefully it will arrive by saturday. I still need to put the serving on the string. ( I hate making strings! )
(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/CIMG0067.jpg)
(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/CIMG0063-2.jpg)
(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/CIMG0066.jpg)
(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/CIMG0068.jpg)
A few more.
(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/CIMG0070.jpg)
(http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss13/dvshunter/CIMG0071-1.jpg)
what a beautiful bow. is itpossible for you to show more detailed pics of the fades , tips, handle/ strikeplate area. im very interested in the looks of the construction of your bow. ruddy
I will try and get you some more pics Ruddy. I made the handle four inches with inch and a half fades. The limbs are an inch and a half for the first twelve in and then taper to 9/16 tips reinforced with whitetail antler to acept ff strings.
nice job david ya relley pulled that one off brock
Superb.
I just realized that I never use that word.
The members of this forum are amazing. Thank you for sharing your work!
Ya did a good one David,,,, THANK YOU!
I'm glad you didn't cover that knot too!
By the way, some nice mounts there at your house!
Very cool bow and a great gesture on your part. Congrats and thanks!
DVS that's amazing work on those skins. I remember seeing a bow similar in the 3rivers contest made by one of the employees and I've been in love since. This doesn't help my affliction with wanting to make one. Great work on a beautiful and wonderful gesture which such a great piece of wood.
Nice, very nice!! Love the handle.
Turned out great. I bet most in the swap this year are hoping, wishing and praying I drew DVSHUNTER for them. Well ****** I did draw him for you. Hope you like what he makes this year.
DVSHUNTER Nice work hope mine turns out a 1/4 as nice.
Kelly
Very Sweet bow David.
You are top Notch my friend!
Stiks