Ok guys, here it is. There seems to be a lot of interest in this, so we are going to have a friendly contest. Here are the rules:
1. You must build a shootable hunting weight bow EXCLUSIVELY from materials that start as other things. Examples would be fence posts, tables, shelves, trim boards, Dad's wooden leg, Etc. No saying "well these limb tips started as antlers, so they are OK." On the other hand, if you have an old pocket knife with antler handles, feel free to use them as overlays!
2. The string, glue, and finish DO NOT have to follow #1, but they are the only exceptions.
3. Photographs must be taken of the materials BEFORE they are dismantled to make your bow. We want to see the transformation from table (or whatever) to weapon. Obviously, we also need pics of the finished bow.
4. Entry is open until midnight CST 12/31/12. This means that if you decide you want to play on 12-30 and you can hack out a bow in a day, go for it.
5. To enter, simply post your name and a pic of your starting materials on our entry thread (THIS THREAD).Materials can be added throughout the process but must have accompanying pics. Any pics of the building/dismantling process should be posted in the "friendly competition" thread in the Bowyer's Bench.
6. There will be two classes for entry: one for laminated bows, and another for backed bows and self bows. For the purpose of this contest Laminated bows are bows that have 3 or more layers running the entire length of their limbs. Tip and Handle overlays don't count.
7. After the close of the contest, a panel of judges will narrow the field to a top 10 in each category. These ten will then be posted in the PowWow forum for the entire gang to vote on. Winner gets bragging rights.
8. It has been decided that you don't have to have pics of the furniture beforehand if, for example you salvaged an old table years ago and don't have it one piece any more...It's still OK to use.
Haha you chose the perfect name for this.. I have had an idea floating around in my head for a while of a unique bow of this sort. If it does not explode and kill me I will be in. I am thinking old snowboard cut into limbs and and will see what unique piece of junk i can come up with for a riser.
Oh man I didn't even consider snowboards! natural reflex
That is what I was thinking I have an old one a buddy of mine was waxing and there was some accident with an iron and he ruined it but it does taper out has that natural reflex and it is wood core with a fiberglass backing that has bow written all over it if you ask me.
This is going to be fun. I've got an old Ash futon that has atleast one board that will have the grain needed to come up with something. Also got something else in mind but going to keep that one secret :)
I was thinking about it and we should probably keep any conversation about the contest on the "friendly competition" thread so that we don't lose track of any people who want to enter on this one.
Scott
I'm officially entering my own contest lol. Here is what I have to work with so far. Hard maple gym floor built in the 20's. These are pics the guy sent me, and he is going to let me pick through the stack and find 15 boards with good grain....$25 for the lot. :biglaugh:
(http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p211/psychmonky/Floorpic.jpg)
(http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p211/psychmonky/Floorpic2.jpg)
Try and leave some of that paint on there for sure.
I bet some of those slats are 1/4 sawn, I'd be scavenging those buggers!
well I can't wait to see the bow that makes. It is funny I was going to try that years ago but could not find any long enough back then.
I would put them in my house that old gym floor is going to be awesome.
TTT
Kind of depressed cause the guy selling me that floor backed out the day I was supposed to pick it up. Oh well back to the drawing board.
Maybe he will let you pick thru and gets some good pieces to make a bow out of.
What about old barn beams. We are tearing down an old barn with some Black Locust support beams. Would that qualify for the contest.
I think I may have to get in on this one, and if I'm reading the rules correctly this is going to last until Dec. 31st 2012??? That's nearly an entire year to build this morphadite. :biglaugh:
I've got a nice junk pile not far from my house that has some peculiars laying around in it and I've been eyeballing a particular piece of "exercise equipment" that I'm thinking may just be a bow waiting to be born. ;)
Count me in.
Yep barn beams count! Try and get pics of the beams in place before u tear em out!
And good to have u semo! Yes we wanted people to have time for the swap and then to find materials for this.
Scott
Goodwill here I come.
God bless you all, steve
I said I would do it. So here I am. I need to get caught up though.
Shawn
QuoteOriginally posted by scrub-buster:
What about old barn beams. We are tearing down an old barn with some Black Locust support beams. Would that qualify for the contest.
Its probably harder than a diamond too.
I have some good old stuff for a riser, but I still haven't found anything to make limbs with. :(
I haven't given up though!
Dave.
Where are the PICs at? There should be some before pics at least. :dunno:
Here you go. They are about 30 years old. I hope they aren't ate up with bugs. I have some great ideas for tip overlays and a handle wrap.
(http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r55/clintanders/SDC14458.jpg)
Lmao I thought u said beams! That's just a stave you leaned up in the corner of the barn!
I guess in its simplest form a column or a post IS just a log, so if u promise it was at least supporting something it counts...but its close lol
I'll try to get some more pictures. That is the cornerpost. There are maybe 4 or 5 other posts that might be usable.
Ok I may have something I may try to make a take down with.
I am unsure of the wood, but it is the bottom half of staffs used to put guidons, flags and colors on. they screw together. I found a top piece. My plan if I even try is to chase a ring. Then epoxy the wood to the metal. each piece is about 4". They both have a metal bottom on them so they can be stuck in the ground. That will come off of course.
I think the wood my be either white oak or ash. I really don't know. I will keep them long and will make it light weight. Thinking of making a the wife a bow.
We shall see.
close up just so ya could see the grain. They are really straight grained.
(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e383/gillk/IMG_0316.jpg)
most of the lenght.
(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e383/gillk/IMG_0314.jpg)
I will post pics of the backing if I decide to use it. I have a big roll of brown paper I have been using it to wrap and mail stuff in.
You're gettin fancy with takedowns Kelly! I love it!
psychmonky,
I have seen the talent on this site, so I know I must really do something to even get into the top 10.
Kelly, that looks like hickory or ash. It's hard to tell sometimes from a picture.
Dave.
Man this is a brain scorcher.... maybe one of the leaf springs from my old pickup.... Not!!!
This is cool, still hunting
Genius, now if I can l keep myself from dismantling my neighbors Ipe deck, and his bamboo flooring. Lol only kidding, if my neighbors had that kinda money I'd have to move.
maybe not the springs....but an old wooden truckbed...or a dashboard....
I also learned today that cue balls are made of phenolic...if i can cut one apart without killing myself i may have some tip overlays.
Scott
Just today someone at my apartment complex dumped a headboard. Looks like the posts are made from solid oak, maybe enough wood for a 60" bow if I can get some glu on static tips. Now comes the akward looks of scavenging garbage in the middle of the parking lot.
Did I mention I'm angry it's oak .... why couldnt they have made it out of straight grained hickory or hophornbeam ....
QuoteOriginally posted by coaster500:
Man this is a brain scorcher.... maybe one of the leaf springs from my old pickup.... Not!!!
This is cool, still hunting
That's funny coaster, when I was in high school we made a crossbow out of an old Ford truck mainspring. :) . We used a come along to cock it and a pelican hook for the trigger mechanism. Turned out 3/8" rebar was about the proper spine for the bolts!
I'll bet you could have taken a moose with that steel bow... from across a lake!
Dave.
lol a 14000 gr arrow is bound to penetrate.
AKmud, I just made similar comments on coasters other thread, about using the spring. Greaat minds think alike :)
Alright I got my Bow Swap bow finished so now I can start cutting up a snowboard and see what kind of stresses it takes before it explodes on me. I am hoping when I cut into the snowboard all the wood grain goes from tip to tip and is not layered like plywood... Well here is to experimenting...
Yeah, I'm not sure. I know skateboards are plywood....
:scared:
I'm gonna hit the dump this weekend that's down by the river below my house since the weather is suppose to break by Friday. It's either been bone chilling cold, sleet, snow, or now torential rainfall every weekend that I've had off work! :thumbsup:
I see some very interesting ideas going on here already that's for sure. You all are quite creative as well as talented. I might even look for an old longspring while I'm at it just in case the buffalo decide to migrate back to Missouri. :goldtooth:
Lmao. If you show up to Dave's house with a leafspring next weekend....
I'll be scouting for materials, if I find something I'll probably give it a go.
I went to check out my dump on Thursday morning before work and it turned out to be a bust. The old Nordic Track machine I had in mind to salvage was missing the best part and most important part..........The Dang Skis!! :banghead:
Those were going to be my limbs for the bow I had in mind, oh well I'll keep looking.
(http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww146/mohunter68/006.jpg)
That's one of the first things I thought of too semo, nordic trac skis I saw at a goodwill. Need to go back there and see if they are still available.
Ok on that salvage stuff I got. Should I chase ring or just turn it 90 degrees so it is quarter sawn?
I am not trying for much over 45# @ 28". I was thinking about just making a bow for the wife. I may have to hit up goodwill or salvation army for some ties to make it all pretty for her. We shall see.
You could just quarter saw it and back it. Seems like a good plan. Ever find out if its hickory or ash?
Nope don't know either way it is not very wide so I will have to keep it low weight.
Kelly that looks like ash. If it were me i would chase a ring on it but it would probably work either way. Looks like it has pretty thick earlywood rings so i would recommend low poundage.
(http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p211/psychmonky/2012-02-26_17-23-00_576.jpg)
Look what I got from the free section of craigslist today!!!! Sadly, my wife fell in love with it and won't let me rip it apart for bow wood. :banghead:
You can always have an "accident" while getting it in the house! :bigsmyl:
Or just steal the top. Tell her it sounds better that way.
Dave.
oh ivory tips how nice. heck you could layer them black and white too.
Lol it was built in 1925 so im guessing they are real ivory. The whole thing is made of amazing bits of bow wood...an "accident" may be in order. Its not like there is any emotional attachment. The guy was moving and didn't want to take it.
Oops, sorry my powers slipped and accidentally ripped the piano into belly lams.
piano wire bow strings?
piano sounding board sitka spruce arrows- if your'n one has a spruce board and not something else.
sometimes the sounding boards are a little too thin for a decent arrow- however you could laminate two layers together- then shape them- would make them stiffer- and keep their shape better- however sitka stays real straight for arrows anyway!
I need suggestions on how to get this table from my sister. The wood is all mango wood that is 2" thick and at least 18" sections... could make a bunch of risers...
(http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee465/buckskinbows/2a69600f.jpg)
Have you tried asking? Ralph, if you do manage to get it away from her, see what the legs are made from. Chances are they're the same wood and you would have a bunch of billets or lams. It's really nice looking wood.
Dave.
Lol get her another table. Trade her! Its beautiful.
I'm out of the contest. My black locust barn beams were ate up with borers. They looked like swiss cheese.
I have tried asking and attempted stealing but for some reason she loved that ugly chunk of wood... Why don't furniture makers realize that plain wood goes in large items and great wood goes in bows!
I found a couple of hickory ax handles that might just splice together... neighbor said he needed some help moving some items in his garage and I happened to notice them sitting by the side. We will see if my bartering skills are up to par :readit:
Scrub you aren't out! You have a whole year!
I'll keep looking
TTT for any one who didn't see it before.
I'm still a newbie builder, but I'm keeping my eyes open for something!
Bought some older straight grained yard sticks from goodwill but may use them for my tillering tree since it would only make a kids bow with the thickness. Still keeping and eye out for supplies.
QuoteOriginally posted by SportHunter:
Bought some older straight grained yard sticks from goodwill but may use them for my tillering tree since it would only make a kids bow with the thickness. Still keeping and eye out for supplies.
Glue them together and make a laminate bow!
QuoteOriginally posted by AKmud:
QuoteOriginally posted by SportHunter:
Bought some older straight grained yard sticks from goodwill but may use them for my tillering tree since it would only make a kids bow with the thickness. Still keeping and eye out for supplies.
Glue them together and make a laminate bow! [/b]
I only got the two that were there so I would need a few more or some other material to do a laminate bow.
They should be the perfect thickness for backing...splice them and find something to glue em to!
I think I found materials. Here is a pic of bed slats that came with a king sized platform bed frame. Switched over to low profile box springs so these were sitting around in a stack. They are laminated with about 7 thin layers and act as a spring for a mattress. They are 3/8" x 2 3/8" x 37 3/4". Should be able to make a pyramid style bow out of them.
(http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa224/SOLOHUNTER/9a668745.jpg)
My son and I were viewing a bunch of Trad Gang forum posts last Sunday morning and came across the scavenger bow challenge. We had fun brainstorming about what we could use to make a bow and came up with the following idea. We didn't see a minimum age for this contest so my son Colton (age 8) will enter and I will help him along as needed (he is the one who had the most input on the idea and, at his young age, already has three bows under his bib belt.
We will use an old hockey stick with a broken blade for the bow, a section of a hockey puck for the tip overlays, netting from an old hockey net for building up the handle, and hockey tape to wrap the handle. We plan to keep the original hockey stick lettering on the back of the bow.
We searched for a bunch of old hockey sticks and found one that may work...it appears to have a white wood core (hickory and ash are common woods used for making hockey sticks) with a darker laminated wood on the sides. We are hoping that the laminate on one side of the bow will hold up and not separate from itself or the white wood core. Because this bow will be my son's, we can make it a bit lighter and hopefully not strain the bow wood too much.
Regarding the tip overlays, we think that the hard black plastic puck material should serve its purpose...we will need to figure out the best way to cut it and glue it to the bow.
Because the hockey stick shaft is narrow, we decided that we could keep with the hockey theme and use netting from an old hockey net to build it out a bit and create some "ribbing" for gripping and an arrow rest. Old hockey tape will be use to hold the netting in place.
We assume someone has also come up with this idea in the past...any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
Dino and Colton
(http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s66/dlzack825/Carlyb-day022.jpg)
Hockey stick
(http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s66/dlzack825/Carlyb-day028.jpg)
Hockey stick shaft text
(http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s66/dlzack825/Carlyb-day024.jpg)
Close up of hockey stick shaft wood
Brilliant, can't wait to see you pull it off!!!!!
Awesome! Of course there isn't a minimum age! Love to see the young ones getting involved!
Thats gonna be nice Dino. Good luck to you and your son on the build. Im still lookin for something to use for mine. :)
The hockey stick is a great idea, really want to see the outcome.
really novel idea- will keep watching!
I'm looking forward to the outcome of this contest.
(I'm not going to do it because I've got YEARS of making bows from stuff that used to be other things, and I don't think it would be fair.)
Holy short-term memory, Batman! I forgot all about this one. Glad to see it on top of the posts. Gotta get working on ideas....
Well, we are making some progress...Colton traced out the bow design using the Ferrets bow ruler, my buddy worked his magic with his band saw, and Colton resumed by rasping and scraping to the pencil lines. Next we will work toward getting the bow floor tillered. Looking good so far! It appears that the white wood sandwiched between the laminated sections is pretty soft...might be pine (was hoping for hickory or ash). The laminate will act as a backing and should hold things together nicely...hopefully we will not get too much string follow.
The fades are the width of the hockey stick and extend a little past the half way point of the limbs before they taper to the tips. We may leave the handle section the same width as the fades (i.e., keep the section between the handle and fades the same width as the stick).
It would be cool to try an flip the tips a bit but I'm worried that the heat will both ruin the lettering on the back of the hockey stick and cause the laminate to separate...any thoughts??
Below are a few picts of the boy in action! We will post another update as we get further along.
Thanks,
Dino (and Colton)
(http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s66/dlzack825/2001JeepCherokee011.jpg)
(http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s66/dlzack825/2001JeepCherokee012.jpg)
(http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s66/dlzack825/2001JeepCherokee013.jpg)
(http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s66/dlzack825/Coltonrasp.jpg)
(http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s66/dlzack825/Coltonscrap.jpg)
dino I would be worried that if you add heat the glue hold the lams would release. A lot of the glues are heat sensitive. If you have a small scrap piece you could test it by heating up and see if it comes apart.
Should I buy smooth on for a z splice or would TB3 be good enough if spliced then additional overlays are glued over the splice?
It is hard to ignore this one....going to keep an eye out for some creative ideas.
Sporthunter,
Are you talking about the yardsticks or the bed slats? Im not sure about the slats because they are laminated and I don't know how they will accept other glues. May have to do a test run with a piece of scrap.
The yardsticks should be fine with tb3. I use urac on wood though.
thanks psych, I was talking about the bed slats. But the question could apply to other short materials if I come across them.
Might as well order up some Urac to have around since I don't see the bow building bug going away anytime soon.
I did't get in on this but I made a small take down cross bow using stir sticks. Z spliced and laminated on top of one another. Don't see why yard sticks wouldn't make a bow.
very cool contest. I will keep my eyes open for something to scavenge.
Flungonin, there is no deadline. Find something and get to work! The more the merrier!
Colton is getting a bit further on his hockey stick bow...we took a couple weeks off from our bow work for a family vacation and to give my shoulder a chance to heal a bit.
(http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s66/dlzack825/coop018.jpg)
Colton using the most important tool - a pencil.
(http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s66/dlzack825/coop030.jpg)
A little wood removal.
(http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s66/dlzack825/coop025.jpg)
Floor tillering.
We hope to make some progress after our clubs primitive shoot.
Good luck to all!
Dino and Colton
Dino,
You could use the puck and make some real fancy ELB type tips for the bow, that would look real cool.
Razorback - Thanks for the idea. We brainstormed on Page 5. Not sure what ELB type tips are...we had planned to use a puck for tip overlays...is that basically the same thing? Please post a pict if you have one handy. We are looking to do as much as possible to the bow, still keeping with the hockey theme.
Any suggestions on how best to cut and glue the hard rubber puck? We have not tried experimenting with it yet.
Thanks!
(http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p211/psychmonky/horntips6.jpg)
Like this. They slip over the whole end of the limb, rather than being glued flat to the back of the bow. some of them get pretty fancy with carved animal heads and stuff.
Ahh, I see...thanks.
dinorocks that bow is coming along very nicely
Well I seemed to have missed this thread up to today. I have a piece of maple that was a banister reject, I may come out and play.
Can't believe i just now got onto this one, but I guess i better jump in!! I started on this fence post bow a little while back and still in progress. Have some issues to deal with, but i think i'll make hunting weight!
It's an osage fence post i found on the edge of our subdivision in a tree stand just laying there all alone. Almost made it firewood before i realized what i had!
(http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd374/k-hat/bodarkpost1.jpg)
There's gold in thar!
(http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd374/k-hat/bodarkpost2.jpg)
BTW if it makes weight, it may be my swap bow :D
To close the loop on the Scavenger Bow my son and I have been working on (see previous page)... unfortunately it closed like this...
(http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s66/dlzack825/GM061512097.jpg)
(http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s66/dlzack825/GM061512098.jpg)
Everything was working out great...we were taking it very slow with the tillering. I started to worry when I noticed the bow taking a nasty set.
We are not discouraged and are on a lookout for other items to use for a new bow. My neighbor (and his brother) play for the NHL... hoping they can find me an old-school all-wood hockey stick.
Will keep you posted!
Dino (and Colton)
Well that is part of the learning curve. I am sure you will find some it you check flea markets and used sporting goods.
AAAWWWWW thats a bummer! Still got 6 months though so don't give up!
Nope, we are going to keep at it! I'm working on a project adjacent to the St. Regis Mohawk Trip...maybe I can find an old used hickory lacross stick! Lacross (and ice hockey) are very big in this neck of the woods!
TTT
Its time to get serious about this, guys. Anybody still playing?
I've been away for a while helping my wife and her sister remodle a house to open a daycare, but I can finally get back to building stuff for fun!!!
I'm in, but in limbo. Got 3 other projects with precedence. I'm gonna have to reglue my splice then continue. I'm hoping to have it finished in time!
Since my maple floor boards fell through, I am going to have to start something else...Hickory wheelbarrow handle from Lowe's. It'll be unlaminated. Gonna chase a ring and make it a 60" self bow.
(http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p211/psychmonky/Mobile%20Uploads/Resampled_2012-10-13_13-16-05_997.jpg)
Here it is after taking it down to my desired ring. now on to lay out and then try to heat some of the prop twist out of one limb.
(http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p211/psychmonky/Mobile%20Uploads/Resampled_2012-10-17_11-26-50_167.jpg)
Haven't posted in here since I decided I was somehow going to find a legitimate piece of wood and excitedly joined the challenge. Turns out bow wood is alot more easily come across in the woods than the city. Unless I can make a bow out of chipboard furniture I don;t know what to do.
Then the other day I found myself refinishing an old oar for decoration ... once I got the paint stripped I realized it was a piece of almost prefectly straight (white?) oak. Unfotunately it was salvaged from my grandparents house and I cant part with it. Not to mention a little (read "a ton of") linseed oil made this thing look fanstastic.
Still looking for something .... meanwhile time is ticking. Hope I can pull something together.