I bought a osage stave off of the auction site in January after I made my first hickory bow. It was crooked, twisted and had some knots. I got it down close to bow dimensions, steamed it and straightened it as much as I could and set it back to dry. It ended up more narrow at one tip because of grain runout and a knot. The fellow I got it from doesn't leave a lot of bow wood to begin with and when I got done I had much less.
After my boo blow earlier this week I decided I'd make a run at finishing this one half expecting it to blow up on me. I had planned on a 62" N-N but I couldn't keep the twist out of the top limb. I ended up making a 60" N-N and so far she's holding up. I'm still shooting it in but so far so good.
(http://i1325.photobucket.com/albums/u629/Brad_Cayton/Bow%20Builds/Osage/P10106351_zps859cd97a.jpg)
(http://i1325.photobucket.com/albums/u629/Brad_Cayton/Bow%20Builds/Osage/P10106331_zpsb059e355.jpg)
(http://i1325.photobucket.com/albums/u629/Brad_Cayton/Bow%20Builds/Osage/P10106341_zps8f497468.jpg)
(http://i1325.photobucket.com/albums/u629/Brad_Cayton/Bow%20Builds/Osage/P10106311_zpsa51f5d49.jpg)
I was figuring with it being 1 1/8" at the fades and just 60" I'd go for 45# or so but she shoots and feels good so I checked it and it's pulling 53#. I may see how it acts there.
Looks nice!
Nice Brad, now get that ELBOW DOWN:)
Tiller looks real good Brad.
How many bows have you built in the last three months?
Very nice. Looks smooth.
Brad is that the stave from me... if so NICELY DONE!!!!
Roy,
I think I'm deformed. When I hold a bow vertical my elbow won't come down! I shoot with a pretty hard cant and then my elbow isn't as high. Trying to get it down holding a bow straight up is like trying not to cough, it just ain't happening :D
John,
I've made 3 stick bows and 3 glass bows this year that turned out. I blew up on my BBO attempt. Unemployment doesn't pay well but I have more building time!
Justin,
No, this was a flea bay stave. The fellow splits them to get as many staves as he can and small to ship cheaper too. I'm amazed at how little Osage will make a bow. I just hope I'm not asking too much from it pulling this much weight. I would have liked for it to be wider, being 60", but didn't have enough wood.
Thanks for the kind words fellas.
Whenever you can get it, you still got a stave here in South Point.
Hi Joe!
Check your pms. My son is up this weekend. He's bringing some trade back your way with him.
That home # is area code 740......
Happy Easter to you and your family!
Osage is amazing. The ONLY wood to even bother with for selfbows.......
Happy Easter to you all too Joe.
I love Osage, just wish I had some around here.
If you Osage lovers are ever around st. Louis send me a PM. I have a ton of them on our property and honestly all we do is cut them down and burn them up. They are a trash wood to our Eco environment here and I'm on an eradication spree to get my woodlot back to its natural state. All autom olive, multi flora rose, Japanese honeysuckle etc needs to go
Good looking little bow you have created.
You are 143 miles from my house. Come on over and pick through my stave pile. If you are interested we can go cut a truckload together. I know where there is a bunch. It is all over around here.
Nice job. I wish Osage grew in my area. I am blessed with tons of hickory but love the yellow wood. I am sure she will hold up for you.
The more I shot this bow, the more I liked it. I made 2 TDs, one osage and one fiberglass, for this trip but decided to figure out a way to pack this one and take it instead.
I took 3 pigs with it. They were all small ones but I'm tickled to death with the bow. I was shooting a 550 grain arrow setup with 160 Ace heads. I had no problem blowing through these small pigs and took two with the same arrow after sharpening the head.
I only have one grip and grin shot.
(http://i1325.photobucket.com/albums/u629/Brad_Cayton/Hunting/P10107111_zpsb1bb8848.jpg) (http://s1325.photobucket.com/user/Brad_Cayton/media/Hunting/P10107111_zpsb1bb8848.jpg.html)
I took the black one and the gray one. My wife took the red one with her widow. My daughter ran the camcorder. Now she says She wants to shoot one next year!
(http://i1325.photobucket.com/albums/u629/Brad_Cayton/Hunting/P10107151_zps0bc080b6.jpg) (http://s1325.photobucket.com/user/Brad_Cayton/media/Hunting/P10107151_zps0bc080b6.jpg.html)
I took this little sow the last day. She had no ears. She had been bayed up at some point and the dogs had torn her ears off. She was healed up fine but was the ugliest pig I've ever seen.
(http://i1325.photobucket.com/albums/u629/Brad_Cayton/Hunting/IMG_20130416_101225_6891_zpsfaeaaead.jpg) (http://s1325.photobucket.com/user/Brad_Cayton/media/Hunting/IMG_20130416_101225_6891_zpsfaeaaead.jpg.html)
I think this bow has pretty well ruined me for building anymore glass bows! The fellow we hunted with was impressed with it too.
Congrats, Brad..
Cool stuff! Thanks for sharing
That is awesome, great job getting the family out. Wish my wife wold hunt with me.
Thanks fellas.
razorback,
I was happy when she started shooting 3D with me and even happier when she decided to take a pig. She still doesn't want to hunt anything here at home but something about those pigs kicks on the green light for her.
sweet you guys stacked'em up that day.
Congratulations on your hunt! That's a nice looking bow and family you have there. It sounds like everyone had a lot of fun too.
-Jay
Congrats, very cool!!!
:scared: ....Just when you got really good at it too.
Actually I don't blame you. I'm even toying with the idea taking a break from glass bows for a while and trying my hand at a selfbow.
Actually I don't blame you. I'm even toying with the idea taking a break from glass bows for a while and trying my hand at a selfbow.
Help me, I fell off my PC chair and can't reach my beer:) :laughing:
Laugh it up Roy, but I'm not sure if I'd stoop so low as to ask you for tillering advice.
John, there's just something about those selfbows, I can't explain it but it's there. I have no doubt you can turn out a good one when you decide to do it.
Roy, I hope you clawed your way back up on that chair without to much trouble. :D
Great story, Brad! I know you had tons of fun!
Roy, be careful of your hips 'n such falling around like that!
Congrats brad.there is something about selfbows.
Roy isn't even retired yet and we already need to get him a Lifealert. I can hear him now..."I've fallen and I can't get up!"
Congrats!
:thumbsup: