Selfbow for Irish

[Shaun]

At Compton this year Mel (Irish) asked me if I would finish a selfbow he had started a few years before at MOJam. I like this kind of project and as the early winter bow building season started, it was on top of my list. All went well until a flaw in the upper limb brought me to a halt. I could not get around it and I was stuck. A few days later I was eying a half bow blank from a previous project and decided to try a "W" splice. I made a flat spot on both partially shaped bulbous handles and glued small pieces of ply on them to make a "table" to keep the blanks square as they were band sawed. It worked!

The bow finished out at 63.5 inches NTN and dialed in right at Mel's preferred 52# @ 28". Dead straight when unbraced and good speed. The bottom limb is Mel's original blank - so I guess its only half Irish (like me).

Back view



New pup tracking Teckel named Graetsche and shop helper inspecting...side profile



Braced



Skived handle wrap



Drawn (27" my normal - the arrow is 28.75" BOP)

[Irish]

Like it a bunch - I need to come up with a good name for it.   Any ideas?

[Goose Gossett]

That is a great looking bow and the handle is real slick!

You could always name it "half breed" because it's two in one or "lucky" because with the flaw it was lucky to become a bow  :D

[Shaun]

Mel, I was thinking of you whacking that charging hog with your BW and how much better this bow would be for that purpose - but no name came to mind yet. It has 4 coats of TruOil and I can still write or draw something and add another couple over it.

[2treks]

You done good Shaun,Again! How about "Luck of the Irish(s)" for a name(man that was bad).
Shaun, what are those small round marks on the wall behind your full draw pic?

[Rice Spann]

Great job Shaun!  Hope to see you sometime this bow building season.
Rice

[snag]

Originally posted by Two Tracks:

Shaun, what are those small round marks on the wall behind your full draw pic?

  Can't get anything by some guys! haha

 Love the bow. Nice save! What is the wood?

[Shaun]

Snag, there is only one bow wood!

2T, had to move my bag target to get a white background. Sometimes the bag target string jumps, just like a deer.

[Mike Most]

How about initials "IHB" for obvious reasons...good looking finish overall....

[George Tsoukalas]

That's a great bow, Shaun. Well done. Jawge

[dposalski]

You could call it "Selfless".  No longer really a selfbow and it was built by two of you.

[snag]

...would that be yew wood???? haha

[DVSHUNTER]

nice loking bow shaun. I like that wrapped handle.

[Pat B]

Very nice Shaun. Full draw is right on!
 I like the way you set is aside until you cleared the cobwebs and came up with a great idea and save. The mark of a true bowyer. Well done!

[2treks]

Dang it Mike,Whats "IHB"? I came up with about a half dozen OBVIOUS reasons.    
OH! and Shaun, I knew that but I wanted to see if you wanted to be naughty or nice. good looking pup by the way.

[Walt Francis]

Shaun,
That bow is a good one, the tiller is spot on.

I like the plywood idea for stabilizing the limbs while cutting the splice, it might be easier then the method I use.  Currently, when I am splicing using roughed out limbs, I wrap them in plastic wrap, put them in a long narrow cardboard box, line both limbs up, fill it with spray insulation foam, and then let it cure for an hour.  Next, I remove the cardboard, true/square the foam blocks (with encased limbs) on the jointer, cut the box in half, scrape the foam off the back of the bow, and proceed with a normal splice.  One of these years I should do a splice along but currently the "Half Bow" bucket is empty.

[Irish]

I am kind of liking "IHB"

[2treks]

Irish's hunting bow?

[ranger 3]

Very nice, I like it.

[broketooth]

thats a good lookin bow , i like it!how do you apply a handle wrap like you have, it looks really cool. i like your work shaun. ruddy