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in reply to: Reminder: Pigs can hurt you! #33423

Yeowch! That ain’t really what I’m wanting to read when I’m planning a Texas hog hunt this winter:shock:. I may want to build some Rambo broadheads for my arrows!!

I know first hand what a domestic hog can do to ya so a wild hog has to be bad.

I saw part of that show.

Dennis

[aeronut]

in reply to: Hickory Hedge #32151

I decided to use Black Walnut and Deer antler for the tip overlays. I have a big shed that I found with my bushhog a few years back and decided to incorporate it into some of my projects.

I used some of the leftover Walnut from the riser overlay and put the antler on top of it. I really hate the smell of cutting and sanding antler but I like the finished product.

Back into the hotbox again……..

Dennis

[aeronut]

in reply to: Hickory Hedge #31067

I got finished with my fix-it project today so i got some more done on the bow. I re-taped the glass and checked everything with a long string. Looked good, even, and no twist in the limbs.

I decided to go with a 64″NTN bow so I measured everything for that. I marked center on the bow and laid out the line with my laser level. I stick it to my heat duct right above my head. Remember, I’m in the basement.

Next I marked out the limbs and went to the machine shed where my bandsaw and sanders are. I saved a dull blade for my bandsaw because it would work for cutting the fiberglass. After cutting out the limbs I sanded them down to the line.

Earlier I cut some thin Black Walnut laminations ot overlay on the front and back of the riser. I glued them in place and everything is now back in the hotbox.

To be ontinued……

Dennis

[aeronut]

in reply to: Hickory Hedge #30113

I had some free time so it is time for another installment on the bow. I put the lams and riser in the hot box while I gathered up the rest of the stuff. Finally found my air hose after about an hour of searching.

Time to mix some glue. Equal parts of Smooth-On.

My daughter happened to come down to the basement so I had her snap a picture since I didn’t want a built-in camera on my bow.

Ready for the hot box. I learned that alcohol is great for removing Smooth-On from your hands.

I took everything apart this evening and I didn’t get a fresh-out-of-the-form picture:twisted:. I sanded off all the glue boogers and globs and this is what I’ve got so far.

We found a narrow white streak running along one edge and it took a while to realize that one of the Osage lams had shifted a bit. After looking everything over it won’t affect the bow at all since 90% of it will be removed when I taper the limbs and the rest will be covered by a riser overlay.

To be continued……..

Dennis

[aeronut]

in reply to: Another new member and a question already! #20628

I’ve been shooting a bow for over forty years and started when no one said anything about eye dominance. I am right handed and left-eyed but find that if I concentrate only on the target and not the arrow I am fine. If I ‘see’ the arrow as I am making the shot I will usually screw up the shot.

Dennis

[aeronut]

in reply to: Defining "Traditional" Bowhunting #13493

Humble pie and tag soup are a mainstay here, not because I’m a terrible shot, but because the kill is not the main point of my hunting. Don’t get me wrong, I like venison, but just being in the outdoors and getting as close as possible to an animal is the thrill for me.

What I think of traditional bowhunting is any bow without wheels, cables, sights, or any kind of gizmo that gives me a mechanical advantage, and some kind of wooden arrow.

My gear for a hunt is simple.

I grab whichever handmade by me bow that strikes my fancy at the time, be it a Bamboo-backed or glass-backed longbow. A tube quiver with four homemade arrows of wood, Bamboo, or Rivercane. A knife, flashlight, lighter, ball compass, short piece of small rope (10-15′), and a candy bar or two. I put on my Shaggie suit and still hunt/stalk, no tree stands or blinds.

That is just me.

A lot of people shoot carbon arrows but I’ve never had any hankerin’ to try them. I guess in reality, carbon is just really, really, old wood.:lol:

If I was to go truly ‘traditional’ I would be hunting with a sharpened stick.:shock:

Dennis

[aeronut]

in reply to: Heavy or light arrows #58540

I tend to shoot a heavier arrow too. I like a heavier braodhead at least 145 grains and try to get my arrows around 11-12 grains/lb of draw weight. A heavier arrow will have more kinetic energy.

That said, I also hunt with Bamboo and River Cane arows. I still keep at least 145 gr on the front and add what weight I can to the shaft. They come out lighter but I restrict my shots to 15 yds or less with these arrows. I carry both heavy and light shafts when I still hunt.

Dennis

[aeronut]

in reply to: new bowyer needs help #55924

Some links that may be helpful.

http://bowyersworkshop.com/

http://www.bowyersedge.com/articles.html

Dennis

[aeronut]

in reply to: Curly Hickory Longbow #55426

Finished specs….

64″ 54#@28″ I was hoping for a weight somewhere around 45-50#’s but I’m not complaining at all.

Profiles….

I shot and tuned this bow a bunch for two weeks and then decided to take it for a walk in the woods. It was late December and there were five days left of deer season here so I decided to give ‘Curly’ a field trial. I gave up tree stands a few years back and have been a ground hunter exclusively and I knew of a Cottonwood blowdown that was near a travel route and had that feeling of ‘tonight’s the night’ so I still hunted to it and waited.

About 45 minutes before dark I had not one, but seven deer within 30 yards of me. Just before dark I finally had the opportunity to draw back undetected and send a Bamboo shaft into a doe just ten yards away.

I feel that this hunt was a super achievement in several ways. I had harvested a deer with the first arrow shot on the first hunt of my newly made bow. Secondly, I had done that from ground level surrounded closely by 14 eyes ever alert to danger. It is a hunt I will not soon forget.

Dennis

[aeronut]

in reply to: Curly Hickory Longbow #55406

OK. I got the second try grip overlay done and this one turned out fine. One last check on the tiller and time to test shoot.
I grabbed a few arrows and set out went in search of my quarry, the ‘Roundus Haybalus’. Shhh…There’s one now.

I am wishing I had made the riser a couple of inches shorter but it shoots great.

Time for a finish coat. I fut four coats of True-Oil on it and really needed to use a sealer, possibly super-glue, on the Ipe overlay. It remained tacky for quite some time.

More……

Dennis

[aeronut]

in reply to: arrows? #55393

I will agree with WildCat about making and shooting wood shafts. I have been shooting the same 5/16″ Hickory shafts for about two years now and even after bouncing them off of trees and rocks I have not broken one yet.

Kemp–I have found some brand-spankin’ new aluminum shafts to have a very slight bend in them. I assumed they were straight, being brand new, and had a terrible time getting the to fly worth a darn. Closer inspection located the problem and after I straightened them they flew great.

Most people who shoot wood want POC shafts. Those are good, lightweight shafts and are easy to straighten. Some other woods to try are:

Poplar–Just a tad heavier than POC and tougher. Easy to straighten.
Douglas Fir–Same as Poplar
Ramin wood–A little heavier and tougher yet. Easy to work.
Chundoo or Lodge Pole Pine–Good shaft material.
Hickory–Heavier and a little harder to straighten but one of my favorites. Tough as he**. There is a reason why they make sledge hammer handles out of it. I shoot a lot of them and have never broken one yet.
River Cane–More labor involved but well worth the time learning to make them. One of my favorite hunting shafts for deer.
Bamboo–Same as cane and my go to hunting shaft material. Heat is an absolute must for straightening ‘boo and cane.

Dang, my floor hasn’t been that clean in forever:shock:

Dennis

[aeronut]

in reply to: Curly Hickory Longbow #55370

I have my hotbox hooked to a timer and do my gluing in the evening. I set the timer for around six hours and leave it overnight. I took the bow out of the form the next morning and looked it over.

The Hickory turned out real purty.

Next, I checked the tiller, which turned out great, no problems with that at all, and then I marked and cut out the riser and limb profiles (no pics of that either:roll:).

I decided to use Black Walnut and Hickory for the tip overlays and started working on that.

I had to sand down the belly a tad because the lams had slipped just a bit on the riser. Nothing bad, just needed a little elbow grease.

I decided to use some Ipe for the grip overlay and cut a thin piece and glued it on. I sanded down the bottom end of it and was real pleased with the way it looked.

I worked my way to the top end and discovered air bubbles underneath. I sanded quite a bit off and it just would not go away. In this picture I had sanded about 3/4″ of it off and it just kept getting worse. I finally sanded the whole Ipe overlay off and glued on another one being a lot more careful with the glue.

More coming……..

Dennis

[aeronut]

in reply to: How many bowyers? #52497

I just started a new one. It will be a Hickory core with Osage lams. I don’t have much free time and I just hope I get it done by October. I just ordered the glass and glue for it.

Sanding lams.

A bow’s worth of Hickory and Hedge.

I am going to do a build-along on another forum and I’ll post it here too if anybody wants to see it.

Here are some pics of a Curly Hickory I built last year.

Dennis

[aeronut]

in reply to: Cool Trad turkey video #42817

That is a great video. There’s a lot more to hunting than killing and you show that very well with this video.

Thanks for sharing.

Dennis

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