[aeronut]

in reply to: Whatcha Got Going 2021 #161008

A few years ago I was hiking in the Smoky Mtns and got caught in a storm and thankfully there wasn’t a lot of lightning.  Three+ miles from the car and no rain gear.  I was headed downhill pretty quick because I’ve been knocked off my feet by the concussion from a nearby lightning strike.  The big Cedar tree didn’t fare as well.

[aeronut]

in reply to: Whatcha Got Going 2021 #160945

I really like watching an active lightning storm.  About six years ago I was out one stormy night on a trouble call around 3am to do some switching.  There was a lot of lightning so I grabbed one of my GoPro cameras hoping I’d get some good video.  I had put a mount on the dash of my bucket truck to video the weather and other stuff along the way.

This is just an example of what you deal with when you work for an electric company.  We had the post office beat on working in harsh weather conditions.

 

https://youtu.be/6KW_lS5GT2o

[aeronut]

in reply to: Whatcha Got Going 2021 #160939

I would really like to sit on my porch and watch a good rain storm.  I live on a gravel road and it’s so dry if there’s an east wind the dust cloud from passing cars and trucks will set off my driveway alarm.

[aeronut]

in reply to: Whatcha Got Going 2021 #160910

I’ll do a little catch-up here.

My MRI showed that I have Stenosis and Spondylosis(sp) in my neck.  Stenosis is kind of like carpal tunnel in your wrist but it’s in your neck.  Spondylosis is problems with the disks.

On January 18th I had four vertebrea in my neck fused together so now I have a neck full of titanium wedges and plates.  The good news is the elephant that was sitting o my shoulders hasn’t climbed back on.  I still have some aches and pains but nothing like before.  Dr said average time for full fusion to take place is around a year.  Everyone in the hospital staff commented that I did extremely well for a person my age of 66.

Now I am trying to gain back the muscle loss in m y left leg caused by that D****d Moderna vaccine shot I took a year ago last May.  I wish I’d left it in the bottle.

I’ll be getting an addition to the family on the 11th next month.  My BMX daughter and her boyfriend are getting married.  He’s a good kid and I am pleased as punch.

I wish everyone success in their hunting adventures this year.  I’ll be leaving the bow and flintlock at home when I venture out this year.

[aeronut]

in reply to: New bow for a new traditional archer #160490

Just two??

I got tired of the feather mites destroying my fletching so I lined a storage closet with cedar and made hangers for some–some–of my bows.  I call it the Bear’s Den.  On the left:

Bear Kodiak special  50x@27  This bow is the same age as me and still shoots great.

Bear Tigercat  45@28

Bear Grizzly  50x@28   Gifted to me from a good friend who has passed away.

Kodiak Magnum  50@28

Kodiak  45@28

Kodiak  35@28  One of my favorites.  I bought it at an auction for $37.50.

On the right:

Colt Hunt Master  48@28

Ben Pearson Signature Take Down  40@28

One of my homemade hybrid D/R bows  35@28    I made this bow in 2011 for my cousin Bob.  His nephew’s wife named it Shishka since he would be skewering animals with it.  He has passed and the bow was returned to me.

Just a few more hanging in my hobby room.  Most of these are made by me.

And that’s not all of them……..

I forgot to mention the most important bow in the Den.  The little orange fiberglass bow hanging in the back left is what got me started chasing arrows around 56 years ago.  I got it for Christmas when I was ten.  My granddaughter will soon be shooting this bow.

 

• This reply was modified 3 years, 1 month ago by aeronut.

[aeronut]

in reply to: Hello! #160182

Good morning from Kansas Pat and welcome to the club.  I, too, envy you having a shop that carries trad gear.  The few and far between shops around here only carry the latest un-needed compound gear and they are quickly transitioning to crossgun.  They look at me like I’m from Mars when I look through their stuff while I’m wearing my shirt that says I make my own bows.

The main thing is to shoot to have fun.

 

Dennis

[aeronut]

in reply to: Roving and stumping #160110

Here in Ks you can’t target shoot on public land and I also assume that pertains to firearms.  I’ll have to look that up and see if it includes archery.

My usual routine is to trash shoot on the way back to the truck when I exit the woods and I carry a plastic sack with me to carry out the kills.  There’s usually an abundance of targets to pick from.

[aeronut]

in reply to: Roving and stumping #160061

There was a recent thread on the Leatherwall about 3D shooting and my reply was I really enjoy 3D shooting but I very seldom keep score.  I just shoot for the fun of it.  My cousins and I would also do the “follow the leader” routine at the 3D shoots if there wasn’t many shooters on the trail.

When the big round hay bales appeared in this area a bunch of us would get permission to shoot the field.  We would all flip a coin to see who would take the first shot.  That shooter would pick a bale and the closest to center would get to pick the next bale and shoot first.  Our version of playing hay meadow ‘horse’.

[aeronut]

in reply to: Finger Strain #160060

Years ago when one of my friends showed up with a trigger release I told him if I was going to pull a trigger I’d shoot a gun.  But if finger joint pain gets too unbearable maybe a release aid would be beneficial instead of just quitting.

My joint problem isn’t finger pain, it is an occasional knife stab in my left wrist and I haven’t been able to do the boy scout salute for ages.  My fingers are not flexible enough and I’m sure that is from all the heavy work I have done over the years and probably the cause for the occasional wrist pain.

[aeronut]

in reply to: Ron LaClair #159577

Same here Richard.

[aeronut]

in reply to: Browning Backpacker I #159534

If you’re referring to the little camper I built it does great.  I’ve towed it to the Twin Oaks shoot, on out to the Smoky Mountains, and down to south Texas.  Finished weight was 880#’s and you barely know it’s behind you going down the road.

[aeronut]

in reply to: Browning Backpacker I #159442

Today’s shot after a light wipe down with steel wool and spraying coat #4.

 

[aeronut]

in reply to: Browning Backpacker I #159430

First coat of Helmsman Urethane Spar Satin.  Not perfect but it is a 49 year old bow.  It looks way better without that gray crap that was on it.  Now I have one more limb to finish.

 

[aeronut]

in reply to: Browning Backpacker I #159423

Been working on the Backpacker bow when I get some free time.  I’ve got the riser to the almost ready to spray point.

I’m afraid to sand too much around the specs or the decal areas.

[aeronut]

in reply to: Browning Backpacker I #159248

Been pretty busy and had to set the Browning aside for a little bit.  I spent 12 days in Texas from the 11th to the 21st in the hottest weather I’ve been in for a long time.  Six days in South Texas helping on border watch operations in 95 to 101* temperatures and then in West Texas to hunt varmints.  Daytime there was  102-109* and all we hunted was shade.

I did get back to the bow and got a coat of finish one limb.  It took two tries on spraying the finish.  My first attempt was with Rustoleum polyurethane.  Big mistake there and had to sand it down again.  I had one fisheye spot that is a result of some of the Rustoleum  not getting completely removed that I’ll have to touch up.

Initial finish doesn’t look too bad.

And the fisheye.  That’s not a crack, it’s a small scratch I didn’t get sanded out.

More work to be done.  With all the rain we had there won’t be any finish being sprayed for a while.

 

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