I've made a dozen or so, then sold my heat box and forms to a school here. I just finished up a sinew backed osage orange bow last week, along with some arrows. Here are some sets I've made over the years

RB,

    Compound only fer spot, but I started with a long bow.

spot

rollingb,

Say,,,those long bows are a danger to a normal man! I got one in a trade some years ago from a man who wasn't from around here. He said he had spent some time in Oklahoma tho. I found out too late that he had spent some time in Oklahoma alright, at the Federal pen in El Reno! Anyway this here long bow was so long I had to stand on a stump so it would clear the ground. It wouldn't fit in the Desoto so I had to tie her on top to take her out in the woods. The man threw in one of those Robin Hood hats with the pheasant feather on it and I really liked that hat but never got warmed up to the long bow. It might have pulled 100 lbs at full draw, wherever that was, but I only managed to get it back to where my wrist was was approaching my chin, and then the string would rub against my bulging right eye and I'd have to let her go. The arrows were Port Orford Cedar of unknown spine but I used one once to prop up the porch roof against the top of the railing and she stayed straight for the two years it took me to get down to the lumber yard and buy a new 4x4. I used to use the 'step thru' method to string her up. You know, hold the bow in the right hand with the string to the left and the bottom end of the bow across the left foot. Step your right leg and foot thru between the string and bow and use your hip to flex the bow and run the string up to the knock with the left hand. I almost had her strung one day but lost my grip on the string at the last moment and she slammed shut on me with the string trapping my left hand index finger in it's loop and wedging my hand on top of my head with the string traversing my left eye, nose ,upper chest,( I had one in those days)and then dividing my body below my belt in a way I would not have chosen if I had a choice in th e matter. The bottom of the bow was forced out in front of my legs so that I could only back up. I tried to back up to the house for help but immediately fell off the stump backwards into the creek and might have drowned but the bow spanned the creek banks and held me high enough that only my belly was in the water. After two days the string was wet enough to ease me on down into the creek and I floated free. Shortly after that I traded that bow off as a recurve, it's shape having been permanently changed by the experience, as was mine. I still have the Robin Hood hat tho. Max

Max,.... HA! HA! HA!.. You jest haft'a love the "simplisity" of tha longbow tho!!

Year's ago (early '70's), I let a feller convince me thet my longbow was "out-dated", he told me thet I needed to git one of them new-fangled compound bows to go hunt'n "proper". One satuday afternoon I hopped in my pickup for a visit to the "new" sport'n-goods store thet jest opened in town. When I walked in the door I was shocked by all the new fangled stuff be'n offered, hang'n on tha walls, displayed in the "display cases", big "banners" with pitchers of champion-archers with ther gear, and etc. I was a liddle surprised to discover thet my "earlier advice" had come from the owner of the new sport'n goods store. We visited for a while, and he asked if I'd like a cup of coffee and a doughnut (for customers ONLY). While I munched on my doughnut and sipped coffee, he told me 'bout all the "CHAMPIONSHIP TURNYMENTS" be'n won with compound bows. I'd never seen a compound bow before, or, heard of any of the champion bow shooters he was tell'n me 'bout, so I grabbed anuther doughnut (while he advanced, to what I now call "stage 2").

"Stage 2", began with him pull'n a bow down from the it's place on the wall, and introduce'n me to a new-fangled feel'n (I later found out, it's called "sticker shock"),.... while he seemed distracted, and was talk'n 'bout stuff I'd never heard of before,.... "magknee'sium riser", "lambinated limbs", "composit pullys", and etc. I grabbed anuther doughnut.

He explained the new compound bows to me for 'bout 45 minutes (8 doughnuts in "real time"), then looked me over real good and handed me one of the bows. WOW!!.... he said it "fit" me perfect, and he was very excited. He started pull'n stuff from the counter-display case,.... "bow quiver", "sights", "sight pins", "3 foot stableizer", some kind of "trigger-release", "arrow staight'n'er", and 'bout 1/2 a "pickup-load" of other stuff.

After he got everthin thet I "needed" all totaled up on the cash-register, I was feel'n purty sick, and my head was start'n to spin,..but, I thought maybe it was the doughnuts. I started feel'n a liddle better 'bout half-way home (11 miles), 'cept for feel'n tired, even tho I kept switch'n the huge sack of "bow'n stuff" from one shoulder to the other. I was also wish'n I'd had him throw in a new pair'a boots 'fore I signed over the title of my 2 year-old pickup, to him,.... and,.. by the time I finally got home,.... I remembered the new Rem. model 700 BDL, and, model 870,.. STILL in the pickup gun rack.