First Osage Selfbow

The Gopher · August 17, 2008, 10:25:00 AM

I just finished up my first osage selfbow. the bulk of the work was done at the MN bowbuilding weekend that Chad (Holm-Made) hosted earlier this summer. it was a great weekend and I learned a ton about selfbows. I couldn't have doen it without the help of Dirty Joe from dickinson, ND and Sparrow from Fargo. There was a little character in the stave both side to side and front to back that made tillering a challange for a beginner. it'll finish up about 50lbs at my 27" draw. i'm still debating weather i want to put a grip on it or just go with the all wood look. the first picture shows my shop assistant Dylan.

**DONOTDELETE** · August 17, 2008, 10:43:00 AM

Wow, your kind of young to be making bow... That is You in the first pic?

**DONOTDELETE** · August 17, 2008, 10:44:00 AM

looks nice... can you post a full draw pic?

Pat B · August 17, 2008, 11:27:00 AM

Very nice osage bow but like Sal, I would also like to see a full draw pic. Thanks for posting. Pat

wisconsin wood butcher · August 17, 2008, 04:57:00 PM

real nice :campfire:a full draw photo would be nice

Danny Roberts · August 17, 2008, 09:31:00 PM

Very nice !

The Gopher · August 18, 2008, 08:43:00 AM

I'll try to get a full draw pic soon. Looks like Dylan has taken an interest in the string, i'll have to get him started with a spool of B-50 soon!

Hey wood butcher i was just in your neck of the woods, camping on the chippewa flowage, good weather, great time, beautiful area.

Peter Arthur · August 18, 2008, 04:27:00 PM

Hi Gopher- great to see another MN guy on here. I live in Watertown, we should get together and shoot sometime. I'm dying to try my hand at making my own bows so maybe I can learn something!

The Gopher · August 18, 2008, 09:40:00 PM

here are some more pics, in the pics with the red background the right limb is the upper limb. you can see about 9 inches from the tip where there is a natural dip that really fooled me a lot during tillering, i kept thinking it was a hinge developing. In the full draw pic it looks like the lower limb is a little stiff, like i said this is my first osage selfbow, i am more than open to constructive critisism, let me know what you think since i have a lot to learn.

DirtyDan · August 19, 2008, 11:41:00 AM

Great job. Fabulous bow!!

Dan

**DONOTDELETE** · August 19, 2008, 11:45:00 AM

nice tillering... Job well done.

formerbutcher · August 19, 2008, 12:23:00 PM

Tiller looks spot on to me !
Nice job on you'r first one !
John

Pluck Yew · August 20, 2008, 01:04:00 PM

I remember that log..I said you'd never get a bow outta there in a weekend...damned if you weren't shooting pointy sticks saturday evening..(I'd wake up and look out my tent at 5:45 and dan was already riding that shaving pony..)

Shawn..