other builders

[rkeltner]

just a wild question.---how many other muzzleloader builders here also build bows?

 

[Herb]

Neill Fields of Utah who has built about 400 ML firearms by now, including the .54 English sporting rifle flinter that is being raffled off at the Rocky Mtn Natnl Rendezvous now going on, also makes long bows.

 

[Mike Brooks]

I can tie some awesome bows on my boots. :grin:

 

[Roy]

I am making one now. :thumbsup:

 

[RC]

this have anything to do with shootin ramrods? :hmm: :wink:

 

[rich pierce]

I make bows and like it more than building rifles (at the moment). For me discovering the best bow within a stave is a new and exciting challenge.

 

[MikeC]

I am making one now. :thumbsup:

Roy...Laminated or selfbow? Details would be nice.

 

[Roy]

Making an osage selfbow. On Wednesday nights I get together with a few guys and we shoot and make bows. I haven't made a bow in several years, but there was a stave that everyone was avoiding... so I thought I would give it a go. Personally I don't think it will work, but thats part of the fun. It will have a lot of character... :haha:

 

[MikeC]

Personally I don't think it will work, but thats part of the fun. It will have a lot of character... :haha:

Never made one but owned a couple and took a couple of deer with a yew selfbow, well sort of it was backed with goat skin made by Ted Fry.

Take your time around the character you'll be amazed at what is possible and be carefull when pulling it back on the tillering tree.

Now don't let this new hobby take you away from building them firearms now. :wink: :grin:

All kidding aside good luck and keep us posted as it develops.

 

[Elnathan]

Never made one, but I have a stave - osage with hickory backing - waiting its turn. Not sure if I count as a gunbuilder, though - I'm only on my second!

 

[Black Hand]

I do both, though it has been a few years since my last bow.....need to build 2 more at least.

 

[rkeltner]

WOW! i didn't expect this kind of response! in answer to one question, yes, i do both laminated and self bows at current time i have built 5 or 6 longbows, and i have 4 or 5 in the works. (yes, as a matter of fact, i do have a bad tendency of working on too many things at once!!!!) i also have two or three muzzleloading projects that i'm rotating along some modern firearm projects. that plus repairing freinds and family's cars, plus the obligatory day (evening shift) job, i don't know haw i get anything done, but i do!

 

[Deadeye]

I build bows and guns and most of the guys in our club build both, some also make knives and hatchets. We always have archery shoots at our get togethers and rondys. Self bows can be as adictive as muzzleloading.

 

[tg]

I consider my self more of a novice gunstocker than a real bonified builder, I built one self bow about 15 years ago out of wild Hazelwood, it worked ok but I ended up with a fairly light pull about 40# if I recall, Interestingly were a some (bowyers" around here selling "handmade bows" that were cut from a plank with a bandsaw then finished down with sanders and such, with no thought toward the grain, I know of one that broke the first time it was used, I made the guy a half dozen arrows with obsidian pts and warned him about the bow but the bow maker had done a pretty good con job, I don't know if there are many of these guys still around, I had spread the word pretty loudly to everyone I knew who went to events to be on the lookout for these wallhangers, I had talked to one of these makers at one time about grain,and bowmaking in general and he didn't have a clue what I was talking about, I think the plan they use is to make the bow with a very, very light pull to try and eliminate breakage.

 

[rkeltner]

unfortunately, there are shysters in every group! too bad it gives the rest of us the task of returning the sence of honor to the entire field! i will second your comment about the grain runoffs, though. most woods won't survive for long if they're not built with respect to the nature of the wood!!!