Made a short plains bow and arrows. new arrow added.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Fri Feb 17, 2023 12:18 pm

Made from a red oak board with real straight grain 40 inches long.
Arrows are 21 inch with a crude job of fetching, shoots real nice across te living room into a box.
Been doing some studying about the short bows they used on horse back so had to make one.

Bill in Oregon · Post by **Bill in Oregon** » Fri Feb 17, 2023 12:31 pm

Cool, Lenn. There are some really good books on this, but my favorite is "Native American Bows and Arrows" by Jim Hamm. I have only completed one bow -- of white oak, with strips of a silk shirt on the backs of the limbs in Titebond. Darn if that sucker didn't blow up on me at about the 300th arrow -- no warning at all. Still have a scar on my left forearm.

I'd like to try again some day using bois d'arc/Osage orange.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Fri Feb 17, 2023 12:49 pm

Thanks Bill, this one may break too who knows but after it warms up i`ll test it more.
It shoots faster than i thought but i`m sure it`s a short range affair.
Those American Indians were pretty deadly with the bow for sure.

Old No7 · Post by **Old No7** » Fri Feb 17, 2023 1:26 pm

That is really neat Lenn, I like it!

Coming up next, you'll be chipping your own arrow heads or something.

Pitchy wrote: ↑Fri Feb 17, 2023 12:18 pm ...shoots real nice across the living room into a box...

Make sure the box is sturdy enough to catch & stop the arrows! When I was around 10 and getting into archery, I practiced down in the cellar once when it was raining. The arrows hit my target on the box and went through the back -- right into my father's favorite forest green leather chair!

Of course my 3 brothers ratted me out... When dear 'ol Dad confronted me, all I could say was "Sorry, but look at my group!" The truth is, my mother would not let the old ugly chair be placed upstairs, and I never saw my Dad sit in it down celler; but he always called it his "favorite".

And if I recall, his hand slaps left a pretty good "group" on my butt too!

Old No7

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Fri Feb 17, 2023 1:28 pm

Thanks pard, yep the crazy things we`ve done in the past huh.

4t5 · Post by **4t5** » Fri Feb 17, 2023 4:03 pm

Pitchy , while I love everything you do, I gotta tell you , ya gotta put some stone points on those arrows brother.
I know you can do it.

gamekeeper · Post by **gamekeeper** » Fri Feb 17, 2023 4:26 pm

Nice job Lenn.....

I gave my bows away when I moved home in December, nowhere to shoot....

wvfarrier · Post by **wvfarrier** » Fri Feb 17, 2023 4:37 pm

I love making bows and arrows

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Fri Feb 17, 2023 5:19 pm

Nice bows and arrows wvfarrier, looks like you`ve been at it for a long time

Stone arrow heads i don`t think i`m there yet but may make some steel ones from saw blade material.
Bummer ya had to get rid of your bows John.

Bill in Oregon · Post by **Bill in Oregon** » Fri Feb 17, 2023 6:16 pm

WVFARRIER: I would love to build a selfbow backed with matched snakeskins -- of buzzers/copperheads I "catched" myself.
Your bow is simply elegant, and so are those "arras" as we used to call them. Do I see some mahogany obsidian from either Glass Buttes, Oregon, or Davis Creek, California, on the right?

2ndovc · Post by **2ndovc** » Fri Feb 17, 2023 7:00 pm

Way cool!! Your creativity fascinates me Lenn.

Stay crafty my friend!

jb

Post by **Ysabel Kid** » Fri Feb 17, 2023 8:47 pm

Old No7 wrote: ↑Fri Feb 17, 2023 1:26 pm That is really neat Lenn, I like it!

Coming up next, you'll be chipping your own arrow heads or something.

Pitchy wrote: ↑Fri Feb 17, 2023 12:18 pm ...shoots real nice across the living room into a box...
Make sure the box is sturdy enough to catch & stop the arrows! When I was around 10 and getting into archery, I practiced down in the cellar once when it was raining. The arrows hit my target on the box and went through the back -- right into my father's favorite forest green leather chair! Of course my 3 brothers ratted me out... When dear 'ol Dad confronted me, all I could say was "Sorry, but look at my group!" The truth is, my mother would not let the old ugly chair be placed upstairs, and I never saw my Dad sit in it down celler; but he always called it his "favorite".

And if I recall, his hand slaps left a pretty good "group" on my butt too!

Old No7

Post by **Ysabel Kid** » Fri Feb 17, 2023 8:48 pm

Very cool Pitchy!

Grizz · Post by **Grizz** » Fri Feb 17, 2023 9:22 pm

That looks real Good Pitchy! I started one in red oak and found the grain running off the edges. Might get a small picture frame out of it..... there's lots of vine maple around here, but I haven't cut any yet . . .

hope it shoots good for ya, and that you find all your arrows.. .

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Sat Feb 18, 2023 5:08 am

Thanks everyone, i`ve shot bows for many years and enjoy it but not much the last few years because of health gotta have someone to go fetch the arrows.

Made three long board bows that worked well and have a custom wood bow that really like.
I have enough of the same board i made this one from so might make another today.

Bill in Oregon · Post by **Bill in Oregon** » Sat Feb 18, 2023 9:07 am

Lenn, do you use a "tillering stick" to even up the limbs or do you just eyeball it?

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Sat Feb 18, 2023 10:50 am

Whipped out another one this morning took about a hour, it`s a hair thicker and about 1/8th wider on the ends.
I draw the shape on with pencil and cut it out on the table saw then smooth it out with the side grinder by eye no tiller just eye ball it.
So far they bend evenly.

Grizz · Post by **Grizz** » Sat Feb 18, 2023 12:27 pm

Perfect !

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Sat Feb 18, 2023 1:46 pm

Thanks Grizz, 30 above so went outside and tried a few shots at about 12 yards.

Yep i`m going down hill fast.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZ5SFYeigsU

Pat C · Post by **Pat C** » Sat Feb 18, 2023 4:13 pm

Love primitive bows , never tried making one though.
I did make a bunch of wood arrows for my Jim Brakenbury recurve from over 30 years ago.
Still have helical fetching jig and a bunch of cedar shafts.
Flemish twist strings , old time steel tips.

Bill in Oregon · Post by **Bill in Oregon** » Sat Feb 18, 2023 7:46 pm

Lenn, you did great. I think you must have been a Comanche in a previous life.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Sun Feb 19, 2023 6:34 am

Bill in Oregon wrote: ↑Sat Feb 18, 2023 7:46 pm Lenn, you did great. I think you must have been a Comanche in a previous life.

I must of been a few things Bill remember these.

Grizz · Post by **Grizz** » Sun Feb 19, 2023 8:44 pm

that last one looks perfect to me. it's a beauty, is it a good shooter?.... have you ever chrony'd prods and arrows ??

†

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Mon Feb 20, 2023 6:49 am

Thanks Grizz, it shoots pretty good and packs a punch at short range not much draw length to work with.
I`ll see if i can find the video shooting it.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Mon Feb 20, 2023 8:28 am

Here ya go Grizz.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6lx5RETkWU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-DvmOn9rpA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBEU67yD56U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nJVkGbY6MY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycIeEfJ4ZME

Bill in Oregon · Post by **Bill in Oregon** » Mon Feb 20, 2023 9:04 am

Lenn, I had forgotten how well your "siege engine" shoots. It's really well engineered!

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Mon Feb 20, 2023 10:02 am

Bill in Oregon wrote: ↑Mon Feb 20, 2023 9:04 am Lenn, I had forgotten how well your "siege engine" shoots. It's really well engineered!

Thanks Bill, the lack on it i found to be really interesting, one of the reasons i built the whole thing.

Grizz · Post by **Grizz** » Mon Feb 20, 2023 5:51 pm

Pitchy wrote: ↑Mon Feb 20, 2023 8:28 am Here ya go Grizz.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6lx5RETkWU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-DvmOn9rpA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBEU67yD56U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nJVkGbY6MY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycIeEfJ4ZME

Thanks! i am looking into a bow fishing spear gun that i could use from the deck for taking shallow fish or gaffing line caught ones, without falling overboard....

Loved the videos. Thought you shot your chair for a minute there . . .

piller · Post by **piller** » Mon Feb 20, 2023 10:23 pm

Very cool, Lenn.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Sun Feb 26, 2023 12:42 pm

Made a arrow this morning with a deer horn point, simple design but worked ok.

gamekeeper · Post by **gamekeeper** » Sun Feb 26, 2023 4:54 pm

That looks good Lenn sure you didn't steal it from a museum

Bill in Oregon · Post by **Bill in Oregon** » Sun Feb 26, 2023 6:46 pm

Looks really good, Lenn. What are you using for shafts? As I studied the native American archery equipment, it was the fletched

shaft -- not the arrowhead, that was the most precious and labor-intensive. A lot of the Indians in the West used footed shafts so that the killing end and arrowhead would do the work inside the animal, while the valuable main shaft fell out and could be found and refitted with another "expendable foot." Wild rose was among the favored materials for the foot.
I will be interested to see how your "arra" flies!

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Mon Feb 27, 2023 6:59 am

Thanks guys, this arrow is for looks only and probably won`t shoot it, i mainly wanted to see how horn worked for a point.
I did see a video showing what your talking about Bill that`s neat too.

Bill in Oregon · Post by **Bill in Oregon** » Mon Feb 27, 2023 7:02 am

Lenn, I have also heard that the leg bones of an elk can be cut up and made into very useful "arraheads."

Your antler point looks perfectly symmetrical. Nice work.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Mon Feb 27, 2023 7:24 am

Thanks again Bill, i failed to answer your question about what i used for the shaft it`s 5/16th shaft from the hardware store.

Lot of interesting stuff about the Native American, as long as they don`t try and take over my bathtub.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Mon Feb 27, 2023 1:16 pm

Made one more from that antler.

4t5 · Post by **4t5** » Mon Feb 27, 2023 4:35 pm

Nice job, I knew you could do it,

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Mon Feb 27, 2023 5:21 pm

4t5 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 27, 2023 4:35 pm Nice job, I knew you could do it,

Thanks but it was all made using a side grinder.

Bill in Oregon · Post by **Bill in Oregon** » Mon Feb 27, 2023 5:29 pm

Elegant lines, Lenn.

4t5 · Post by **4t5** » Mon Feb 27, 2023 8:04 pm

Pitchy wrote: ↑Mon Feb 27, 2023 5:21 pm
4t5 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 27, 2023 4:35 pm Nice job, I knew you could do it,
Thanks but it was all made using a side grinder.

maybe so, but you could build one of those also I bet!

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Tue Feb 28, 2023 10:30 am

Put the scale on both bows, the first one should be about 20 lb`s and the one with the red on it should make 30 lb`s, be good for the Grand kids.