OT: Been busy making stuff

Sylvrfalcn

Sylvrfalcn

Joined
Jun 4, 2002
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Y'all know what they say about idle hands? Well by golly, it's true. When the weather's cold and wet outside I fill my off duty hours with making stuff. Here's a quick tally for the last two weeks;
- Four knives and scabbards (couple of 'em really nice, one's hanging on my belt right now, dang near museum quality late 13th century English piece that was inspired by Cowgill's book "Knives and Scabbards" published by the museum of London)
- One English longbow (non-laminated self bow, 74" OAL, pulling 45 lbs. @ 28 1/2" draw, perfect for target shooting, more on that later)
- Four, hand twisted, three-lay, double loop, Flemish bowstrings (two for me and hooked up a couple friends)
- One dozen, wooden shaft, self nocked, feather fletched, medieval target arrows

Why all the new toys? Well heck, if they don't need me in Baghdad right now, that means I'll be home for this year's Inter Kingdom Archery
Competition (IKAC) season, which opened Feb. 1st. Been going at it with a vengeance, partly to reclaim former glory, but mostly 'cause it's a lot of fun. In today's shoot (my shire's archers shoot every Sunday, as all good Englishmen were required to do in King Henry's reign) I could really feel myself getting back in the groove. Shot well enough to put myself first place in the kingdom (which covers Texas and the southern half of Oklahoma) in the IKAC Period Longbow Division, and lo and behold, first in the IKAC Open Division. To shoot well is satisfying, to shoot well with tackle entirely made by my own two hands is just ridiculously good fun. Day is done, and after some quick preventive maintenance on my gear, I'm going to kick back with a huge tankard of beer and just listen to the fireplace crackle.

Sarge, a.k.a. Lord Robert of Yorkshire, King's Archer
 
What ho! Another SCA type. Good on you.

(Ever wonder how those little English and Welch archers used 100 lb. pull - and more - bows? Did you see the demonstration of longbows vs. plate armor a few years ago on public TV. Wow! At close range, the armor was no protection at all against a square hit. )
 
Splendid stuff. Just finished reading Terry Brown's book on English martial arts. Getting an urge now to go down to London to learn some Billhook and Bastard Sword!
 
And for a damn good read fictional read, there is Bernard Cornwall's Grail trilogy, based during the Hundred Years War.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t..._books_2/102-0808942-0813716?v=glance&s=books

Thy've changed the first title to The Archers Tale, from Harlequin, (the UK published title). Given the history associated with the Harlequin name, that is a shame. Publishers...bah humbug.

Vagabond and Heretic are the other two, in order.

Great stuff anyway, especially if you want to read about the English archers of that time. Cornwall writes a very entertaining and well researched historical novel.
 
Based on this thread, I just ordered the trilogy. Can't wait to read it.
I envy SCA folks their ability to maintain a parallel identity. I wish I could.
Brian
 
Nice shooting Sarge, congrats!
I concur with Terry; how about some pics your Lordship?
Regards,
Greg
 
Originally posted by Brian in Chi
Based on this thread, I just ordered the trilogy. Can't wait to read it.
I envy SCA folks their ability to maintain a parallel identity. I wish I could.
Brian
Click to expand...

I'm sure you'll enjoy them. They dont pull any punches about what it was like during that time.
 
Originally posted by T.Sisco
Sarge,
How about a pic of that there bow!
Terry
Click to expand...

Congrats Sarge, but T-Bone is right!!!! We need Pix and Specs and a List of Materials!!!!
Like what did ya make the bow out of?!?!?!? Was this some kiln dried oak from the lumber yard 'er sumthin ya cut yerself?:D
 
I have a pic...:eek: :D


Greg - sorry I haven't posted it yet...been busy like you...


;)
 
Due to a technical difficulty, I'm unable to post pics. If somebody would like to post the one pic I do have of the bow, holler and I'll e-mail it to you.

Specs for Yvsa, who likes to know the "nitty gritty";

- Bowstave: Red Oak from Lowe's, 1" x 2" x 8', $7.28

- Bowstyle: Longbow, modified English style, semi working handle, 74" long, self nocked.

What's modified English mean? Means it's not a true "D" section, because you have to tiller whitewood bows a skosh different for them to shoot well. The limbs are left a bit broader, giving more of a flattened "D" cross section, with back of bow left flat and belly gently rounded.

What's a "semi-working handle"? Most modern bows have a non-working handle, meaning the center section remains rigid and all flexing is done by the limbs. In a true working handle, the entire bow flexes and "comes round compass". A semi-working handle is the best compromise I've hit upon for longbows, providing a reduction in hand shock, while lending some forgiveness to tiller by aiding in distribution of stress loads.

- Handle/arrow rest: Built up by gluing together strips of 10 oz. harness leather, carved/smoothed with a sharp knife, and covered with an outer skin of soft, cushy, leather. All handle parts salvaged from the scrap bin down at Tandy.

- Bowstring: Three lay Flemish, made from B-50 Dacron. For safety and consistency's sake, here's one area I don't mind using a modern material. I've made linen (Flax) bowstrings, but they're very susceptible to moisture/humidity, and they seem to have a fairly short failure cycle in actual shooting, requiring one to carry extra bowstrings at all times. I slightly overbuild my B-50 strings for the bow poundage, and have made 100's of 'em for the other archers in the kingdom with not one single failure.


Okay, a bow from a board? Yup, please reference the "Traditional Bowyer's Bible" volume two, chapter one. My current bow has several hundred shots downrange on it, and it's hardly broken in. My old bow, now in the possession of my good friend and mentor, has several THOUSAND shots downrange, and it's still shooting sweet and true. A good wooden bow will last many years of shooting if properly maintained. A functional, accurate, and fun to shoot longbow, for an average cost in materials of under 20 bucks, has long been a dream of mine. To get rich selling the stuff? No. In fact, I'm starting up an archery guild, in which myself and others will be teaching archers how to inexpensively outfit themselves by making their own shooting tackle. The "humble yeoman" of today cannot afford to plunk down $450 of their family's budget for a custom longbow. My foremost goal is to give them a more down to earth alternative, so we can get more folks out on the ranges keeping the skills and traditions alive and well.

Sarge
 
Thanks Sarge!:D Is there anything in particular to look for when buying a red oak stave from a lumber yard? Do you have to pay attention to the way the grain runs in order for it not to split?
And for those of us who don't have a copy of the Traditional Bowyer's Bible what would you recommend?:)
 
Sarge,
Do you use anything for finish on the bow?
As in weather protection?
I guess a hardening oil would defeat the purpose of flexibility.
 
Excellent question Dean. Yes, it's very, very, important to seal the wooden bows well. If not, the bow will absorb moisture and that will cause it to lose cast and develop string follow (the phenomenom in which the bow holds it's bent shape even unstrung). I use multiple coatings of Tung oil. A modern polyurethane might work better, but Tung oil works well and keeps me in my parameters of simple and inexpensive.

Sarge
 
Originally posted by Sylvrfalcn
I use multiple coatings of Tung oil.
Click to expand...
Then the tung oil hardens plastic enough
not to crack or impede the wood flexibility.
Good info.
 
Update from my Archery Marshal, Lord Blackmoon up in Northkeep has just registered an Open Division score that bumps mine down to second place. Fight's on lads! Bothers me not a bit that he's shooting a modern laminated recurve, and arrows with, yuck, plastic nocks, those things are allowed in the Open Division. I've bested them, and even some pretty good crossbowmen with my wooden longbows. The key is practice, practice, practice, and then practice some more. Uh, speaking of that, I gotta be going..................;-)

Sarge
 
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