I just can't do it....................

[FVR]

I've made the steel sleeves, cut them down, but............. I just can't bring myself to cut the 60" osage stave in half. Just can't do it.... nope....not gonna happen.

Not osage. The project is getting postponed..........I've got some hickory coming, have a nice elm log split downstairs........the takedown is going to have to wait.

Now, what to do with the osage stave. It's 60" and floor tillered. Don't really need another 60" flatbow.

Can you say PONY BOW?

That's right, gonna get cut down to 48" and recurve the limb tips. Then 6 or 7 layers of siwew, then a full bow sinew wrap and I'll be done.

Just extende the building time of this bow from, oh, one week to about 6 months. Ahhhh.....it's just time.

[tennecedar]

Can ya build one of them pony bows that are takedown? I would love to have a bow that would fit inside my bob... The arrows would be longer than the two halves. Let me know.

[FVR]

That was my goal. 60" takedown, two 30" limbs packed with a doz. 28" arrows in a tube. Going to have to wait till the elm is ready. Elm bends real nice and backed with sinew, should work out fine.

I've thought of making a 48" takedown, but again just have the problem cutting a nice bow/stave in half. I'd do it on a piece of elm. Hickory? my hickory pony bows draw back to 25/26 inches max. Hickory is not as bendy as osage or elm. (this is my opinion on my style bows and bows that I have built).

I've been asked by a few on here and other boards to build them bows, sorry but I don't do that anymore. I'd sooner give one away than to start down that road again. Also, my price would be alot more than most would be willing to pay. One of my last custom bows sold for over 800 bucks. That was about 6 years ago. The price has since gone up.

If you have any woodworking skills, you can easily pick up a 60" flat osage selfbow used for under 200 bucks. Then google bow sleeve. There is a company that makes bow sleeves in two sizes. The sleeve comes with directions on how to cut your bow in half, glue on the bow sleeves. I've read where some have taken fiberglass longbows and have down this with success.

I'm just too cheap to buy the sleeve kit for 40 bucks. I made my sleeves out of steel fence posts, male and female ends. These are the top tubing that runs across the tops of the chain link fence.

Nothing like doing it yourself.......and it's alot cheaper.

If I can be of help, let me know.

[tennecedar]

I have long bows and recurves i shoot from time to time. but i'm not a boyer. I don't trust myself to cut my long bow in half. It's glass backed too that spooks me.
60# @ 28" I draw 30.5" I've never owned a flat bow

[canid]

yeah frank; save the takedown project for when you have two real short staves, don't go ruining a good one.