First Annual Ozarks Selfbow Jamboree 1999

Hatchet Bow

Here's my entry into the hatchet bow contest. I cut the small elm sapling on July 4, got it down to floor tiller and let it dry one week. It took some set on initial tiller so I left it to dry for a couple weeks. I finished it up in Marshall on Saturday July 17. It went from tree to bow in 13 days. It took about 2.5 inches of set but flings an arrow pretty well. It finished out at 62# at 26". It bends in the handles, has a flat belly and high crowned back. It's 61" nock-to-nock. It is 2" to midlimb and has .5 " nocks. Its handle is 1.5". I used a hatchet on all functional parts but did use a scraper and sandpaper to clean it up. I used brownish hues for the aniline dyes and it has a poly finish.

Her name is "Independence"

Here I am working it down from small log to bow shape. I floor tillered it the same day then let it dry.

Here's the finished product except for a handle wrap.

And here's Independence at my 26" draw. Decent tiller but I had a flat spot in the top that refused to bend too much. I left it alone fearing failure. She's a tad whippy and shocks the hand pretty good. I wouldn't want to shoot her all afternoon but I've put a few hundred arrows through her and my cartilage is still intact. I didn't chrono her but she doesn't give much up to the bows I've made in the past. She'll do the job on a deer this fall. I've been promised a T-Shirt if I make meat with her. I'll hold Rusty to it!

Here's the winner of the Hatchet Bow Challenge

Buz cut his elm sapling on July 4th also. He nearly drowned working on the thing while floating on a raft in the lake. I'm not sure why he was doing that...you'll have to ask him. He did a great job on the bow which somehow turned yellow before it got down to Rusty :-) Rusty donated the prize, an Alaskan knife that looks more like a hatchet...or maybe a meat cleaver :-)

Here's some of the boys smiling from ear to ear after dyeing the thing - hehehehe

This was at 2:00 am. Talk about some dedicated [bowmaking] fools!

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