Teaching a new bowyer

[Flesner]

Member Ed Hendricks recently had a laminated bow he purchased last year delaminate on him while practicing. He had been interested in building an osage selfbow for some time. He had cut and split out a stave a couple years ago but had really never done anything more to it.
The falure of his laminate bow prompted him to resume interest, so he asked me to instruct him in the project. We got to work in my garage crafting his new weapon.

I learned that I was a much better "do'er" than teacher but Ed did all the doing and I did all the coaching while drinking his beer. I got say that I have much more respect for what Swank does since taking on the project. Teaching is much more challenging than I had thought!

Ed prevailed in spite of my inadequacies as a coach. We glue the striker plate on and laced the leather handle wrap on last night. She's a beauty, too. A little character in the bottom limb and the tiller is about as perfect as you'll get on a selfbow. She's 62" and 57 lbs at Ed's draw of 25 inches.
He was shooting for 55 lbs aat 25 in. so rather than risk going past target weight we stopped there. Ed can just pump iron until he can handle the man sized weight!!

Lets wish him luck in getting some blood on it this fall!
_________________
If you get to thinkin' your a person of some influence, try orderin' somebody else's dog around.

[J. Wesbrock]