Branch Atlatl

Today I roughed out a new atlatl made from a branch. I'm not making the same mistake I made last time by making it too short. If anything, it's a bit too long. I'm using green wood this time. I'm not sure what kind because it is a branch I found on a walk one day. I thought it might come in useful someday so I propped it up against my house. I'm making it on the bow bench, which I didn't have last time I tried to make one. I'm not using any power tools. I'm using a drawknife, a Shinto rasp, and a scraper.

But it is pretty hot today, so I put it away until tomorrow. I'll work on it at an archery event we are vending at tomorrow. We still have to load half the truck, and then get an early start in the morning. But I'm getting a headache from the heat, so now I'm sitting inside sipping iced tea.

Special Archery Meeting

Our archery group met Saturday so we could all visit with Tim Baker, one of the author's of the Bowyer's Bible Vol. 1-4. He used to be a group regular but left to pursue photography and other interests.  But he's also my frisbee buddy and before anyone got him involved in making a new longbow, he was waving his bright pink disk around wanting me to come do some throws.  How could I refuse?
But it was a hot day and I was quickly overheated, and the archers were clamoring to get his help with the tillering tree. George took my place for a bit, then we all went back to our projects. 

Anyway, I don't want to talk too much about it; mostly I want to share the photos. 

Erick scrapes his first bow.

Badger makes a bowstring with a string board.

Barbara took this photo of me weaving on my popsicle stick loom.

Tim Baker

Sal and Guy work on projects.

Barbara and Ken's son needs a nap after all the excitement.

Two New Paleoplanet Babies

Tomorrow I'm off to another Paleoplanet meet up at the range in Pasadena, CA. It's been a bit drizzly so I don't know what to expect weather wise, but I should probably bring a rain hat and a sweater just in case. I missed last months meeting because I was up in Atascadero visiting family, so I'm looking forward to tomorrow.

Now I need to figure out what I want to work on tomorrow. Gourds? Arrows? Bows? Atlatls? Darts? So many projects, so little time. I think Guy has some arrows to deliver too.

Two members have given birth to baby boys since I went last! Maybe archery makes you fertile. Better watch out.

Congrats to Ken and his family and Derrick and his family.

Photos From Paleoplanet October 18, 2009

I was so busy I didn't get to take a lot of photos. The dog's name is Biscuit and he was a total riot. I worked on my berimbau, and my atlatl darts. I never even got around to my beadwork.

Atlatl Husband and Wife

David made this little video of Barbara and Ken (the newlyweds) learning to use an atlatl. Enjoy.

Tom is in the background shooting a bow he made.

Atlatls

Our last meeting focused on atlatls and Tom gave me a piece of yew to carve into an atlatl. An atlatl is basically a primitive spear chucker used to throw 6 or 7 foot long darts. Some of our members are going to an atlatl festival in Vegas soon so they are all busy bees making lots of atlatl darts and trying them all out.

pottery

We just did our first campfire pit firing out in the desert near Aberdeen, CA. About half the pieces blew up. The sturdy more primitive pieces and the beads I made fared the best.