# A great day with Dirty Dan



## Al33 (Aug 12, 2010)

I had the pleasure and privilege of spending the day with Mr. Dan Spiers yesterday. I finally made it over to his place for some guidance in making an Osage bow from a stave I have had for a few years now. The first thing I noticed when I pulled into his drive is his and Molly's new shop building which wasn't there the last time I visited them.

While working on the stave I made a short video for your pleasure and took a lot of other pic's too which I will include in subsequent posts.

Thanks Dan and Molly for the warm welcome and for taking the time to show me how this Osage self bow making happens. I had a wonderful day and will try to get back there next week to tiller it if your calendar permits.

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## Al33 (Aug 12, 2010)

Here is Dan and Molly in there brand new shop. Molly even has her own chair.


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## Al33 (Aug 12, 2010)

In the beginning.


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## Al33 (Aug 12, 2010)

Some of the tools we used and the stave has been chased to a single ring. It looks like a real nice clear one with no big knots to deal with.


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## Al33 (Aug 12, 2010)

Ready for the layout and band saw work. In the third pic I tried to show a deep crack that ran into the grip area that was of some concern but it ended up not being a problem. More pic's of it and how Dan remedied the potential problem with some CA glue.


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## Al33 (Aug 12, 2010)

You can see the crack much better in a couple of the following shots.


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## Al33 (Aug 12, 2010)

More band saw shots.


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## Al33 (Aug 12, 2010)

Rough-out finished and gluing up the crack for good measure. As it turned out that portion of the grip was removed.


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## Al33 (Aug 12, 2010)

The bow has some twist so Dan puts it on a form and uses a heat gun to slowly heat and clamp the limbs progressively from the riser to the ends. This also puts a little reflex/deflex in the limbs.


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## stick-n-string (Aug 12, 2010)

A build along!!!! How fun! Looking good so far Al!!!


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## Al33 (Aug 12, 2010)

Time to cut the grip followed by some rough shaping on the drum sander. This is as far as we got, the heat was taking it's toll on us.

More coming soon I hope.


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## LongBow01 (Aug 12, 2010)

keep us updated on the progress looks like Mr. Dan knows a thing or two bout a thing or two!!


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## Jake Allen (Aug 12, 2010)

Awesome Al, thanks for all the pictures and details! 

Dan is a talented person. 
I am jealous of you getting to work in his shop.
Such a long drive for you too. 

Anybody notice all of those beautiful paintings?
I am sure those are Dan's creations.

Good stuff.


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## Nugefan (Aug 12, 2010)

I like it ...

Thanks for the posting and pix Al ....


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## yamapup (Aug 12, 2010)

Great picts ,AL. Back in the mid 90s I made some osage self bows and it was a blast, and rewarding as well. Pup


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## 2wheelfoster (Aug 12, 2010)

Great pic and video. Between Dan and Doug Bell there are a bunch of bows around these parts....(5 of em in my office!)


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## BkBigkid (Aug 12, 2010)

Thanks for the pics and Video AL 

Great Job


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## Apex Predator (Aug 12, 2010)

Cool beans man!  If I ever find the time, I'm gonna make some yellow dust with a stave I have!


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## Dirty44Dan (Aug 12, 2010)

Al and I had a great time, and he treated me to lunch at the Golden Corral.  The manager came and told us that they had run out of plates since Al and I came in, but I think he was kidding.  We had several "test plates" to make sure the first three weren't just flukes!  Remember to shellac your self bow each time when you get through working on it to keep it from checking (splitting).


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## HALOJmpr (Aug 12, 2010)

Nice work Dan and AL!!!   Thanks for the pics!


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## Necedah (Aug 12, 2010)

Thanks for sharing Al!
Nice sequence of photos showing your bow getting born.
Gives me a lot to look forward to.

Dave


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## rapid fire (Aug 12, 2010)

You are blessed Al.  Looks like y'all had a great time.  I would love to visit them one day.


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## Al33 (Aug 12, 2010)

Jake Allen said:


> Awesome Al, thanks for all the pictures and details!
> 
> Dan is a talented person.
> 
> ...


Yes, Dan is VERY talented in many areas and just as generous as he is talented. He is a retired teacher and still loves to teach. He has donated literally thousands of dollars worth of his work to help raise funds for TBG at the annual banquets. He is quite the knapper too and has plenty of points, knives, river cane arrows, and other pieces he has made from rocks. I got a sneak preview look at his latest painting of an Indian on a horse with bow in hand watching buffalo. It looks great!!!




Necedah said:


> Thanks for sharing Al!
> Nice sequence of photos showing your bow getting born.
> Gives me a lot to look forward to.
> 
> Dave


I saved the cut off portions of Osage just for you Dave thinking you might want to use some of it for knife handles with your new knife making hobby.



rapid fire said:


> You are blessed Al.  Looks like y'all had a great time.  I would love to visit them one day.


You are so right Mark, I am blessed to know Dan and Molly and many others here that frequent this forum. You are right around the corner from Dan and I am sure he would welcome you.


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## schleylures (Aug 12, 2010)

nice looks like everyone had fun.


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## Jeff Kitchens (Aug 12, 2010)

Any day at Dan and Molly's is a great day.  It has been to long.  I hope to get to see that new shop next Saturday.


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## jeremiah collis (Aug 12, 2010)

al, you are lucky to spend the day with dan and molly,there great people.I had the pleasure of spending last friday with them.Dan has show me show much,and i learn something new every time i go down there.I cant wait till i can get back down there.


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## RUTTNBUCK (Aug 13, 2010)

Thanks for this post Al!!.......The Video, and pics were very informative!!........I've toyed with the idea of doing this myself!!.........Lots of good information on this post!!

Dirty Dan Looks like a good teacher!!

Hope one day I can pull the string back on the one you are working on here!!


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## bam_bam (Aug 13, 2010)

Great video Al. Look's like you got a nice clean stave and that dont happen too often with osage. I dont even touch a stave when it is this hot so i admire yall for braving the heat. My bow building time is te lull between deer season and turkey season. Mr. Dan has a nice shop too, boy I would love to have one of them bandsaws.


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## TNGIRL (Aug 13, 2010)

Great thread Al, thanks!!!!Loved the video!!!
I got the chance last Friday pm to visit Dan and Molly myself. It was a fifteen minute visit that turned into about an hr and a half and could have been alot longer!!!! Shoot, between the three of us talking as fast as we could.....not sure we took a breath!!!!
Dan's 2 shops are just wonderful, he has plenty of area for knapping then working on bows in the 2nd shop!!!! I loved to walk thru it and smell the different woods.  Making memories.....
But then to go in the house, and be treated to the grand piano and paintings and stories of their families and themselves!!!!! The shadow boxes on the wall with precious things inside!!!! I was in "Tomi heaven" for sure!!!!(you thought I'd say hog heaven didn't you!!!! )I loved the paintings Dan has done and the ones to come too!!! I feel such energy flow when I touch them. 
now I need to ask...did ya like them TN purple maters?????
BTW I've got a hickory stave that I thought I'd take to Twin Oaks and try to finish...maybe Dan will let me finish it at his place!!!!


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## longbowdave1 (Aug 13, 2010)

that's some great stuff there al! i can't wait to see the finished product in action!


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## OconeeDan (Aug 13, 2010)

Not only a good video, but there is some first class people in this thread!
Dan


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## Dirty44Dan (Aug 14, 2010)

Thank you everyone for the nice words.  Molly and I appreciate all of the fine folks who have visited us and also the archery family that we meet with at the tournaments and banquets.  We enjoyed those tomatoes for sure,  Tomi.  We can't wait until "Jake" comes for a visit.


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## dpoole (Aug 15, 2010)

Looking good!!!  What lb are you trying for?


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## maymolly (Oct 8, 2010)

ttt


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