Has anybody here built a bow?

[bulldogs40]

Every deployment I do I try and learn a new skill and this time I’m going to have enough room and enough time on my hands to give it a try. Does anyone have any advice on where to buy supplies for making a bow?

[carpsniperg2]

https://raptorarchery.com/

ted will have everything you need and is a wealth of info.

[Magnum_Willys]

Just a recurve .   

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

Jay St.Charles (Glenn's son) gives classes at Pacific Yew.
You build a bow during course.

[MR5x5]

Track down a set of the "Bowyer's Bible" for a great read on how to make a proper home bow.

[724wd]

3 rivers archery has supplies

https://www.3riversarchery.com/buy/bows/bow-building

[724wd]

and Bingham is kind of the leader as far as I know

https://binghamprojects.com/

[724wd]

I have a bow form made by another member here. Haven't used it yet, but me and my hunting buddy have plans... 

[Special T]

Curt Brisky up in ferndale has classes as well where you make your own bow.
Brisket bows.

He is a standup guy and loves Trad archery

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[Tracker0721]

I’ve built every kind of bow except horn and I’d say for a basic selfbow you don’t need much. Get some Osage, it’s king for a reason and you can buy staves on eBay or work a deal on primitive archer or the leatherwall. Primitive archer is a great resource and those guys are amazingly helpful. I’d buy a set of cabinet scrapers, get a farriers rasp, draw knife, little chainsaw file, anddddd a tillering string and a string at your intended length. Heat gun is nice to fix wobbles and flip tips. You can glue on tip overlays but I’ve made a few without overlays and used FF with them. Honestly a bow can be made with just a draw knife but the other stuff really makes it easy. I’ve got all random stuff old and new so if you find a draw knife or rasp on a store shelf then buy it. Oh and pencils and a tape measure for layout.

Ted at raptor archery has a great shop but there’s a number of skilled bowyers in our state. Personally on my deployment I practiced more with my flint knapping as a bow takes time and requires a vice of some sort and a tillering stick and I dunno. I was in Afghanistan and bopping glass bottles bottoms between patrols so a good bit different than whatever you’re going to do probably. Just don’t get it taken away, when we came back they made us leave behind so much stuff including stuff we brought over or bought in bazaars.

If you’re wanting to build a recurve laminated bow I just vote no. That requires a lot more tools and is more of a complete shop build.

If you’re not heading to Iraq or Afghanistan you can probably have staves shipped over too if you mess up! Billets and takedown sleeves are easy to work too.

[Magnum_Willys]

and Bingham is kind of the leader as far as I know

https://binghamprojects.com/

This is what I did.  Soup to nuts - press, hot box.  Was pretty cool.  Press made was two slabs bolted together with shape of bow cut out between them and piece of sealed fire hose between slabs and bow. Put in bow laminations and riser with glue,  inflate hose to 100 psi and stick whole contraption in hotbox. 

[scotsman]

I have built many longbows and recurves and taught folks how to build their own.  If you are local to Tacoma Gig Harbor shoot me a PM and I’ll be glad to show how its done.