Information on making your own long bow?

[TONTO]

 Update: After posting the above I wandered out to the shop and started to finish up my bow, well to make a long story short I tryed to remove alittle more wood off the belly and fired up the band saw ,the band saw won    Looks like my first attempt is gonna work out to about 15# pull now if I decide to try and salvage it    Well I do have a few more boards in my stock pile, guess I'll be starting my next bow alittle earlier than planned. Lesson learned, time to move on, I'm out $15 and three nights labor.

[quadrafire]

Update: After posting the above I wandered out to the shop and started to finish up my bow, well to make a long story short I tryed to remove alittle more wood off the belly and fired up the band saw ,the band saw won    Looks like my first attempt is gonna work out to about 15# pull now if I decide to try and salvage it    Well I do have a few more boards in my stock pile, guess I'll be starting my next bow alittle earlier than planned. Lesson learned, time to move on, I'm out $15 and three nights labor.

[carpsniperg2]

 

[Ray]

Lesson learned, time to move on, I'm out $15 and three nights labor.

You got the right attitude. Move on and learn from it. I have broken several bows in the build process. Including one this summer. I learned from every one of these issues. Sometimes it's been learning about wood consistency and character, about gluing or what to look out for in your plan prior to committing to a design.

[Fullabull]

Tonto....sorry about that..we got you all rialled up to work on your bow and now it's off to the lumber yard again 

Someone told him it might be a problem because a bow is a weapon but I have a hard time with that as well. He has not formally asked anyone official at school yet but I'm going to push him too so we can get our ducks in a row if there is push pack.

It's still a long way off since he is still a junior but you guys are giving me great ideas and resources.

Thanks again...

Fulla

[TONTO]

  Not a problem got another glued up tonight letting it cure and I'll be tillering again soon enough. Even the bow I screwed up last night may still live again the limbs are now 1/4" , but I just may find some bamboo to back it with and breath some new life into it.

[Brisky Bow]

I can build a bow with you online.  I'm at www.briskybows.com in Ferndale, Wa.  I have all you need...........Curt

[mjbskwim]

Update: After posting the above I wandered out to the shop and started to finish up my bow, well to make a long story short I tryed to remove alittle more wood off the belly and fired up the band saw ,the band saw won    Looks like my first attempt is gonna work out to about 15# pull now if I decide to try and salvage it    Well I do have a few more boards in my stock pile, guess I'll be starting my next bow alittle earlier than planned. Lesson learned, time to move on, I'm out $15 and three nights labor.

Hey,no waste just yet.Do you have a young one that might like a bow?

I told my son I was attempting this and he told me to make one for the grandkid.
Just a thought

[Oneshot1Kill]

Back to the original topic, I got my project cleared to build a bow. I can even make one in shop. Just for fun. I just need a note from the principle saying it's okay. A bunch of kids are making knifes and axes even. The superintendent even said you can bring a gun on school grounds if for school purposes. But as to making a bow, i have no clue where to start. Especially cause i wanna build a recurve for my first bow. hahaha

[mjbskwim]

Back to the original topic, I got my project cleared to build a bow. I can even make one in shop. Just for fun. I just need a note from the principle saying it's okay. A bunch of kids are making knifes and axes even. The superintendent even said you can bring a gun on school grounds if for school purposes. But as to making a bow, i have no clue where to start. Especially cause i wanna build a recurve for my first bow. hahaha

Go to Youtube and watch the videos.
There is one guy,who looks like he was just rolled out of a pub and starts with a log.
Then there are the guys who really get complicated with it,and make some show pieces.

I just started mine today with a baluster,you know the things holding the rails up on the steps? It's a blood wood? 2X2 (1.5" X1.5")
I cut some meat out with my circular saw (no band saw and it worked fine) took the draw knife to it and a rasp.
Tomorrow I'll take a little more off then make the thinga ma jig to check the limbs

A recurve needs to be steamed after you shape the limbs and all.

Heck some laminate woods and fiberglass and some just shape it out of 1 piece.

Good luck

[Tim]

go to www.binghamprojects.com they will have everything you need
Tim

[Snapshot]

Yes, the Traditional Bowyer's Bible, volume 1, has a lot of information...
If you want something less broad then get The Bowyer's Craft by Jay Massey. With it one can learn to make a selfbow or a simple composite bow, arrows, strings and gear.

[scotsman]

Hi,

Did you have any success planning / building a longbow? I have built quite few laminated reflex/ deflex longbows and would be pleased to give a few tips.

Dave R.

[Ratdog68]

Mine is Osage Orange (great for compression strength) and backed with Bamboo (great for tension strength, and, has great memory).  I used Bacote for the riser.  A buddy of mine coached me every step of the process.  All in all, I have about 60hrs. into building this bow.  Mine is 65lbs. @28" when I finished it... and, after warming it up for about half an hour at the NockPoint indoor range, I chrono'd mine at 187fps. (TYPO CORRECTED)  I want to find out what it'll do "cold" (should be higher).  I finished mine with Tru-Oil and learned to do a Flemish Twist dacron string.  I think I did a 14/3 (fourteen strands, three bundles) for mine.  Here's the link for my build.  I tried to detail every step of the process with as much narrative as I could, and we took photos to go along with it.  I tried to detail the "why it's being done" as well.  Hope some of it will help you in your endevour.  I bought the stave from Jim Boswell at RudderbowsarcheryDOTcom.  Great folks to deal with, and are just east of Ellensburg.  

http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=894382&highlight=American+Flat+Bow

[Ray]

197 FPS is smoking for a board bow.