Bow Building

[maros.kuzar]

Maros, definition give it a try. Start with a board bow first. They're pretty easy and forgiving to small mistakes. It's a ton of fun.

I'll keep posting progress. I just got back from a big traditional archery expo and competition. I talked to some of the most well known archers and bow builders around like Joel Turner, Ron LaClair, Jim Belcher, G. Fred Asbell, etc. etc. I learned a ton and got to shoot some awesome bows as well. I also took first place in my division in the 3D shoot which was a lot of fun. I encourage anyone, if it all possible, to go to the expo in Kalamazoo Michigan next year if they are interested in bow building or just shooting. There are a ton of great people who are more than happy to talk archery all day long. I know that I'll be there again.

It was always my dream to build bows and knives I will definitely do it, but I still study and if I manage to find work within my field of study, I won't have much free time in my life

And what type of wood would you suggest for that simple bow? I have lot's of heavy machinery and tools from my grandpa, but it isn't that easy to get some quality wood here. It is not that easy as it is in USA, just go to hardware store and buy everything you need

[InstinctiveArcher]

If you can, get a red oak board. I usually get one 9 feet by 6 inches by 1 inch. (Sorry, not sure how that converts in measurement where you are). You want one with as close to perfectly straight grain as possible, that will make the bow stronger.
Here is a great build along online that tells you everything that you need to know and walks you through each step. No major tools are needed outside of a band saw. Otherwise it's all handwork.
http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.p ... 5;t=002064

Good luck, I'd like to see pictures if you build one.

[maros.kuzar]

If you can, get a red oak board. I usually get one 9 feet by 6 inches by 1 inch. (Sorry, not sure how that converts in measurement where you are). You want one with as close to perfectly straight grain as possible, that will make the bow stronger.
Here is a great build along online that tells you everything that you need to know and walks you through each step. No major tools are needed outside of a band saw. Otherwise it's all handwork.
http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.p ... 5;t=002064

Good luck, I'd like to see pictures if you build one.

Thank you. Will definitelly post pics, but I still dunno if I will have time during summer And I still don't know where to get such piese of wood And imperiel units are standard in archery across the globe, so no problem for me

btw what is our progress on the bow? No pics recently

[InstinctiveArcher]

Sorry, I've been pretty busy with other stuff, but I'm still working on it every chance that I get. Nothing super drastic has taken place lately, just a lot of sanding in the limbs. I'll post a pic tomorrow or Tuesday for you guys just to show you what I'm up to.

Do you have a lumber yard or a hardware store near you? Any other stores that sell wood?

[maros.kuzar]

Do you have a lumber yard or a hardware store near you? Any other stores that sell wood?

There is zero chance I will find any suitable piece of wood in hardware store (only wooden things that they sell are axe handles ).
Also zero chance I will find oak wood at lumber yard Only pine and spruce, that's all we have

I will try to ask our local carpenter, if he can help me. But I am afraid that it won't be cheap

[InstinctiveArcher]

That might be difficult then. I guess that the next thing I would suggest is a laminate bow like the one that I'm doing here. They aren't super difficult and are fun to build. You can order your materials from suppliers like Bingham Projects.

[maros.kuzar]

That might be difficult then. I guess that the next thing I would suggest is a laminate bow like the one that I'm doing here. They aren't super difficult and are fun to build. You can order your materials from suppliers like Bingham Projects.

Yes, I was thinking about laminated bow then I found that every single tree species that has good wood for bows either grow naturally mostly in North America, or grows here but is protected and therefore hard to get and expensive There is also no way to buy bowbuilding kits here

So I was thinking about Yew (protected, very hard to get and expensive) or Ash (not that expensive and it grows naturally here, but not that much). Yew is what I found pretty good for bows, but hard to work with. Ash is worse, but I can stilly buy a bamboo and make laminated bow

The problem is that after doing research I found out it is nearly impossible to buy bamboo that is good enough for bow (only very thin sticks). So I don't know.


When I was 14 I cut down young ash tree and made 72" longbow with app. 40lbs@30", but I underestimated the drying of the young wood and ended up with bent bow. I am planning to straighten it up this summer and finish it so it will look a bit better. But I am afraid it's poundage will decrease dramatically

Also I use this page for looking up properties of different types of wood, but it is in czech so you won't have a much use of it

Spoiler:

http://prace-se-drevem.spibi.cz/Drevo-Druhy.html

EDIT: InstinctiveArcher if you wouldn't mind I would be more than pleased to see your archery equipment Especially the handmade stuff, but also if you have some nice pieces customized.

EDIT2: Last question: Do you make your arrows or buy? If you do make them, do you just buy parts and glue them together or do you craft them from scratch?

[InstinctiveArcher]

Yes, I can send you some pics. I'll send you a pm this evening.

I don't make my own arrows, but I do fletch my own arrows.
For your longbow, if you want to add weight, cut 1 to 2 inches off of both ends. Then reshape the tips and cut in string grooves. If it's really dry, then place it somewhere with at least 50% humidity for a day or two, then slowly flex back to its previous state. First, put a long string in it with a brace height of 3-4 inches and leave it strung for about 6 hours. The next day, shorten the string a bit and do the same thing. Continue this until you reach brace height again. After this, you can gradually pull it a little bit further each day until you are back to where you were originally. On a wood bow, when unstrung for a long time, the belly or compression side of the bow begins to relax.it becomes stiffer, which means that if strung up immediately it will put lots of stress in the back of the bow, potentially causing a blowout. By warming the limbs back up, that decreases the chances of this happening.

[InstinctiveArcher]

Here is an update picture. Right now I'm just standing the limbs to reduce the draw weight a little and correct an limb twist. When I sand the fiberglass, it looks like it is ruined, but it's not. All fiberglass laminations are shipped with a protective, shiny coat on it. It's important to sand this off because finish will not stick to it and will eventually flake off.

[InstinctiveArcher]

Hi everyone. I'm still working in the bow when I get the chance. Right now ice fishing and snowmobiling is taking up most of my time, so I don't get to work on it as much as I'd like to. Along with bow building, I also buy and restore old bows. Here is one that I just finished. It's a 1966 Ben Pearson mustang, 45#. When I got it, it had no string, arrow rest, strike plate, and the finish was faded. I got it for $15 at a yard sale. Here's how it turned out. The string is homemade and the string silencers are off of a coyote that I shot.

Here it is before


And here's after.