Making a Bow

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NikolaTesla

Forager
Jan 26, 2012
213
0
Uk
I would like to make a simple bushcraft bow, I had a shot when I was smaller with my father, it was effective, but was made in about an hour...

I tried to make one last week, fail... I used a hedge as the wood, so this time I will make a bow using hazel, but how do you make it bend evenly, and how do you make it strong? Fire?

Also could I use a very long shoelace, and I use shoelace for pretty much everything...Also what about arrows, I use hazel, but I could never get it aerodynamic.

Thanks

Just a vid...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aa2R54F8vU
 

dwardo

Bushcrafter through and through
Aug 30, 2006
6,451
475
46
Nr Chester
It is like making anything, you can make something functional in no time at all and with very little or you can take longer to make something more efficient.
An example would be cold beating an old bit of soft metal into an edge and calling it a knife or.... forging a blade from scratch and spending weeks just on the handle.

Somewhere to get you going, ash, hazel, elm are all great bow woods. Key is to not just settle for a any bit of wood or you soon get tired of breaking bows or sluggish poor performance.
The wood has to be nice and clean, free from knotty junctions or worse twisting, spiraling grain.
There are loads of how to buld a self bow videos out there and even better the "Bowers Bible" series of books.
In regards to strings you realy need a material that doesnt stretch too much, If it does it will do nothing for the energy transfer to the arrow. You can buy a string from most places for less than a tenner and you can adjust it with a knot for your first couple of bows.

The reward is well worth the time and effort and it is adictive stuff.
 
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NikolaTesla

Forager
Jan 26, 2012
213
0
Uk
One thing I always messup is the knot which you use to tie the string onto the bow...

There is loads of hazel around here, so I take some of that...

Thanks!

If it turns out any good I'll post a vid or pic...
 

NikolaTesla

Forager
Jan 26, 2012
213
0
Uk
Just tried to make a bow out of about 5 month old piece of hazel, it snapped. Getting the hang of it though.

What knot do you use to tie the string on?
 
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dwardo

Bushcrafter through and through
Aug 30, 2006
6,451
475
46
Nr Chester
Any kind of loop in one end and a "bowyers knot" in the other. Think they are also called a timber hitch? Easy enough to tie.

You'd know about that, dwardo...:D

:) Competely ruined just looking at tress for their beauty. Just waiting for a load of yew to dry, tonne of ash whilst two more recover from heat treating.
 

ateallthepies

Native
Aug 11, 2011
1,558
0
hertfordshire
You will have to analyse why your material is snapping. It could be...

1. The wood is too dry
2. You are bending it too much before it wants to bend.
3. You may have damage to the wood causing weak spots.
4. Related to no. 2, you may have uneven tiller causing stress in a particular area and thus making the stave break.

Try a longer piece of wood to start with, about the size of yourself is a good start as this reduces the stress when bent. Keep the width as wide as you can, 2-3 inches at the fades tapering to half inch nocks. Make the limbs rectangular in profile, if you have a bit of crown (natural curve of a round bit of wood) on the back of the bow that's fine as long as it's not too much.

If your using just a Hazel branch I can't really offer any help as I don't use this sort of material, most of my staves come from thicker trunks or boards.

Steve.
 

NikolaTesla

Forager
Jan 26, 2012
213
0
Uk
OK I got another piece of hazel, about 5foot, a bit smaller than me, removed wood, so it tapers...or something like that (don't know this process), curved it, left it like that for a few hours, and it is accurate from the end of my garden which is about 15feet, it can go through thick boxes, and that's with no fletchings.

How do you make it more powerful? Let it dry?

Thanks guys!
 

wildranger

Need to contact Admin...
Oct 29, 2011
112
1
Ireland
The types of bows I make are all from saplings (under 2 inches in diameter). I don't agree with harvesting large trees that are already well established, and also, such trees provide enough wood for maybe 4-6 bows, whereas I just want one bow. I've made a nice pyramid style hazel bow and it shoots nicely. I'm currently working on a 5 foot rowan bow, it'll be iffy, narrow limbs, quite short, we'll see how it goes, I'll keep the draw weight fairly low on this one.
 

BeerHunter

Tenderfoot
Jul 12, 2012
78
0
England
Apologies if this is bad form (some forums don't like old threads being resurrected), but...

Should green would be used when making a bow? I had always assumed one would use dried. If green timber is used, how do you prevent it drying out?

Also, I'd heard that bowyers join strips of two different woods, to give springiness to the bow. However, it seems that a bow can be made from a single piece. Are these simply two different methods?

Many thanks
 

dwardo

Bushcrafter through and through
Aug 30, 2006
6,451
475
46
Nr Chester
Apologies if this is bad form (some forums don't like old threads being resurrected), but...

Should green would be used when making a bow? I had always assumed one would use dried. If green timber is used, how do you prevent it drying out?

Also, I'd heard that bowyers join strips of two different woods, to give springiness to the bow. However, it seems that a bow can be made from a single piece. Are these simply two different methods?

Many thanks

Wood thats still green should never be bent. If you do you crush the cells in the belly of the bow which kills performance.
It is ok to rough out a bow whilst green, infact its a lot easier and it will dry mich faster. Just remember no bending until its dry.

There are two schools of wooden bows. Self bows which are made one piece of wood and laminated bows which are made from more than one piece of wood. Both if designed and executed properly are just as fast and efficient as each other. Infact there is only a couple of fps between the fastest glass recurve bows and a well made self/laminate bow.
 

dwardo

Bushcrafter through and through
Aug 30, 2006
6,451
475
46
Nr Chester
OK I got another piece of hazel, about 5foot, a bit smaller than me, removed wood, so it tapers...or something like that (don't know this process), curved it, left it like that for a few hours, and it is accurate from the end of my garden which is about 15feet, it can go through thick boxes, and that's with no fletchings.

How do you make it more powerful? Let it dry?

Thanks guys!

Unfortunately if you have already pulled the bow a lot whilst green you may have damaged the belly. It is worth clamping it into a bit of reflex. strap it to a plank or something straight and let it dry in a warm room for a couple of weeks.
If you start with dry timber, to make it more powerful you simply dont remove as much wood ;)
 

BeerHunter

Tenderfoot
Jul 12, 2012
78
0
England
Dwardo - much obliged for the info. Trying to make a bow is on my (long!) list of things I'd like to have a go at.

Was looking at another thread of yours - some beautiful work. Hats off to you.
 

dwardo

Bushcrafter through and through
Aug 30, 2006
6,451
475
46
Nr Chester
Dwardo - much obliged for the info. Trying to make a bow is on my (long!) list of things I'd like to have a go at.

Was looking at another thread of yours - some beautiful work. Hats off to you.

Very adicitve stuff once you get going and there is always a new wood or design to try. If you need any help just shout.
 

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