I'm a newbie on the bow making topics, I'd like some tips please because I've tried making bows before (I'm only 13) but I'm unsure about the best woods (I've been told it's Yew), lengths and thickness. Thanks for any tips!
Bows!
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Using yew on your first bow could be considered a crime... I would advice that you get some elm, ash or oak to try on first.
If you have never even made a common child's bow, making that first would probably best. Just take a small limb of juniper shape it a little on the thick end, string it and shoot it right away. It will give you an idea of some of the principles.
If you have never even made a common child's bow, making that first would probably best. Just take a small limb of juniper shape it a little on the thick end, string it and shoot it right away. It will give you an idea of some of the principles.
Welcome to BCUK mateCawolf said:
Here is a link to a tutorial by Tim Baker, you probably won't find anyone more knowledgeable than Tim when it comes to wooden bows. The tutorial is for a 45-50lb draw weight bow but for someone your age go for a lower weight (draw weight is the amount of weight it takes to pull the bow to your given draw length (which is the distance you can comfortably draw the bow)). You'll have a shorter drawlength so you could use a shorter stave to make the bow, a general rule is to have the working part of the bow (the bits that are bending) twice as long as your draw length. So as I draw 28" I would build a bow no shorter than 56". Everyone goes on about yew as the best bow wood but it's only the best wood to build an english warbow with. Get yourself an ash board to start with. Here is a tutorial on board selection.
A bow can be made in almost any way really. But I would recommend making it as tall as your self, no violation of the growth ring on the back and rectangular cross-section 3-4cm wide. Also narrowed slightly at the tips and with non-working, deeper and narrower handle.
bcraft said:
No, but a rasp, an extra long string and a tillering stick (with a notch per inch or so) makes it easier.
may i suggest,
http://p081.ezboard.com/fpaleoplanet69529frm52.showMessage?topicID=12.topic
and for younger shooters
http://p081.ezboard.com/fpaleoplanet69529frm52.showMessage?topicID=15.topic
hope this helps the articles are by tim baker and he is reconized as an authority on bowyering and is a great guy as well.
dean
http://p081.ezboard.com/fpaleoplanet69529frm52.showMessage?topicID=12.topic
and for younger shooters
http://p081.ezboard.com/fpaleoplanet69529frm52.showMessage?topicID=15.topic
hope this helps the articles are by tim baker and he is reconized as an authority on bowyering and is a great guy as well.
dean
Yew can be tricky as can most natives. Finding a perfect piece is near impossible and working a knobbly bit of wood is not easy for a first bow. Ash is by far your best bet. I know a coppicer who will be cutting next month and I'm going to put my name on some staves for working next year. It's not perfectly clean but tends to have less pins and knots than some of the slower growing woods.
By far the easiest is if you can get a wood without an obvious grain which means a tropical hard wood. Lemonwood for bows is not cheap (60GBP or so for a 1 1/2" x 3" x 7' plank) but is easy to work and you don't need to worry about grain orientation too much. There are only 2 woodyards that I know of that stock it. One in Norwich (North Heigham) and one in Kent (timberline).
I'm currently working with some Ipe (ee-pay) which is sold as decking. It's about 4GBP per metre run and a 2m peice of decking will make a few bows. The thing to remember is that it is very tough and stiff so you really an inch x 3/4 to make a heavy longbow. It really needs backing if you are going to go for something over 30lbs or highly stacked. For a 30lb flat bow it's looking good as a self bow. I'm playing around with with brazilian redwood (massaranduba) - another decking wood and bamboo from 4" diameter poles from the garden centre.
As to tools you'll need
* a SHARP knife. Ipe will blunt it so you'll be sharpening it every few hours
* a long string
* a tiller ( bit of 2x1 with notches cut every inch and a slight hollow in the top end
Useful tools are
* a SHARP plane (see above)
* drawknife
* spokeshave
* scrapers with curved profiles (I use cut up old steel rules and big bandsaw blades with the edges burred over)
By far the easiest is if you can get a wood without an obvious grain which means a tropical hard wood. Lemonwood for bows is not cheap (60GBP or so for a 1 1/2" x 3" x 7' plank) but is easy to work and you don't need to worry about grain orientation too much. There are only 2 woodyards that I know of that stock it. One in Norwich (North Heigham) and one in Kent (timberline).
I'm currently working with some Ipe (ee-pay) which is sold as decking. It's about 4GBP per metre run and a 2m peice of decking will make a few bows. The thing to remember is that it is very tough and stiff so you really an inch x 3/4 to make a heavy longbow. It really needs backing if you are going to go for something over 30lbs or highly stacked. For a 30lb flat bow it's looking good as a self bow. I'm playing around with with brazilian redwood (massaranduba) - another decking wood and bamboo from 4" diameter poles from the garden centre.
As to tools you'll need
* a SHARP knife. Ipe will blunt it so you'll be sharpening it every few hours
* a long string
* a tiller ( bit of 2x1 with notches cut every inch and a slight hollow in the top end
Useful tools are
* a SHARP plane (see above)
* drawknife
* spokeshave
* scrapers with curved profiles (I use cut up old steel rules and big bandsaw blades with the edges burred over)
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