Is there a difinative guide to making bows and arrows

[Phantom]

hi all,

Im just wondering if any of you bow making experts out there could post a difinative guide to making a bows and arrows. i have tried making bows (not arrows) before and have failed miserabley . if any of you do post a 'difinative' guide i will be very grateful and :You_Rock_ .

thanks peeps

phantom

 

[torjusg]

The Traditional Bowyer's Bible vol. 1,2 and 3 I think is the only proper answer to your question. Although even they don't cover it all of course.

 

[Phantom]

thanks ill try buy them of amazon asap

 

[bent-stick]

TBB is a fine collection of articles but you have to dig around for the real nitty gritty practical 'to make a bow do this this and this' stuff.

If you do go for TBB and Amazon don't have it in stock (I waited a couple of monthe for vol 3) I noticed there were 3 hardback volumes in Quicks (www.quicks.com) in Apps court when I was in there last week.

For a real practical guide and pretty readable book get Hilary Greenland's Traditional Archer's Handbook. Hilary is secretary of the Society for the Promotion of Traditional Archery and runs occaisional workshops. She knows her stuff.

I know a couple of people who have been on Chris Boyton's weekend courses as well and have been very happy with the bows they have come away with.

Bickerstaffe's can supply glued up laminated longbow kits with a bit of care and carving these could set you on the right path.

I've got loads of pictures of the process to get from wood to bow but haven't put them together yet. Mainly because the instructions to make a self bow go:

Find bit of wood
Take out all the wood that is not bow
Shoot what is left

This is not entirely frivolous. There are no step by steep instructions each stave offers its own challenges and you will expect to have failures on the way. I'm sure there are people who have made a knobbly stave into their first bow but they are few and far between.

My first real bow was a plank of hickory. Very forgiving but not cheap and getting hard to come by. Also a pig to work because blades tear it unless they are perfectly sharp and set to the correct angle. It took me 5 months to make from bits and bobs of info I picked up.

One of the best things you can do is hang around with some people who have made a few bows between them. I belong to a small circle of amateur and semi-pro bow makers and we learn a lot just by sitting round a campfire swapping ideas and experiences. Much more valuable than reading about it.

There is talk that a certain bushcraft school near the south coast may be offering some sort of bowmaking next year...

 

[Phantom]

thanks for that ill look in to it
cheers
phantom

 

[Lostdog]

Phantom,

Woodsmoke do a 3 day long bowyer course. I did it this summer and am now the proud owner of a flatbow make from ash. The course is taken by a gentleman called Werner Pfeifer from Namibia. The course covers all aspects of making the bow.... you start off with a stave of ash and over the course of the 3 days chop, whittle and shave yourself a working bow. Arrow making is covered, as is how to shoot.

On the final day you have an afternoon archery competition.

Can't recommend it highly enough.

Here's a link to the course details:

http://www.woodsmoke.uk.com/p/v/Courses/Bowyer/

Cheers

 

[stovie]

TBB is a fine collection of articles but you have to dig around for the real nitty gritty practical 'to make a bow do this this and this' stuff.

....the instructions to make a self bow go:

Find bit of wood
Take out all the wood that is not bow
Shoot what is left

...

That about covers it really

 

[Phantom]

thanks everyone for all the info :You_Rock_

phantom