Just a little friendly competition...

[GoingWodwo]

Hi everyone, myself and a friend are having a little competition to see who can make the best / most unusual bushcrafty thing to be unveiled at a campout in 2 weeks and I'm on the lookout for ideas.

We've both done the hobo stoves and billys so I'm looking for something more unusual. I was thinking a homemade bow for the ooooh factor but need some advice on what materials to use- was thinking ash or hazel for the bow, but am stuck on what would work best for the string.

Any advice or unusal ideas?

 

[Puchal]

Here are my ideas, and as a matter of fact my project waiting list for this winter. Once I'm done with my Pukko and Leuku project, I will move one to the next one on this list:
- External Frame Trapper Nelson Pack:

- Wooden Snowshoes - perhaps bit too early and unapriperiate for your climate But arent those babies bellyfull?

- trappers frying pan - recycled from thick metal (brass?) sheet, with custom engraved wooden handle.

- Canvas bed roll

- requires singer machine. Here is one, and I have to admit, it is going to be a reference model for me:
http://www.songofthepaddle.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?21368-Canvas-bedroll

- Saami leather wide belt - you can beautifully decorate it with pins and engravings. There are few excellent projects on this Forum.
Good luck!

 

[DaveBromley]

why dont you make a knfe? either flint knapped or one from an old file. I think he would struggle to make something MORE usefull than a good knife lol

Dave

 

[teknohippy]

Modern bowstring material would work best for the string, or do you want to stick to all natural foraged it yourself sources?

A bowstring works best if it doesn't stretch at all when pulling the bow. With less stretch in the string more energy ends up being transferred to the arrow.

 

[mat mac]

Wats the best natural way to make a bow string? sorry i no its not to do with ya projects. y not a canoe lol aim high

Modern bowstring material would work best for the string, or do you want to stick to all natural foraged it yourself sources?

A bowstring works best if it doesn't stretch at all when pulling the bow. With less stretch in the string more energy ends up being transferred to the arrow.

 

[bushcraftbob]

I have just made my first bow, i used hazel wood - some pics here:

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=59807

it took a while, although i am the worlds slowesyt carver and only did an hour or so at a time.

atb

 

[mat mac]

the time shows tho it looks mint i made mine in like an hour it ent beautiful but it does the job. wat u use 4 the bow string

 

[teknohippy]

Wats the best natural way to make a bow string? sorry i no its not to do with ya projects. y not a canoe lol aim high

For me personally the best way would be with a string jig, but that's because I've got a string jig as I used to shoot target recurve. I'll try and grab a picture of one as it's here at work, it's a bit long to get in the frame though!

I put a string on it for you.

A modern string is just a continuous loop of a thin strand of string material, most usually some form hi-tec of nylon. This is wound around and around the jig until say you've built up 20 strands, which would be ten times around the jig. Then the ends are formed into loops with a serving material to strengthen them. The whole string is then twisted together before you serve the middle section of the string where the arrow and your fingers are in a similar way.

I don't even tie a knot anywhere, the serving on the end loops is tight enough to hold the whole thing together.

Here's a close up of a finished end loop. Serving is very similar to whipping the end of a bit of rope.

Forgive the string colour! This is not ideal for hunting of course!

You can make a string without a jig though, two nails hammered into a log the correct distance apart is all you really need.

Though if I was thrown into a survival situation and I could take one of my three types of bow with me then I'd definitely take the one most easy to hunt with, not the bent stick.

 

[teknohippy]

Damn I just spotted the word "natural", will someone delete my post then, sorry about that.