Looking for short bow info and found much more

[Corso]

I've been looking at making a propper usable short bow

youtube listened and I found this chap in my recommeded feeds

still no closer to making one the contents too much of a distraction

 

[gra_farmer]

I have seen this channel a few times too. Same as you, really want to make a proper bow, had a go at a 150lb longbow once, and it was a dream to use....much easier to point and shoot, then having to consider arcs and angles to hit targets.

 

[dwardo]

Finding suitable timber for a shot-bow is easier than long for obvious reasons. If you intend on learning to make bows you need to get ahead of your material needs unless you intend on buying timber in. Even force seasoning timber your still into months. I made a little cherry bow for my lad and when I had roughed it out it to my usual dimensions it was thumping arrows out at late 40`s.
Tillering a short bow is actually harder than a long bow as its less material sharing the load so less forgiving. Heat treating will be your friend as will adding a little reflex early on. Bending through the handle will spread the load and even a simple backing might help a splinter stay down.

 

[gra_farmer]

Finding suitable timber for a shot-bow is easier than long for obvious reasons. If you intend on learning to make bows you need to get ahead of your material needs unless you intend on buying timber in. Even force seasoning timber your still into months. I made a little cherry bow for my lad and when I had roughed it out it to my usual dimensions it was thumping arrows out at late 40`s.
Tillering a short bow is actually harder than a long bow as its less material sharing the load so less forgiving. Heat treating will be your friend as will adding a little reflex early on. Bending through the handle will spread the load and even a simple backing might help a splinter stay down.

That's what happened to my efforts over the years, working out the stress points in the bow can be difficult. I had a longbow break spectacularly on me once (professionally made).

 

[dwardo]

Yeah if you get into bowyery expect to start breaking bows. "if you aint breakin em you aint makin em" ... as the old adage goes

 

[Damascus]

I know the misery there, cut an ash tree, which had fallen 18 months prior, hanging, so nicely seasoned. I thought go old school draw knife and scrapper only, split wood with wedges. All good until I started to tiller the bow, just got it bending nice, CRACK and it went on one of the limbs, all that work for fire wood! Plenty of shavings for fire starting, look on the positive, ha ha!