Making Bows some things ive been pondering

[badgeringtim]

I do, like many here, get the urge now and again to make a bow, i reckon from what i have heard so far that ash is a pritty safe bet however a couple of things i cant quite reconcile in me noggin;

1) can you really get a bow out of a 3" ash sapling or branch.? It just looks too weedy, if you have a larger piece how much of the outer and inner is best.
Am i looking at far to big a piece of wood (approx 7" cross section).

2)Chasing the ring (I think), surely at some point you need to not and will have more of the belly or back of the bow - i mean they are not the same thicknes along their length are they and all branches and saplings will be thicker at one end than the other.

3) shaping it green - how much roughing out is i good to do and how do you dry it without the ends bending the wrong way (ie over the belly) . Is strapping it to a plank the answer to both these questions, and would 1" by 3" be about the right dimensions at this point?

4) how branch/knott free does it need to be - you dont see many 6 foot lengths without some type of little branch, or old growth or something, but will you still get a bow out of the other side.

I can get some willow that looks nice straight and knot free - can bows be made from that - reasonably?
If so - i might be able to snaffle some for others as its coming down tomorow!

Thanks for the patience of all those who answer these questions i know there are quite frequent bow posts, we even tried arranging a meet once.....

 

[dwardo]

I do, like many here, get the urge now and again to make a bow, i reckon from what i have heard so far that ash is a pritty safe bet however a couple of things i cant quite reconcile in me noggin;

1) can you really get a bow out of a 3" ash sapling or branch.? It just looks too weedy, if you have a larger piece how much of the outer and inner is best.
Am i looking at far to big a piece of wood (approx 7" cross section).

You can make a very serviceable bow from a 3" sapling. Bigger can be better in some cases but its more work splitting and shifting the lumber about

2)Chasing the ring (I think), surely at some point you need to not and will have more of the belly or back of the bow - i mean they are not the same thicknes along their length are they and all branches and saplings will be thicker at one end than the other.

With most white woods ash included you do not need to chase a ring, once the bark is removed thats the back of your bow. One end being thicker than the other usually tillers out during the bow making process, within reason.

3) shaping it green - how much roughing out is i good to do and how do you dry it without the ends bending the wrong way (ie over the belly) . Is strapping it to a plank the answer to both these questions, and would 1" by 3" be about the right dimensions at this point?

Strapping it to a bit of timber will help with the warping just be carefull not to damage the back of the bow with the lashings.

4) how branch/knott free does it need to be - you dont see many 6 foot lengths without some type of little branch, or old growth or something, but will you still get a bow out of the other side.

To start out you dont want ANY knots or branches on the bit of the stave that will be the back of the bow. Knots can be dealt-with, with experience but you dont want ruin your early bow making experience.

I can get some willow that looks nice straight and knot free - can bows be made from that - reasonably?
If so - i might be able to snaffle some for others as its coming down tomorow!

Willow on average tends to be a bit rubbish for bow making, although i have made a bow from goat willow that turned out OK. You are much better off with ash.

Thanks for the patience of all those who answer these questions i know there are quite frequent bow posts, we even tried arranging a meet once.....

Now get the shavings flying. Sometimes you just have to get going and learn on the fly

 

[Chinkapin]

Badgeringtim:

I have a booklet entitled "Makin' Meat-1, The Primitive Bow and Arrow." by John McPherson. copyright Dec. 1987, printed by Ag Press, Manhattan, Kansas. It would be a great "how-to" book for you.

The author states that a 2 1/2 to 3 inch trunk or limb is sufficient. He advises to cut them in the winter so the sap is down and drying time will be quicker.

He recommends Osage Orange (Bois d'Arc); Yew; and White Oak as the best woods. However, he says that Hickory, which does not have as much "snap" as other woods, is a good wood for a first bow as it is very "forgiving" to work with and almost impossible to break.

He also recommends Ash; Black Locust; Lemonwood; and Mulberry as good woods.

One interesting comment is that the, more brittle woods such as yew and cedar were made into wide flat bows and the harder, denser woods such as Osage Orange and White Oak were made into narrow thick bows. If you go with Yew you might want to be in the upper end of the 2 1/2 to 3 inch range.

From what I have read, and from what the author of this book states, I would say that everything that Dwardo has said is spot on.

Always wanted to make one, but have never had the time. Good luck with yours.

 

[badgeringtim]

cheers chaps.

Will keep looking for ash then - i still cant quite see it with a 3" limb but will have to have bash!

Thanks for the commenst - more still appreciated though of course!

right off for an ash hunt.

Oh one more Q - how straight does the limb need to be to start with or would a gentle curve still work?

 

[dwardo]

cheers chaps.

Will keep looking for ash then - i still cant quite see it with a 3" limb but will have to have bash!

Thanks for the commenst - more still appreciated though of course!

right off for an ash hunt.

Oh one more Q - how straight does the limb need to be to start with or would a gentle curve still work?

Gentle bends are cool and can be taken out with heat,,, or even left aziz providing the string bisects the handle. The "junction" looking bends are best left alone or placed at the handle of a bow design that does not have a bending handle.

You can heat correct pretty much any crooked bit of wood with enough patience and time but.... life is far too short

 

[IanGilroy_2]

the best advice I was given onbow making."The only way to learn how to make a bow is to make one, and dont test it by drawing it." You can make a bow like thing out of any branch that bends, the art is getting it right.
I'm afraid most of the art is in how it feels. It may look strange but feels right it often is the Mary Rose bows will show you what I on about, they also show ways round the knot problem.

A good place for advice is on yahoo groups "woodarchery" and "hornbow" are the best two I've found.

I hope that is some help.

P.s make atillering jig ( less chance of you breaking body parts)