Stave makin :) and a bit of tillering.
- Thread starter dwardo
- Start date
-
Come along to the amazing Summer Moot (21st July - 2nd August), a festival of bushcrafting and camping in a beautiful woodland PLEASE CLICK HERE for more information.
Hi All,
Have been very busy with life lately and not had much chance to do much in the way of bowyery although I did manage to finish a little commission recently. Little ash bow pulling about 38 at 27 but about 20-30 at the ladys draw. This will add some "just incase" draw space for when some ejit picks it up and draws it without her permission and it will happen
Spent most of my recent bow making time breaking a few ash staves and getting the next generation of staves drying whilst a few are near ready to post here.
Have been very busy with life lately and not had much chance to do much in the way of bowyery although I did manage to finish a little commission recently. Little ash bow pulling about 38 at 27 but about 20-30 at the ladys draw. This will add some "just incase" draw space for when some ejit picks it up and draws it without her permission and it will happen
Spent most of my recent bow making time breaking a few ash staves and getting the next generation of staves drying whilst a few are near ready to post here.
Last edited:
Missed a shot, this is an early morning shoot whilst at the woods. Yew recurve of mine on the right and a yew English longbow on the left made by my apprentice, will kill me for saying that lol At a guess say 30 yards or so.
At a guess say 30 yards or so.
Great thread mate.
I don't suppose you have any wych elm do you? I really fancy a flat bow made from that.
Ive got two yew staves which I've had seasoning for some time now. Should really make something of them.
All the best
I don't suppose you have any wych elm do you? I really fancy a flat bow made from that.
Ive got two yew staves which I've had seasoning for some time now. Should really make something of them.
All the best
Awesome!! I dint suppose you would be able to show how you carve the nocks please?
Nocks are pretty simply bud. If you don't have overlays (posh bits stuck to the back of the tips) then you don't want to cut into the back of the bow, only the sides and the belly a little.
I start with a little coping saw at about 45 degrees down from back to belly favouring the belly side. Then i clean up with what ever pen knife is in my pocket and then clean up with a chainsaw round file. This makes them nice and smooth. #
Wych elm is very good bow wood. Have a couple of part finished bows from the stuff and have made some in the past. Always best to over-build with it I find, also likes to be heat treated. Dont have any staves at the moment as i have been experimenting with other woods but i do have access to it at my local permission which is stacked with the stuff
Last edited:
Not much free time at the min but i have been battling with another yew character bow recently which is getting there slowly.
Will probably pull about 45lbs ish but should be pretty quick. Mass is low at the minute so hoping it will hold together.
It has all sorts of dips and bumps, knots and prop twist, snakes and miss alignment.
Taking lots of heat treating and swearing but hope to get there in the next few days. If it makes it i am going to try a tru-oil finish and tru-oil wax on the recommendation of my local gun smith. Its yew and should come up a nice colour bow, or a nice colour firewood.
Correcting string alignment.
Heating in a tiny bit of reflex to keep her flat.
Will probably pull about 45lbs ish but should be pretty quick. Mass is low at the minute so hoping it will hold together.
It has all sorts of dips and bumps, knots and prop twist, snakes and miss alignment.
Taking lots of heat treating and swearing but hope to get there in the next few days. If it makes it i am going to try a tru-oil finish and tru-oil wax on the recommendation of my local gun smith. Its yew and should come up a nice colour bow, or a nice colour firewood.
Correcting string alignment.
Heating in a tiny bit of reflex to keep her flat.
That is looking delicious Dwardo ^^
looking forward to finishing my own bow
Yours sincerely Ruud
looking forward to finishing my own bow
Yours sincerely Ruud
Top limb was a little stiff so a few more scrapes and its getting there. Pulling late 40`s at 27 so nearly there. Will give it a sand tomorrow and shoot it in some then think about a finish.
Last edited:
I have been slacking lately especially on the prep side of things so it was time to do some splitting and gathering.
Few months ago I took down some cherry so its time to split and see what it looks like so is it firewood or bow wood.
So far so good. Few knots but most of them can be avoided or incorporated.
Few wedges, hook and axe later all good.
I took down an ash on Monday but forgot to take pictures. Nice and straight but the late to early ratio seemed to be a bit off so this time decided to take down a wych elm.
The ash may surprise me yet as its pretty slow gown, if not i will make it wider and longer.
So a nice straight daughter trunk taken down with a new blade in the bow saw.
Tools.
Scandi forest Axe didnt need it this time as it was only a baby trunk. I did with the ash which was a 30ft straggler.
Bill hook, again more for the ash splitting last time but was handy for limbing the wych elm. Dont like leaving a scrambled tree top about as the brambles take hold. So snipped up and the bark used for cordage.
Bow saw, when a mora just wont do. New blade for £3 and is slipped through the elm.
Brew kit, no explanation needed.
Quick brew fire Two bags in the background one for holly and one for ivy, spruce, holly, furns and other bits and bobs for wreathes.
And at last the long and very muddy walk back to the car with the spoils of the afternoon.
Few months ago I took down some cherry so its time to split and see what it looks like so is it firewood or bow wood.
So far so good. Few knots but most of them can be avoided or incorporated.
Few wedges, hook and axe later all good.
I took down an ash on Monday but forgot to take pictures. Nice and straight but the late to early ratio seemed to be a bit off so this time decided to take down a wych elm.
The ash may surprise me yet as its pretty slow gown, if not i will make it wider and longer.
So a nice straight daughter trunk taken down with a new blade in the bow saw.
Tools.
Scandi forest Axe didnt need it this time as it was only a baby trunk. I did with the ash which was a 30ft straggler.
Bill hook, again more for the ash splitting last time but was handy for limbing the wych elm. Dont like leaving a scrambled tree top about as the brambles take hold. So snipped up and the bark used for cordage.
Bow saw, when a mora just wont do. New blade for £3 and is slipped through the elm.
Brew kit, no explanation needed.
Quick brew fire
Two bags in the background one for holly and one for ivy, spruce, holly, furns and other bits and bobs for wreathes.
And at last the long and very muddy walk back to the car with the spoils of the afternoon.
Looks good mate. Looking forward to seeing what these turn into.
I've begun the bodkins. There's a couple of practice goes over in my ghetto forge thread.
Cheers
I've begun the bodkins. There's a couple of practice goes over in my ghetto forge thread.
Cheers
Time to split out the elm.
I have been told a few times now that you cant split elm. You need a saw, steel wedges sledge hammers and all sorts of contraptions but I have never had a problem providing you make sure you cut any straggling interlocking grain as you go. The bill hook is perfect for this as is a penknife for the real annoying bits. The other tools are an old copper and leather hammer I found in the skip and two very rough "that'll do for a wedge" -wedges and my axe.
I like the length of the hook as it makes a nice sight to find your split.
Then add the axe and correct a little as you go.
Bit of prop twist but not too bad.
Ash on the other side is a joy to split as its names suggests.
If you have a half a split as this is I some times like to start the split from the middle. This can be a bit harder to see the grain but is a better chance of a nice even split,,,,,,sometimes
Axe straight in the middle following the grain then opened out with a wedge. This ash popped in half.
Still no guarantees any of this is awt besides kindling. The elm is the most promising.
Will leave all of these now and get back to de-barking cherry staves, tillering a yew flat bow and a yew longbow. And a snakey oak.
I have been told a few times now that you cant split elm. You need a saw, steel wedges sledge hammers and all sorts of contraptions but I have never had a problem providing you make sure you cut any straggling interlocking grain as you go. The bill hook is perfect for this as is a penknife for the real annoying bits. The other tools are an old copper and leather hammer I found in the skip and two very rough "that'll do for a wedge" -wedges and my axe.
I like the length of the hook as it makes a nice sight to find your split.
Then add the axe and correct a little as you go.
Bit of prop twist but not too bad.
Ash on the other side is a joy to split as its names suggests.
If you have a half a split as this is I some times like to start the split from the middle. This can be a bit harder to see the grain but is a better chance of a nice even split,,,,,,sometimes
Axe straight in the middle following the grain then opened out with a wedge. This ash popped in half.
Still no guarantees any of this is awt besides kindling. The elm is the most promising.
Will leave all of these now and get back to de-barking cherry staves, tillering a yew flat bow and a yew longbow. And a snakey oak.
Last edited:
Cheers ExHelot.
Elm is a great bow wood especially with over building slightly and some heat.
I have just been given some lovely hand forged bodkins from EverythingMac. He says they are just practice ones but they are great.
I now need something suitable to shoot them from. So it has to be a yew English longbow what else
I intend to make a few heavier bows in the warbow order from the elm so this is good practice. All I have been concentrating on over the past few years is high stress shortbows sub 60" This is like manoeuvring a barge pole around the place!Only tillered out to 25 inch draw so far and i want her to be around 29/30 and around 60lbs or so.
First up the armour punchers ! :evilangel:
If all goes well and she makes it to be a bow I intend destroying some house hold objects with the points. Take a little back for all the warranties not worth the paper they are written on, the useless gadgets that fail after 10 minutes.
Last edited:
Elen Sentier
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
I'd be interested. What's best for a complete novice to begin with, and then go on to ... assuming I enjoy doing it which is likely
. And assuming (after all this time) that offer is still open.
I'd be interested. What's best for a complete novice to begin with, and then go on to ... assuming I enjoy doing it which is likely
Pm on its way.
Cheers ExHelot.
Elm is a great bow wood especially with over building slightly and some heat.
I have just been given some lovely hand forged bodkins from EverythingMac. He says they are just practice ones but they are great.
I now need something suitable to shoot them from. So it has to be a yew English longbow what else
Only tillered out to 25 inch draw so far and i want her to be around 29/30 and around 60lbs or so.
First up the armour punchers ! :evilangel:
I know what you mean about over building. My first experience was with a very clear red elm stave. I got all excited and made a beautiful, slender, wasp waisted little number. It shot like a dream, no hand shock to speak of and fast. Then at about 70-75 shots, it exploded at 3/4 draw. After that I became very cautious. The next was a copy of the Meare Heath bow but using black locust. Seemed like a waste of material but from my info it was wrapped in criss-cross fashion with sinew or gut, so I did likewise. Something went right because it still lives after years of use and an inch and a half set. I'd be interested in the end result of your project, especially the speed and destructive power against some modern conveniences! I haven't made a bow in years, but you're inspiring me to hit the woods and search for a stave (victim?
fascinating thread. My infrequent lurking means I missed this 1st time round. Bow making looks like a thoroughly satisfying occupation and yours look the absolute bizz bomb.
