I have built a yew long bow, its nearing completion now. Its been a tricky stave for a first bow but i think its worked out OK. I recently saw a picture of some yew long bows, all seemed to have dimensions of about 1-1.5cm diameter at the nocks. Now im a little worried as my bow is about 1 inch at the nocks. Im told a bow with slimmer limbs will throw an arrow further, though im not sure why, i guess its because the limbs are lighter and therefore moving faster? I could slim the limbs down a bit but im apprehensive as this is my first bow and in my mind a slow bow is better than a broken one..Any advice? I dont have any more dry yew to work with for at least another 4 years.
Yew long bow advice please. Dimensions.
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I am also building my first bow and its an ash flat bow. I am a total novice so I dont have any experience I can pass on but all I would say is that the Bowyers Bible series of books are invaluable if your learning how to make any kind of bow. There is an american guy who has a blog called Poor Folk Bows. I'm following his Flatbow build a long with my bow. He has Two Longbow builds on his blog and there are bow specs on there.
Hope this helps in any way. Best of luck, mart
Hope this helps in any way. Best of luck, mart
Post a few pictures of the Bow bending. The dimensions of the bow are really determined by the tiller.
Thick limbs at the tips means the bow will be slow and have hand shock. On the plus side Yew is a very forgiving bow wood and can take a lot of abuse. If this was your fist shooting bow then congratulations! You could work the tips down, making them taper In a uniform manner, use a cabinet scraper if you are worried about taking too much off. You could also use this bow as is - and get building another one. Just remember thin tips make the bow have a better cast (how far it flings the arrow) less hand shock, and way quicker. These are a couple pic of a couple of my yew bows limb tips.
So update. Ive fitted antler nocks that look really cool ( antler tines ) the bow is deflexed so the tines help reduce how the deflex looks. Pictures to come.
Ive put the bow on bathroom scales and at full draw ( 32 inches ) its 45-50lbs nock to nock i think the bow was 65 inches its the maximum draw weight i can physically manage and still achieve reasonable "long range accuracy".
The bow is stiff in the handle because of a number of knots which i don't want to stress too much. I dont know what hand shock is but i guess its vibrations and jarring of the bow in the hand when firing?.. well i dont have any of that it seems fine, the bow probably isnt the quickest a good bowyer could get out of the stave, but then again, this is my first bow.
it is lighter than i would like, but this is my first bow. The bow is naturally curved in the same direction the bow bends ( deflex? ) Which has resulted in the bow taking a lot of set, but it seems to have settled and is reasonable.
Im currently making a set of arrows from natural materials around my permission.
I used a quickly made test arrow from the top of the hill in the paddock on a windy day at almost full draw and i found the bow will throw a arrow ( from the top of a hill on a windy day ) down hill about 150 ish yards, still with plenty of power to penetrate my target ( a large box that a freezer came in ). I couldnt believe i actually managed to hit it, considering i just guessed the "holdover". Im thinking this was probably beginners luck as the other times i tried i was within a few feet of it.
Ive put the bow on bathroom scales and at full draw ( 32 inches ) its 45-50lbs nock to nock i think the bow was 65 inches its the maximum draw weight i can physically manage and still achieve reasonable "long range accuracy".
The bow is stiff in the handle because of a number of knots which i don't want to stress too much. I dont know what hand shock is but i guess its vibrations and jarring of the bow in the hand when firing?.. well i dont have any of that it seems fine, the bow probably isnt the quickest a good bowyer could get out of the stave, but then again, this is my first bow.
it is lighter than i would like, but this is my first bow. The bow is naturally curved in the same direction the bow bends ( deflex? ) Which has resulted in the bow taking a lot of set, but it seems to have settled and is reasonable.
Im currently making a set of arrows from natural materials around my permission.
I used a quickly made test arrow from the top of the hill in the paddock on a windy day at almost full draw and i found the bow will throw a arrow ( from the top of a hill on a windy day ) down hill about 150 ish yards, still with plenty of power to penetrate my target ( a large box that a freezer came in ). I couldnt believe i actually managed to hit it, considering i just guessed the "holdover". Im thinking this was probably beginners luck as the other times i tried i was within a few feet of it.
Sounds brilliant
Dont worry about set too much its easy to get hung up about such things early on.
Deflex is towards you yes. Sometimes a little deflex can help avoid set. Hard set deflex with reflexed tips makes for a mean bow.
Lets have a look then
Saving pictures for now! I am taking some before i start finishing completely over this week just need a bit of file work done where the antler stops and the bow starts, and i want to add a leather grip which ill probably make from some old saddle leather, then i just need to apply a finish - any advice on finishes? tru oil any good?. Then ill take some decent pictures of it at full draw and with the finished arrows, struggling to find any decent feathers at the moment ( im not paying for it - so far this project has cost me nothing - the antler tines cost me £2.60 postage ). Season for wild fowl is over so ill have to try pigeon or crow feathers perhaps?
I could take pics now but they would be rubbish phone pics. I have 5 straight, dry, nocked, shafts made from some kind of cane with no nodes that grows in my garden..
I could take pics now but they would be rubbish phone pics. I have 5 straight, dry, nocked, shafts made from some kind of cane with no nodes that grows in my garden..
If you can stretch to it I would buy a few proper spined arrow shafts. They are about £1:60 each and about a fiver for a bag of proper fletch. Bag of field points will cost you about £3
I have been a recent convert to Tru-oil. I tried all sorts of finishes over the years, polly varnish, linseed, tung etc.
Tru-oil is easy and clean to apply, dries quickly, good moisture resistance, easy to repair and nice to look at.
I have been a recent convert to Tru-oil. I tried all sorts of finishes over the years, polly varnish, linseed, tung etc.
Tru-oil is easy and clean to apply, dries quickly, good moisture resistance, easy to repair and nice to look at.
Will have a look, any links to reliable places? To what weight should they be spined? For 12 arrows its coming out at money i just don't have.
Ive used true oil on gun stocks and it always comes out nice. If you havent used it on antler before it looks amazing! I finished a antler thumbstick with some and it looks the business.
Ive used true oil on gun stocks and it always comes out nice. If you havent used it on antler before it looks amazing! I finished a antler thumbstick with some and it looks the business.
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Flights, as you're around Ripon try Studley Park lakeside or Stavely wildfowl reserve and pick up some Goose feathers.
thanks flint had not thought of that for fletchings, the birds will be in shedding at the moment. Ill have a look at the place on my permission where the geese have been hitting hard.
Don't necessarily have to start with a whole dozen arrows mate.
Goose fletch are what I buy but if you can get them for nawt good stuff
The bow is only half the equation, some say less so you want good arrows if you want to hit what you are aiming at. Yes home made arrows will do but you will be selling the bow short until you get good at making and spining them properly.
Goose fletch are what I buy but if you can get them for nawt good stuff
The bow is only half the equation, some say less so you want good arrows if you want to hit what you are aiming at. Yes home made arrows will do but you will be selling the bow short until you get good at making and spining them properly.
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