Let's make a bow...

[smj]

So - I have had a couple of requests to do a build-along for making a bow. One of which, I have offered to do a part one step for them, and then send the bow to them so that they can finish it! This should be fun...

I wanted to get started last weekend, but was delayed by family calls to duty, and am a bit late getting started this weekend more due to weather. We had 10 inches of snow a couple days ago, and it has been very wet out in the garage, well, more damp than wet I suppose. But around here, there is never any moisture to speak of, so, when 10 inches of snow is melting, it seems wet to me! It has also shut down the range I go to - 10 inches of snow makes for about 20 inches of mud! I have a nice ipe board, and will try to photo it to show what I look for when selecting a board, and then follow along with the cutting and prep'ing of it, and also the work with bamboo and glue. This will be a reflex/deflex - rather like the bows I have made in the past. Bamboo backed, with the belly made from a board. I also have a couple of short sections of osage, billets, that I might try to join and make a bow from as well. We'll have to see how it goes. Anyway, if you have an interest in making a bow along these lines, reply here and I'll try to help all takers where I can. If you live in the Denver area here in Colorado, you are welcome to stop in and we can talk it through if you like, or work on a section if you are having troubles... Out of state folks are welcome as well, but it's a long haul for you!

I wanted to get this going - I'll be adding to it as I get to each step, and hope to answer what ever questions I can!

I also want to start this thread with a question -- Greg, what is your draw length, and how heavy a draw are you looking for?

[Buckshot06]

smj this would be great.
I really like doing things like this with my own two hands.
I don't know were to start or were to get the info so any help would be greatly appreciated.
I would love to take animals with a bow I built.
I personally can't wait to hear how to build a bow from scratch.

[oldgun]

Thanks smj always love your build-a-longs. This will be great!

[Greg Krause]

Thank you again SMJ for helping do this. I am really looking forward to this project.

I draw right around 28" and am looking for something 50-60#'s

[smj]

Greg - Next question, what style bow do you want to end up with? A more modern, more center-shot bow or more traditional almost shooting off the hand bow? For example - grip wise:

one of these...


Or one like this, the ipe belly bow... Note that the limb narrow at either side of the grip, while the other bow does not, which is more the style of the above patterns...


Here is an osage bow with thick limbs to the grip, but a slim grip with a rest added on to the side -


Red's bow ended up with a very narrow shelf, almost shooting off the hand -


Although the osage bow I originally started for him was very different - I wish every day that this bow had not broke... Mold in the bamboo at a node and it snapped...


Or something else that I am not touching on? This is to be your bow, we want to understand what the grip is supposed to look like and the basic shape of the bow, so we end up with something that looks like you want...

[Greg Krause]

I've only shot bows that were more center shot. I don't need center shot, but I'd prefer shooting off a shelf more than a very narrow/almost hand shelf

[smj]

OK. So, I think we are out to make a longbow that will work for a 28" draw, come in around 50-60#'s, shoots off of a comfortable shelf, and is right handed. It will be made of bamboo backed ipe. I shall leave grip and limb tip material to you, to choose, design, and place as you like. Do you know how to make your own strings, or should we go through that as well? It has been posted here before, but we can go over it again if required. Also, we can go over tools as we progress with the build.

So, I will start with an ipe board and a slice of bamboo, and we shall get this bow going. I think I'll make two of them, that way once I send the bow to you, just off the jig, I will have one the same to work with here in Colorado and show you what/how to do things - as well as I can through print and pictures!

And buckshot06, do feel free to chime in anywhere! I'll try to explain what ever you need to know about.

[Greg Krause]

That sounds perfect smj!

I have never even attempted making strings so that is something I'll have to learn as well.

[Buckshot06]

smj I don't think you have enough time to explain it all to me ;D
Well first I see that you templates of different bows.
Is there a formula for the lay out of these or are they just specific measurements laid out to form them
What woods do you use and what adhesives are best to laminate the wood together.
Yes string building would be great
Like I mentioned I am willing to do the work just don't know the steps involved or the tools needed.
I don't know anyone who has ever attempted to build one or knows how so this will be great if I could ever figure it out.

[smj]

Apr 1, 2009 19:57:13 GMT -5 Buckshot06 said:

smj I don't think you have enough time to explain it all to me ;D
Well first I see that you templates of different bows.
Is there a formula for the lay out of these or are they just specific measurements laid out to form them
What woods do you use and what adhesives are best to laminate the wood together.

I back my bows with bamboo. To cut out the bamboo, I use a template. This allows me to make a given bow more than once, with relative ease, because I use the bamboo pattern to shape the bow after the glue up is done. The pattern allows you to quickly cut out the outline of the bow - limbs and grip. Bows don't come out exactly the same, but very close. I put a lot of time into my patterns, and will design probably 10 before I actually make one up. I have studied various bows from different times and combined them into a pattern. From example, the last bow I made was patterned after the bow used by east coast Indians prior to the arrival of the horse. These bows were longer, and had limbs that were narrow at the grip and tip. To that design, I added trapezoidal cross section and an "Eiffel Tower" type of narrowing at the tips, rather than the original design. But I kept the wide mid-limb for doing work. The trapezoidal limbs to move the work section deeper into the limb, the Eiffel Tower tips to lighten them for less hand shock. I do the pattern in AutoCad, print it, then transfer it to the pattern stock.

As to glue, for wood and bamboo I like the Nelson product URAC 185. It is a resin adhesive. There are other glues out there, this one is reasonably cheap and easy to use and clean up after. It also holds very good! As to wood, there are a bunch! For ease of working, ash or hickory. But good bows have been made out of a lot of woods. I have mostly used osage, hickory, and ipe. Some others, but mostly these. Of the three, I like ipe probably the best, although it is tough wood to work. Then again, so is osage... Different wood allows for different bow designs. Softer wood will make a fine bow - but the design of the bow will be much different than that of a hardwood bow. Think in terms of limb width, thickness, and length.

As to providing answers to all of your questions - to be honest, I'll try but you would do yourself a big favor by reading through the Bowyers Bible - there are 4 volumes, thick books. I am not going to try to reproduce 4 books worth of information here on this thread. To that, I add Hunting the Bamboo Backed Bow, by Dean Torges (Both book and DVD) - my personal favorite! For supplies - I would send anyone to Rudderbows Archery. They have never once done me wrong - and are more than willing to offer advice! They also sell a DVD titled Bow Making the Easy Way, which I have not yet seen but did talk a lot with Jim Boswell about it when they were putting it together - so I have a fair idea what is on it.
216.119.68.89/store/index.php?main_page=index&zenid=17414190f6c5292894ffb0de6881fa95

Last, there are several on this site who have built, or build regularly, bows of thier own. They can also shed some light on your questions and efforts! If I can't answer a question, I'll bet one of them can...