the uglybow, expedient bowyering with poor woods

[canid]

This is a demonstration of a decent expedient selfbow. The style is generaly that of a flatbow.

While visiting family in oregon last week I decided to take a trip to the mountains. I had intended to find some good straight alder for the purpose of making some atl atl darts, allong one of the stream banks as this is a good place to findtall, crowded, straight hardwoods. While I found many, I also took the liberty to harvest some boles for bow staves. Where I live in California, the only thing growing allong the rivers are eucalyptus covered in ivy and grape.

For the bows, I tried to harvest those staves which where straightest, having fewest knots, closest to 2" dia at the center and not much over 2.5" at the bottom [as I had a small, keyhole type cross-cut saw with a blade of about 6"]. As it was cold, raining and getting dark in a dense band of alder hells, I did not find many that where ideal.

Most of the staves I ended up with are not impressive at all, but I figured I could get a couple bows from them for my cousins and nephew to goof around with in the yard and give me another project to do. This is the making of one such bow. It was made in about 6 hours with a knife and for cosmetic reasons, a random orbit disk sander. Campfire time: 1-3 days with a good knife.

The bole used for this bow stave was somewhat knotted, had several bends and a significant amount of twist. Otherwise put; this was not an ideal stave for bowyering.

The proccess:

After harvesting several boles of red alder and a few of green or sitka alder, lengths from 5-6.5', I debarked them with a smooth downward slicing motion and then scraped off the remaining lines of cambium still attatched to the sapwood [these can be readily seen in red alder as they immediately begin to discolor reddish orrange].

Next I stood the bole up on end and sighted down the length, turning to establish the flattest profile, that with the least sideways bends. The outside of this curve would become the back to my bow [the side that faces the target].

I marked down the centerline of this back, then, for simplicity's sake I marked the center of the handle section off at midpoint of the bow. On the opposite side, the belly, i would remove the wood from the limbs.

Using a sharp heavy knife as one would a hatchet for hewing, I tapered each limb down, sharply at first, to form risers and flatten out the belly of the limbs. At this point, they had a 'D' cross section. I then tapered gradualy the rest of the length to the tips, so that 1/3 of the wood had been removed at the narrow end and 1/2 from the fatter end.

From midway allong the limbs, I tapered the sides of the limbs down to the tips, gradualy making the ends more rounded and ending about 1" diameter.

Next I leaned the stave up against a corner of the wall, with the bottom pulled towards myself where I sat on the floor. Using the knife held handle in one hand, tip carefuly in the other, as a draw-knife, I refined my shape, smoothing my earlier cuts, removing any thick spots, bumps and rounding off all the angles a bit.

Here I first check the tiller. I stood, holding one limb tip on the toe of my boot [to protect it from the ground] and then other at head height. Pushing bit by bit with my free hand, from the handle area, I checked the bend of the limbs. Any stiff spots where thined out at the belly. I is important here that one bends the bow only as much as it takes to see the first area that is most prone to bending. Every part of the limbs that was not this spot I trimmed a little and checked again.

I next carved, by whittling, shallow notches [nocks] around the back and side of the limbs, about 1" from the tips to accept the bowstring.

Once it seemed to be bending evenly when pulled almost half draw and there where no obvious 'lumbs' I moved on to using the edge of the knife, held almost at a right angle to scrape wood from the belly of the limbs little at a time. I kept increasing the pressure of the bend, inch by inch as I checked the tiller, and used the knife as above to remove a little from the stiffer spots untill i was able to put a string on and test pull it.

Once i was within an inch or two of full draw [for me, 28 inches] I bent the bow a bit to see where the bow first became quick and springy as it flexed to determine the brace height. I then made a string for it, out of cheap p-cord, about 200lb breaking strength.

This is still green wood, and so the limbs are sluggish and are prone to taking a set. The draw weight is relatively heavy for the cast it gives [how hard and far it shoots]. It draws about 35-40lb and shoots like a 25lb glass recurve, but it was quick and easy to make and could easily take small game at close ranges. Being green wood, and as alder isn't a great bow wood IME, the limbs will wear out rather quickly and lose cast. I expect this bow, if kept dry and stored unstrung, will last several weeks, hopefuly all one would need in a subsistence situation. Otherwise, a much better bow can be made in the meanwhile.

[canid]

the rest of the pics:

[canid]

this bow is better seasoned now and is ready for finishing. i plan to seal it but i haven't decided how i want to do it for this bow, modern or otherwise. i've got the limbs somewhat broken in and resisted too much drawing while it was green, so the action is still fine.

i'm currently working a shorter, more broad-limbed flatbow and a welsh/english style longbow. the longbow is bending evenly at half draw but i will have to thin about a uniform 1/4' from the belly of both limbs and re-tiller, as i estimate the draw to be about 150lb at 22", as this is about twice the depth it flexed when i proped one tip on a chair and stood on the handle section

i'm taking more time with these later bows, as the first one was to illustrate a 'same day' green wood bow.

[FVR]

Just finished up a sinew backed osage, 60" 55lbs at 27". Made it for a friend, that's why it's light poundage.

Have a roughed out ready to tiller osage, 60", planning on recurving the ends, no sinew this time, in the 65lb range.

Also have a slat, osage that I need to get shaved down to a little over 1/4" thick. Plan on using either horn or maybe rib bone on the belly, of course sinew on the back.

But, I hung up my 65lb sinew backed osage, shooting a 50lb 70's Bear Grizzly. Decided to go vintage for a few months.

[canid]

those grizzlies are nice recurves. i had one several years back that had been my dad's when he was my age. it had been stored for years, but that thin held up forever.

55lb isn't that light, it'll do anything you need it to. i used to shoot a compound 70 and about 55 in a traditional bow, but 45 is all i need these days. i'm not as strong in the upper body than i was in high school [or middle school for that matter].

[Kemperor]

I'm thinking of making one of these: http://www.primitiveways.com/pt-composite_bow.html

[canid]

oh nice. there is a great deal of informative video on horse-bows and the like on youtube aswell.

[FVR]

Kemp.,

Takes time and alot of work. I made one years ago, it failed, made a bone bow also and it failed.

Learned alot from both bows. I do plan on again making both the horn and bone bow in the future. I use to sell water buff. horns, now they are so darned exp., and same goes for gemsbok. I can't even find any bison rib bones.

[canid]

you can find gemsbok/springbok horns on ebay for half reasonable prices at times. just be sure you're actualy bidding on the ones pictured first.

[canid]

i've broken this bow in now. it's taken a little set, due to use while it's had increased moisture [it's been raining off and on], so i'm going to dampen it and reform the limbs in a press, then dry it out before i seal it. i'm leaning towards a modern stain and varnish.

i've completed a few others, one is a youth sized version of the bow illustrated, for my nephew. it draws about 20lb at 23", 24 at 26". these are going to my family in oregon, as a thanks for the little vacation i got while i was up there.

the longbow is drawing around 100lb and kills my shoulder. i need a glove to shoot it, so i'll get back to it after i finish my other projects.

all in all, for being such a poor wood, alder is working quite well. my next projects will be oak and walnut.

[marberry]

thats an awesome bow... do you know of any trees where i live (southern manitoba) that would make a good bow ? , and what do the saplings look like?

[canid]

the saplings are just young trees, in in this case, young and often crowd-stunted alder shrubs, under 25'.

most of your broad-leaved trees [maple, elder, elm, ash, burr-oak, dogwood, etc] will make a bow. if you'd like to make a good bow, i recommend you don't do it as i did, but you choose a better wood and season it before you tiller. your oak, if you can find a suitable stave or your pagoda dogwood should work relatively well.

when selecting a stave, look for one as straight as you can, ideally with no branches you couldn't strip off with a finger, 1.5-3' diameter and nearly as long as you are tall if you want a full length bow, like a longbow. for a flatbow you could go much shorter.

the reason i chose alder saplings is that they [or similar trees] grow throughout much of the temperate world, tend to grow allong water courses, tend to grow crowded, promoting many to grow up straight [to get to the sun exposure] and that in many areas, hardwood trees, or any trees for that matter, will be found most abundant along riparian zones [the edges and flood plains of water courses].

[canid]

here are the bows after breaking in, before stain/varnish:

the smaller youth bow was born from that shorter stave above that was still in the debarking proccess. you may notice the uneven deflex around the middle of the upper limb, not unlike the one that formed in the larger bow during the breaking in proccess. this resolved after the moisture content equalized in the latter. i'm aiming for the same in this one, or i will reform it in a press before sealing.

also pictured are a couple of quicky duct-tape fletched arrows. i made up a bunch of various sipne weights to help find appropriate spines for each bow

[canid]

finished these bows.

the youth flatbow was worked down to a more appropriate weight for a 10yo and the longbow was taken down to a more reasonable draw for an adult. all the bows where given a rinal re-tiller. i found i was significantly underestimating the weights when guessing. i used a scale:

first flatbow:
39lb @ 28"

youth flatbow:
24lb @ 23" [tillered to 25 to be safe]

longbow [guess you'd call it a reverse elb]:
about 70lb @ 28" [tillered to 30]

pics when the batteries are charged.

the longbow has more handshock than expected. i think it absorbed too much of the stain/sealant.

[canid]

the longbow:
i left the unevenness of the reflex, as it's not effecting the performance noticably.

i thought i took pictures of the finished flatbows before i sent them back up to oregon but i can't find the pics. my little sister might have transfered them to her notebook with some pictures she had taken [she's making hair extensions...]

[Kelticfox]

As requested Canid.....

I know how to make a basic bow, but was wondering what wood is best, how long seasoned and how to make it look awesome as well.

I must admite that the Bastilla bow is looking VERY intresting, but I'm also interested in Compound Bows.

[canid]

compound bows i can't help you with [unless you mean composite, as the term is occasionally used for those aswell], but there are almost as many approaches to bowyery as there are bows.

generaly, any strong and elastic wood can make you a decent bow [i mean decent enough to hunt with]. i have made stick bows you could take deer with.

hardwoods are good and i've made some recommendations in this thread.

good woods are osage, ash, walnut, the harder maples, pecan/hickory, and so on. even red oak can make you a nice selfbow, and is incredible if backed. in the northwest, were i learned to make selfbows as a child, bows where often made from cedar/juniper which become brittle as they dry, and that was overcome with the use of backings, so even poor woods have made some of the best bows in the world. some inuit composite bows where made from tied and glued together pieces of driftwood and bone, and have been used to kill polar bear. the sky is the limit.

for seasoning/curing, it will come down to the woods used. some don't require seasoning at all, some can be dried over a fire or simply fire hardened and with some woods [such as some of the more brittle ones], seasoning is actually counterproductive. for quicky hardwood selfbows you can shoot a few days after starting [or even sooner] and still use for months or more, a few days of drying in the summer, or hanging over a fire, or a day or two in a home bow kiln [generaly made with a box made from foam insulation board and a light bulb] can be plenty. what's most important is that the moisture content best isolates the wood's ideal elasticity and that it dosen't split from the defomation that drying can create.

i would personally recommend starting with hardwood selfbows, as they are at the same time easy, challenging and are always rewarding.

[canid]

this is one of the bows i'm working on right now. sadly, it is a reject because of a defect in the core from the band saw getting away from me while milling the stave but i intend to have a lot of fun with it. it gives me an excuse to keep one. also my dog got ahold of the riser block just long enough to put a nice split and some tooth marks into it.

it's a slightly deflexed longbow. it has a glass reenforced backing of lyptus over a white ash core. the riser is also lyptus and the tip overlays are a highly figured birdseye maple. after final tiller and sanding i will give the lyptus a mahogany stain and the ash and maple will get honey maple. everything will be clearcoated with west systems 105/205.

i can't wait to drill the holes out for my recurving and r/d cauls so i can lay up the recurves i'm working on.

i always forget how much fun it is doing real rewarding work again. this beats washing dishes or busing tables any day.

[Rick]

Canid - That's not where the ban saw got away from you. That's where the bear made a swipe at you. His mistake, too. And those aren't your dog's teeth prints. It was a giant wild rabid wolf. Marketing. Think marketing.

[canid]

hahaha. yeah that bear's been causin me no end of trouble. and that wolf; doesn't he realize these things have to come out market worthy? measure twice; cut once and for the love of god throw a t-bone to distract the wildlife while operating power tools...