First Bow!!

**Survival Guy 10** · 11-15-2009, 08:22 PM

you will never guess what i made this bow out of today i was exploring a creek that was running slow and i found the verdict a beaver dam i saw this sapling and had to take i saw many other good ones also

plus i dont know how to post pics help

**Rick** · 11-15-2009, 08:37 PM

Here you go, SG:

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...ead.php?t=1318

**Survival Guy 10** · 11-20-2009, 09:11 PM

thanks rick will post now

**Survival Guy 10** · 11-20-2009, 09:16 PM

here are the pics it is a kinda crappy bow but good enough for me tips of all kinds are acceptable

**Survival Guy 10** · 11-20-2009, 09:19 PM

more pics not very good knocks beech wood i belive

**Rick** · 11-20-2009, 09:24 PM

Why do think it's a crappy bow? Everyone starts somewhere. Right? Looks fine to me.

**crashdive123** · 11-20-2009, 09:27 PM

The most important thing - did you learn from your project?

**Survival Guy 10** · 11-20-2009, 09:37 PM

wrll i learned to never use woods that beaver cut because they cut some and break it thus making my bow weak at one end on the next one i want to use hickory and split it down a grain and draw knife it untill i have a preety good tiller dosent have to be perfect but hgood enough to have about a 35 lbs @ 28" just hoping gotta wait untell spring comes to start because that is when the sap starts movig so i can peel of the bark easily without damaging the underside

**owl_girl** · 11-21-2009, 08:47 PM

awsome, looks good. keep practicing.

**Survival Guy 10** · 11-26-2009, 01:18 PM

thank you all keep the comments coming

**Winnie** · 11-26-2009, 06:38 PM

Oh this takes me back! My dad used to make me simple bows from large diameter split bamboo. He had to make one a week, in the end I was sent to the Archery club for serious training. 5 yrs later I was under 16 county champion.... Just goes to show, from little acorns.

**your_comforting_company** · 11-26-2009, 07:18 PM

SG. Though I haven't made a bow, I've done a lot of reading on it.. If you want to make one out of hickory, try starting with a longer stave. You should be able to easily get 35# at 36" and you can always shorten it later.
I don't think it looks like a crappy bow, either. It looks pretty capable of putting small game on the table. Looks to me like a really good start on bowmaking. I prefer the more primitive stuff anyway. Have you seen erunkiswildernesssurvival (Trapper Jack on YouTube) make his primitive sapling bows? Cool Stuff.

Keep doing what you are doing and when you get good enough to make laminated ones, gimme a holler, I keep lots of backstrap sinews on hand

**Camp10** · 11-26-2009, 08:47 PM

Looks better than any bow I've made!! I would follow the advice given by the others..keep practicing and learn from every attempt. I might add that while you are waiting for spring to get the hickory, read as much as you can find on bow making. It isnt a bad idea to ask as many questions as you can to people who make bows. I bothered lots of good knifemakers and read several book (some very dry) to get myself pointed in the right direction! One more piece of advice...keep this bow! You will be glad you did!

**canid** · 11-26-2009, 11:14 PM

keep practicing and learn from every attempt.

i would add that you pretty much can't help but learn something important from each endeavor.

**ClayPick** · 11-27-2009, 10:05 AM

I'm a lousy shot with a bow. Chances are that you would do better even if I had the top of the line.

**Beo** · 11-27-2009, 12:40 PM

Looks good, does it work? Practice makes perfect, use what you learned as a tool to make the next one better or more to your liking.
Good to see your trying and I know you'll get the desired bow you want if you keep trying.

Beo,

**FVR** · 11-27-2009, 03:33 PM

Looks fine to me. I think sometimes that bow builders make things to complicated. That is a def. rabbit and small game shooter for sure.

My mother visited from NJ and brought me a few bows that I had sent up there back in 97. I took a minute to look at them and review how far I have come.

I'll post pics of them when I clean them up.......

I would suggest that one keeps their early bows for no other reason than to see how you started.