a quick bow

**sh4d0wm4573ri7** · 10-18-2008, 12:13 AM

just a weekend project :
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**Gray Wolf** · 10-18-2008, 12:56 AM

Please a little more detail, wood and materials, # pull, etc. Thanks

P.S. Looks nice!

**crashdive123** · 10-18-2008, 07:05 AM

Nice work.

**sh4d0wm4573ri7** · 10-18-2008, 08:26 AM

A sapling my neighbor tossed believe its maple overall length is 63" draw weight is 31# @29" it's oiled and the handle is leather wrapped, string is sumthin I had laying around in the shop.

Recently picked up a 73" Red Oak board I'm going to turn into a longbow, shooting for 55#@29" useing hand tools is a slow process but quite satisfying

**Rick** · 10-18-2008, 08:30 AM

Did you show your neighbor what happens to saplings he tosses out?

I admire you guys that make your own bows. Nice work.

**sh4d0wm4573ri7** · 10-18-2008, 08:43 AM

My neighbor is a Bass fishing guru , he has no interest in hunting , survival etc. He probably thinks I'am a little off the deep end.

**canid** · 10-18-2008, 02:17 PM

looks like a fun little shooter. i love to make sapling bows.

if you want good poundage out of a red oak board, do you mind if i make a suggestion? thick limbs have been giving me problems. i'd go no thicker than 1/2" just past the fades and 3/8" anywhere past midlimb. you can make up for it with width, say 1.5-2" at midlimb.

the oak bows i'm working on right now, which began as 72" board have all been shortened by 6-12". the 60" bow was taken down so far because it had developed some checking when i tried to reflex the limbs. it is now the only one of the oak looking like beating 50lb.

**Runs With Beer** · 10-18-2008, 02:58 PM

Nice work on the bow,I have so hikory saplings I cut about a year ago. Id like to try that when I get time.

**crashdive123** · 10-18-2008, 02:58 PM

First the bird trap..........

**sh4d0wm4573ri7** · 10-18-2008, 04:08 PM

Do you back your bows? I am contemplating to just oil and seal or apply some type of backing and seal. I am going with the long bow style and haven't decided wether I want to stack a handle or just wrap a leather handle I'd appreciate any input , suggestions etc. I have made the rough stave with a 15" handle and tapered from there to 1/2" at the tips I'm just going to round the corners and not take much off the width at all.

**canid** · 10-18-2008, 05:09 PM

i would like to back some of my bows. i have used biaxial fiberglass cloth, but am looking into making my own glass limb laminations. i plan to cast and press orriented strand mat into several layers and glue it up in west systems resin under heavy pressure and then cut into lams. i have also thought of using unidirectional glass tape, but it's pricey.

i have a bunch of bamboo, split and curing down in Denair Ca. and when i get my bandsaw back i can cut untapered backings and lams from some of my hickory, etc. i'd like to make a jig for tapering laminations via the beltsander or block plane aswell.

i like sinew but i can't afford any new materials these days. i've been on a tight budget and working with what i've got in stock for months now. sadly, most of my stock is still in storage.

**canid** · 10-18-2008, 05:15 PM

which longbow style, there are many.

i'm telling you, i advise going thinner and wide for the limbs with oak, but if you've got a style or design in mind, go for it and please don't be shy about showing it off as it comes along, i'd love to see more of your work.

as for handles, i like wrapped, round or semi-round handles on primitive bows sometimes, but out of personal preference, i've mostly been making built-up risers with contoured handles lately. i like the way they sit in my hand.

for my sapling flatbows, i take 1/4 off each side of the handle section and round it out from that point, which feels great in the hand aswell, and looks good with a wrap. on my last few of those, i folded 1/4" of the top of the wrap under, so that the top of the wrap protruded out a bit, giving a bit of a rest.