I want to make my own bow

[gjclayton]

Hi there all.

I am keen on making my own flatbow. A nice compact, DIY bow for fun in the garden.

I found these plans years ago (sure many others here have too):
http://www.vintageprojects.com/archery/flat-bow-plans.html

Anyone have any idea where I could get a wood blank from in the UK?
The plans talk about lemonwood , but not sure we get that over here?! It seems to be known as boxwood this way. I am sure traditional British and Western European bow woods would be suitable though.

Looks like I'd need just short of 6fts worth of wood.

Any ideas? Any info gratefully received.

GJC

 

[bobnewboy]

You can get reasonable wood from timber suppliers, but look for those who stock hardwoods. For a first bow you could try dried/seasoned bamboo, ash, hickory (more difficult to find), red oak etc as a cheaper starting point. But you do need to see the wood before you buy to check the grain etc. I would strongly suggest joining or at least loitering on the Primitive Archer web board - its US-based but very friendly and chock full of useful info and feedback/help.

 

[Alreetmiowdmuka]

I made a bow using those plans.i used an oak door casing leg.it wasnt gonna win any awards but was a fun project and I learnt a few things along the way.i will definitely have another go at a bow at some point..ive no idea what sort power it's is but I can thump an arrow into a cushion across the garden


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[bushcraftkid2001]

If you can find any ash or yew, they work a treat!

 

[ateallthepies]

As your a new Bowyer I would start out on an inexpensive piece of wood, you may end up with a shooter first go but it's tricky.
I would start with an actual sapling tree type blank as the fibres and rings will be automatically in the right places which can be even trickier to spot in a pile of sawn timber boards.
Ash is a good start or Hazel. Both are abundant in pipe straight small diameter trunks which will help on a first bow.

If your ever over my way I have several cut Ash staves from 2004 that are seasoned that you could have one or two free. The cost to post is prohibitive though.

steve

 

[gjclayton]

I made a bow using those plans.i used an oak door casing leg.it wasnt gonna win any awards but was a fun project and I learnt a few things along the way.i will definitely have another go at a bow at some point..ive no idea what sort power it's is but I can thump an arrow into a cushion across the garden


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Thanks so much for the replies and advice.
I have had a look at the US forum and there is much to take from there!
I'll see how I get on from here!

 

[Alreetmiowdmuka]

https://vimeo.com/110452450



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[Alreetmiowdmuka]

Don't know if that vid will work or not.like i said it wasn't much too look at(it was my first go) a real bowyer would tear it too peices but I really enjoyed making it and learning about the craft.


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[gjclayton]

https://vimeo.com/110452450



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Looks great Alreet!
Nice work and looks like a lot of fun.

I hope I can get to that point. I'm not looking to knock down a cow (!), just throw some arrows across the garden!

 

[chas brookes]

Hi
link to a good tutorial on Seoras blog site

http://www.bushcraftdays.com/how-to-carve-an-ash-flatbow/

 

[gjclayton]

Thanks so much. Hopefully be starting on this project in the next couple of weeks!

 

[Mafro]

Get in contact with Will Lord. He runs bow making courses, but also will sell you laminated blanks, or straight blanks if you want to go your own. Will really is a top bloke, and incredibly knowledgeable!

 

[Robby]

If you take time and carefully pick the timber you can make a Laminated stave up from strip wood from B&Q. Keep it cheap for your first few attempts. It is an amazing feeling shooting a bow you made yourself. As someone else said, be prepared for breakage. It's a horrible moment where you think you've just gor the perfect tiller and the bow snaps. But you learn as you go. Just enjoy it.

 

[dwardo]

If you are not breaking them then you are not trying hard enough.
You will break or most likely crush the belly of your first few bows but that is a learning curve you need to go through. This doesn't necessarily mean that you wont get a shooter early on. Get plenty of timber cut initially don't just get one piece and think that will do you,, because you will either get bored waiting for it to season or break it and have nothing else ready and again lose interest.
As you progress having timber at various stages of dryness becomes more and more important.
Get the first bowyers bible book for christmas and join up to www.primitivearcher.com forum and read, read, read.

 

[gjclayton]

Thanks very much for all the advice.

I was lucky enough to pick up some wood from ateallthepies and have some in reserve for after the xmas period.
I'll be sure to post any broken staves / finished bows here!

 

[TheDaddy187]

traditional english longbows were made from yew wood...
the construction had the tougher heartwood inside (facing the shooter) and the lighter wood on the outside...

see if you can find some yew wood....

with the right piece of yew wood you can make a bow using just a knife...

if you fancy something cheaper and easier then try pvc pipe...

heat it up and flatten it down... use pipes within pipes to up the draw force...

there are plenty of tutorials on youtube

hope this helps

TD

 

[Robson Valley]

In western Canada, Ash (Fraxinus sp.) has been the wood of choice for a bow.
As TheDaddy187 points out, the core is towards the shooter.

Don't get it cut, have it split (or cut, I suppose) along radial lines.
You end up with a blunted wedge shape in cross section.

In terms of elastic properties, Ash is a ring porous wood so that a stack of annual
growth rings performs like a vehicle leaf spring stack.

 

[gjclayton]

Ash is what I got! Well two ash staves, and a yew stave!

 

[Robson Valley]

Well! That's a start!
Stand the wood up vertically. Now look down on the end grain.
The lines of the annual growth rings should run left/right.
Mind you, there may be other ways of doing this of which I am unaware.

I made aquaintance with a small group of "primitive" weapon makers some years ago.
Besides the wood of bows and arrows, some members were flint-knapping freaks who
could mimic any point ever found in North America. Full membership in the group
was afforded to those who made a successful deer hunt with their constructions.

For collectors of replica weapons and replica placements in museums of anthropology,
a bow and three arrows commanded $3,000.00 (shared accordingly.)

 

[woodsman44]

I have a bit of yew you could have but it's getting to you
it would make a bow