bow making course

[Dave Budd]

I've got a bowmaking course on this coming weekend and somebody has had to drop out at the last minute, so I thought I'd offer the place up here :)

In previous years I offered a bow making course for upto 6 people and it was always full (sometimes I had to put on a second course). I hired a friend of mine to run the course on account of him being a better bowyer than me and having years of experience in teaching folk to make bows. I assisted him and was able to teach the students when he was busy with more challenging toxophological problems. Unfortunately for me, he emigrated last year and I couldn't find a substitute.

Anyway, after much persuading and a bit more practice, I'm running the course myself this year :yikes: So to test the water I'm stopping at 4 students and at a reduced price,all on the understanding that I've not taught this subject solo before.

Details. Really short notice, it's this coming weekend (2nd-3rd April), at my woods in Devon. Price for this course is £180, with all materials included.

We will be making European Flatbows from Ash that I felled this winter. As a part of the course you'll also make a string and at least one arrow to match your bow. When the bow is shootable (sunday afternoon with luck) I've a range set up to practice on.

I'll take a piccy of one of the bows that i knocked up as a practice over the winter and post it up tomorrow, but in the meantime here are some pics from previous courses :)



Like I say, there is ONE place available. If you are interested then pm or call me ASAP Obviously you are welcome to camp in the woods with the rest of us :) If it goes well then I'll be back to running a full course annually

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i98/buddknives1/bowcourse0012.jpg
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i98/buddknives1/bowcourse0009.jpg
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i98/buddknives1/Bushcraft%20bits/bowarrows2008web.jpg
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i98/buddknives1/Bushcraft%20bits/bowarrows2008web2.jpg
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i98/buddknives1/Bushcraft%20bits/bownews4.jpg

[Dave Budd]

bumpety :)

[HHazeldean]

How was the course Dave? Wish I could have come! :)

[Dave Budd]

It went well, thanks Harry :)

4 bows made and no problems with any of them. They all came out very nicely too as it happens ;)

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i98/buddknives1/Bushcraft%20bits/bowmaking20110017.jpg
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i98/buddknives1/Bushcraft%20bits/bowmaking20110020.jpg

[HHazeldean]

They look great, I'd love to come on a bow making course some day. :)

[TeeDee]

Bugger!! How did I miss this?!?! Gutted.

[bdshim]

awsome i would have liked this, what wood did you use to make them?

[Welshwizard]

Anything like this in Wales ?

[Dave Budd]

I use ash on the bowmaking course, partly because it is easy to learn with (clear growth rings, even grain, not too hard to work), partly because it does make a good bow, but mostly because I have a lot of good ash growing in my woods :D

Not sure about courses in Wales, but I'm sure there is somebody up there who teaches bowmaking (though most likely longbows rather than flatbows). Mind you, I'm just over the water ;)

[Welshwizard]

Which part of Devon ,how close to the bridge/border Wales ? My old VW van is,nt too keen on the hills ?

[Dave Budd]

cheriton bishop, just west of Exeter.

[Welshwizard]

Ok thanks Dave , will watch out for next year .

[Mesquite]

Reported as :spam:

[original45]

what a great course dave ,i had no idea you did such work or courses.this i wouldnt mind doing when im able.this would be a great b day pressy .cracking .atb mart

[Dave Budd]

cheers :) I've got some spaceson the April bow making course ;)

[dwardo]

If you want a leap forward in the learning process you can't beat face to face training. Happy looking students and great looking bows.

[Dave Budd]

yip, everyone has gone away happy and in 4 (or is it 5?) years of these courses we have only had one catastrophic failure and that was due to the material used not the student/tutor :)

[dwardo]

Some ingenius places to hold the bows at various angles, brilliant. Do you do much after splitting before the student gets a stick? Lot of work to get through and end up with a working bow,,,, you must be working them hard! :)

[Dave Budd]

too right I work them hard, gotta get their money worth! :D

I give out cleft billets of ash. They are all cut to useable lengths (though if we have more short drawers and long staves, then they get cut down accordingly) and are as wide as the front of the bow is; so an average piece is about 70" long and a triangle of about 3" each face.

I encourage people to lay into the billet with a good sharp axe. The excess wood means that people have time to build confidence with the tools before it gets too close to ruined. I always offer to remove some of the bulk for anybody who feels that they aren't making headway after giving it a good go (don't want them burning out too early!). It makes me laugh when a student asks me to help out with the axe and the other 'big blokes' suddenly pick up their pace after I whack out more in 5 minutes than they had in the previous 2 hours :lol: Never have a pissing contest with a blacksmith who plays with axes :evilangel:

I've had ladies, 13 year old boys and quite elderly gentson these bow making courses and everybody starts with the same selection of wood and everybody has got through the whole precess to their satisfaction and gets the chance to shoot their new toys at the end :)

[dwardo]

I get tired quickly even after only a week or so off the tools :o Thats a desk job for you.
You should do an advanced course over a longer period that includes heat treating, backings and recurving. I beleive summer this year is in june for a week so that would be a good time to try ;)

Anyways looks like a load of fun and you get to come home with a fully functioning bow.