Bowyering

[HOTHOUSEDOG]

I've just finished re-reading the Bowyers Bibles 1 & 2, and i am ready to turn a nice Ash plank to fire wood ( and will continue to do so untill i get a longbow). I was wondering if any one else has had similar moments of madness?
Also any advise or cautions would be gratefully recieved.( I already know the one about my girlfriend leaving with the kids if i spend any more time in "the bl**dy garden"!)

[djthompson]

i've only made the 1 bow so far; a lemonwood self bow about 35-38lb. but it was good fun. Shoots well up to 50 yard targets; but then the drop off is too much to really sucessfully target shoot. Max range 120 yards.

I'd recommend using hand tools only, a file, keyhole file, cabinate scrapper and sand paper are all you need (once you have a stave).

Took me about 2 days to shape and tiller and another day or two to finish.

however, once you've done one...

i want to make another; but this one will be lemonwood with an ash back; and tillered to atleast 50lb.

Have fun, D

[RichardH]

Funny, I was eyeing up this floor tillered hickory/ash longbow kit this morning. Looks like a gentle introduction to bowmaking (maybe!)

[HOTHOUSEDOG]

Hey Thanks Richard!
I was looking for a supplier of backing woods. And they do bamboo too.
I am going to have to put together an order.
Back to the shed for me!

[RichardH]

I've just dropped them an email to see what shipping to the UK will cost.

I had a mad idea of building a bamboo back (the prepared one), plus a load of the laminations to make up the required thickness for a longbow, in the hope that they would require less finishing before being glued together, and that I could taper them. The only thing is that they would mean I had joints in the core & belly timbers - but they do say the glue is stronger than the wood itself. Maybe I could stagger the joints.

[alanesq]

Originally Posted by HOTHOUSEDOG

I've just finished re-reading the Bowyers Bibles 1 & 2, and i am ready to turn a nice Ash plank to fire wood

I can't offer any advice as I am still only half way through vol 1 of the bowyers bible but I can assure you that you are not alone as I have just decided to have a go myself (despite having very little idea as to how to do it ;-)

I have just bought myself a bit of ash (very little choice from the local wood yard) to have a first try with and I have ordered a lemonwood stave to have a try with for real after this one


BTW - I found a couple of websites showing how to make a bow
http://www.geocities.com/salampsio/elb.htm
and
Bow Roughout

[HOTHOUSEDOG]

Thanks for the link Alan, a hole load of expertise there. Have you seen this one from the same home page? Ferret's Board Bow Instructions
It more for bow from lumber boards,( Covered in more detail in Bowyers bible vol 2). and check this bow out very pretty "St. Judes Osage Selfbow 2006"
Best of luck!
Martin

[wingate_52]

I really enjoyed reading How to make an English longbow
Simple and effective. I hope it worked well in the end.
I use inflatable drum sanders for shaping boomerangs.

[alanesq]

I have decided that the more I read now the harder the task seems so I am just going to jump in at the deep end and go for it
when I have failed at making my first bow I will then go back to the books to see where I went wrong ;-)

[RichardH]

I have decided that the more I read now the harder the task seems

Too right!

A while ago I thought I'd have a go, then started reading and decided not to, then had more thoughts and decided that maybe I'd have a go...

I think I'm going to get cracking on something over the Autumn/Winter.