material to make longbow

[djthompson]

Lol, maybe I am being a tad over confident. I was going to buy some pine & have a go (I know they would break - but it would be a cheap way to get some practice in).

I'd still be up for trying to make a laminate bow. I'd try and get on a course - but they are intermittent.

With some books/time/good equipment - is a laminate bow realistic?

Cheers, D

ps: if anyone has any tips to build a bow (dimentsions/plans/instructions) I'd be really grateful

[Reg]

Hi DJ,
Having just completed a longbow making course I can thoroughly recommend making your own bow. For £75 I've ended up with (in my eyes!) a beautiful hickory / lemonwood bow with horn nocks.
The bow is just a bonus - the actual process of making a bow was the most enjoyable way of spending a couple of days. Great fun
If your looking for a source of laminated staves / bowmaking kits you could try www.rudderbows.com - they're in the USA but they sell everything you would need and the exchange rate is favourable currently.

[djthompson]

Don't suppose that was with the Windrush bowmen was it? I've a flyer about their course. How long did it take?

You must be very pleased. Would love to see some pics too :-)

Cheers, Dave

[wingate_52]

Reg, can you give some details about the course you went on?

[Reg]

Don't suppose that was with the Windrush bowmen was it? I've a flyer about their course. How long did it take?

Yep - Windrush Bowmen. It took 2 days - I've still got final finishing and the leather handle to put on so it's not done completely yet. There was another person there who had a little more help with their bow and it was completely finished in a day and a half.

When it's completely finished (and if I can get my head round this piccies on the interweb thing) I'll post some pictures of it.

Reg, can you give some details about the course you went on?

Will do - at work now (although you wouldn't think so!) and the info is back on my home 'puter. If I haven't manged to delete it I'll post a link later.

Just read this again - do I win a prize for excessive use of the word completely?

[djthompson]

Excellent good stuff. £75 is such an excellent price. Was this your first time making a bow?

Cheers, Dave

[Reg]

Excellent good stuff. £75 is such an excellent price. Was this your first time making a bow?

Yes, but I enjoyed it so much I doubt if it will be my last. My better half already wants me to make her a longbow - we shoot NFAS with Windrush once a month and she sticks out like a sore thumb with her compound in amongst all the traditional bows!

[djthompson]

Nice to hear your club has lots of longbow shooters :-)

BTW - for the bows did the club supply ready laminated staves - or was this part of the bow making course (making your own laminations)?

Cheers, Dave

[Reg]

Nice to hear your club has lots of longbow shooters :-)

My club - Oxford Archers - doesn't have many (3 or 4) but that may soon change as half the people who have just completed the beginners course say longbow/ traditional is what they want to do.

Windrush have far greater numbers of traditional archers, they used to run as 2 clubs - field and target - but have almalgamated them in to 1 club now with traditional / field archery well outnumbering the target archers.

BTW - for the bows did the club supply ready laminated staves - or was this part of the bow making course (making your own laminations)?

For the beginners course which I did the Lemonwood / Hickory staves had already been laminated. I know they did a more advanced course this summer for people who had completed the beginners course last year where they made tri-laminate bows and had to do the lamination themselves.

Unfortunately neither of the courses were well attended and I know they are not intending to do any more for a while.

I'm struggling to post a couple of files which were sent to me as an introduction to the course. If anyone out there can tell me how to do this it would be appreciated - failing that if you want a copy just send me an e-mail and I'll reply with the files attached.

[robtattoo]

Hey, DJ.
Take a looky here mate http://groups.msn.com/ferretsarchery...e/welcome.msnw

Mickey has some excellent instructions in bow building & the whole tillering process. Mainly american bows, I know, but a flat bow/pyramid bow would probably be the easiest to start on.