Hello everyone, I wonder if you could help me?

Message

Henry · #1 Post by **Henry** » Mon Jan 05, 2004 12:57 am

Hello, I am a new member to this website, and I'm very glad I found it.

I normally shoot a modern recurve bow at a target, but I was wondering about making a bow. I've worked in wood before, but not much, so I need something quite easy. If anyone could give me any advice, I would apreciate it a lot

By the way, I really like the website design, especially the "Lore & Legend" section.

erron · #2 Post by **erron** » Mon Jan 05, 2004 7:38 am

Henry,

thanks for the compliments, and welcome to Ozbow!

I will leave your questions for our experienced bowmakers to answer. Please be patient as a lot of people are on holiday at this time, so things are generally quiet.

cheers,

Erron

MarkP · #3 Post by **MarkP** » Mon Jan 05, 2004 8:29 pm

Henry,

A laminated longbow is perhaps the easiest place to start. You can make one quite adequately without any power tools and just a handful of basic woodworking skills. Once you make a longbow or two you'll understand the principles required to design a laminated recurve. Recurves are measurably more difficult and time consuming to construct.

In Australia John Clarke of Ausbow Industries has a good guide to constructing a longbow. I think he has a website you could search for. I'm sure you might find some similar references at home or in the USA.

Most bowyers are only too willing to accept a visitor and take them through the bowmaking process. Perhaps you could track one or two down and go and visit them. If you could it would be time well spent.

One tricky part of building a laminated bow is matching limb laminations to your desired bow weight. It only takes slight variations in the thickness of limb laminations to make a big difference to draw weight. Be prepared to make at least one bow that comes out either too light or too heavy in draw weight when you first get started.

As for selfbows there are many excellent references - too many to list. Every bowyer however, no matter what type of bow they build, should have all 3 volumes of the Traditional Bowyer's Bible (available in the USA).

As a guide, a first time bowyer should be able to build a laminated longbow without the aid of any power tools in about 12 hours. These 12 hours would normally be spread out over a few days to allow time for glue drying, etc.

Give it a go - you will find it very satisfying to have built your own bow - even more so if you can take some game with it.

Cheers
MarkP

Guest · #4 Post by **Guest** » Tue Jan 06, 2004 9:03 pm

G'day Henry,
My experience is with take down recurves and a little with selfbows so may not be of much help.

When I kicked off I had to battle through each triumph and set back more or less on my pat. The odd long phone call to Jeff as some things with longbows are relevant to recurves, mostly processes, but mostly I soaked up everything I could lay my hands on in regard to bows like a sponge, (looking back I reckon I must have been a royal pain in the proverbial!).

Some info and video from Binghams is money well spent in my view, other than being very good to deal with, their video I found priceless because of the visual it gives you on the processes.

As Mark P mentioned, the "Bowyers bibles" are good though if you had to pick just one to me it would be Vol 1.

Also, don't be disheartened if your first longbow (if that's what you choose) runs more into the 20 + hours to complete, you wouldn't be on your own!

Go hard and good luck.

Mark K.

Henry · #5 Post by **Henry** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 3:15 am

Thank you all very much for your advice! I'll keep an eye out for the bowyer's bible, and I'll try and get some pictures up of the completed bow (so long as it gets completed

).

That's a very nice takedown you've got there M.K., did you build that?

ozlongbow · #6 Post by **ozlongbow** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 7:57 am

Henry
Check out the 3 Rivers website (3rivers.com I think!) for the Bowyers bible series. I maanged to score vols 2 and 3 for a lousy $US8 each when I was there last year. I see you are in the UK - whereabouts? And Quicks might be able to help with the books mentioned? They have a very comprehensive website too!
And as Erron said - welcome!
Lindsay

Jock · #7 Post by **Jock** » Thu Jan 08, 2004 7:04 pm

Henry,
Lindsay is right about Quicks, they do have all three volumes of "Bower's Bible", kinda pricey though, whereabouts in England are you?

Henry · #8 Post by **Henry** » Fri Jan 09, 2004 3:09 am

Thank you for all your advice again

, I've had a good look around the web at different book shops and archery shops, and so far the cheapest prices for the Bowyers bible is at Amazon.co.uk so I'm going to order them when I get around to it.

Just one more question, MarkP was talking about laminated longbows, what's the difference between them and normal longbows?

I'm in the South West of England, quite close to Bristol by the way.

doninkaliphornistan · #9 Post by **doninkaliphornistan** » Sun Jan 25, 2004 1:58 am

www.binghamprojects.com or www.3riversarchery.com

good luck ...