homemade bow.

[Brod_Man]

can anyone provide me with step-by-step instructions on how to make a good bow? not like do this, then this, then this and your done. I mine like first do this then this, then this, etc. etc and on and on? I have some of my bow down but dont know how to shape the limbs.

[Arthur P]

What kind of bow are you making? Selfbow or glass/wood laminate? Recurve or longbow?

[Kosherboy]

This is always a good source to start with.

http://groups.msn.com/ferretsarcherywebpage

[PAstew]

Traditional bowyers bible series 1 2 and 3. Subscribe to the Bowyers Journal. Or, go to the LeatherWall or tradgang.com.

[Brod_Man]

im gonna use wood and probably a long bow.

[PAstew]

There are a lot of diferrent woods out there. If you are backing the bow with bamboo, simply draw out the limbs on the wood and cut. You'll have to build a form for either heat or steam and set any reflex/ deflex during glue up. The most information needed for this project are in the Bowyers bible seiers. The Bowyers Journal magazine is also a great source of imformation.

[Arthur P]

im gonna use wood and probably a long bow.

That link to Ferret's page that Kosherboy gave you, that's a good place to get step by step instructions. Also, this one:

http://mysite.verizon.net/georgeandjoni/archer.html

Check the articles posted on Dean Torges' site. Good place to find tools and stuff also, but pricey:

http://www.bowyersedge.com/

The Traditional Bowyer's Bible series of books is excellent. Also Hunting the Osage Bow by Dean Torges.

[Brod_Man]

ok better question. can anyone HERE give my instructions? if not ill go to the library and try to find bowyers bible.

[Arthur P]

I don't know why you'd want my feeble attempts at instructions when those websites have whole pages of far better stuff than I can put in a few sentences, plus illustrations. but here goes...

Put masking tape down the center of your limbs. (Unless you just like sanding pencil marks off of your bow's back.) Measure your limbs to find the exact center and draw a line right down center of the bow, from one end to the other. Measure 1/2" wide for your limb tips. Draw a line from each side of the tips to the base of the limbs at each end of your handle.

Cut away everything that doesn't look like a bow. Sand the edges smooth. Sand a 1/16-3/32" radius on all the corners.

Then the hard part. Roughing the limbs' thickness and doing the tiller. Your choice whether to do a flatbow or deep stack "D" belly. I like flatbows myself.

First mark 1/2" thick at the tips and draw a taper line from the tips to the limb fadeouts. Cut off excess wood. File in some string nocks into your limb tips so you can string the bow for tillering. You do have a long tillering string, I expect. Now you're ready to work on tiller. Remove wood from the belly until each limb bends smoothly and evenly, and both limbs bend the same amount. Work each limb down carefully with a wood rasp, and then with scrapers when you start getting close, until you hit the draw weight you want.

Shape your nocks and limb tips the way you want them and be sure to polish the string nocks really smooth. Rough string nocks will flat eat up strings in short order.

Sand out all rasp/file marks with finer and finer grit sizes. Finish off with 500 grit. I like to take a piece of smooth steel rod and burnish the wood, but it's not necessary. Apply finish of your choice.

[firemedic_79]

Make sure to keep the edges of the limbs rounded off when your scraping and tillering. It helps to eliminate splinters from lifting as you bend the limbs to check for equal tiller.