Gigmaster

I just finished making another longbow. I made this one from a red oak stave, backed it with heavy linen, and tillered it to 83 lbs. I coated it with 5 coats of Minwax, and wrapped the grip with suede latigo. I coated the grip with mink oil to weather-proof it.

I named it Thunderstyk. I shoots like a dream with either wood, carbon, or aluminum arrows (it does the best with 2275s), and hits like a ton of bricks.







My next project is going to be a bamboo-backed hickory flatbow.

Kanga

Nice looking bow.

Just a question tho why 83lb's ?

bigcountry

Here is the backing? I can't see it from the pictures?

burniegoeasily

Nice. Looks like you are a knuckle shooter?

Gigmaster

I wanted it to be a 'war-weight' longbow, which is typically 80-100+#. I stopped at 83 pounds because I think by the time I break it in, it will be near 80#. I plan to hunt hogs with it, so I wanted it to hit hard. Hogs are tough!

And, I also wanted a taste of what the longbowmen at Crecy, and Poitiers felt.

Gigmaster

You can see it better in this picture. I am still learning how to, use the digital camera. It's got hundreds of settings (or so it seems).
It's just linen backing that I got from 3 Rivers Archery. I glued it to the back and trimmed it to size...and that's pretty much it. It really added some speed to the cast. On my next bow, I want to try a Bamboo backing.

Gigmaster

I wanted to keep it authentic as possible (within reason. I can't pull a 140# bow). True longbows are not allowed to have arrow shelves, sight pins, string knocks, and cannot be shot with releases. These are the rules of the International Longbow Society, as I understand them. They must be shot 'off-the-hand'.

Historically, the Welsh early-type, or 'seige' longbow did not even have a grip. It was just a stick with a string. I like the suede grip on this one. It fills my hand well, and the weight of the oak wood makes me feel like I have a real weapon in my hands. I like the extra heft. It seems to help me steady my shots.

I am working on a bamboo-backed hickory flat bow, now. I will cut an arrow shelf on it, and tiller it to around 45-55 pounds.

By the way, this is the first bow I've ever built. I just found a couple of sets of instructions online, and went from there. The tillering process is the scariest part for me. If you overshoot your target weight, you just killed your bow. You can't put wood back on it. That's why I stopped at 83 pounds. I can always go back and tiller it some more, if needed. I'm just chicken when it comes to tillering. And I actually like the way it shoots at this weight.

Arthur P

You haven't killed it. Just won't be exactly what you intended. I've made more than my share of kiddie bows that started out to be 50 pounders. I get experience and a kid gets happy. Win/win situation.

Honestly, I think that's the right way to be.

As for backing, I like silk better than linen. Go to the fabric store and get some of the heavy weight silk they sell for making draperies. One yard of it will make a goodly number of bows.

Gigmaster

I'll try that next time. Thanks