Author Topic: Long Bow Makeing Video (Read 934 times)

white feather · « **on:** January 05, 2006, 09:46:28 AM »

I want to make a long bow from scratch and i have been looking at videos that take you through the steps to do so, but i dont know what video i should buy, there are lots of them out there, and was wondering if you folks could stear me in the right direction, i have the tools and how to use them, was a cabinet maker for over 30 years, maybe a video that deals with the right wood to use and things like that, any help would be greatly appreciated, WF.

Woodbutcher · « **Reply #1 on:** January 06, 2006, 03:24:46 PM »

Dear White Feather:
A number of gentlemen that I've corresponded with sorta picked up what they needed from the internet, magazines, and a few mistakes. (In my case a few more! ) I am speaking of all wood or laminated wood bows, no glass lams. Not yet anyway. Sure is easier to get started, and boo-boos don't make you cry as much!
A piece of hardwood, maybe a thin backing stuck on with yellow glue, and the performance might be very surprising. As in fast! Some fellas are having too much fun to progress to glass and epoxy.
Some of the ones I've seen were so elegant, and if you had a chance to shoot them, well, you'd understand what I'm trying to say.
I've used tree limb, tree trunk, milled lumber, Hickory, Maple, and some others, and plan on getting some Ipe ( Brazilian Walnut ) hopefully tomorrow. The local building supply is always a good place to start. I'm working on a piece of Brazilian Cherry from the lumber store. The stuff is so dense that it's not supposed to float. It's a floorboard!!!
When I got started, a ways back, I figured that if someone, with fewer tools than I had, could make a bow that could feed his family and kill man or beast, what could I do?
Can I be of some help? Woodbutcher

white feather · « **Reply #2 on:** January 07, 2006, 09:04:18 AM »

Mr Woodbutcher

I really appreciate the kind offer, im totaly lost of what kind of wood should i start out on, where do i get the plans with all the measurements on how long it needs to be how wide the riser needs to be etc.

I thought maybe a video would work better for me because i can watch something and just build it from memory, i work better from watching than trying to get it out of a book is what im trying to say, i think i may order Al Harrin's book on Cherokee long bows and maybe it will get me started.

I love to bow hunt and thought maybe it would be nice to hunt with a bow i made myself, kinda like hunting with a rifle you smithed yourself, ill leave it up to you as to tell me what i need because im really in the dark, thanks for your time and effort on this, WF.

Woodbutcher · « **Reply #3 on:** January 07, 2006, 01:37:26 PM »

Whitefeather, please check your PM. Woodbutcher

white feather · « **Reply #4 on:** January 13, 2006, 04:32:42 PM »

woodbutcher, please check your Pm box for message, haveing trouble loging in and sending personal messages for some reason, let me know if you got it, WF.

mparks · « **Reply #5 on:** January 14, 2006, 12:34:36 AM »

"Hunting the Bamboo Backed-Bow" by Dean Torges is a good video. His book "Hunting the Osage Bow" is excellent.

If you want to make fiberglass-laminted bows then check out http://binghamprojects.com.

I learned a lot of what I know about bow-building from the internet. http://www.stickbow.com and http://ww.trad-gang.com.

On stickbow.com there are some good intstruction links for building laminated and self bows.

ShadowMover · « **Reply #6 on:** January 14, 2006, 08:11:20 AM »

The Osage Orange wood is supposed to be especially suited to this job. It is very common in the Kansas Oklahoma Texas area, and I've even seen it growing near Sacramento California. It's the trees that have the big green balls that look like 'monkey brains', and are full of seeds. Another name for the tree is Beaudarc, or Horse Apple. The name Beaudarc is a corruption of the French 'Bois dArc' which refers to the Indians' use of the wood for bows. It's supposed to make great fence posts and wagon frames too ;-)

The secret to being a bore is never to leave out a single detail.

white feather · « **Reply #7 on:** January 19, 2006, 08:58:11 AM »

Gentlemen

I bought a couple of bow makeing videos, Hunting the Bamboo Backed Bow by Dean Torges, excellent video, would recomend it to any newbee like me who need a sence of direction on bow makeing.

The other bow video is Bow and Arrow by John and Geri McPherson, im not to happy with this video, wanted a video about bow makeing not a video about someone standing around with his shirt un-buttoned showing his belly, there is lots of back ground noise on this one and i didnt really get much out of it, not worth the $29.00 i paid.

I also bought a video about Crafting Traditional Wood Arrows by the folks at 3 Rivers Archery, excellent video, they make it look so easy and even show you how to straighten them, im working on getting some osage wood to work with, i have found some trees and looking for the owners to ask if i can have a limb or two.

I would like to thank each and everyone who has taken the time to post and give me a helping hand, as soon as i can im going to get started and see how things turn out, thanks again, happy hunting, WF.>>>>-------->

mparks · « **Reply #8 on:** January 19, 2006, 03:07:47 PM »

Glad you liked the Torges video. I've built 4 or 5 Bamboo-backed Osage using that video as a guide. They make very nice shooting bows and are more forgiving of tillering mistakes we beginners are prone too.