any bow builders to help

[gulfdaddy]

I am 56 and have hunted all my life with firearms.  I have taken deer with both long guns and hand guns and have to admit that I like getting close to the game.  Back in college I had a Hoyte recurve bow that I hunted with some but at the time was obsessed with big deer and could not bear the idea of a trophy passing out of bow range.  With maturity I have learned what a trophy really is and I look for more in the hunt itself.  I cannot at this point wrap my mind around the idea of all the bells and whistles of the compound bows and accessories. God bless every one's right to choose something different here in America! 
I have been reading some information about making long bows lately and have found guys making both laminated bows and bows from a single stave.  As a novice about to attempt his first bow making project, what are your views on these two choices? (or others)   

I have tools and some skills and would like recommendations on components and literature.  The primitive aspects of archery interest me.  thanks, gulfdaddy 

[jgalar]

The Traditional Bowyer's Bible volumes 1,2 and 3 and
The Bent Stick by Paul Comstock would be good books for stick bows.

http://216.119.68.89/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=6&zenid=4fd7118e37171938b675a4a6b4d97478
is a good source for buying bows, bits-N-pieces, and kits.

[gulfdaddy]

Thanks JG

[a45gunslinger]

I think what you are doing will be very rewarding.. I built my first last year.. I tried to build a "board bow"  TBB vol 2. very inexpensive and I learned alot from my mistakes. I ended up w/my final bow made of Ipe/hickory and glass. There were pics posted in the trad. archery forum- Have fun and enjoy - Kevin

[a45gunslinger]

These tools will almost be a necessity



here is a pic of a bow that only made it to about 300 shots

[a45gunslinger]

Also you will find there is alot of discussion about what type of glue to use I've tried everything you could buy at the box stores and nothing held up..I ended up purchasing "smooth on" from 3-rivers archery . i used it to repair and add a fiberglass lam to my latest bow and it has held up quite well - Kevin

This is a great website for info, but has been infected with alot of egos.
http://www.xsorbit4.com/users/buildabow/index.cgi

This is a great one as well
http://www.geocities.com/salampsio/index.html

[mattmillerrx]

thanks gunslinger, I think I am going to try that red oak bow in the geocities link.  Looks like a fun project.  I have want to build a bow since I was a kid and this is the first plans I have seen that did not look overwhelming and are inexpensive to make to.
One more thing, 300 shots, what happened or is that about all you can expect.
MGM

[deth502]

as a "try it once and fail" builder, my advice is BE PATIENT!!!!

i tried my hand at it a while ago, and while i was cutting the limbs back to thin them out and even them up (tiller??timber??) i wanted to see results faster than i was, got a little to ambitious, and snapped the limb.

maybe ill try again someday!!

[Rev Buck]

Be sure to check out stickbow.com if you haven't already.  Lots of discussion on bow building there.  Rev

[mattmillerrx]

thanks for the info guys.  I will try to read up on it first, cause I want it to last if I am going to go to the effort.  I will try to be very patient, cause I to tend to want results fast.

MGM