WIP: There are many like it but this red oak board bow is mine.

[Bitterguy]

So as some of you know my dad finally brought me to home depot and got me a red oak board. Last sunday I went into my garage and started workin'. Right now I have to rough shape filled out and I'm waiting for the riser on the handle to dry. The riser is just an old piece of wood, because I figured that since it would be a stiff handled bow it wouldn't really matter what type of wood i used for the handle (I'm really hoping i wasn't wrong). I plan to rasp and sand it to look good on the bow sometime this week and then start tillering by this weekend. I'm wanting to make it a 50# (or 45# haven't decided yet) at 29".

P.S.: Planning to post pictures this weekend.

[Pappy]

Can't wait to see the progress. Slow and easy,that's te ticket.
   Pappy

[Dazv]

im looking forward to seeing it, i agree with pappy take it slow if you find yourself in a rush stop and take a break. I have messed up bows by going far to fast.

[Ifrit617]

I agree take it slow and have fun... cant wait to see the finished bow!

[Bitterguy]

So i have a problem and before i go and fix it i want to ask questions about it. The picture I attached is my bow with 50lb fishing line with some slack in it for rough tillering, pulled as far as i can pull it as of now (16"), and it is barely bending, my guess is that i need to take off more wood, but i want to verify this so i don't end up doing something stupid like making a #25 bow. Thanks in advance

[JW_Halverson]

Scrape long easy pulls from the handle section out toward the tips.   Keep a rough count and do the same number of scrapes on the other limb.

Softly, softly, catchee monkey

[bubby]

bitterguy, what layout did you go with, pyramid, afb, it will help us help you out, Bub

[fishfinder401]

fishing line may not be the best to tiller with, it may make it seem stronger than it is when tillering
noel

[johnston]

Noel is right, fishing line probably isn't gonna do your tiller justice. Heavy cord would make things easier and tillering is hard enough to learn
without a handicap.

Lane

[Ifrit617]

I agree, fishing line stretches to much. Get some mason line, paracord, or build an extra long bowstring. Goof luck.

[Parnell]

Bitterguy, learn to make a string straight off the bat - don't wait, it's easier than you think.  Find the dimensions for a string jig - all you need is a board and some finish nails, order some B50 Dacron and get on with it!  Don't waste your money on buying them individually!

[Bitterguy]

Bitterguy, learn to make a string straight off the bat - don't wait, it's easier than you think.  Find the dimensions for a string jig - all you need is a board and some finish nails, order some B50 Dacron and get on with it!  Don't waste your money on buying them individually!

Well I plan on seeing if i can get a .25lb of white and a .25lb of black. Can you recommend any really good tutorials for string making?

[Ifrit617]

Search how to make a flemish string on youtube. Youll get some funny results but some are very good. After a little practice you should be able to make serve and put a nocking point on a string in under an hour...

Jon

[Parnell]

Go with youtube, I recall that I found the link for the "bow building for poor people or apartment dwellers" thing by that Sam guy before I found PA.  He does have the dimensions for the board on there somewhere.

[Bitterguy]

Sorry bout not updating this in forever but here is my  string jig (sorry about the quality, its a phone picture)