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Author Topic: First bow, hickory longbow  (Read 4652 times)

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Offline Ringeck85

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First bow, hickory longbow
« on: March 06, 2013, 10:32:45 pm »
Hi all at PA!
I finally have most of the tools I need and I'm beginning my adventures in bowyery, may they be long and full of interesting!

I chopped down a 6' long hickory log in the woods and brought it home, so I'm going to make a bow out of it.  Initially I wasn't sure whether to do an English long bow (I'm interested in warbow shooting though I'm not up to that weight yet), or some sort of new world equivalent, like an Eastern Woodlands style longbow or flatbow.

So far I haven't decided which to do.  I have no clue what draw weight it will be, for now making a bow that shoots good and works is my goal, even if it's a pea shooter  :P

Ok, so, pictures of my progress so far!  I cut the log early in February.  Now I know technically I'm supposed to wait a year for it to season, but I can't wait that long for a first bow!  So I'm going to whittle it down and then wait a little less long for it to season.

Here's the log as it started, showing the bark.  I am fairly certain that it is mockernut hickory, but if you guys think otherwise let me know


I initially attempted to split it but didn't have splitting wedge and didn't know what I was doing(durr...) so I aborted that attempt and ended up with some nasty cracks in the wood.  I decided, better to make one bow out of it than risk not being able to make any.  Thankfully, the cracks helped make the decision on where to make the bow.

Here's the top of the log, with cracks (upper left quadrant, that nice section flanked by a triangle of two cracks and the back, is what I'm working with)



Here's the bottom section of the log, part of it snapped off when I was sawing the tree down, and I sawed at an angle so that's not the best picture of it.  (I ended up resawing it for a better idea of what I was looking at)  I'm going with the right side of it being the bottom tip of the bow.



A couple shots of the log profile for kicks:



And that's what I started with, will post a couple more with my progress so far!
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Offline Ringeck85

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Re: First bow, hickory longbow
« Reply #1 on: March 06, 2013, 10:41:55 pm »
After an epic rainy weekend where it rained for four days, I could not help but work on the bow some.  So I whittled it down, using a mini hatchet and a draw knife I shaped up and removed the rust (I bought it for $2 at an antique store! works great!).  I don't have a vice clamp so it's been...creative trying to hold the thing steady as I hack away at it.  I feel sometimes like a witch riding a broom that I'm trying to shape at the same time.  Ahahahahahaha! (cackle)  ;D

Here's my tools that I've been using most; that pink hatchet is awesome btw (I borrowed it from my gf's bugout bag) it really allows for some finesse ;)



And here's the top of the stave again! (note the red marks where the cracks are)


A slanted view of what will be the back, leaving the bark on.


Here's the bottom of the bow (green marks just roughly where I wanted it to be till I measure more accurately)


And some more for fun:
side profile of most of it:


and the top end:

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"It is how we choose what we do, and how we approach it, that determines whether the sum of our days adds up to a formless blur, or to something resembling a work of art."
-Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

(Ren', in Wytheville, VA)

Offline Ringeck85

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Re: First bow, hickory longbow
« Reply #2 on: March 06, 2013, 10:50:09 pm »
And after staying up all night on the porch whittling away with hatchet, draw knife, and rasp, it's finally almost starting to look like a bow!  It is ambiguosly shaped as I hadn't decided whether to make it more of a flatbow style or a d section longbow style.  Let me know what you guys think?  I'd prefer longbow style if I could, though I know that hickory needs a flatter belly than normal to prevent chrysalling, so it'll probably end up a little hybridized.

The top end so far (complete with evidence of heater and cats):


top end with the belly facing, note the slight twist in the wood.


the bottom end so far:


And vertically back facing:


Vertical side profile:


A couple shots of the middle, which still needs a lot of rasp work. If I make it a flatbow I'll make the handle more pronounced; if a longbow, I will make the handle part look more like the rest of the bow.



And here you can see a rough mark of the center point/bottom handle; I need to remeasure when I work on it next:


And that's what I've got so far.  I'm going to wait for a while for the wood to season, and do some more rasp work to whittle it down to dimensions.

Which, for the mathematically challenged, I'd love your recommendations on that for either a longbow (mind the belly will be flatter than normal and the belly will be very rounded).  Whatcha guys think so far?
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"It is how we choose what we do, and how we approach it, that determines whether the sum of our days adds up to a formless blur, or to something resembling a work of art."
-Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

(Ren', in Wytheville, VA)

Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: First bow, hickory longbow
« Reply #3 on: March 06, 2013, 10:50:40 pm »
Man with a plan.  You are out of the starting blocks without any really bad screwups.  Better than me most days!
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Offline bow101

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Re: First bow, hickory longbow
« Reply #4 on: March 06, 2013, 10:54:34 pm »
Looks very nice looking forward to full draw pics.


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Offline Peacebow_Coos

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Re: First bow, hickory longbow
« Reply #5 on: March 07, 2013, 01:30:51 am »
Lookin good man, I've made a rectangular elb style out of a hickory board and wasn't terribly impressed, it shoots but took more set than I was hoping.  I've seen lots of good results with flatbows (American Longbows?) with hickory, I'm no expert at ALL but I'd say flat bow it if I was the only bowyer left on the planet...besides you of course.  ALso are you going to remove the bark?  It might get harder to remove if it dries on there, but once again only worked with hickory boards so I'm not sure.  Lookin good so far man, shave steady



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Offline Zion

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Re: First bow, hickory longbow
« Reply #6 on: March 07, 2013, 01:59:16 am »
Hey looking great! Are you gonna keep the belly rounded like that or make more of a flatbow?
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mikekeswick

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Re: First bow, hickory longbow
« Reply #7 on: March 07, 2013, 03:41:50 am »
If it's still green you risk it warping where you have narrower the handle. I would clamp it to something solid and give it a week or so to dry.
Next step is to remove the bark - carefully!
Mark out the width profile.
Reduce to your lines.
Reduce thickness until it is bending at floor tiller.
Leave for a couple of weeks to dry.
Then ask more questions on here and carry on.
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Offline Pappy

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Re: First bow, hickory longbow
« Reply #8 on: March 07, 2013, 06:36:14 am »
What mike said.+1 :)
   Pappy
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Offline Ringeck85

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Re: First bow, hickory longbow
« Reply #9 on: March 07, 2013, 06:58:57 am »
Should I clamp ot vertically or horizontally?

Sounds like great advice guys :) i will work with that time table. Stave is safe and warm inside the closet atm. I do not have clamps atm but i can improvise.

I still haven't decided on flatbow or longbow. I know hickory can make great flatbows and that might be easier choice for a good first bow. Would ideally have a fast cast and not big risk of chyrsals. But i have a warbow heart, so what would i do if that's what i want to focus on? I know that with a d section longbow it could be a slow cast or chrysal. Say, if I can tiller this with a 28 to 30" draw length and hit the ballpark of between 50 and 70 lbs? I currently shoot a 55 lb. Longbow at 27", hickory backed with bamboo but it is a slow caster I think.

What does the stave seem to be saying to you guys? Longbow or flatbow? I have 1 vote for flatbow and i know fishy has a vote for longbow.

I don't hunt, so this would either be for target practice or long range shooting and it would be useful to work up in draw weight to eventual 80 lb. Minimum.
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"It is how we choose what we do, and how we approach it, that determines whether the sum of our days adds up to a formless blur, or to something resembling a work of art."
-Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

(Ren', in Wytheville, VA)

Offline Pappy

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Re: First bow, hickory longbow
« Reply #10 on: March 07, 2013, 07:44:13 am »
Don't matter V or H , I would go with a flat bow,but that's just me. I think Hickory is better suited for a flat bow and 15/8 to 2 inches at the fads would be my suggestion if you have enough wood. Get the bark off first and go easy ,your back in right under it and you don't want to damage that,sometimes it is kind of tough to get the bark off winter cut Hickory,that is why I cut mine in late spring or early summer,then it will peal right off and theirs you back,no damage.  :)
   Pappy
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Offline Weylin

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Re: First bow, hickory longbow
« Reply #11 on: March 07, 2013, 11:39:18 am »
+1 for the flat bow. No sense trying to force a piece of wood to be a bow that it doesn't want to be. The French knights can wait until you get your hands on some proper yew.  ;)
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Offline fishfinder401

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Re: First bow, hickory longbow
« Reply #12 on: March 07, 2013, 11:58:00 am »
as you already know, i would say go for a elb style, but with a flat belly, so sort of a rectangle section, i just feel it makes it easier to tiller without a handle
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Offline Ringeck85

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Re: First bow, hickory longbow
« Reply #13 on: March 07, 2013, 03:02:28 pm »
Well i have time to decide flatbow or rectangular section longbow.

For now, gonna work on my tree id skills, cut a few more staves of what i have growing in N Florida ( mostly oaks and hickory), and wait for that stave to dry some more as recommended. I need to get a vice clamp and some sort of tillering gear too when i can.
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"It is how we choose what we do, and how we approach it, that determines whether the sum of our days adds up to a formless blur, or to something resembling a work of art."
-Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

(Ren', in Wytheville, VA)

Offline Ringeck85

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Re: First bow, hickory longbow
« Reply #14 on: April 04, 2013, 12:16:32 am »
Ok update! (wipes lots of dust off of this thread)

After much ado about nothing, I finally settled on doing a pyramid bow design.  The wood sorta decided for me.  I had started to rough out a handle and fades, and it just sorta fits.  I suspect that this one will bend through the handle though, as I didn't make the handle very thick and still need to taper it down a bit more to even it out.

I have been slowly whittling at this; it's not nearly to final dimensions yet as I haven't had a ton of time to work on it.  And rasping takes a while and a lot of patience, no one warned me :P

I also just pulled my shoulder working on this (got too whittle happy with a draw knife) so I'm gonna have to wait till I feel better.  That said, the wood is having plenty of time to dry, and I'm keeping it inside where it's warm.

Dimensions: I plan on having the fade wide points a little less than 2" wide, tapering to 1/2" at the nock tips.  And I plan on having about 1/2" thickness throughout the limb pre-tiller, maybe just a tad wider at the tips to be on the safe side.

There's a pretty pronounced S curve and a slight twist on the longer limb (for now it's my upper limb), I'll probably need to steam that to get it straighter and get the string over the handle more evenly.

Stay tuned for more, and (eventually) pictures!
 
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"It is how we choose what we do, and how we approach it, that determines whether the sum of our days adds up to a formless blur, or to something resembling a work of art."
-Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

(Ren', in Wytheville, VA)
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