Hello all, new bowyer here. I dont know if Id be considered a bowyer as I have never made a bow or have the equipment necessary for higher tier production. With this being said, I am also quite poor and dont have the money or space for the equipment as I live in an apartment complex.
I want to get into selfbow creation but I really dont know where to start. I know nothing about it besides a little terminology I gleaned from reading posts here. I have chinaberry and mulberry trees right outside the fence which I plan on using for making stuff, but Im not entirely sure how good this wood is. Ive heard mulberry is decent, but like I said, Im not sure. Could I get a little spoonfeeding from experienced bowyers here?
I cut down a piece of mulberry around 9 ft long earlier and it currently is sitting in my bedroom propped up against the wall. I want to get going, but I dont know how long the wood should be beforehand to mae a good bow. Also, I dont know where the process begins. I havent debarked the wood yet. I know that you should let the wood cure or age or something to that effect. Typicaly how long does this take and what sort of process does this entail? I al literally only working with a pocketknife and a hacksaw. IS getting a drawknife necessary to making a bow? I am aware that it speeds up the process of shaping the wood. I dont want to go hacking away at a piece of wood thouhg if Im just going to screw it up. How do I age the wood before it is ready to be crafted? I dont have any experience in woodworking beside a teensy bit of whittling and making basic implements besides a few blackjacks and walking sticks. I also read something about making sure the ends dont split, but is this necessary? This piece of wood is literally fresh off the tree. I like the idea of hunting with a bow vs a firearm because imo it better replicates ancient hunting for food vs for sport which is why I want to do this. Sorry for sounding dumb if I am but we all have to start somewhere.
