Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: david w. on November 21, 2007, 11:16:53 pm
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Mullet sent me a beautiful mulbery stave but i have barely any experience and that is our of my realm of knowledge at the time. I considered buying a osage board or something like that but dont have much money to spend. My dad said he would chip in but i dont want to make him spend much.
I am going to call around and see if anyone carries hardwoods. I'll probably wind up buying red oak.
I will probably get a 1 by 3 by 6. My last bow was 1 by 2 by 6 and took much set. I thought wider limbs would help that. What design should i make this? Pyramid is what i was thinkin'. Isn't that just a bow with wide fades tapering all the way down to the nocks? It seems like a good design
I will back it with linen.
what do you think?
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I think that there's nothing wrong with red oak boards, especially when you're on a budget. You can get a nice bow if you start with a decently cut board, and for the price you can't beat it. I made the mistake of investing in a few hickory staves to start with, and after screwing up all three I ended up with $150 less cash than I started with and no usable bow. Another option might be to try and harvest some wood locally, but I don't know how easy that is for you.
In my experience a red oak board will give you a fine bow, and linen backing it will help it hold up even if the board wasn't sawn perfectly with the grain. Making the limbs wider, say 2-1/2 inches or so, wouldn't hurt, although if you want to take a crack at a pyramid-style bow I'm sure that would work too. If you're worried about string follow, I'd reflext the limbs just a bit near the handle. You'll probably get some string follow no matter what, but a little doesn't hurt anything. The 1-3/4 inch wide ash flat bow I'm hunting with this year ended up with about an inch of string follow, and still tosses arrows with authority!
Best of luck!
-Eric
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I have access to cut wood just havent found good enough stuff yet
I will go to lowes this weekend to pick out my board
i will post pics of my bow as i build
Happy Thanksgiving
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A wide-limbed flatbow will take less set than a narrow limbed one, even if it were shorter. moat of my long narrow D bows take a few inches of set (not that they still don't SHOOT), but I made a 5' long hickory flatbow for my brother, using 2" wdie limbs, pulling 73#. It took just as much set as the longer bows, eve though it was shorter. Another idea is to make a long D bow, maybe with a rounded belly- and English style. The rounded belly has alot of strength, and should work well with a linen backing. Also, leaving it long should help reduce the stress. The sky's the limit.
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David, get a copy of the traditional bowyers bible#1. Take your time and work carefully and dont be afraid of the mulberry stave. Or the oak is a fun project also. Kenneth
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I was referred to a local cabinet maker that has access to all sorts of wood and was able to purchase 2 1x2x72" hickory boards cut with the grain paralell to the length for $4 each. Ya can't beat that. Go into the yellow pages and look up wood or wood working and go from there. I bet you find a similar source in your area. Danny
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There's board info on my site. Jawge
http://mysite.verizon.net/georgeandjoni/archer.html
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There was an article bout paddle bows in P.A., dont remember which issue. Have not tried it yet but says its great for lesser quality wood....Brian
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David, I have a black walnut board(3/4"x2"x68"(?) that you are welcome to. I also have a hickory backing strip you can have. If you give me the dimensions of the bow you want to build, I will cut it out for you. You can do the glue up and tiller yourself. Pat
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That is very nice of you Pat.But why not start a bow with the mulberry. David, I encourage you to start a bow with what you have.We will be here when you need us.tom the reader.
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I agree with Tom. Use what you have. That is the primitive way anyway! 8) If you slip up, we got your back! ;) Pat
ps. the offer is still good if you want it now. ::)
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You should also be able to find some osage and hickory logs where you live in SW Illinois? Jim