Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Christian Soldier on August 02, 2013, 09:29:24 pm
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All right, I'm finally felling comfortable in my bow making ability to start making bows for some others (only around 20 self bows now but I've learned a lot).
Some family friends asked if I could teach their kids archery and make some bows for them and I think I'll take them up on the offer.
They are 7 and 11 and I haven't made a bow under 30lbs and I'm looking for some advice for bows in the 15-25lbd range.
Any dimensions (length, width, etc.) or different tips for those?
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Are you going to use boards or log staves.Make the bows as tall as the kids and ablout 1-1.25 in wide for 25 lbs. let the handle bend in case of over drawing. It will give a margin of safety. Linen, burlap will make some decent backings which may be a good idea. Jawge
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Sound advice from experience if you ask me..............even if you didn't ask.
DBar
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Probably hickory or hackberry log staves. I was thinking some kind of mini flatbow design, I'll do the bending handle too.
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Jawge is on the mark in my experience. I'd go with hickory if I were doing this. You can even use quarter-sawn hickory with good results.
Jim Davis
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You can make great kid bows from red oak slats from Lowe's / 1 1/2" wide by 1/4" thick by 48" long.
You have to go threw the pile to find the straight grain stuff. Glue or tie on a 6" stiff handle thats 3/4" wide.
Taper the last 7" of the limbs and put side nocks on. The bow will be almost tillered by its self. I just made 6 of these for a kids archery camp. cheers fiddler49