Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: T Bone on March 05, 2014, 03:30:28 pm
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Hello everyone, my name is Ryan. I live in southeastern Pennsylvania. I have been in wood working for about 10 yearsand I have recently decided to try my hand at this. Do you have any suggestions for what would be a good material and design for a beginner to start off with? I'm having trouble finding any kind of wood locally, I would rather not have to buy by mail, any thoughts that might help me along? Thank you all.
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Welcome to PA, T Bone. There is lots of good info here for the taking. Check out George Tsoukalas'(Jawge) website posted at the top of the How To page. George explains everything you'll need to get started.
Read all you can here on PA and ask lots of questions.
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A nice straight and clean 4' hickory sapling would be a good candidate for a first selfbow if you have any locally you could cut. Like Pat said lots of info here to get ya going, just do a search on splitting, drying and roughing out the shape for starters. Post pictures through the whole process and you'll help and good advice.
Glad to have you onboard T Bone, jump in and lets get ya started. :)
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Search for the Tennessee Classic thread and come down in May. You'll learn all you need to get started and go home with your first self bow. ;) You can start with a red oak board form lowes or home depo or a hickory stave from a lumber yard. IF you have access to woods by all means go cut down a small hickory or osage orange (monkey ball) tree and your all set to get your hands dirty. Check you Boarriorbows board build along on YouTube and the plethera of advice on this site. Welcome to the addiction, I mean hobby! ;D
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Thank you guys. I am reading about splitting and drying staves but I am not sure how to find a place to legally cut anything. I've read about roughing out blanks while the wood is green but how do you not get splits and checks by doing so? In the mean time, I need to find something already dried I guess...
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Hi Ryan.
I made a pyramid bow not long ago that turned out really well. I used these plans:
http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=125;t=002064;p=1
Good luck
Dor
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both of these will help http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,35312.0.html http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/
you need a gizmo as well http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=125;t=001047
have a blast and don't get discouraged, s%#&t happens and sometimes wood breaks ;)
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Welcome Sir! Good luck getting started and looking forward to seeing your work.
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Welcome aboard!
Get your hands on the Trad Bowyers Bibles, Vols 1-4 and curl up in front of a warm fire and read, read, read! Then go make some sawdust.
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Where ya from her in PA T Bone?
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Welcome to PA!
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Welcome aboard!
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Welcome to the Forums T Bone. a good starter bow is a pyramid bow out of a lumber stave. Kinda cookie cutter but it will get you hooked. Red oak boards are fairly common in hardware stores nation wide. Check out Jawges post in the how to's like pat b said, it will help to get you started.
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Welcome 8)
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Thank you all, I appreciate the help. Bill, I currently live in Bucks Co., have so for years. Right near the Delaware. Isn't Clarion county out near altoona? Rob, I went to Ingomar elementary school, and McKnight. I sure do miss western PA! I'm thinking I'll try the pyramid to start off. Still need to find out about working green wood.
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Thanks, Pat. Welcome to PA, T Bone. Jawge
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Welcome T bone,
You found the right place to get the inside scoop on wood for sure.
I have had some luck calling the local wildlife preserve officer and asking to get a day permit to cut a few staves. He was interested in what I was doing and even directed me to some black locust, which is considered an invasive species here, as is buckthorn.
Good luck and I'll be looking forward to seeing your progress.
Marco
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That's right by me man. I live in Wexford. When I cut trees down I usually quarter or 1/2 then depending on size and put shalack on the ends. Then I let them sit for as long as I can patiently wait, at least a few months up to a few years. If you take the bark off when harvesting shalack the back also. After a few months you can rough out a non bending bow and let it dry in that state with some more shalack on it. Wood takes time to dry and I'm no expert but that gives you some idea. I'd suggest using a design that extends the same width from the fades to at least 1/2 way and go a good 68'' or a little more if you have long arms/drawl length (DL). That will be the safest for your first. Find Gary Davis's DVD online and it will teach you all you need to know. Good luck brother!
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Welcome. Can't wait to see what you start making :)
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Welcome to the addiction. All here have given good advise. I would talk to the Wildlife managers in your area and get permission to cut a little. Also while I was waiting for the harvested staves to cure I would get me some hickory boards and try a couple pyramids. Just do a search on here and you will find some good info. Danny
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Go hit up your local game lands...ya have two nearby....numbers 56 and 157....and go whack a sapling or two down ;) ya should have hickories,oaks,hard maple,elms,hophornbeam, n plus a few others around...don't be too specific species oriented of the ones I listed...just look for any of those that are clean,free of knots n limbs,n most importantly straight grained....if the stature looks straight but the bark twists up the tree like a candy cane(extreme example) then leave it alone...the bark will tell ya most times if its clean n straight wood underneath....go harvest a few saplings and reduce em down to near bow dimension n seal em up good,n while there drying for a month or two learn how to choose proper grain in lumber n go pick up some (in order of preference) hickory,maple,white oak,or red oak lumber n cut your bowmaking teef on em
Welcome to pa fellow pennsyltuckian ;) go steelers!!!! Sorry your so close to philthydelphia >:D all the better bowyers in this state that hang out on any of the forums are over here in western pa :P...n that's a fact ;)
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welcome and do venture to the Tennessee classic,
chuck
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I thought I posted here yesterday but I must not have hit "post". I lived in Yardley back in the 80's when I was a boy growing up. I imagine things are probably a lot more built up. Sounds like you've been given some good advice with seeing if you can cut invasive species, like buckthorn. Just stay on it, you'll be surprised how things can accumulate.
Good luck and welcome to PA!