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Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Bearded bowyer on January 24, 2015, 04:25:45 pm

Title: Traditional chinese bow
Post by: Bearded bowyer on January 24, 2015, 04:25:45 pm
Two posts in one day..... I've outdone my self!  :P

OK

My brother is an internationally acclaimed kung fu instructor, and has asked me if I can make him a traditional Chinese bow...
I've no Idea where to begin!
Anyone got any pictures I can use as a template? or experience ?
It will be going to china with him so has to look the part. I'm not fussed about using ancient techniques or materials, but want to get the look right.
Ta
Matt
Title: Re: Traditional chinese bow
Post by: huisme on January 24, 2015, 04:30:44 pm
Lots of designs are pretty common throughout the world. You could claim that a plain old flatbow is a traditional Chinese bow as you can bet plenty of Chinese used similar bows.

I think you've given us too broad a spectrum here. I'd google that page I saw a couple months back where a mollegabet-like bow was unearthed in China and use that as an excuse to make another molle, personally ;) >:D
Title: Re: Traditional chinese bow
Post by: Bearded bowyer on January 24, 2015, 04:41:37 pm
ooooh molle........ ::)
Title: Re: Traditional chinese bow
Post by: Tree_Ninja on January 24, 2015, 04:44:33 pm
The mongolian bow was pretty much the standard after the mongolian conquer in 1200.
Title: Re: Traditional chinese bow
Post by: jayman448 on January 24, 2015, 04:46:00 pm
ill bet dollars to doughnuts hes wanting one of those composite recurves with huge wooden static recurve tips and a broom handle mid section. something that really stacks and will use a thumb ring release. lol just speculating
Title: Re: Traditional chinese bow
Post by: Tree_Ninja on January 24, 2015, 04:48:28 pm
+1 what Jayman said....
Title: Re: Traditional chinese bow
Post by: huisme on January 24, 2015, 04:50:38 pm
ill bet dollars to doughnuts hes wanting one of those composite recurves with huge wooden static recurve tips and a broom handle mid section. something that really stacks and will use a thumb ring release. lol just speculating

Have you drawn one of those things? Smooth as butter on a hot day, and the siyahs are made from very light wood. I think they could be reduced a little more than what I've seen but I'm no expert in the field. Or any field. ;D
Title: Re: Traditional chinese bow
Post by: Bearded bowyer on January 24, 2015, 04:58:12 pm
Can you make the working section of the limbs from timber or does it have to be horn/ sinyew etc...
Could you do a laminated bamboo/ hickory? or is it just too much for it to cope with?
Title: Re: Traditional chinese bow
Post by: bubby on January 24, 2015, 05:17:49 pm
Go to the atarn site and check there
Title: Re: Traditional chinese bow
Post by: bradsmith2010 on January 24, 2015, 05:37:03 pm
looks like a reflex deflex with large siyahs,, i just googled and there is lots of info on those bows,, most seemed to be highly reflexed etc,,
Title: Re: Traditional chinese bow
Post by: jayman448 on January 24, 2015, 05:56:52 pm
ill bet dollars to doughnuts hes wanting one of those composite recurves with huge wooden static recurve tips and a broom handle mid section. something that really stacks and will use a thumb ring release. lol just speculating

Have you drawn one of those things? Smooth as butter on a hot day, and the siyahs are made from very light wood. I think they could be reduced a little more than what I've seen but I'm no expert in the field. Or any field. ;D

no ive not tried one. i just assumed from the massive string angle
Title: Re: Traditional chinese bow
Post by: huisme on January 24, 2015, 06:02:43 pm
That's what the siyahs are for ;) The angle between the string and the limb it's pulling on is what causes stack or lack thereof, so the highly reflexed stiff portions mean a very short bow made from material that isn't harmed by such extreme bends can be pulled much farther with no stacking.
Title: Re: Traditional chinese bow
Post by: Bearded bowyer on January 24, 2015, 06:06:15 pm
bubby
just checked the site, no mention of what the limbs were made of other than being bound with sinew.....
Have any of you made one? without sinew........
I can feel an experiment coming on if not........
Title: Re: Traditional chinese bow
Post by: huisme on January 24, 2015, 06:17:12 pm
bubby
just checked the site, no mention of what the limbs were made of other than being bound with sinew.....
Have any of you made one? without sinew........
I can feel an experiment coming on if not........

I haven't seen any selfbows as highly reflexed as composite Asiatic bows. When I make a locust bow with 4" of reflex I expect to come out with 2", maybe more if the wood is really nice. My highest reflex bow ever had five inches and ended with four, just one inch of set, pulling ~40#@26".

I have no confidence that I could build a locust bow with ~ten inches of reflex at the end of the limbs with reflexed siyahs on the ends. I just know the belly couldn't stand up to that, and that's why horn is used. Locust could, if the back happened to be clean enough, go without sinew in my opinion as I've never had tension issues in even the most extreme situations.
Title: Re: Traditional chinese bow
Post by: Bearded bowyer on January 24, 2015, 06:24:03 pm
Thanks Huisme
Anyone know where I can get bits of horn long enough in the UK?
Title: Re: Traditional chinese bow
Post by: jayman448 on January 24, 2015, 06:30:27 pm
just buy one off ebay. lol they are cheap enough and no one is the wiser XD
Title: Re: Traditional chinese bow
Post by: Bearded bowyer on January 24, 2015, 06:43:34 pm
Neverrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!! ;)
Title: Re: Traditional chinese bow
Post by: duke3192 on January 24, 2015, 10:09:55 pm
You said look the part, google longbow maker.com, you can't tell what the bow is made of, otherwise, you've got months of work in front of you.
Title: Re: Traditional chinese bow
Post by: bubby on January 24, 2015, 11:23:05 pm
You can make a wood sinew bow with siyahs without the crazy reflex some of the Chinese bows were quite long
Title: Re: Traditional chinese bow
Post by: mikekeswick on January 25, 2015, 06:00:06 am
Google Highland Horn. He is a nice enough bloke and will do his best to help you get the right horns. Just get the longest ones he has, the shorter horns are no use really.
Whereabouts are you? I live in County Durham.
Title: Re: Traditional chinese bow
Post by: PatM on January 25, 2015, 05:05:08 pm
No idea why you would want to make a 100% authentic one if you've never made a composite before.
 Get a piece of Elm  and some sinew and then stain the belly black when finished and put a high gloss finish on the belly.
(http://i399.photobucket.com/albums/pp78/pat_05/IMG_0887.jpg)
(http://i399.photobucket.com/albums/pp78/pat_05/IMG_0886.jpg)
 
Title: Re: Traditional chinese bow
Post by: willie on January 25, 2015, 05:56:21 pm
hey pat
that looks nice. have you ever posted a thread with more details? are the siyahs bent in or glued on? are they elm also?

willie
Title: Re: Traditional chinese bow
Post by: PatM on January 25, 2015, 06:00:01 pm
Yes, I have posted about dozen or more descriptions of how to make this style of bow. The tips are steam curved and then an extra bit of Ash was added so the grain was more favorable for knock cutting.
 Lower angled tips can just be spliced in but the Chinese style does have a sharper angle
(http://i399.photobucket.com/albums/pp78/pat_05/IMG_0881.jpg)
 
Title: Re: Traditional chinese bow
Post by: mikekeswick on January 26, 2015, 02:24:09 am
Maybe he wants to make an authentic one  >:D
It will also shoot better  >:D (after 10 or so attempts!)
Title: Re: Traditional chinese bow
Post by: Pat B on January 26, 2015, 08:43:48 am
You may want to post this in the "Horn Bow" section for more info.
Title: Re: Traditional chinese bow
Post by: mullet on January 26, 2015, 06:29:01 pm
Do a search on here for James Parker's Chinese horn bow. it was Bow of the month, also.
Title: Re: Traditional chinese bow
Post by: bubby on January 26, 2015, 08:01:47 pm
Eddie i think the pics on that were deleted
Title: Re: Traditional chinese bow
Post by: mullet on January 26, 2015, 09:14:28 pm
Bubby, it will come up if you Google "James Parker's Chinese horn bow." I tried to copy and paste it but it didn't work. If it wasn't dark, I'd take a picture of it, just shooting it Sunday afternoon :).
Title: Re: Traditional chinese bow
Post by: PatM on January 26, 2015, 09:59:29 pm
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,48458.msg664170.html#msg664170
Title: Re: Traditional chinese bow
Post by: mullet on January 26, 2015, 10:44:14 pm
Thanks, Pat.