Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: islandpiper on November 22, 2008, 07:50:18 pm

Title: Question about OLD Chinese bow design
Post by: islandpiper on November 22, 2008, 07:50:18 pm
I think we all go through this.   People see us making bows, and then they want one.   Well, if  their name is Foster.....well, it's an ELB.   If their name is Wong, then we need to figure out some sort of ancient Chinese design.   

Anybody have any design pics, drawings, specs?  Thanks.  If I do this right I can make my landlord happy, and that won't be a bad thing.   

piper
Title: Re: Question about OLD Chinese bow design
Post by: orcbow on November 23, 2008, 12:46:07 am
Piper-not sure if this will help, but check out this link:

http://www.atarn.org/chinese/visible_bow/visible.htm
Title: Re: Question about OLD Chinese bow design
Post by: stickbender on November 23, 2008, 02:38:37 am
 
     Just make an English long bow, but on a ......slant...... ;D
Sorry, I couldn't resist that.  No offense meant.

                                                                        Wayne
Title: Re: Question about OLD Chinese bow design
Post by: bcbull on November 23, 2008, 06:38:16 pm
 HEY PIPER  WATCH THE MOVIE MONGAL   LIKE MY KID DID   THERE S SOME COOL BOWS IN THE MOVIE MIGHT GIVE YA SOME IDEAS LIKE MY BOY GOT  BROCK
Title: Re: Question about OLD Chinese bow design
Post by: Hillbilly on November 24, 2008, 08:14:48 pm
Most pics of old Chinese bows I've seen are reflexed recurved composite hornbows with spliced-in siyahs. A little longer than some of the other Asian composites. Don't know what preceded that, though.
Title: Re: Question about OLD Chinese bow design
Post by: islandpiper on November 24, 2008, 09:37:16 pm
Man, those are about as far away , design-wise, as you can get from the simple self bows I make.   My landlord may have to pretend he is English for a little while.

Or.....maybe a hickory bow, bent to look like a braced Chinese bow and "tastefully antiqued".  It will be hung in a restaurant, not taken out to the shooting range anyway. 

pier
Title: Re: Question about OLD Chinese bow design
Post by: JackCrafty on November 25, 2008, 12:45:51 am
If I'm not mistaken, the laminated bamboo bow (bamboo back and belly) was common for many centuries in China.  I think they were both recurved and straight...although I've seen only recurved bows in illustrations.  I think the foot soldiers had much simpler bows than the cavalry in any case.  I've heard that the core wood was mulberry....and fish glue was used to glue up the laminations.  Also, I think there were bands of sinew wrapped around the handle and limbs.

You could probably find a how-to on making a laminated bamboo bow somewhere?
Title: Re: Question about OLD Chinese bow design
Post by: Badger on November 25, 2008, 01:02:15 am
     Jack, I think you are right about that, I believe both the core and syas were mullberry and boo back and belly instead of horn. I think they also used these as training bows and were somewhat lighter than the war bows. They were lashed together at the joints with sinew. Steve
Title: Re: Question about OLD Chinese bow design
Post by: Far East Archer on November 25, 2008, 05:06:15 am
Ok I have been study these bows a bit, though not know everything for sure~
who does??

Anyways, Simpler version of horn bow would be one of wood belly, common among infantry since not all can have a good horn bow.
Bamboo core, sinew back and wood belly. Though not sure what belly wood used, mulberry is good idea. The siyahs would be commonly of elm wood and also the grip.I do not think bamboo backing idea ever was used by the mainland. In Japan, it was used because they find a sinew backing will not work.

On the normal bow, you want the bamboo core to face down, on strength test bow it faces up.
Siyah can be single piece or two pieces splice together. Both are common.

The handle can be spliced to the core, but I think this practice would be more common with the wood core. For bamboo, simply glueing it to the core's back is done. It must be made so it sets the handle back.

170 cm seems about an average for length.
Limb width of 3.8 cm or so, thickness would be slightly thinner than horn bow, which has average of 1.5 cm.
The core is about 122 cm long and 6 mm thick.

Siyah measured from the knee is about 30-35 cm long, splice is maybe 10 cm long. Angle of siyah is around 60 degrees.
It is around 3 cm thick for its length and 2 cm wide.

The handle is bulbous, and about 8 inches. (the handle block)

Also, make sure to have string bridge!
Title: Re: Question about OLD Chinese bow design
Post by: jkekoni on November 28, 2008, 09:46:32 am
There is also chinese selfbow, not much unlike that of elb or flatbow.

http://www.atarn.org/letters/letter_summaries.htm

december 2000

...
I would say that the flat side is towards hand and there was some soft piece like corc betweeb bow and hand....
at least that how I would make it.
Title: Re: Question about OLD Chinese bow design
Post by: recurve shooter on December 01, 2008, 03:00:08 pm
i got to see how this comes out. best of luck, i still cant git the simple ones to come out right.  :'(
Title: Re: Question about OLD Chinese bow design
Post by: Ian Johnson on December 01, 2008, 08:59:22 pm
is this the same mr. wong that owns trey yuen restraunt in town?, he also has some custom knives from my dads friend, they are the only wongs in hammond
Title: Re: Question about OLD Chinese bow design
Post by: stickbender on December 03, 2008, 03:17:02 am


     Check the phone book, maybe they have the......" Wong Number!! ".....

                                                  Wayne ;D :D, Sorry I couldn't resist that...... >:D
Title: Re: Question about OLD Chinese bow design
Post by: recurve shooter on December 04, 2008, 02:48:38 pm
lol.  ;)