Rough start.

[DarkSoul]

I was more wondering if I could get advice on choosing the branch/trunk I cut, splitting said branch in the most efficient way possible, and maybe advice on the choice of design and method besides go longer. I simply can't go longer, I'm uncomfortable holding a 70" bow so 50-60" would probably be best.

How can you say that, when your longest 'bow' so far has been 50"? The simple rule of thumb is: "make the bow as long as the archer shooting it". So in your case, make the bow about 66" nock to nock. There really is a HUGE difference between a 48" knot-riddled branch bow, and a 72" defect-free tree stave bow. Just because you see these beautiful branch shortbows here on Primitive Archer, doesn't mean that these are easy to make or a good example for beginners as a first bow. A straight grained tree stave (no branch) of sufficient length will be making your journey a LOT easier. A first bow of less than 60" is - for me- out of the question. I recommend a beginner to start with 74". Okay, my initial 80" was somewhat exaggerated, but you get the point.

Straight grain, over 70"long, good bow wood species, no knots/defects and dry wood are the key basal components that make an easy and durable bow. Please don't be stubborn by continuing with your unidentified species 48" branch sticks. That just isn't the material to learn the basics of bowyery with.

[RidgeRunner]

Jah-Army:
You keep mentioning Sweet Gum.
Sweet Gum will make a bow.
Cut yourself a 6 foot long, 8" to 12" diameter Sweet Gum.
Split it into four staves (That will be Work).......
Peal the bark off, Seal the bark side and the ends well.  I would use polyurethane.
Put these four staves away to dry for at least a year.

Continue your learning until your Sweet Gum is dry.

Once the leaves start showing up post some pix of the trees you want to ID.
These guys can help with that.

David

[Jah-army-glows-bright]

I can say 70" is uncomfortable because I've shot them before. Just because I haven't made one myself doesn't mean I haven't held and shot one. I haven't done an "exact measurement. But I'm 5'5" and my draw is roughly 23-24" so around 60" by y'all logic. That's exactly where I'm comfortable so why is that a problem.

As for the sweetgum I have seriously considered cutting a limb of one in front of my house but my tools consist of a hatchet a knife a machete and some wooden stakes so I'm not sure i could split it period let alone in an even fashion

[SLIMBOB]

All your bows are breaking...go longer. Few more inches and they won't break maybe???  60 inces is plenty long for that draw length, but they're breaking...go little longer, that's all anybody is saying.

[kismet]

use the short, dry staves you already have as billets and splice them.  you can find TONS of examples on this site for splicing.  make yourself a 64-66" or so flat bellied pyramid bow (there is a great blueprint on this site right now.) back it with burlap or something easy to work with for splintering insurance. you could have a shooter in a week or so.

[Onebowonder]

...you might also do well to scout the yard sales and such for a few more tools.  A minor investment in a couple of the RIGHT tools can make the work seem so much more fun!  ...and improve your possibility of success at the same time.   

OneBow

 

[toomanyknots]

...you might also do well to scout the yard sales and such for a few more tools.  A minor investment in a couple of the RIGHT tools can make the work seem so much more fun!  ...and improve your possibility of success at the same time.   

OneBow

I second this. I finally found a good meat cleaver yesterday at an antique store (even though it wasn't an antique, or even close to vintage). I LOVE using a good cleaver when roughing out a stave. I use it after I get the bulk roughed out with a hatchet. The one I found is what I have been looking for for a while. It is a nice thick blade, with good weight. The edge is also not thin like the cheap ones at walmart, it is cut at less of an angle, more like a hatchet. So when I hit knots and try to pry the piece of wood off, it doesn't hurt the edge or bend it, etc. I am in love with this cleaver. It holds an edge great too, I sharpened it on a stone than finished with a leather strop and some buffing compound this morning, and it is like razor.  Am I the only one that uses a knife?

[Jah-army-glows-bright]

The yard sale tools are actually a great idea. Thanx for that. I'm uncomfortable with splicing I don't like glue very much I enjoy what nature gives me. I just trimmed the ends of my longest stave and it's around 64-65" so ill see how that works.

[Onebowonder]

The yard sale tools are actually a great idea. Thanx for that. I'm uncomfortable with splicing I don't like glue very much I enjoy what nature gives me.

So, boil the hide and sinew of a road kill squirel.  It'll make decent glue to use for your splice work! 

I just trimmed the ends of my longest stave and it's around 64-65" so ill see how that works.

What species of wood is it?  ...and how long has it dried/seasoned?  Oh, and do you mind to share a picture or two of the stave?

OneBow
 

[Jah-army-glows-bright]

Well I didn't want to give wood types because quite frankly I don't know. Until Friday I'm experimenting with the unknowns on my land. I have a rather long piece of what I still insist is an ornamental thornless honey locust sapling. And I just cut a nice stave from an amazing willow like (bark and roots not so much the branches, no leaves to check) tree growing from, into, and curving around a small creek, had nice quick reactions when I bent twigs and the grains are gorgeous with a brilliant orange red heartwood. I have staves of oak seasoning and will add mulberry and crape myrtle to that soon but for now I cure by fire. Ill take pictures when weather permits.

[Jah-army-glows-bright]

As for hide and sinew I'm working on that. No road kill yet but I need to add a few rabbits and squirrels to my fridge before they get the worms so ill have something soon.

[Wiley]

Jah-Army:
You keep mentioning Sweet Gum.
Sweet Gum will make a bow.
Cut yourself a 6 foot long, 8" to 12" diameter Sweet Gum.
Split it into four staves (That will be Work).......

I just want to know how you suggest going about splitting a piece of sweetgum. I have tried to split it for firewood before. My 36" fisker super splitting axe that will easily cleave it's way through some nasty pieces of white oak and hickory. When I hit a peice of sweetgum with it, it makes it about a half inch into the sweetgum and stops. Next hit does the same thing, and so does the next and this goes on until I say screw it and I throw the whole log into the fireplace whole. It's such a pain to split even if I could make a bow with it, I would rather use a nice piece of white oak.

[Onebowonder]

Jah-Army:
You keep mentioning Sweet Gum.
Sweet Gum will make a bow.
Cut yourself a 6 foot long, 8" to 12" diameter Sweet Gum.
Split it into four staves (That will be Work).......

I just want to know how you suggest going about splitting a piece of sweetgum. I have tried to split it for firewood before. My 36" fisker super splitting axe that will easily cleave it's way through some nasty pieces of white oak and hickory. When I hit a peice of sweetgum with it, it makes it about a half inch into the sweetgum and stops. Next hit does the same thing, and so does the next and this goes on until I say screw it and I throw the whole log into the fireplace whole. It's such a pain to split even if I could make a bow with it, I would rather use a nice piece of white oak.

I'm still not sure how good of a bow it might make, but I split a rather large piece of it this weekend and still have another one to do.  I'm given to understand that it has a habit of warping out badly during drying, but that it becomes quite stable after it is dried down to working MC levels (8-10%)

It does have a LOT of interlocking grain, so it is not a super easy wood to split out a stave long length of, but it certainly can be done.  It takes several wedges, a kerf cut, some mallets, and an extra large helping of grunts. 

OneBow
 

[Wiley]

I kind of figured that would be the best way of going about it. Most of the gum around here seems to grow really twisted, interlocked grain and twisted makes it the hardest thing to split in our woods. I feel like the OP lacking a skilsaw will impede his being able to split it with the tools he has.

The heartwood of a sweetgum is some beautiful stuff if you ever split it enough to see it. I'm sort of curious how the heartwood compares to the sapwood for bow making, but there aren't a whole lot of bows made from the stuff, and I'm not curious enough to try and find out.

On the local woods he mentioned, I believe I would try the sassafras many times before I got into the sweetgum trees.