making a red oak bow

[KenH]

is that form the side or what will be the bottom/top 

As Okiecountryboy suggested, please go here:  http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,978.0.html  and use the right words to talk about the bow so that we can understand you.  Bows do not have a bottom or a top.  Spell check helps too.  That's "from" not "form"...

[paganwannbe]

Sorry sir I do not know as much about describing bow so I was guessing at it. And for the form/from my right hand typed faster then my left sorry and thank you for telling me

[paganwannbe]

I have looked at the site and it made me wonder What type of backing would go best with red oak and if I could use artificial sinew as a bow string cause I have 20 yards according to the package. It may not be pure primitive but I can't go hunting till the bow is finished to get real sinew and I think I read somewhere the you could use sinew as a bow string and backing. so I thought it might work but if someone else has tried it and it did not work I would like to save it for the Quiver I want to make.

[George Tsoukalas]

Linen, silk and burlap will work. Art sinew will not. It's nylon and waxed. Jawge

[paganwannbe]

Oh but I thought that you had to wax bow strings for some reason unknown to me. I could probably find the linen, silk or the burlap at a fabric store right or do I have to go some where else like an arts and crafts store ?

[aero86]

if you have picked a good board, and leave it the full length, you shouldnt have to back it.  the extra length will give you some fudge room

[paganwannbe]

OK I was thinking cause I'm only 5'9 that I would have to make it a bit shorter for ease of use and after reading about bows blowing up I figured it was better to have it and not need the not have and need it like Mister dragonman said you never know till you try it.

[aero86]

im only 5 9 too.  ive got 2 6 foot bows.  kinda tough to manage in brush, but just shooting and making your first bow, like i said, the extra length gives you more fudge room.

[paganwannbe]

OK oh man I can't Wait to get it going whats bad is I think I want my first bow to break so I can see how it breaks you know learn how it will break cause I can't find any pictures that show the inside of the break and experience is the best way to learn

[George Tsoukalas]

Silk and linen you can get at a fabric store. You can also go to a second hand store and get silk dresses or ties even. Burlap you can get at a garden store. Jawge

[paganwannbe]

OK thanks Mister tsoukalaks

[JW_Halverson]

"I think I want my first bow to break so I can see how it breaks"

I learned very little, other than how to make shavings, with my first two bows because both of them turned out pretty darn nice!  Of course, I was unter the watchful eye of a serious wood scraping fool.  It was the next 6 that schooled my sorry butt.  Every last failure was graduate level education. 

I think I want your first bow to turn out nicely because you deserve it, then let the next few school your butt!

[KenH]

Good cheap bowstrings can be made with #36 Mason's Line, which has a breaking strength in excess of 700 pounds.  Make sure it's #36, not the more common #18 which is thinner and not as strong...

[paganwannbe]

Is that when combined in the 7 string method as described by Tim baker in Traditional Bower's Bible V2 or just one piece of thread?
And I think I will look at fabric stores it might be a little odd if a young boy go's and buys a dress cause I'm no Klinger.