Author Topic: New Bowyer  (Read 4203 times)

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Offline Wobgnol

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New Bowyer
« on: October 15, 2014, 09:44:14 pm »
Hello all!!
  I am brand spanking new to all this but I am totally in love what I have seen here!!! Everyones workmanship is simply amazing that to me its almost Daunting to even try to approach everyone here! but anyways a little about me I am 25 yrs old and live in florida I am starting my 1st bow in the morning actually since I finally have a few days off. I picked up a few boards from Home depot I went with 1x3x8 red oak to start. I Will post pix of my progress and if anyone has any time to shoot me some tips or steer me in the right path I would love it!


Have a great day!

Offline George Tsoukalas

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    • Traditional and Primitive Archers
Re: New Bowyer
« Reply #1 on: October 15, 2014, 09:50:38 pm »
Set Happens!
If you ain't breakin' you ain't makin!

Offline tattoo dave

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  • Rockford, MI
Re: New Bowyer
« Reply #2 on: October 15, 2014, 09:52:21 pm »
Welcome to PA! Board bows are a great place to start, readily available and cheap. You have probably read by now that a board with as straight grained as possible is best. A quarter sawn board is best. Google that if you haven't already. Post some pics of the progress and don't be afraid to ask questions. Everybody here is great with sharing info, and willing to help out. Looking forward to seeing some bows from you.

Tattoo Dave
Rockford, MI

Offline Will H

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Re: New Bowyer
« Reply #3 on: October 15, 2014, 09:56:32 pm »
Welcome to PA!
Proud Member of Twin Oaks Bowhunters
           Clarksville, Tennessee

   "Middle Tennessee is the place to be"

Offline Wobgnol

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Re: New Bowyer
« Reply #4 on: October 15, 2014, 10:00:22 pm »
Thank you for the warm welcomes! I will check out what a quarter sawn board is right away! and Ty for that link as well its very informative!

Offline IdahoMatt

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Re: New Bowyer
« Reply #5 on: October 15, 2014, 10:53:07 pm »
Welcome to all the fun :).  Can't wait to see some of your bows.

Offline lebhuntfish

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  • If the wood will bend, I'll make it beautiful!
Re: New Bowyer
« Reply #6 on: October 16, 2014, 12:02:23 am »
Welcome to PA!  Also check out  boarrior bows on YouTube. He is a member of PA too. He has a few build along of board bows. And some good info on selecting the right board. Highly recommended in my book. Good luck and post picks and all your questions on here for your first bow and let the pros walk you through your build. Patrick

P.S. Where about in Florida are you from? There are some members from there.
Once an Eagle Scout, always an Eagle Scout!

Missouri, where all the best wood is! Well maybe not the straightest!

Building a bow has been the most rewarding, peaceful, and frustrating things I have ever made with my own two hands!

Offline bubby

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Re: New Bowyer
« Reply #7 on: October 16, 2014, 01:48:36 am »
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,35312.0.html
here is another board bow how to good luck and post some pics
failure is an option, everyone fails, it's how you handle it that matters.
The few the proud the 27🏹

Offline George Tsoukalas

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    • Traditional and Primitive Archers
Re: New Bowyer
« Reply #8 on: October 16, 2014, 09:16:00 am »
For 1/4 sawn look at the edge grain and it must be perfectly straight tip to tip. Jawge
Set Happens!
If you ain't breakin' you ain't makin!

Offline duke3192

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Re: New Bowyer
« Reply #9 on: October 16, 2014, 10:37:35 am »
I am also in Florida, Fruitland Park, central Fl. We have a good group of people all over the state. You can my email from the profile.
charter member of traditional bow hunters of Florida.

Offline Wobgnol

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Re: New Bowyer
« Reply #10 on: October 16, 2014, 11:56:43 am »
Thanks again everyone, as I don't have any awesome power tools right now and only have a few hand tools to work with such as a block planer, some rasps and files and a little mini hack saw. This may take me some time and probably help me learn some things and develop a new found respect for this. I will be starting my bow soon and will post pictures later today in a new topic "1sr longbow by Wobgnol" or something. Thank you again everyone for the support hopefully my 1st bow isn't a complete disaster, but hey you have to fail to learn right?

Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: New Bowyer
« Reply #11 on: October 16, 2014, 12:45:12 pm »
You may have failures while you learn, just don't fail to learn!

Welcome to the craft!  Just don't forget that a cheap-o board has the potential to make a weapon that can take any 21st Century big game effectively!  The end result is just as delicious in the skillet as anything put there by a 400 fps crossbow with a scope! Likely it will taste even BETTER for having been taken in a much more fair chase opportunity!

Guns have triggers. Bicycles have wheels. Trees and bows have wooden limbs.

Offline paoliguy

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Re: New Bowyer
« Reply #12 on: October 16, 2014, 12:59:21 pm »
Welcome Wobgnol! Don't forget to have fun, it's a great obsession so long as you enjoy the process!

Offline mhof86

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Re: New Bowyer
« Reply #13 on: October 16, 2014, 02:00:53 pm »
Welcome Wobgnol! 3 tips coming from someone who just built his first and second bow within the last month (and yes both were red oak board bows).

First is take your time laying out the bow design and triple check your marks and measurements. Once you start removing wood you can't really go back. You can never be to careful.

Second tip would be to work slowly with the tillerin. My first bow I blew through way to much wood to fast trying to get the limbs moving and bending evenly and ended up 20# below my target weight by the time I was done.

Third tip would be to get a scale or some way of measuring the draw weight from the very beginning of the tillering process. This probably sounds overly obvious to the pro's but this is what I mean. When approaching my first build I said to myself "I am a pretty good judge of weight I can get started before I purchase that scale." Turns out I was way off in my estimating the draw weight while the bow was still on the tree, which turned my goal of a 45# bow into a 25# bow by the time I was done and actually measured it. 

I know I am still very new to the art but these were my 3 most notable mistakes in my first 2 bows. I hope that you get as much enjoyment out of your first build as I did. It really is addicting and I am going to be starting my 3rd tonight after work.


Offline Parnell

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Re: New Bowyer
« Reply #14 on: October 16, 2014, 03:34:10 pm »
Welcome to Pa, Wobgnol.  I'm in FL, also. 
I spent about a year making bows on my own before I hooked up with a mentor.  My advice is don't wait to try and find some in person help.
Lots of people around to help you get up and running.
Where are you?  Fl is a big place.
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