BEAR on 12/4/2006 at 14:16
Quote Posted by TTK12G3
-Do you ever boil the edges to add recurves?
Just curious!
I've seen that done, very cool. The same person that I saw do that I also saw make a wagon wheel by boiling an entire piece of wood until it was like rubber, then he strecheded it over a metal wagon wheel rim, it was pretty kickass. Hard to find real craftsmen these days.
Congrats on your bow :) Now go pester guards with it.
dracflamloc on 12/4/2006 at 14:43
Well its not quite done. Like mentioned above I havent done the grip or arrow rest yet.
Hewer on 12/4/2006 at 15:05
Quote Posted by Ultraviolet
Will it fit in a breadbox?
Is it lighter than a duck?
Is is lighter than a MrDuck? :laff:
Hey, drac- that thing looks good. Where did you get the plans or instructions for doing this? When I was a kid I had a book that showed how to make bows like American Indians who apparently used sinew as a backing to give it more strength and pull. I never did have the gumption to try making one, so kudos to you.
Turtle on 12/4/2006 at 15:16
Quote Posted by Para?noid
Rectangular objects are not a pleasure to hold.
I don't remember your mom complaining!
I don't know what that means.
dracflamloc on 12/4/2006 at 15:34
I found the instructions on some geocities site that basically I used to learn what "tillering" was.
But basically youi just shave off wood until its in a good form that you think will give it the most flex/strength, then you pull down a loose string a few inches, and see if one limb is bending more than another or if its not bending evenly throughout the limbs. Shave off wood and keep pulling further (thats what that wood board with nails was for) until you're at the desired draw length and the limbs are bending equally and evenly. I put a stand on my bathroom scale and measured the pull weight that way. Its not terribly accurate but its good enough.
It was originally at 80 lbs draw weight but I wasn't really strong enough to pull that comfortably so I made the limbs thinner.
dracflamloc on 13/4/2006 at 15:37
The link now has a picture of my "ghettarrow" and the first shot =P
TTK12G3 on 13/4/2006 at 20:31
Quote Posted by dracflamloc
Wood: Red Oak - Source: Lowes (2"x1"x6') - $3.50 (and about 30 minutes picking through their boards until I found one with straight grain)!
Lowes is a pretty crappy place to look for wood for bows. The wood they sell is not properly dried out and has been handled pretty roughly. Then again, most people don't have a good forest near thier house. If you do go out chopping (try not to clear everything out), be sure to do it late in the fall when the woods are tight. If you get the chance, start with small oak tree. Oak dries out well and is very easy to work with.
Quote Posted by dracflamloc
It took me about 7 or 8 hours, maybe more or less I'm not sure. I basically worked on this thing some nights during my spare time for about a week and a half.
A craftsman I know cuts his own wood and lays each stave out to dry through the winter. They look really nice and fire VERY well for short bows (pure wood with no recurve).
Quote Posted by dracflamloc
This is only my first real bow so I haven't tried a recurve yet. I'll probably tackle that beast maybe one or two more bows down the road..
Be patient when you get there. If the wood is bent too fast, it will split like a banana.
Quote Posted by dracflamloc
I'm tempted to try a rope arrow. The string I used for the bow is just cheap clothesline string from a dollar store because I kinda did this on a budget (duct tape backing xD) but its pretty strong...
Nylon is a much better choice. Get a 10-25ft string that has the thickness of a shoelace ore slightly larger so that it does not cut your hands or cut through a wooden nock. BE SURE TO LEAVE THE BOW UNSTRUNG WHEN YOU ARE NOT USING IT OR IT WILL BEND IN AND BECOME USELESS.
Quote Posted by dracflamloc
Length is about 5'10" for the shaped piece of wood. I plan on making my own arrows later tonight (unless I have alot of homework for my computational theory class).
Don't
try to die. No wooden bow will have the strength to dig deep enough to support you, even if the head has barbs. I am not mentioning about the strength of the wooden shaft because I assume you have figured out that the rope must be attatched to the head. A grappling hook would work better anyway, not that I am suggesting you use one.
Quote Posted by dracflamloc
I plan on making my own arrows later tonight (unless I have alot of homework for my computational theory class). Once I get a bit better I might lay out some money on a good string and backing and make a bow that I'll sell on eBay or something.!
What is this "backing"?! Use a archery glove and a forearm pad.
Quote Posted by dracflamloc
Overall I spent $20 making this thing. But thats only because I had to buy the rasp and a saw (which I didnt use anyway, I just rasped the whole damn thing). The duct tape was a huge roll for $4 and the wood was $3.50. The rasp was $11 but I wish they had a bigger one at the time I went. At least my arms are in awesome shape!
A rasp is an awful tool to use for this. Use a good blade (DO NOT use a utility knife), a hatchet, and definitly get a planer. Get plenty of sand paper too, rough finish type. Use the saw minimally. If you happen to find a large amount of cash just laying in the street, by a lathe.
There are a bunch of other things you will learn how to do. I learned all this from watching.
Quote Posted by Ultraviolet
Will it fit in a breadbox?
Is it lighter than a duck?
Who's the funny one? Whooooosssss the cute little funny one?:p
dracflamloc on 13/4/2006 at 23:52
"What is this "backing"?! Use a archery glove and a forearm pad."
I meant backing for the bow. Right now its just a long strip of duct tape.
Ultraviolet on 14/4/2006 at 00:36
Quote Posted by TTK12G3
Who's the funny one? Whooooosssss the cute little funny one?:p
I'm just not very good at useful posts.
dracflamloc on 14/4/2006 at 02:24
I added more pics now that i finished the handle. (And my gf is in the pics too =P)
