Where do I start?

[brett morris]

Hi all, being recently retired I want to start making my own bows but would appriciate any advise.  Is there any good books with diagrams etc on self bows?  I also am setting up my shop what tools should I get to make building easier or what works best that may be a personal choice question.

The bows you guys are making look great hopefully with practice I can reach that level.

Thanks for any help.

[Pat B]

Brett, A lot will have to do with the type of bow you want to make...selfbows, all wood laminate or glass backed bows.
  Basic tools for selfbows and all wood laminates would be rasps and scrapers. More specific would be draw knife, hatchet, farriers rasp, band saw, table top belt/disc sander, chain saw file and any of a gazillion other tools and tool combos.
   Welcome to our addiction. I hope you need another one now that you are retired.     Pat

[MN-Tommy]

Hey, I was in your shoes about a month ago.  You definately need to get the Stanley Surform Rasp and everything else Pat stated. You don't need the band saw or belt sander though (especially to start off with).  Also, you should pick up the Traditional Bowyer's Bible, there are 4 volumes of this book and they're worth their weight in gold to any bowyer.  Eventually, you're going to need a tillering stick and cord as well as a scale to measure draw weight.  I ordered these items from 3riversarchery.com, which is a great site for all materials.  As far as some good websites and build-a-longs, start here -  http://www.geocities.com/salampsio/  - This is a great site and if you click on the links tab, you have access to other great bow building sites.  Also, check out the *********** on  www.stickbow.com,  there are a lot of great experts and stuff on there.  Good luck and have fun, it is highly addicting.

Tommy

[George Tsoukalas]

Here's some info too. Jawge

[Dano]

Jawge forgot his link.    
  http://mysite.verizon.net/georgeandjoni/

Oh yeah and this book is good too.
 http://www.bowyersedge.com/books.html

[brett morris]

Thanks to all I am on my way to my new hobbies with all the ordering of supplies.  If you have some pics of your bows please email pics to [email protected]

Im not artistic need some inspiration.

Brett

[onemississipp]

Brett,
  Do yourself a big favor, and get the book "Hunting the Osage bow", let this be your first book.

 http://www.bowyersedge.com/books.html

I just bought this book and I'm still cursing myself for waiting 2 years to do it.

This book is a complete package, from picking, cutting, bending and drying wood. To tools how to use and sharpen them. Then on to layout and why you layout the bow in the this way...That is a far as I have gotten in the book, around page 90. next is tillering...then I'll see from there.

Just getting to page 90 has explained alot of the things I have encountered in the last 2 years.

Enough of my rambling, in opinion this book has covered more in 90 pages than both volume 1 and 2 of the traditional bowyers bibles.

I have all 4 and if you buy 1 you'll find you need 2. They are nice to have I guess later, they cover alot of history and different syle bows.

But if you are looking for soild information on bow building " Hunting the Osage Bow" is it.

It says Osage but the techniques can be applied to all wood bows.

[The Gopher]

All 4 volumes of the traditional bowyers bible are great, as well as hunting the osage bow. you could also pick up the bent stick. my biggest problem when i started building bows was that i was too worried i would screw up. once i realized that was the best and fasted way to learn what your doing i was on my way, building and breaking bows as well as getting some shooters.my advice, just dive right in, especially if your starting with board bows you can affor d to screw up a few times, good luck, Dan.