My First Bow

[cbarcher]

Hello Everyone, I'm 100% new to bow making and I want to start in a few days and I have looked all over the internet on info and I think I'm going to make a red oak board bow with hickory backing. I might also take lessons from an archery shop for bow making and feltching but ti costs 200 and I'm reluctant to. Also, I want a arrow shelf so do i just cut out a thick handle or do I glue on a riser. I tried ferret's page and a few others and I will decide soon. With the bow making class it helps to have pros there and one on one and all the tools are there and it's osage and I can make it anyway I like but I don't like snakey bows. I would love to hear advice and tips.   :confused:

[Steve Nuckels]

cbarcher, I started with red oak & hickory also, I glued a handle on, that way its much easier to find a board with good grain structure.  I learned alot making a few bows with minimal cost!  I say try a few board bows then decide on a bow making class. Making a few will give you pratical experience and you will have an better idea deciding on which type/style bow you will want to progress to!  Also try to get the Traditional Bowyers Bible series as you go along.   Have fun! Let the addiction begin!

[elkslayer]

To bad you dont live out West John Strunk gives classes cheap. Last class I took was 50 bucks. and thats all day. And he is a master. He is in the bowyers bible and is one heck of a guy but enough about that sense you live so far away but good luck I would do a class first. I think if they got the bugs worked out makes it faster than not. Like I had bought way to many tools and after taking a class I found out that I didnt need half the stuff I got.

[JEFF B]

have fun man. i am and its my first bow as well    and take it slowwww.

[cbarcher]

Well thanks guys, I'm going to make the board bow I was talking about. The class is several weekends long but it is one on one. I did purchase the bowyer's bible series 1-4. They were excellent and I enjoyed them and I will for sure be a bow addict very soon. Thank you everyone keep it up.

[Missing Impossible]

cb, if your close to the northern panhandle of WV, I can hook you up with some seasoned osage.  I relied on the first volume of the bowyer's bible to make my first bows using only a rasp, hand saw and an H110 Buck knife(don't try to take an osage stave from bark to a growth ring like I did).

[cbarcher]

what do i need a heating box for. do i need it for a reflex

[George Tsoukalas]

Get a straight grained red oak board - a 1 x 2. Back it with silk, linen or burlap. Let the bow bend in the handle. No glued on handles for your first. There is a buildalong on my site. Jawge
 http://mysite.verizon.net/georgeandjoni/

[Tom Anderson]

...No glued on handles for your first.... [/QB]

Why's that, George?

[George Tsoukalas]

Tom, I think that the bend in the handle is the easiest design to tiller for the first timer. I also think that gluing on a handle properly adds a another dimension of difficulty. The fades need to be shaped and the bow tillered it so the handle doesn't pop. The fades have to start their taper before the glued on piece and the taper continued. Too much for the beginner in my view. Handles can come later. Jawge

[Roy Steele]

Email me roy48royaol.com I'll help you build your bow.And you can put your 200 in staves.

[adam]

Check out this link:

 http://www.geocities.com/salampsio/

Look at his red oak buildalong. Its basically what you want to do but you are using oak and hickory. Hope it helps some!

Adam