Any info for youth laminate long bow.

[firewood maker]

I am pretty new to building bow and have only made a few self bows.  My daughter is 9 years old and will be in a 4-H shooting sports this summer.  

I would like to make a laminated youth long bow.  My end goal is to have 20-25# and a draw length of 24 inches.  I was thinking that if I made the draw length longer than that with a heavier weight she could use it for a few years.

I have some elm and hickory wood.  Is it possible to make it without fiberglass?  Where would be a good place to get info on a bow like that? I am not sure even how thick the strips should be.  I assume laminate strips need to follow the grain like a self bow.

Thanks for any help you can give.

[macbow]

You can certainly do it without Fibreglass.
I've been building some youth bows that are lighter than your looking for.
I'd suggest a length of about 58 to 60 inches.
Most of mine have a bamboo backing that I trap to weaken it some.

You might start with a 5/16 inch thick slat (board)
taper it like a pyramid bow. Use it as a template to mark a 1/8 inch thick piece of hickory for the back.
Both could be hickory.
Glue them up putting some reflex/deflex in.

I add the handle after glue up so I can match it to the curve.

If you do some searches here for kids and youth bows there are plenty of ideas.
Ron

[macbow]

Here are a couple as an example. The dark one is a 48 inch 1/4 inch board bow.
Ron

 

[firewood maker]

Those bows look great!  Can you get away with a little grain run off or do the strips need to follow the grain? Would the back need to follow the grain?

I am hoping to start working on it Monday.  I have broken a couple bows already so I have no fear of experimenting a little.

Thanks for the help.

[macbow]

With the pyramid shape there will be run out. The straighter the grain runs to start the better.

If your going to rip slats from a hickory board. rotate the back 180 degrees to make it tougher.

I'm not sure of the elm's compression strength but in these weights I bet hickory back and elm belly would work.
Ron

[firewood maker]

Well, I finally finished my daughter bow. I will add the steps I took to completion. I had elm and hickory to work with for the limbs.  I used a plainer to get them down to 1/8.  The wood came from trees in the back yard so I used what I had.  I cut a form from a 2x6.
 
 
The photo is how I glued up the three laters Back elm, hickory midle, elm belly.  I went with the best piece as the back insted of going by type of wood.
 
 

 

I used 1/4 inch pieces of oak and cedar to make the handle.  Cedar was scrape from a kayak I am working on and the oak is left over from the railing in the living room.
 

It is 25 pounds at 24 inches.  I have pushed my luck and drew it to 28 inches and it is at 34 lbs there.  I wanted to see if it would last to her growing and abusing it.

I stained the bow with a pink tinted stain. That would not have been my chose but at 9 years old girl does like pink.  I must say the color does not matter to me when I saw her smile as she shoot it.

Thanks for all your help Ron.

[firewood maker]

[don s]

very nice. my daughter wanted her bow purple. one thing though. in the pic where you have the bow drawn on the tillering stick, you should have it in the throat of the bow grip. not against the arrow shelf.
don

[firewood maker]

Good point about the tillering stick location.  Every little thing I can learn helps.  It is to bad that I have to keep learning from mistakes.

Thanks

[macbow]

Mike places like TG help but most us learn by making mistakes.
I'd say it looks good. I was wondering if the weight was going to be too heavy?
My oldest grandson is 7 and in in the 18 to 20 pound range at 24 inches but he's is a skinny fellow. But sure loves to shoot. I've already got his next bow ready but it is a little too heavy right now.
Ron

[Robertfishes]

Nice job!

[Shakes.602]

AWSOME WORK!!         That Handle should Look Great!