PVC Youth Bow Build along

[Cuban Missile]

I'm glad you mentioned that Bona.  When you are done taper the limbs and move on to heat the handle you need to make sure that you heat 1-2 inches of the limbs above and below the handle.  The reason for doing so is that the tapering jig might leave a perpendicular crease where it ends and by heating the area it will cause the pipe to expand back to a more rounded shape therefore strengthening the fade section.

[Greg Szalewski]

Dang, I think I need a new bow.

[Johan van Niekerk]

This looks like so much fun I can't wait for some free time!
Are going to add a shelf of some sort? Or will the kids have to shoot of their hands?  

[perry f.]

When making a Flemish twist string for this bow, how long do you make it and about how big do the end loops need to be?

[GreenMtnBoy69]

Holy Cripes! My kids (11 and 9, both boys) are gonna go nuts! My wife, not so much....

[b.glass]

I checked out the guys site and found out how to fix this problem. The thing is I fix it and it folds in another area. He warns about this but so far I have only been able to get a partial draw before it folds again.

Anything that's suppose to be easy never is for me. Oh well, I am blessed with humility.

Bona

[Cuban Missile]

Ok the string for this specific size bow is 52-53 inches. Mine right now is twisted to 52.5" and I have around a 6" brace height.  Its good to have big loops like around 5.5" on each side.  

I'm going to put a leather rest on this but if it was for me I would just shoot it off the hand.  I'm also going to wrap the limbs in leather or cloth and hemp.  This way I don't have to sand any.  

One thing you need to do at this point is sand the area where the Siyah and the PVC meet.   Only sand the PVC though.  You just want to break that edge and make the transition from PVC to wood flow better.    

I can't work on it today but maybe tomorrow.

[inksoup]

this is very nice.

but,

why do we call this youth bow? since it will probably more than 40 - 45 lbs and this weight is almost all hunting bows measures. am i right? we can hunt with this as well i think. (well i am not talking about taste of hunting with plastic or wood)

best in advance.

ps: in youtube one guy pushed smaller diameter pvc pipe to outer one so he had more power.

[Johan van Niekerk]

Mmm. Maybe one can use PVC weld and a piece of scrap pipe to make a more "fixed" rest.

Anyone else think making "proper" strings for a kids bow is a "schlepp"? I've tried everything from washing line to whatever to get away from making strings for kids bows. Have yet to find something that works well though.
Any suggestions?

[Cuban Missile]

Johan - Paracord works pretty well.  

Inksoup -  Sure you can deffinatley make a heavier bow with this.  I plan on bow fishing with one of these due to the "waterproofness"  of the bow.  It is also good for stumping, birding and walking around in the woods because you can make these shorter than a wooden bow.  The only bad thing that I can think of is... the fact that its PVC and not wood.  For us "purists"

Anyways the reasoning behind a youth bow build along is that PVC has many benefits for our careless, and developing youngsters like...

#1 Its cheaper to make!!!  
#2 Its more durable and kids don't take care of bows as much as we do.
#3 It takes less time to make then a wood bow.
#4 It can be grown into.  As the kids draw gets longer the bow can easily take that extra stress
#5 If you ever need to or would like to adjust the tiller it only takes a couple minuets to heat a limb.
#6 unlike wood if it is overstressed it is only gong to collapse and bend Vs. exploding and hurting someone.

So to put it simply its... Cheep, Safe, Time saving Fun and to me that screams YOUTH BOW!

PS you can always make these into take down's too!

[wood carver 2]

ttt.