where do i start building?

[shawnkfl]

after lurking for hours during work today, i decided to join this great forum. i've been bitten by the traditional bug! i want to build my own recurve bow. i'm thinking 58" length, 27" draw and 55#-60#. i dont want a "kit" bow, i want to build it all myself. i'm pretty good at wood working and fiberglass work (i've built a few small boats)and i love working with my hands.

my first (of many) question is, where can i get templates for a bow and for forms? riser designs? are you guys using many templates or working from your own creations? my neighbor has an old bear kodiak magnum that i may trace out for a pattern unless i can purchase some.

basically, minus most of the tools and equipment, where is a good "jumping off" point?

[hova]

first thing is first. if you have only been readin on here a few hours , keep reading.

you can find exactly what you want by using googles site search ...


google this : site:www.tradgang.com recurve riser

should give you about 65000 hits on this subforum alone.


as for a starting point , id suggest a stickbow , but if youre into glass bows , it might just be a waste of time for you...dont worry , everyone will be along...


welcome to the addiction...
-hov

[IdahoCurt]

Go to Bingham projects and do what most of us have done,buy the kit,learn from your mistakes,improve your design and have fun.Look at bow building as a journey and the destination is building that perfect bow which doesn't exist,enjoy the whole process.

Also ask any questions here,we will help you.

[Pat B]

I agree fully with IdahoCurt, go to Binghamprojects. They have all you need to get started. While you are waiting for your stuff to come in do what hova suggest and start reading. Plenty of knowlegable folks here that will walk you through the process.

[Bradford]

Hey Shawn... Welcome!  This is a ton of fun and you came to the right place.. and you sound like me when I started.

I build my first recurve take down with all wood.. got some designs off this sight and used tight bond 3..

it actually turned out good, and I shoot it to this day.  But what that did for me is get me used to the process without spending the money on epoxy and fiberglass.  I built my forms, built my lams and gave it a go.  Once I saw it worked, my second bow was a take down fiberglass recurve that I shoot on a regular basis.. Now I am building take downs and one pieces.

If you want take downs.. I just bought the blue prints from binghams.. not the kit.  Also bought a tappered lam from them to use as a template.

If you want one piece.. visit Swissbow.com.. they have some plans you can download.  I did then made some small changes to kind of make it my own.   That guy is really cool and is on this forum quite a bit.  he wants you to send photos of your bow for his website when done.  I am building 5 of them right now for christmas.  Might do you good to read the post.. you can learn from my mistakes..LOL.. and I am making plenty of them!

Either way you do it.. have fun.. ask questions.. and if the first does not work out, keep at it!

[Roy Steele]

I also agree a great way to start is a kit.With instructions.

[milehi101]

Binghams is the way.  a kit consists of a bunch of material you have to build a form and glue all the pieces together.  When that is done remove it form the foirm and find a bow and shape it in the glued pieces.  If you are going to build a laminated bow let someone cut the small pieces for you the first few times.

[Swissbow]

Hi Shawn, as mentioned above bingham is a good ( and prooven ) way to start. If you want to start your own thing and don't mind that you might have to build one, two, three or maybe more bows until you get one that is a really good shooter then go ahead. A good way to start is to take a design that works and copy it.  About the building itself you can find everything you need to know here on tradgang. Checkout the build alongs of Brad ( bjansen ), he has done some awesome looking recurves and his work is a fantastic source of inspiration.

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Andy

[Jason Scott]

Shawn you're just like me. Don't be discouraged. You don't have to go the binghams route. There is nothing to it and I feel your experience is enough to tackle this. I have made all my bow forms by tracing the profile of a bow I could get my hands on and a few forms of my own design. Use a router for the form surface and check it all the way down with a square to make sure it is smooth and true. That is the most important thing. Use a good clamping system and read all these buildalongs and do it. The following link is what got me started. I graduated to recurves five bows later but didn't really have to wait that long. I soon started using the rubber tube strip clamping method on the limbs and like it better but still use c clamps on the riser and fades.

 http://poorfolkbows.com/glass1.htm

[Roy from Pa]

Here is a link that may help Shawn. Whatever you decide, just have fun.

 http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=125;t=002064

[Ryan Yoon]

Red oak board bow all the way!

[jsweka]

Although you don't have to go the Bingham's route, the one advantage that it does have is that if you follow their proven design,you can order there limb kit (wood and fiberglass laminations) in whatever lenghth/weight you want and be pretty much guarenteed to come close to your desired weight.  They've got the lamination thicknesses all figured.  Striking out on your own design from the get go might mean you have to make a few bows before you get the weight you want.  Even with a "kit bow" from Bingham's you do build it all yourself.

[William F. Adams]

There are a lot of fiberglass recurve bow build-alongs using a lot of different techniques.

One I recall used a CD-rack tower as the template for the form.

[shawnkfl]

thank you all for the opinions, input, directions and links! more than i had hoped for! i dont quite know which direction i'll be going yet. i tend to over research things and will often spend hours upon hours surfing and reading.

i have been following bradfords five christmas builds. awesome thread! i would love to get to that point, to build a bow for my daughters.

time to go read more threads. i have a feeling i'll be at this most of the day (and night)

[KellyG]

shawnKfl,
the only sound advice I can give is get a note pad and right down the name of the tread, user name, and what page the info you want is on. I have found I don't remember it and there is nothing more frustrating than knowing I read some useful info and forget where it is at. I also suggest which ever route you take, make it a build-a-long here. I know you say post my first try for 25000 others to see. Trust me you want them to see it. If you are have a problem they will see it first and offer plenty of ways to correct it.
Kelly

[Mike Most]

I tried making self bows, and had cut down and cured trees etc to get to that point, I was new had no experience nor this site.

First couple failed, then I found Binghams, took me a while but I finally got a shooter, its been no looking back now....

I have since revisited the all wood bow scene and have been successful, mainly because the learning curve has been reduced.