Getting Started

[dannyvp]

Years ago, I purchased a lot of stuff to make some bows........Never used any of it.

The other day when looking at my bow, my little boy,(who's about to be 8) said he wanted a bow like mine. SO I asked a bow with wheels and a site or one made from wood?
He suggested we make one, and I remembered I had this blank.

So im going to start working with him on turning this into a bow. I really don't know where to start.......

Ideas?  [/url] [/IMG]
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[SportHunter]

Nice looking blank, you'll need some supplies.

Card scraper, file, rasps, small round file for nocks, tillering string, tillering tree or stick and more. A good sharp card scraper will be a big help, it helps take off wood you want without going overboard as you can't put the wood back.

The list can get pretty long but read through some build-a-longs in here and you can get a good grasp of what is needed.

What is the core wood of your blank?

[dannyvp]

I think I have most of that.
No tillering tree though.
I have several staves of Osage i plan on making into bows one day.

[SportHunter]

Looks like you have most of what you need, round off the edges and get it floor tillered first. You can get both limbs bending without a tree. You want to keep the bending minimal out of the fades and near the tips to start. This will help you avoid too much set near the riser and avoid a whip tillered bow.

[dannyvp]

OK so here's my todo list in Order maybe?
1. Round off edges
2. Cut String groves
3. adjust thinkness of limbs to bend even
4. Check Draw weight??
5. Adjust draw weight if necessary
6. Check tiller again
7. Form handle and shelf

How do I order the correct length string?

[Eric Krewson]

Your gizmo is like the first ones I made. They are easier to use if you drill a 1/2" hole about half way through your wood over the 5/16" hole and tap a 5/16" nut into the hole to screw your pencil into.

Here is the latest version of the gizmo I make;

 

[dannyvp]

I got that Gizmo from you, when I bought a pile of Osage from you at a local shoot.

I still have that pile by the way.... its only been 8 or so years! But I now have new plans to work on them.