Need Help With First Bow: Hickory (updated 1/28)

[Pat B]

Looks like you are doing a good job of a tedious job. Keep it up!    Pat

[Fredy]

well i have the basic shape of the bow laid out on the back. im going over to my mentors house on sunday to rough cut it out. here is the dimensions:  
nock-to-nock=68".
tip width=1/2".
widest point of limb=2".
handle width= 1 1/4"
handle length=4 1/4"
start of fade to center=4"
If there is anything you think i should change let me know and i will consider it

 

 

 

 

[Roy Steele]

FREDY
  Frist off get a copy of the Bent Stick.I did 18 years ago.And have read and reread it through the years.
  If you don't have a lot to spend.You can go the route I took build a hot box.Cut a hickory tree down. Because hickory will dry quick in a hot box. Hickory is a great wood easy'ly worked.But not as durable as O'sage and with Osage you can follow a grouth ring easer.
  Or you can do what I did before I built a hot bow.And this is the cheapist way to go.This is the way I built my first 2 bows.I simply went to a farmer I hunted on and got 2 black locust fence post.But not a good starter wood.Any other way I can help I will.
                          ROY

[Fredy]

roy
ill look into getting a copy of Bent Stick.  i dont know if you read through the rest of the thread but i allready have a hickory stave with the bow laid out on it.  i will be cutting it out this weekend then on to tillering though i still have to make something for that.

QUESTION TO ALL
i have tried to find a spring scale to measure the draw weight with but i havent been able to find one.  is there any other possible way to measure the draw weight???  i could just tiller it untill it feels good to me but i would really like to know the draw weight and it would make buying arrows so much easier.

[eaglefeather]

try 3rivers archery for scale.

[huntersteve]

A cheap quick scale you can use until you get a better one is to go to Wal-mart and in the fishing tackle they have a cheap fish scale that measures to 50 lbs for under 10 bucks....but when your able to, buy a good set from 3 Rivers Archery...Steve

[No-sage]

Or use a regular spring scale for weighing people, not a digital one.  Use a piece of 2x4 on the scale, hook the string on the wood and push down into the scale.

You need to zero the scale with the bow and 2x4 on it for it to be accurate.

As far as your layout.  Before you cut, widen your nocks about 1/4" and run new lines out to your fades.  Cut on those lines.  Your stave isn't dry enough yet.  Leaving some extra will give you a bit of leway should the bow move a bit once it gets more dry.

While your cutting, remove most of the bulk belly wood too.  It will help the stave dry better.

[Fredy]

No-sage i wish you had said something earlier about widening the tips.  i allready cut them out on sunday.  the people i bought the stave from said it had been dried for a year so i thought it would be pretty dry by then.  Well mistakes happen.  Ill know to make them wider next time.

[No-sage]

A hickory stave that thick isn't dry enough, even after a year.  keep it in a low humidity place while you're working it, and give it a little time to dry out more now that you have it to bow dimensions.

You might be fine with your cut out.  I just like to leave my options open and give myself some room for later adjustments.

Keep up informed on your progress.

[ChristopherO]

For future reference I agree with No-sage.  I've learnt the hard way that the tips can be filed and sanded down to finished dimensions when all else is completed.  Given wiggle room.

On the scale:  Years ago I purchased a digital Berkley fish scale at Bass Pro.  With the discount that was running I only had $5.00 in it.  They are rated to 50 Lbs but I've pulled my to 67 Lbs so far.
John Scrifes used the stick and bathroom scale proceedure.  Look up his webpage for full details.

[Fredy]

i think you guys might have been slightly confused about what i meant.  i cut out the basic outline of the bow.  the knocks at the moment are just lines on the stave.  i moved them down the stave a half inch and they are now 5/8" wide.  
I also got a 50lb spring scale to use but i wanted it to go higher.  then my dad mentioned that i could use a pulley to get a 2:1 ratio and measure up to 100#. ill post some pics in a little bit.

[Roy Steele]

To make a nice hickory bow make it.64"s to 66"s long 1 1/2"s wide.tips down to 3/8" comeing back 4 or 5"s from the nocks. Leaveing this part just heavy enough to stay stiff.Because it's your first bow you could make it a little wider at fade outs and tips.If it's a good stave, well seasoned you won't have a problem.

[Roy Steele]

To make a nice hickory bow make it.64"s to 66"s long 1 1/2"s wide.tips down to 3/8" comeing back 4 or 5"s from the nocks. Leaveing this part just heavy enough to stay stiff.Because it's your first bow you could make it a little wider at fade outs and tips.If it's a good stave, well seasoned you won't have a problem.