Shoot me in the right direction

[RunninWild77]

Okay guys, I figured the next bow I get, is gonna be one I make myself. I have never done this before, so I'm gonna need all the knowledge I can get. So instead of going out and buying random books on bowbuilding, I was hoping you guys could point me to the best books to get, tips and tricks, and any thing else I should know. I'd like to make a nice glass lam bow(or bows,lol), but would that be too deep? Should I start out with a stingle stave/self bow to get the feel of things? Lets hear it.

Thanks,
Walt

[Dick in Seattle]

I'm sure there will be many who disagree, but I tried selfbow building and just didn't enjoy it.  I decided to try glass building and love it... though so far, I'd have to say I'm pretty pitiful at it.  My first bow came out very nicely... second blew up because of a stupid error... third didn't come out well, not sure if my fault or the glass, but I did manage to cut the bow in half lengthwise and make a real narrow light weight bow out of the good half, and it shoots great (I shoot very light weight).  Fourth bow has a problem, but I'm fixing it and should get a good bow.   I feel I've made some key errors but learned from them.

Best beginning point is to get the Bingham Projects dvd and watch it several times.  Start simple.  Again, not everyone would agree, but I'd recommend starting with a simple, basic D shape long bow.

The guys here are tremendously helpful and several have very good build alongs on their sites or on this site.  There are also good buildalongs on PiratesofArchery.net.  Monitor both sites for awhile and you'll be amazed at what you pick up.  Remember... some of the guys are beginners, like me, and others are the ones pushing the envelope to where it hasn't been before.  

The buildalongs referenced will show you how to do it right.  If you want to see what mistakes you can run afoul of, I have web documented all of my efforts, with no attempt to hide the stupid mistakes.   my site is  www.dickwightman.com    Scroll down to Archery Activities, then on that link scroll down to Bowyering.  From that link there is a ton of material.

If you like working in your shop, this stuff is a fantastic high... and there is nothing like shooting a bow you made, even if it isn't as good as a custom wonder.  I had a tremendous bow collection, and I've largely lost interest in it.  All I want to shoot is the next bow I make.  It's serioulsy addictive.

[Apex Predator]

What dick said!

[razorback]

If you are interested in selfbows then there are numerous books to look at. First start with the Bowyers Bible I then proceed through II,III,and IV. Also Dean Torges, Hunting the Osage Bow  and many others that I have not read but have been advised are very helpful. Check out all the Traditional archery sites and personal websites you can. Lots of repeat information from very knowledgable people, which makes me believe that it is probably good information. Not a gaurentee of accuracy but close. then just ask questions. The people here are great at helping out no matter what type of bow you want to build.
Don't forget to bookmark sites that you like. I have lost track of so many sites because I forgot to bookmark them.

[2treks]

I would take stock in what kind of shop and what equipment you have. I started building self bows in 93-94 and was happy with that. would have been nice to have a vise tho. when I did get a shop I set up for self bows and then decided to build "A" glass bow. all I had was files and sand paper. It can be done but, is not very enjoyable for repeat building. so then comes the equpment and $$$$ is spent to get what you think you need to be replaced by what you really need. this was the painful road I traveled, and my point is, decide what you want to do and think it through a time or two and do not think you will stop at just one bow. I think it has been said a time or two, THIS STUFF IS ADDICTIVE!
   Thats a long winded way of saying that a glass bow can be tuff with out a few power tools at a mininmum. wood bows are a blast anytime anyplace. but you can and will get a ton of help on this site. This alone is a huge help.
   That being said, I would start a backed bow. it can teach you alot about gluing and TILLER and the way a limb wants to work in a bow design. Good luck and have fun. let us see what you do.
Chuck

[2treks]

OH! To answer the question, Deans video shows alot of good info on making backed bows, and wingnuts video is great for the tillering side of bow making. some glu-ups and supplies are available from several sponsors if you want to go that route. -Chuck

[jcar315]

Great info! I have been reading along and I too want to make my own bow. Can anyone point out the "big" mistakes that would be great to avoid? Is it materials? Suppliers? Equipment / tools? Just looking for general info too. Thanks so much. John

[John Scifres]

If you want a glass bow, you are better off going that direction from the start.  On the bowmaking family tree, selfbows and glassbows branch pretty early and split pretty far.  The techniques are pretty divergent.

[Pat B]

Even though selfbows and glass lam bows achieve the same results(shoot arrows) the road to both is completely different.
  Decide which direction you want to go and we can get you on the right road.

[jcar315]

Dont want to hi-jack the thread but I would be most interested in making glass longbows. Thanks John

[bigcountry]

I went down the road last year of self bows.  Its hard.  Lot harder than I thought it would be.  If you can sign up for a class doing it, its invaluable.  If your going to make selfbows, they are going to break.  Sooner or later.  I have had two break.  One, I had over 20 hours of labor in.  

I am now working on laminated bows.  And its not thrilling me for some reason.  I am going to try to do a few.  But there's something I love about one piece solid wood.  Rubbing it, cutting on it, knowing every flaw of it, learning new ones every day, accepting these flaws and working around them.  I just can't give up on them.

[Dick in Seattle]

Speaking from solid experience - Glass Bows:

- if using tip wedges, put them in in the right direction... not backwards

- if using clamps, don't use too much pressure and starve the joint.  If you're using overhead clamps and steel rod, the rod bending is a clue

- when gluing the glass, it's a good idea to put the glue on the right side

- when grinding lams, remember this isn't furniture finishing... at least 60 grit, 50's better.  Be sure all surfaces are rough

- almost anything crooked can be straightened with patience and a good drum sander.  I highly, highly recommend the Grizzly

- On layups, take your time.  The glue isn't drying that fast.  If at all possible, have someone with you when laying up and discuss what you're doing and why as you go.  Listen when they say, "huh?" They may be seeing you make a mistake.  They will also be able to scratch your nose when you have glue on your hands.

- Don't overheat the oven.   Longer at lower temp is good.  Remember that the oven is going to take time to come back up to temperature, especially if you are using lots of clamps. The oven has to heat the form and the clamps.  I cook at 140 degrees and it takes my oven, which is tight, a good hour and a half to get up to full temp.  I cook for a total of 7 hours

- I control temp with light bulbs, changing them in accordance with the temperature in the shop, or whether I'm cooking a whole bow or just a riser (riser gets higher temp).  I have an oven thermometer built into my box.  Never trust a thermostat any more than you'd trust a banker.

- Get good tools.  If you have a bow collection, you can probably sell much of it to finance the tools.  You will only want to shoot the bows you make from now on.

I'm sure I'll have other lessons to offer as I make more mistakes.


Self Bows:

- Don't bite off more project than you can chew.  Start small.  A board is better than a stave, a stave is better than a downed tree.  A downed tree is better than one that's still growing.

Only that one comment re self bows.  That phase of my development didn't last long!

[razorback]

Dick, you are a wealth of wisdom
     

[va]

either self or laminate bow-making is a process.  It is like shooting: pick a spot and improve with each effort.

I love the self-bow process - mostly because complicated detail-oriented work does not agree with my anger management plans. :-)

Seriously, keep the PROCESS in focus and enjoy it.

[RunninWild77]

Thanks Guys, Greatly Appreciated!

I'm gonna go with glass longbows, its just something about them.

[Apex Predator]

Yeah, Dick may be new at bow making, but he's not new at teaching!  Well said buddy!

[Pat B]

Check out Bingham Projects. They have everything you'll need to get started. You can make a very good bow with their info and materials. Start simple, learn the ropes then as you feel confident about what you have done, you can get as complicated as you want. There are plenty of guys here that are making excellent bows, made plenty of mistakes in the process and are willing to help you succeed!..but start at the bottom and gradually and thoughtfully work your way up towards the top!!!

[Roy Steele]

At least buy one bow making book.You will save in the long run.And save yourself a lot of problems.