newbie trying to find some advice...

[kevshin21]

So I have not been on the archery seen for very long and I don't even have my own bow yet. But I do go to lessons once every week. Anyways the archery bug has bitten me hard and I just want to do everything all at once, but the thing is where the hell do I start?!?! I was reading around and a lot of people have recommending bowyers bible but I am not sure which addition. Also I want to make more unique stuff like horse bows. Yes I know I am way over my head but I need to get hands on in order to learn something. Thanks guys! Also I have read some good threads on this site but I am sure I missed a lot of really good ones, so any links are appreciated!

[Balding Kansan]

If you want to get one under your belt check out 4est trekker's board bow build along. Very detailed instructions and pictures. It is here in the bowyers bench and can be usually found on page 1 or 2.

[walkabout]

heres the buildalong that kansan suggested..http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=125;t=002064 great step by step instruction, many first bows built with it. also check out poorfolk bows, as well as george's site   http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/selfbowcare.html   if you go to his homepage hes got alot of info on there. good luck and post any questions you have theres alot of talent on here.

[trclements]

My first traditional bow was a recurve that I built.  Check out binghamprojects.com they have everything you need to start builing bows from blueprints to kits.  

Trevor

[Dublin Joe]

I'd get Volume One for Jim Hamm's chapter on Tillering, and go to Google Books for Volume Four's chapter by Tim Baker, "Your First Wooden Bow."

Understand what type of board you're looking for in the supplies at Lowe's and/or Home Depot; don't use just any board.

If I'm not mistaken, horsebows are relatively short, and usually recurved (at least.)  These are two added layers of sophistication.  As a beginner you should learn how to tiller, hitting a desired draw length and weight.  Once you can do that you'll be able to accomplish amazing things fairly quickly.

Read all you can on the subject because there's a lingo, and endless variations on about a dozen themes.  And finally, figure out how to post photos on this site; the members here are generous with their guidance if they have something to work from.

Good luck, and I nearly forgot... make a gizmo and learn to sharpen a scraper.

Joel

[4est trekker]

If you want to build a horsebow but are just getting into it, you might consider a u-finish horsebow kit.  Here's a link to one I did:

 http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=125;t=002441;p=2#000023

It will provide you with a guaranteed shooter while allowing you to have some part in the process that you can learn from.  You can also get some very nice bow blanks of almost any style you can imagine.  Here's one I just finished from a bow blank:

 http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=125;t=003874

That said, look at a million pictures of bows with proper tiller.  Each profile/limb design requires a different tiller.  In addition to this site, I would suggest looking through the "Bow of the Month" archives on Primitive Archer.  You must learn what proper tiller is, and then how to achieve it.  And yes...MAKE A TILLERING GIZMO!

Best of luck  

[Loren Holland]

Kevshin21,
I totally understand your desire to build something different.  We all do.  I am not trying to dissuade you from that ambition, but I would encourage you to learn from some basic projects first.  Believe me, I am no professional bowyer, and don't claim any special skill...but what I have learned from the archery bug, is that some basic skills build into others.  start simple, add a new feature or challenging aspect to every bow you build, if it doesn't work, learn from that too.  I have been "schooled", repeatedly. you have some great resources online here, and if read TBB 1-4 its a great learning curve (i asked Santa for the series for Christmas one year, finally got a gift i didn't want to return) would highly suggest you try either Sam Harper or 4est trekkers build-along. i promise you what you learn from those first bows will still apply to the "different" ones you build later.