Bamboo self bow.

[capt eddie]

I just cut about 10 pieces of large bamboo. 2 inches to 4 inches round.  30 foot plus in length.  I would like to make an all bamboo bow.  I do not are how it is put together. 2 piees or 50 piees.  I have a wood working shop and lots of tools.  I just need some ideas on the BEST way to put it all together. a proven method. I have thought about cutting strips and glueing them together.  The nodes are about 12 to 16 inches apart. How did the Japanese do it??

[PZee]

Take a look at this build-along posted a while back. Hopefully this will help....

Pete

 http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=125;t=001887

[John Scifres]

The self in "selfbow" describes the material which does all the work its own self     A selfbow is made from a single stave of wood or two billets spliced at the handle.  No working backing is allowed.  So you won't be making a selfbow.

You'll most likely be be making a composite bow. Usually this means a belly slat and then a very thin backing piece.  I highly recommend Dean Torges' video "Hunting the Bamboo Backed Bow".

[getstonedprimitivebowhunt]

If you make it for yourSELF its a self bow ...lol ! Sorry had to say it !

[DCM]

Most folks use a wood core for such a bow, boo back and belly, as did the Japanese (mulberry I think).  It's a fair challenge, even for an experienced bowyer.

I'd suggest a wood selfbow or a boo backed wood bow for a first project.  

Sorry for not answering your question.  The answer would have been I'm not aware of it having been done at all much less a best, proven way.

[hova]

having seen some boo fly rods really bend , a bo self blow im thinking would have to be a bent flatbow type of deal. if you plane the nodes off and get some to a single tube of bamboo , you could probably pull it off , but it would be a thousand times worse than what i imagine chasing a ring to be. the boo fly rod i made years ago took me months to create , and most of it was planing down bamboo tim and time again.


you might even look at something like everyone else said , as a composite.

[capt eddie]

So if I try to put multiple pieces of bamboo together with glue.  It would be called a composite bow?  If I do not use glue and wrap spiderwire around the whole bow.  is it still a composite?  I am just trying to learn terminalogy.  I am going to plane three pieces of bamboo.  Two pieces will have nodes and the center piece will be flat on both sides.  I am going to glue them all together and wrap the whole bow with spiderwire and glue as a backing.  Do you think this will work? Kind of like a Surviver man lost in the jungle with a fishing pole and a tube of glue.  I will make the arrows out of rivercane.

[Chris Grimbowyer]

If I were you I would just Give it a shot but 3 pieces of bamboo seems like it might not bend to easily but I have only made 2 successful selfbows so far from white elm and osage. You should read the bowyers bible volume 2 it talks about the japanese bows made with almost all bamboo.

[capt eddie]

I tried it today.  I split the bamboo only to find that the bamboo was to small.  By the time I had the inside smooth.  It was maybe 1/8 thick.  It could be used to back another wood.But glueing two or three pieces together will not be very strong.

[tradbower]

If you can find a copy of  The Bowyer's Journal,Spring of 2000 edtion, there is a article by Wes Martin, Crafting Laminated Bamboo Bows, it explains how he uses raw boo for the back and belly of his bows. He also goes into his process for tillering these types of bows.Hope this helps.

[capt eddie]

It will help.  I am not finished yet.  Now I have to find that Journal. I do not want this boo to go to waste.

[R.W.]

Check out the all bamboo R/D bow from Rudderbows Archery.
It has multiple "lams" for the riser, (actionboo, or bamboo flooring) a tapered "actionboo" core, and bamboo belly and back.
These are quite good performers, and Rudderbows sells them as a finished bow, or as a kit.
So, an "all bamboo" bow is certainly do-able, and if done well, they perform well, also.
Best of luck with your project, Capt Eddie.

R.W.

[Pat B]

You can make a composite bow with just boo. No need to wrap it with spiderwire or anything else. If you add a bit of reflex as you glue it up it will help to increase the cast.

[capt eddie]

I looked at the Rudderbows web site.  The all bamboo is what I am looking for.  They have it in kit form.  I will call and see if I can maybe add carbon or fiberglass to get the weight up to 65lb.