Rattan Bow Build help

[Greg2201]

I read the post where Dogbyte built a Cool Rattan bow for his son. I know nothing about bow building but I have a piece of Rattan so i'm half way there right?...... Anyway, I am thinking about and adult sized rattan bow. Will it work well? Can it be a self bow or will I have to back it with something? Where do I start?
Any help would be great.

[Dogbyte]

here is the article i was referring too.

 http://www.bowyersedge.com/kidsbows.html

you can modify it maybe by adjusting the length and just simply tapering the limbs further. only thing that would change is limb lenth. although i dont know about starting the taper from the handle to the tips as early as i do on a kid bow, might make the limbs to flimsy on a longer bow.

i dont know anything about being a Bowyer, but you could maybe back the cut edge of the rattan to make it more stiff. maybe someone on here as done it before.

[John Scifres]

You can make a heavier weight rattan bow.  They are not the greatest for efficiency but they don't break.  I have made ones up to 50#.  You don't have to back it.  Rattan is tremendous in tension strength.  Not so much in compression.  It's also heavy.

We make a bunch every year at Cloverdale.  Kid\\'s Bows

[AZ_Shooter]

Where in the world do you find rattan?  I can find plenty of furniture, but no lumber.

[John Scifres]

http://www.bambooandrattan.com/   Don't know their minimums though.  I buy a bunch at a time for the kids bows.

[Greg2201]

Thanks for the advise guys. Looks like I might be better off using the rattan for kids bows and using some wood for my first bow build. If I ever decide to start one. Be a good winter project if I can finish some of my spring projects to make some room.

[Tom Leemans]

Like the article says, you can build one with a draw knife if you don't have the machinery. Either way, you can have one done in a half hour by yourself. It's cool to see rattan kids bows come back all blinged up with snake skins and leather wrapped handles. I like the cool sharpie marker decorating jobs the kids do themselves. BTW that little girl standing next to me at the bandsaw in the article is now almost 14, stands 5'-11" and shoots a selfbow made by Dano! We still have those rattan bows at home though. Hope to let a grandchild shoot one someday. Both of my daughters have kids bows autographed by Dean Torges.