anyone ever made a successful bow on first try?

[kevshin21]

As the topic stated, has anyone ever made a bow and got it in one? I want to make a board or self bow but I have minimal tools. I am currently trying to save up for the essential tools. I just want to know how hard is it to get it right.

[rainman]

Really pretty easy if you live close to someone who can show you how.  Steep learning curve on tillering if you have'nt watched someone do it.

[hova]

i am just beginning , and i only have the tools that people from this great place have donated to the cause. a couple rasps and files , and a pocketknife are all i really have.

i broke a red oak board trying to tiller it , made the mistake of buying wood from lowes without really knowing what to look for.

my best advice is read on here , and find a local sawmill or large lumber yard that has a good selection of hardwood. good wood so far makes all the difference...

other than that , as long as you follow a build along , and post as you go on here , theres no reason your first bow couldnt be a masterpiece...

-hov

[Mark Smeltzer]

My first couple of board bows and stave bows came out OK, then I broke half a dozen in a row. Now I break a few on occasion.

mark

[William F. Adams]

I broke 3 bows before being successful w/ #4 --- for tools I started w/ a saw, a Nicholson 4-way rasp, a Stanley trimming plane, a round chainsaw file and a pocket knife.

[tah-gah-jute]

1st one made it,hickory and overbuilt.looks a little crude though.

[hickry]

I made a shooter on my 7th first try...

[hickry]

Posted that before I got finished.  One thing, however, that I think would have helped a lot is if I'd known about the 'gizmo' that Eric Krewson (or somebody) came up with.  It's basically a straightedge with a built in pencil (you can do a search) to help you see where you're bending... and where you're not.  I really think this would have helped me out...

[Eric Krewson]

Make one of these and don't get too aggressive with your wood removal, your first bow should be a success.

 http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=125;t=001047

[Goose Gossett]

My first came out a shooter (overbuilt none the less) thanks to the "gizmo".  I only used info from this site and came out with a couple of winners.

[hova]

yeah im workin on getting one together this week. im not so worried about a tillering tree , but the gizmo seems like its an indispensable tool.

that and a cabinet scraper...

-hov

[kevshin21]

cool! thanks guys, I am just wondering about floor tiller? why would you floor tiller if you are going to tiller it on a tree/pully anyways?

[jsweka]

My first attempt at a laminated longbow turned out shootable.  After making several more, I look back at that bow and think "Man, that thing is a club."

My first attempt at an all wood bow was a BBO blank from Dryad.  It turned out nice - not nearly in the same league as those finished by Mike and Jason, but good for my first wood bow attempt.  So after that I thought I knew what I was doing and I tried a hickory backed ipe.  Well after three attempts, I ended up with only one light weight bow.  So I went back to making laminated ones.  In my opinion a laminated glass bow is much easier to build than one from all natural materials.

[hova]

floor tiller as i understand it , is to get the taper and profile to where its all  starting to bend. on my first board try , shaping the taper of the sides didnt really allow it to bend , so i had to remove a buttload from the belly till it started to bend a little. after that i tossed a string on it , and just tried to even the removal out. the whole thing split up the middle due to crappy plainsawn wood from lowes. after googling quartersawn , and riftsawn , i saw what it is that i was looking for.


start with good wood is my main reccomendation.

[vanillabear?]

[Red4arm]

My first was a laminated take down, shoots great, took a pig with it the first year!

[William F. Adams]

An easy, inexpensive way to get hickory is to buy a wheelbarrow handle at your local hardware store --- just sort through the stack to find one w/ straight grain and strip the finish off.

[hova]

I can't believe you get a friggin wheelbarrow handle to bend even close to resembling a bow...


I demand proof!
-hov

[4est trekker]

Man, I can't second Eric's advice enough.  The tillering gizmo is a true gem of the bowyer's tool kit.  That little thing will bring about a finely tillered bow better than just about anything else I know!  Thanks, Eric, for sharing.

[Mike Most]

My first two were a pine flat bow 75 inches long, and 2 1/2 wide, (no gizmo) hinge broke it. Used hackberry(after harvesting the tree) and a knot got me. Switched to fiberglass laminations and got a pig killer the first time.....no looking back now....
Oh yeah, after Erics Gizmo,  made my first 48" red oak d bow for the grandkids, 22# at 18"

Mike