Has any one ever thought of teaching a bow building class.

[George Tsoukalas]

I've had friends and not friends come up and they were one bow "bowyers". Of course, free of charge. I never attended a bow making class. I learned enough to make me dangerous. Making selfbows doesn't appeal to everyone and I am still trying to figure out why. LOL. I must have made around 200 and broken 200. I have them here and there and everywhere in my house. Yet, I still keep making them. I've never sold a bow or arrow. It's  my hobby. If you want to take a class, get in touch with Gary Davis. IMHO. Jawge

[Gundog68]

Currently i teach seven people in building glass laminated bows. All different kind of people. One who is fast and does things in front he should not, other are go fine with me and the script (;-)) and one who tends to do all the things i told to do not. We are at the tillering step. The first bow is shooting very well. I have a lot of machines myself and some "students" are bringing there own belt sander with them. I also can use a part from my brothers carpentry shop.
We made 4 forms with a template and the big router to get them to the same shape. The baking day is done twice, as our temporary heat box can hold only 4 form´s at once.

[Dick in Seattle]

Gundog...   a temporary heat box that holds four forms!!!!    Can we see, please?

[ber643]

You never know who is going to be a teacher to you - it may be someone who is asking you questions, by the time you get through answering them.    

[KellyG]

Aram,
That is out standing, I hope you pug us so when all the umcoming bowyers are pumping them babies out we can get them in to the swap. LOL
Kelly

[Gundog68]

Originally posted by Dick in Seattle:
Gundog...   a temporary heat box that holds four forms!!!!    Can we see, please?

Yes.
   here

[Gundog68]

There are  around 15 light bulbs with 75 to 100 Watt and 2 fans in there.

[Dick in Seattle]

Gundog....  Outstanding!   Thank you.

[sadiejane]

this was the start of the wed nite class. a long weekend at a pals farm. two of the guys who started on fri afternoon, and had never built a bow before, went home with a bow that was shootable. of course they had a bit of refinement and finishing to do at home. but they had a bow!
as you will see, there were of course, needed breaks to shoot and eat around the fire!(sorry for all the knife pix but i cant help taking pix of my tools)
thanks and enjoy
 http://s878.photobucket.com/albums/ab346/sadiejane9/mini%20bowjam%20april%202010/

last nite we had three new comers start their bows. let there be no doubt i too am a newbie, but i sure am having some fun!
if you like, here is a link to my first build started that same weekend last april(absolutely had nowhere near a complete bow myself that weekend).
 http://s878.photobucket.com/albums/ab346/sadiejane9/bowmaking/
working on my third at present

[recurvericky]

At the WoodCraft store in Lenex, KS a wooden bow class is being given in two sessions. Feb 24th and 25th. Below is the link.

 http://www.woodcraft.com/Resources/EducationClasses.aspx?CategoryID=0&StoreID=0&State=KS

[ber643]

Good pics, sadiej - looks like y'all are having a grand time and learning a bunch. Thanks for posting (good looking "tools" too).

[KellyG]

Sadiejane that looks like you had a grand ole time.

[Gundog68]

Originally posted by Dick in Seattle:
Gundog....  Outstanding!   Thank you.

Thanks. The biggest problem now is to get uniform nock tips for each student. I personally like to have a jig and some "electrical" power help for those tasks. That´s why i am working on a jig to do the shelf with a router. I have one, but i think i have a better one in mind... ;-)

[Walt Francis]

Like Eric, most of the people who have taken my informal bow building classes are one-time bowyers.  They do not have the desire to build many bows but all of them want one they can use to take a deer or elk.  Like many of us when we started, they want to prove to themselves and others they can build a hunting bow.  Often, after building the bow, it hangs on the wall to show friends and they never hunt with it.  Moreover, if they do hunt with the bow, it is retired after taking their first game animal.  When the class is over numerous students have a shooting bow but never take the time to sand it out and put on the final touches.  I find each student has a different level of interest and have yet to find one with my drive and desire to build bows.  That is fine, I do not have the desire to build arrows, strings, knap arrowheads, ect…, that I once possessed.  I went the opposite direction of Eric, from single students to classes of five or six, this significantly reduced the amount of instruction time spent each year and allows more time for building my bows and other interests.  When the rare student shows further interest in building additional bows I then make the time for one on one instruction.

Until recently, I held my classes in my garage/shop one evening each week, from January thru April.  Here are a couple of pictures:
 

 

[snag]

Walt, I must be not normal then...haha I think I will be making selfbows for the rest of my life. I find it relaxing and fun. Can't seem to find enough time to do as much of it as I'd like to. I have one about finished and two more roughed out and I'm building up my stave supply and seasoning others. I am learning the joy of taking what the wood will give you and with each stave different it is a new adventure each time.
If I lived over your way I'd love to learn from you.
Our trad archery club has arranged for John Strunk to spend a few days showing us the ropes in June. Really looking forward to that.

[sadiejane]

this past wed we had two new folks wanting to make bows. the gal is kendall. she is an art teacher at a local alternative high school. the young fella is her student, nick. the other guy is wayne, our teacher. the bow making class will be one of nicks projects for class. he has shot bows quite a bit, but certainly more modern stuff than a primitive selfbow. i think they had a great time and sure worked hard.  

[jess stuart]

I wouldn't say I taught a bow building class, but I have helped several guys get started.  We just mostly met on weekends in my garage and worked on them.  Most never went on to build another one, which I don't really understand.  Sometimes I think people are a bit impatient and don't realize how long it will take, what with waiting for glue to cure and such.  I have one who has built a form and sleds to make lams, so I am hoping.  One other guy, probably a stretch to say I helped but did encourage has built a ton of bows since and posts on here all the time.  I won't mention his name it might sound if I am somehow trying to take partial credit for the great bows that he builds.  He has the sickness real bad now, his wife probably hates me.  LOL.  I do enjoy trying to get others interested.

[Bent Rig]

like many have said some will build one and after that its over , I was lucky enough to have learned from an awesome human bieng who loved to teach and was an amazing bowyer . I was blessed to have had the opportunity to have had the honor to have learned from him - he had just recently passed sorry to say . I will always make selfbows to keep his spirit alive , and I do it the hard way with only hand tools - no power tools at all - the way I like it and believe it is suppose to be . Machines make it too easy to pop out many bows - but to each his own . It relaxes me to fiddle around from time to time on my bows never in a hurry , taking the time to bring the bow out of the wood - love it . People dont want to give the recquired effort and time it takes - bottom line - it takes a special person to make I believe the hardest of all bows - the selfbow .

[Eric Krewson]

I bet if all of us serious bow makers were tested, we would be found to be afflicted with a touch obsessive compulsive disorder, some of us more than a touch.

[ber643]

Not a doubt in my mind