Looking for advice on my first bow build

[Ookami]

Hi guys, I'm quite new to archery (having only shot a compound or two in the past), I've been really wanting to get back into it especially with more traditional bows. Being limited on both budget and skill I'm leaning towards a board bow; I've read up on them in bowyer's bible and watched several build-along videos... however I still have a few questions if you awesome people would be so kind.

Being of small stature (5'7" @ 110lbs, and yes I'm a male  :p ) my max draw weight is around 40# (gah I've gotta workout), so I'm looking for about 30# for a target/form building bow

I'm also leaning towards hickory instead of red oak due to it's strength, from what I've read at 30# with decent grain I shouldn't need to back it.

Now for the questions...

Since the bow I eventually want to get is a Take-down bow, I was wondering if there's any substantial difference in aiming/shooting a center-shot bow vs a bow that paradoxs...

If the answer to the question above is yes... then my next question would be.. is there anyway to make a board bow center-shot (either by thickening the riser, widening the handle, laminating, or other methods)

I also want to make my own custom wooden arrows, what websites would you guys recommend for purchasing shafts, feathers, jigs, etc? (I've been looking at lancasterarchery their prices seem pretty reasonable)

Thanks you guys in advance! sorry the rather long post btw... I tend to ramble.

[SportHunter]

Center shot bows let you use stiffer arrow spines. If you have the proper arrow spine the arrow arcs around the riser and straightens out. If its too stiff it will hit the riser.

I see no need or advantage to making a selfbow center shot, maybe a few extra fps. Normally I'll build up a leather rest rather than weaken the bow. Also for tuning look up Ol Adcocks tuning guide, very helpful, I'll PM the link

[Ookami]

Wow what an extremely useful link, Thanks xD answered all my questions.

[Roy from Pa]

I wouldn't make a wooden bow center shot either, just takes away the simple beauty of it all. Here is url for OL Adcocks tunning bows. Click on bow tuning towards the top left center of page.
  http://bowmaker.net/index2.htm

[Ookami]

OL Adcock is freakin awesome.
I'm having some difficulty finding commercial wooden arrow shafts with the proper spine weight, From what I've read so far if I use longer arrows I can shoot higher spine weight shafts (5# for every extra inch), Since I eventually want to be shooting a 45lb bow could I buy Port orford cedar at 40# spine and keep the length of them 3 inches longer? so I could saw them to length to use with the 45# when it gets to that point... or would the extra weight effect it too much?

[Roy from Pa]

You have a PM.

[Ookami]

Thanks for all your help guys, I'll try to get started on the bow in a few days I'll be sure to post some pics of my first bow.. first of many I have a feeling. =]

[mwosborn]

Lookin forward to seeing pics as your first comes together.  The guys on here are great and will help you from start to finish.

If you are really wanting to start flinging some arrows, you could probably pick up an older nice shooting glass bow here for around a hundred bucks.

[Roy from Pa]

Another thought here, you could got to Lowes or Home Depot or any lumber store and buy dowel rods and make some arrows to practice.

[Ookami]

I actually did buy 5 oak dowels last week, went through all they had and picked out the ones with straightest grain (at least from what I could tell.. Lowes hasn't the best lighting >.>) got them home, examined them a bit closer the grain isn't as good as it first appeared.. after reading up on it a bit more and hearing about oak dowels splitting when released and stabbing people in the hand... got me a bit concerned  :p  Apparently Popular doesn't split as bad as oak (but I was an idiot and thought "OOOO oak is stiffer, must be better")

Yeah I'm not the biggest risk taker... however if you guys tell me no worries about that I'm all game... with duct tape vanes, 16ga sheet metal broadheads... would get me a dozen "arrows" for about $10... Over the next month or so I plan on investing in proper arrow making equipment... but for now dowels are looking pretty sweet...

[Frosty the Bowman]

Hey Ookami,

as for arrows I have seen that another tenbrook on here has his own site that you can Google. On it he has some building info, and one is how to make arrows out of bamboo garden stakes, with common nails used as tips, looked to be cheap, and efficiant. The build along seemed easy enough a ding bat like me could even make it work, so I ma sure you could handle it fine.

Thats about the best advice I have other then what others have told me, "just build it".

Some of the sponsers on here have used bows too, RMSgear, big jims, and others can be found in ads in the traditional archery mags as well.

Good luck

[Ookami]

wow found the site you were talking about, they look very nice =] love the look of the bamboo.. just build it.. very nice.. I kind of want to go on a boar or turkey hunt once I get to where I can easily and accurately shoot a 55lb bow (i.e. when I gain 30-40lbs ... preferably muscle), Don't know how I feel about taking an animal's life.. if I do decide to hunt I would want it to be with tools that I created entirely with my own hands, for some reason I don't think it would feel like I was doing the animal justice if I took it's life with some mass produced machine made weapon. After I get the bow and some arrows made I want to start work on a break-drum forge to make my own knifes/broadheads =]  anyway a bit off topic the bamboo arrows are now at the top of my list! thank you

[Ookami]

wow, looked at the reviews of the bamboo garden stakes on homedepot's website, and one of the reviews was from backyardbowyer (he has over 230 videos on youtube, mostly how-tos on PVC bows, however he also has some more trad stuff as well, including growing his own flax for bowstrings apparently....) just thought it was a cool coincidence =] he rated them 5stars for arrows btw