What is the best (and most affordable) online source for materials?

[Kohlqez]

I'm new, so I should probably introduce myself before I get started. I'll try to keep it brief, but I'm not particularly good at 'brief.'
I've always been a bow n arrow kind of guy, I like guns, but they're noisy, mechanical, and you can't reuse a bullet, and I can't make my own anyway. I've had maybe half a dozen cheap bows, (nothing over $200) but either I grew out of them or they broke. I'm too poor to drop more than $200 on a bow, let alone the $400+ it would cost to get the bow I want, so I've been trying to make my own for the last year or so, using various methods pvc, primitive longbow from a hickory stave sent to me by a friend in Tennessee, red oak board bow, etc. with equally unsuccessful results (not because I'm an entirely incompetent craftsman, but for various other reasons.) Now I've decided to try making a glass backed recurve because as I understand it that, despite the more difficult process, it is the method most likely to result in a shootable bow. Where I live, (the suburbs of tropical south Florida) I can't exactly go out and chop down a tree for wood, and this far down south there aren't any decent lumber yards, so I have to pay through the nose for shipping even on domestic bow woods like ash, maple, walnut, cherry, and hickory.
I was wondering if anyone in a similar situation had found a solution, such as a reliable, inexpensive online vendor with a good selection, though I'm open to other suggestions as well.
Also since this will be the first real bow I make, I would appreciate any advice you can give, particularly regarding tillering, things that I can and cannot do when making the riser, form making, and applying smooth-on or a smooth-on-like product.
I'll probably start an entirely new, more in depth advice thread when I get closer to actually starting the build, but if anyone wants to get a head start I'd appreciate it.

[EwokArcher]

I ordered A binghams kit for my first glass bow and I highly recommend that approach as it really spells all the basics out for you. I order my supplies from big Jim's now however and I think he may also have a starter kit.
For binghams plans I have made 3 of their 62 inch recurves and it is a good bow to learn n.

Where in florida are you located???  I am in Palm Bay on the east coast...  I may be able to help you out...

[jess stuart]

Don't think there is much difference in price using one supplier over another.  Binghams has been at it for over 50 years so must be doing something right. Big Jim might save you some on shipping.  
It will be tough starting from scratch building a bow for under two hundred.  You need a form and hot box and some tools.  Access to a bandsaw would be nice as well.
The Old Master Crafter used to sell a glued up blank that you finished up yourself I think they were in your price range.  Not sure if they still do as they have a new owner.  Only problem I can see buying a blank is, you will want to build another then another and so on.
Good luck and keep us posted.

[EwokArcher]

I just found out I have a local store selling maple by the board foot dirt cheap, I picked up a 1x3 board 12ft long I will be getting tons of lams from for 7$. I did a home build on a drum sander for about 50$(using a garage sale electric motor that was 2$). I'll be saving bucoos on buying lams by grinding my own. Keep that in mind if you think you may make this a long term hobby.

Link to that sander build for future reference. You could go buy a real good shop fox or minidrum, and you would have an easy time but after some trial and error I'm getting good results from this home made rig.
 http://www.buildyourownbow.com/how-to-make-a-simple-thickness-sander-for-bow-laminations/
Keep in mind this is low on your priority list for your first bow. Tools indicated by other guys are the neccessary, it'll be easier to just order your lams to begin with.

[mikkekeswick]

I will just say that making a glass bow is definitely not going to be cheaper than making a wooden bow!
A well made wooden bow will shoot as fast as a glass bow and will last a lifetime. I'm not saying it is easy to do this but....it is possible.
A pyramid bow is very easy to make from a board. If you can't get good enough grain then there are loads of cheap options to make the back solid.
Without the right tools you will have to buy your lams,glass and riser block. Make a form (2 sheets of good quality ply), bandsaw to cut it and a router plus profile bit to shape it square. Then a tough bandsaw blade to cut your limbs, riser shape etc   Again it is do-able but far the easiest option for you would be to build a good wooden bow. A good 6 x 2 hickory/maple board would yield 4 bows.

[Kohlqez]

Shredd,
I'm in Palm Beach Gardens about a hundred miles south of Palm Bay. It's a bit far, but maybe if we both have a free Saturday I'd be willing to make the drive
Jess Stuart,
 I'm willing to spend more than $200 provided its something I make myself (making your own weapons is badass) and it will last, I'm also not dead set on building from scratch, and I've been considering purchasing the lams. Also, I have a 12" craftsman bandsaw (though I need to adjust the blade alignment) I also have a crappy 1" belt/disc sander from harbor freight a heat gun, router, and most basic power tools. I've also heard from several sources that a using a hotbox isn't necessary to the process, and with the Florida heat, my garage might as well be a hotbox. If it turns out that I will need a hotbox, I plan to make a miniature one just big enough for the limbs and then attach the limbs to the riser Bud Hitt style.
Ewok,
that thickness sander looks great, definitely going to consider making one of those if I decide to grind my own lams
Mikkekiswick,
I know that building a glass bow will not be cheaper than a wooden one, and I definitely didn't mean to imply otherwise. It would probably be wiser for me to make a bow from a board or a stave, but locally, I have poor chances of finding a suitable red oak board, and red oak is the only hardwood stores in my area have, Also I don't particularly care for red oak, nothing wrong with it, just not my thing. As for staves, i've tried and failed with hickory, the pieces I got weren't split in a bow friendly manner, they still had incredibly tough bark, and they weren't perfectly straight and I later realized that I didn't have the bowyering skill to deal with any of those issues. That experience cost me $50 which was just the cost of shipping since I got it from a Tennessean friend. I'm pretty set on building a recurve, and while I'd honestly prefer an all wood bow, I think I have a better chance of succeeding with fiberglass. It's not that I think it will be cheaper to build a glass bow, there are just fewer variables with fiberglass. I know it has no hidden knots, is of uniform consistency, and it will be really hard to break it by accident.

[jess stuart]

I think your ideas are good.  I also think glass would be much easier with a good chance of getting a shooter.  I truly admire those who build wooden bows they are true craftsmen.  I forgot about curing without a hotbox, could even put inside a vehicle, no hot box would be an easy problem to get around.  You can use rubber bands made from auto inner tubes instead of the firehose method which will save you some money.  The rubber bands work well I have used them many times.  
Building the form will be one of the hardest things.  Remember your bow will be a mirror image of the form so do the very best job you can.  I bet you are going to build a great bow.

[Crittergetter]

I've bought materials from several different places over the years. You can not beat Big Jims quality and customer service!!!

[mikkekeswick]

Ok cool    I've got ya now. Send me a PM if you want I can hook you up with a bow blank wood or glass or materials only problem being i'm in England.....therefore postage costs....

[Kohlqez]

I found a 50# LH kodiak magnum for under $200 on big jims, it looks like it's almost my ideal bow (a bit lighter on the draw but for a deal like this ill manage) my only problems are that it doesn't show the year it was made and checkout says something about not having shipping options.
I was actually planning on imitating a magnum as I absolutely love the look of them, though I've never so much as seen one in person.
I've read a lot of mixed reviews that seem to indicate that the newer models are much better than the older ones, and I'm assuming based on the price that this is one of the latter. Does anyone have an older model kodiak magnum and if so what do you think of it? I don't plan on using it for anything other than target shooting anytime soon, so I don't care much if it's loud, slow etc. As long as it's accurate and fun to shoot