Help me get started with a bow

[styksnstryngs]

Hey guys. I've always wanted to make a bow, and although I have made a few selfbows, I don't shoot them that often. I really want to make a 3 piece takedown longbow, but I'm on a limited budget. The riser will be maple and red oak with phenolic and glass, unless I can source some better woods somehow. I have few power tools, being a circular saw, a hand drill, and an orbital sander. The main issue I am running into is that, without a drill press, it is hard to keep everything square, and I cannot get the form surface square. I'm not about to go spending $60 on a drilling jig from Bingham or $200 on a drill press, so do you guys have any ideas?

[LittleBen]

The holes in the limb and riser don't necessarily have to be square, just aligned. I made a drilling jig out of oak, then clamped the limb to the riser TIGHTLY and drilled through the limb into the riser. Then widened the hole in the riser to accept the threaded inserts. It works ok. But you have to make sure the limbs are aligned well when you clamp them down, because that is the alignment you will end up with.

FWIW if you're on a budget, a 3 piece takedown would be my absolute last recommendation after selfbow, backed wood bow, tri-lam wood bow, glass one piece ... then glass 3 piece.

What's your budget? I assume you were planning a glass bow not all wood. Just making the forms and oven can be costly, although you don't technically NEED to bake the bow in an oven.

[mwosborn]

Nothing like hunting with a bow you made yourself!  It is a worthy goal and I encourage you to go for it!

With that being said (and as Ben indicated) you are going to have some money invested into building a glass bow from scratch.  The form itself will push $100 for materials on the very low end.  Lams, glass, glue, hardware, riser woods, and misc. supplies will be at least another $100-150 if you go as frugal as possible.  Clear glass, veneers, and exotic woods increase that greatly.

I would have a hard time making my bows without my bandsaw and spindle sander and some files and rasps.  Can't see myself doing with only a circular saw and orbital sander.  Not that it can't be done!

Kenny would be the guy I recommend you contact for some help in getting supplies.

Best of Luck!!

[styksnstryngs]

I've already made an ilf riser using only hand tools and the circular saw and sander mentioned above. I was actually thinking, in the summer down here in corpus, the interior of cars get up to 150 ish if left out in the sun. That's more than enough to bake a bow. I already have a form roughed out and drilled for dowels and inner tubes, I just need a way to make sure it's square. I may end up renting a router from Home Depot. Little Ben, thanks for the idea on the drilling, I will definitely do that. Don't need to be pretty, just needs to work. It would be great to find some nicer woods, chechen or katalox might be nice. Does anyone have experience with the maple sold at hardware stores?

[mikkekeswick]

the maple will be fine.
Why do you want a three piece takedown?As Ben said it is probably the worst build to choose with limited tools.

[LittleBen]

I did a 3 piece a while back with that I though was minimal tools and I had: Japanese pull saw, rasp, files, Benchtop belt sander, homemade lam grinder, drill, and about 100 spring clamps .... plus the form obviously. Also had to buy the hardware to put it together, which isn't terribly expensive, but doesn't help keep the cost down either.

My last plea is this: for four years I drove and hunted using a 2 door Audi TT coupe. In all that time, even with the tiny interior, I never bothered taking apart either of my three piece bows for transport .... it's just not that convenient, and I found that it was a novelty I never made use of.


Anyway, keep us posted.

[styksnstryngs]

One of the big reasons I want a three piece is that I don't want to have to make a whole new bow when I decide to go up in poundage. I'm going to college soon and I won't have much time to spend making bows, however much I would love to. Also, I do travel long distances sometimes and carrying a single piece bow is simply not an option because there are four people and luggage in the car. Little Ben, I think the only tool you have over me is the belt sander, which is admittedly an important tool.

[styksnstryngs]

Materials for the bow will cost $120 aprox. from Kenny, about $25 for a one-day router rental, and lots and lots of elbow grease.

[mwosborn]

Sounds like you have a plan.  Looking forward to pics!  BTW, I have used the hard maple from menards for both lams and riser material.

[Holm-Made]

A router cutting bit is about 40.00.  You will need 1/4” plywood to make a router template

[skeaterbait]

I recently picked up a self centering jig from Harbor Freight for $15. It has 2" spacing on the holes and if you are careful it will do the trick. You will have to drill the insert hole at 3/8" and then bore it a bit bigger after you take the jig off. I have read that many people use one of those successfully but to stay totally honest, I still haven't built my take down.

[styksnstryngs]

Skeaterbait, that's actually a very good suggestion. Thanks. Now, being an addle-headed young teen (young, dumb and broke), I completely forgot about the fact that my lungs ain't exactly the best in the world. So it may be a good idea on my part to stay away from glass, at least as much as possible. That means no hacksawing and grinding down limbs. I'm going to compromise by just buying a pair of those cheap takedown longbow limbs on Lancaster and building a riser for those more to my liking. This way, I still have a hand in my own bow, but I don't have to mess up my lungs, or my family's. Thanks, all, for your help.

[KenH]

A package of viral grade face masks only costs a couple bucks at your local CVS or Walgreens.

[LittleBen]

If you wanna do replaceable limbs then you probably wanna go with a self centering drilling jig like mentioned above. The method I mentioned with not be suitable if you have to replace the limbs. It's just not accurate enough to reproduce well without a lot of hassle. I have a takedown I wanna replace the limbs on but the holes are not well aligned, and every time I try to come up with a plan I decide it's quicker to make a new riser than figure out how to adapt new limbs to the old holes.

I travel with my bow in a full car all the time, it goes in between the passenger door and the passenger seat .... just slips right in there. My wife gives me a dirty look but it doesn't get in her way any .... make/get a bow sock and it's fine.