Kids bows / Here are some dimensions for red oak boards

[half eye]

Tell,
     How can ya not do something to put a smile on a kids face? Hope they get grinnin hard Only a kid can have an African Safari in the back yard....beats computer-fying.
Rich

[HatchA]

Only a kid can have an African Safari in the back yard...

You ain't seen my back yard... 

Looks like the Savannah.  Grass tufts so big and long, a Wildebeast could be hiding behind one

[skyarrow]

thanx halfeye for posting i needed this i am needing to make a 25lb at 26" draw long bow and these guidelines are perfect 

[half eye]

Glad it helped some. Good for you, a smile on a kids face is truely priceless
Rich

[Tractor]

So is the handle glued on because you are assuming we start with a 3/8 inch thick board or is there another reason.  I ask because most of the boards I have or have access to are 3/4 inch and when I look at my kids hands...(girls, 7 and 9 and a 5 yo boy) I would think 3/4 inch is nearly thick enough. 

so I would then try to remove everything that aint a bow...

Thank you for posting this halfeye

[half eye]

Tractor,
        I built the bows from 3/8 stock because I had a bunch ripped for backers....turned out that was about right for most kids bows (weight range and draw) so the grips were glued on to fill their hands.
        The 3/8 boards give a bow with an absolute minimum of tillering....but of course you could cut one out of thicker stock and include the grip at that time....it would just require some tillering effort. The 3/8 slabs allow ya to make bows very quickly so you can replace, or remake as necessary without having to look at that "what the hell's takin so long" face that I've become quite familiar with.
Rich

[Tractor]

... The 3/8 slabs allow ya to make bows very quickly so you can replace, or remake as necessary without having to look at that "what the hell's takin so long" face that I've become quite familiar with.
Rich

Ah yes I know that face well.  My wife uses it whenever I am supposed to be fixing something around the house.  She taught it to the kids and they have put it to great and varied use.

I have found that beer and wood shavings can make me invulnerable to it's power.

Mike

[Dane]

Rich, this is great stuff. I have to make up a bunch of kids bows for a fall event.

Maybe I am just blind, but about what poundage and draw length would you recommend for a kid's bow when you may get a number of kids of different ages and sizes? I.e. I wont be making bows for a particular kid.

And, hopefully not too hard a question, what about quicky red oak board bows for adults who have never shot a bow? Same event, and it would be nice to give folks an opportunity to shoot a bow. I'm thinking low poundage, so it can be drawn without a glove or tab, and no arm guard is needed.

Dane

[half eye]

Hey Dane,
        All of the pyramid's can be tweeked a little by some flat sanding on the backs (reduce weight) but
for kids say 4-8yrs use the AFB 20# @ 27" (for tall kids) or the #3 pryamid 16# @ 25" (shorter kids) Since these kids will have arm length (draw) comenserate with age a bow 16# @ 25" will be weak enough for a 14" draw etc.

Kids 10-12 etc. I'd go with #2 pyramid as it will draw to 25" easily......#1 pryamid will work ok for 13-15 old kids, and if they are stronger or draw more than about 25-26 inches put them into a light adult model which they will probably "under-draw" and have less weight.

The American Flat-bow will accomodate 28" draw with out to much trouble. if you want one at about 20-25# go with 3/8 thickness and if ya want 25-30 go 1/2 inch and you will have to sand a little off of the thickness. if ya want to go 30-40 or so leave the limbs at about the 1/2" thickness.

By using quartersawn or at least biased grain you can sand the thickness down flat on the back (ya can do the belly also but it's faster to sand down the back) If your wood is plain sawn use the same dimensions but glue on a cloth backer and sand on the belly. That's about as easy but will involve a little more time

One other thing....it is very easy to tweek any of these for weight....simply sand down the edges a little at a time and they will lay right in there for you. Hope I said this right.....if not just let me know, and I'll be happy to try a clearer explanation.
Rich

[Jake Levi]

I put a post on the Campfire section about the Bring Back the Bow Project week we are doing at Eagle Butte, SD in mid june with the Lakota youth.

http://www.bringbackthebow.com

The bows we will be making are heavily 48" long, a few longer and a few shorter, tweaking the depth on these to 3/8s can bring the weight up, most of them I suggest making 1 and 1/8" at the fade and 3/4" wide at the tips, last year we had 140 bows made. Hoping more this year, I am bringing about 85 staves, and others more.

we will sinew back some bows from this wood I am bringing on the first eve, and will have a drawing the last eve for the winner to pick their choice of five bows they will have learned to sinew themselves.

As was said earlier, hard to beat a kids smile. This is a real fun week.

[Dane]

Rich, you answered my questions perfectly. Thank you.

Dane