Requesting Help with First Bow

[CharrDad]

Hey to all,

I'm new to the forum and new to bow building. I'm interested in getting started on my first bow build and have a few questions before I start making sawdust.

I am intersted in making a board bow because it seems like the economical way to begin. I wanted to include my 8 year old son in the process and it seems that going with boards would allow us both to jump right in without too much worry. My question is this, are board bows really something you can hunt with? I ask only because it seems so simple a process.  Don't get me wrong, I don't mind making my first couple of bows out of boards, even if ALL they are is something to play around with in the back yard. That would still be time well spent. But IF they can really be used in the field I would like to know going in so I can give a little more care to the process.

Also, I've seen many posts talking about Red Oak and Hickory being good board woods. All my Home Depot and Lowes have are Oak (not specified as red) and Whitewood. Am I better off looking harder for a small independent lumber company, or will the HD variety work just as well?

Thanks in advance for the advice, and I'll start posting some pictures as soon as I begin the process.
CharrDad

[snedeker]

My opinion is as follows.  A bow can be made from a board that will perform fine.  Red Oak makes a pretty good bow, and you can find a totally fine board at HD or Lowes. For the speed freak, red oak isn't "typically" the fastest wood in the world.  It would be a good starter wood.  You can keep an eye out on ebay to for a hickory or white oak board.  w. oak has some characteristics thany many consider an improvement over red oak.  there are those that swear by red oak boards though and many animals have been brought down by such implements.

Dave

[CharrDad]

Thanks for the reply Dave,

I'll begin looking for a good Red Oak baord right away then. I've also seen several differing opinions concerning the need for backing a board bow. I was thinking I would do so simpy to lessen the chance of *snapping* my first attempt.

Any thoughts?

CharrDad

[CharrDad]

Another question:

I want to make a board bow for my so as I build one for myself. How do I best determine the bow height and draw length for someone 8 years old who has never shot a bow before? Is there a simple formula to follow?

Any help would be appreciated.

CharrDad

[tom sawyer]

Make it as long as he is tall, and half as wide as your bow.  Like if you make a red oak bow 2" wide to mid-limb, make his 1" wide.

You will find that making a kid's bow is as challenging as making your own.  The key is making it narrow enough to begin with, if it is wide then you need to make it so thin that a tiny amount of taper makes a big difference.  1" or even a little more narrow is a good idea.  As for poundage, it'll be low and I don't know that I'd measure it, just have him try and pull it every so often and keep thinning it until he can pull it back.

I agree that you can hunt with a board bow.

As for backing, its only necessary if you don't have a real good board.  If your grain runs straight on all four sides, with few runoffs, you can make a selfbow with no problem and it will perform a little better than a backed bow.

Have you been to Jawge's or Ferret's site?  They have great instructions on selecting boards and making board bows.

[Lost Arra]

If available, hard maple and pecan(which is in the hickory family) are good boards for bows too.

[CharrDad]

Thanks,

Great suggestions. I hadn't thought about Pecan. I'm here in Georgia, and we have our share of Pecan trees.

I have seen Ferret's site and am planning on using those instructions. It looks like a very thorough build along.

It is interesting to know that an unbacked bow will perform better. I just assumed that I would back my first few to avoid breaks. Speaking of which, I have read several guys talking about backing with dry-wall tape. Which gave me an idea. If I were to use dry-wall tape, could I then go over top of that with a fabric, like cotton. It would be purely for cosmetic reasons. I was thinking of covering the tape with a piece of scrap camouflage

Any thoughts?

CharrDad

[Lost Arra]

Just glue some linen fabric. Simple to apply and makes a "canvas" for your son to do some artwork.

Maple bow with linen backing (ASAT camo pattern by my daughter)




Red Oak bow with camo cloth back.

[Pat B]

Welcome CharrDad to PA. All of the advise given is good. Do Check out Jawge's site. He will show you what to look for in an appropriate board for making bows and then tell you how to do it...along with other useful archery information. A simple fabric backing laid down with Tite-Bond glue is easy to do and will give you a little insurance. You can back a bow with brown grocery bag also. And like Lost Arra said each of you can create your own designs for the bows back.
  I have made osage and hickory backed bows that shoot as hard or harder than some FG backed bows.
I also made a Home Depot red oak bow with hickory backing that cost me $6 and is a very hard hitting bow. I wouldn't hesitate to hunt with any of them.   Pat

[Kegan]

If you want to hunt wiht what you're building, remeber to go slow- most people (like myself) built their first bows too light to be a good hunter. I was just in too much of a hurry and took too much off .

[CharrDad]

Thanks so much. Great Advice. I'll check out Jawge's site too.

yeah, one of my biggest challenges will be to go slow. I can be impatient at times (just ask my wife).

Lost Arra, thanks for including the pics. They are great looking bows. Hopefully i get started in the next few days. I'll start posting pictures as I go. I'm sure I'll have some more questions.

[tom sawyer]

The difference in performance isn't going to be great.  Just the cost of the weight of the fabric you are backing with, and the glue.  If Jawge or Ferret recommend backing, I wouldn't hesitate.  Letting the lad decorate his own bow is an excellent suggestion, it will let him feel like it he helped make it.

Focus hard on getting a board with the right grain, backing or no.  This is the primary reason why people's bows fail, they aren't picky enough about their board.  I've found about one in fifty red oak boards at your local lumber store like Lowes, might make the cut as a bow blank.  Hickory/pecan would probably be better, although you still have to find that one good board. 

[George Tsoukalas]

Great advice above and thank you, Pat. Board bows can be powerful and hard hitting. I like to tell newcomers to back bows. Linen, silk and burlap work. I suggest a bend in the handle design for your first. Stuff on my site.Jawge

[CharrDad]

Great, and thanks Jawge for your including the link to your site. I'll review it today at lunch. Looks like all my ducks are starting to get in a row. Sounds like everyone agrees that the main hurdle to cross first is finding that "right" board. Which in my case means "a couple" of boards, since I want to include my son and also have a spare on hand. Is there any advantage in looking for a wider board, say 1x8? Are wider boards with good grain typically easier to finid or harder?

CharrDad

[Pat B]

If you shop at a specialty lumber shop you will have a better choice of wood types and grain orientation.  At Lowes, Home Depot and other chain stores you will be limited to what they have.
  Most specialty lumber shops have larger size wood and usually rough sawn. Take a scraper of pocket knife with you so you can do a little scraping on the ends and sides to see the grain.
  If you are limited to the Mega stores, be picky. Look through the 36" stock also. We will talk you through a handle splice.     Pat