New to the adiction but dont know where to start.

[hayawatha]

I am completely new and want the bare basics and should i make a board bow or one from a tree.

[Youngboyer2(billyf)]

If you happen to be an impatient kid( cough cough) than start with a straight grained board so you don't need to dry the wood. A very useful source ( no offense PA'ers) is poor folks bows and his hickory board bow buildalong.

[coaster500]

Check out Georges website....  great place to start,,,Good luck


http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/

[David_Daugherty]

I would definately start with a boad bow.  Thats what I did, I'm still relatively new at this also.  I am working on bow #5 for me.  My first one was from a hickory plank I bought from a cabinet shop.  I learned alot from that first bow, mostly about laying out the bow and tillering it to draw correctly.  All of my others have been from Osage, and it is much more challenging.  Good luck with whichever way you decide to go.

[Ifrit617]

board bow plain and simple.... I am also a novice.... Maybe about a 12-18 bows or so, but for me I still havn't found anything that beats a good old board bow when it comes to the fun of constructing it.... Also check out the TBB vol 1-4 they are an invaluable resource as is this site.. I notice from your other post that you are fairly young... I am too... Turning 16 tomorrow! And I like to think I've turned out some pretty nice bows.... Good luck on your first!

Jon

[Bevan R.]

I would add Paul Comstock's book "The Bent Stick" as a good item to read when you first start. Lots of good info in there.

[sweeney3]

Lot of suggestions for board bows, and there are lots of reasons why, such as time, cost, etc.  BUT...if you try a couple boards and can't get it to work like some guy I know from the mirror every morning, there are lots of ways to get good, functional bows with very little time or expense using small trees or saplings.  I find that, for me, working with a real no-kidding tree is much easier than figuring out what someone else has done to the board.  Either way is fine and has advantages though.

[DRon knife]

keep it simple and rewarding...make a board bow!! Gl,Ron

[blackhawk]

Go cut a couple small saplings n reduce them down to near bow dimensions and seal the back. Meanwhile while those are drying for the next month go learn and how to choose a couple boards and learn on them how to bend wood correctly. Grain grain grain, its all about straight grain in a board...did I mention straight grain then after you play with the boards make a real bow with those saplings.

[PEARL DRUMS]

I would spend 15 minutes a day reading this forum. Then consider what type of bow you want to build after you see what is involved with each. I would be willing to bet EVERY question you have is asked or answered daily on this forum. Sit back, relax and absorb for a few weeks.

[burchett.donald]

Start with a board ASAP!

[George Tsoukalas]

Thanks, coaster. hayawatha, take time to find the right board...straight grained...no knots. I like red oak. Jawge

[Parnell]

I think everyone's given you the ticket.  Heed George's advice!
Also, as you will no doubt become hopelessly addicted to this pursuit, don't put off considering tryin to harvest viable bow staves now so they begin to season over the next year of your learning.  My 2 cents.

My biggest mistake was that I rushed my first bows. 

[Del the cat]

Start with anything you can lay your hands on... the important this is to start!
Del
(Google delsbows or bowyers diary to see my stuff)

[gstoneberg]

I would spend 15 minutes a day reading this forum...

What!!  That's like telling him to eat 1 potato chip...it can't be done.

You might want to give the general area you live in.  If there are bowyers on here in driving distance from you, try to find a time you can visit them and watch them work.  You'll learn 10 times as fast with an instructor.  If you're driving distance from Dallas, come visit me and I'll give you your first stave.

George