First Bow, First Success, I'm Hooked. PICS & VIDS!

[WoodMunkey157]

Hello all,
I'm new to the site but have been watching all of your work and progress. I must say I am very impressed and inspired, keep it up!! Here's a quick recap of my first bow making adventure, enjoy!

I bought a black walnut and osage stave four years ago when I was a senior in highschool. I also bought Vol.1 of the Bowyer's Bible and a drawknife. I didn't have any experience so naturally it was rough starting. I hacked into the back of the black walnut stave pretty quick as I didnt know anything about the properties of wood, growth rings ect, and eventually I gave up.

Over the past four years I managed to read enough of the book and muster the courage to take another swing. I'm elated with the outcome. It was a labor of love that I won't soon forget and I cannot wait to do it again and again while spreading the word!

I was going for functionality on this first bow and wasn't too concerned with aestetic aspects this time around. I tried to make it as "primitively" as I possibly could by using only a drawknife, hatchet, wood rasps, and sandpaper. The knots in each limb made for some fun working too! It's made out of black walnut, measures 68'' ntn, brace height of about 6-7'' I'd say, and unsure about the draw weight exaclty as I do not own a spring scale. If anyone has another method for determining draw weight that would be helpful! It has one coat of some wood oil to bring out the color.

She isn't even close to perfect, not a spectacular tiller, limb twists, and a little crack in the back but she shoots straight! I need to up my experience,learn to steam/heat treat and learn about some different bow styles with different woods. Thanks for looking, all comments and criticisms welcome!

Here are some links to me and friends shooting the bow:
vid1
vid2
vid3

[mikekeswick]

Good on you for perserveering with it.
There are a few things you need to change on your next bow. Your limbs are only bending in the outer half. You need to spread the bend over the whole limb and much closer into the handle fades. Try copy/saving your photo (so you can flick between them)and another of a bow held/drawn the same way as your's and compare the two. A bow that is tillered the same as yours would be called whip tillered. This is a technique that can be used on flight bows for shooting ultra light arrows but isn't the best idea for a 'normal' bow.
Go cut another piece of wood and have a picture of a perfectly tillered bow pinned to the wall in front of you when you are working and try to match your new bow to the picture.
From here on it's just a case of practise makes perfect!

[WoodMunkey157]

Good deal, I definitely agree with you and know what you mean about spreading the bend across the length of the limbs. Perhaps this one is worth re-tillering at some later date, but for now I do want to get started on something fresh! Thanks for your help and keep it coming!

[Mesquite]

Awesome bow, man.  Much nicer than my first try    I don't think draw weight matters too much unless you're hunting medium game or bigger, if you're just target shooting it's all about how fun the bow is to use.

Can't wait to see the next one you make. Good luck

[Dazv]

great job man i'm really looking forward to seeing your next bow.

[Del the cat]

Well done.
Mike has nailed the critique.
The imporitant thing is you've started and you are hooked.
That first bow is always great and you'll doubtless retain a soft spot for it, but rest assured number 3 will be even better.
Del

[straightarrow]

I can really relate to your story. Congratulations on your first. It's addicting ain't it.....I know it's something I'll do the rest of my life.... there is a bunch to explore. Enjoy it! Take the advice about the tiller.... and remember each part of the limb has to do its share of the work.. hope to see more bows from you
Jon

[lesken2011]

Good 1st try WM! Better than mine, for sure. Real guts for tackling a stave with those knots. Congrats that it is a shooter. Welcome to the addiction!!

[Parnell]

Nice work, your gonna be sucked in just like the rest of us.  Nice shootin!

[Eric Krewson]

You really need a tillering gizmo to help you determine where to scrape off wood on your next bow. That hinged lower limb on your first bow will cause you problems.

[johnston]

OK, you built a decent bow from a difficult stave and it shoots. You posted and got advice for down the road.
My only observations are minor and of the "opinion" type. Use three fingers to draw instead of two. Two may
work on a light bow but you look like a strong young feller and heavier bows are sure to follow.Speaking of
which, get a scale. Less than $10 at Walmart and after all, hitting a desired weight is a part of bow making.

Enjoyed your post. Please do it again.

Lane

[George Tsoukalas]

Congratulations on your first bow! My site has info. Jawge
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/index.html

[coaster500]

Well your toast now, your bow building addiction has begun

Can't wait to see your next ...

[osage outlaw]

Congratulations on the first bow.  I think the first is always the hardest because you have no clue what you are doing.  At least for me it was.  Keep reading all you can.  Check out George's site, it has some great info on it.  With each bow you build, you will figure out more and more.  Things you read in the books will start to make sense.  Check out some of the bow build-a-longs on this site.  Seeing pictures and explanations step by step really helps.   Don't forget about arrows.  When I started I shot carbons from my selfbows.  They didn't look or shoot right.  Bamboo garden stakes from walmart or lowes makes fine arrows.  Tenbrook has a great build-a-long on the top of the arrow page here.  Post questions here if you need help.  Good luck 

[mullet]

Congratulations! All the criticism has been given and I can't find any to add. But, It is a good feeling to take a stick and make a shooter out of it, Huh?