Another broken bow

[Tiredtim]

Okay, just a quick question:  How many bows did some of you break before "getting"  the hang of this?  My last two have snapped.  I think I am tillering too thin.  The last one broke in a hing...I think.  It was a board bow made out of maple backed with hickory.  Very frustrating but I will prevail!  Or at least I hope.  Too many hours and too many tools bought.  Thanks

[buddyb]

Good Luck and keep working. I'm going to try a laminated bow soon.

[toomanyknots]

You'll get it, seriously, you will. With some things, you gotta keep at it for a bit before you start to see some real progress. It just makes that moment when you get it that much sweeter, . Be diligent and be certain to ask help and advice here as much as you can. And even people who have been making bows for 30 years can break a bow or two, or run through a string of bad luck, etc.

[ionicmuffin]

I've had 5 bow breaking streaks and then I get one. I'm still inexperienced and I don't even compare with some of the guys on here. So if you are bellow or at my skill level then expect to break a few. I think the biggest thing to do when you break one is to identify why it broke and do your best to avoid that next time.

[Weylin]

Chin up, bud. You'll get there. Check the grain on your boards. That's a very common source of breakage on board bows. Good luck

[hedgeapple]

Heck, I brook one bow 3 times.  I got a lot of learning out of that piece of wood. 

[huisme]

My first three bows made off the tillering stick and to the range and each shot about 100 arrows before exploding because I had been removing wood from the back 

Since then, Cascara has been my challenge. Two exploded, one looks pretty but is going to explode if I shoot it any more and is a decoration. Black locust and ash are my best friends 

[Joec123able]

Took me about 15+ crappy bows that broke before I made any nice bow worth keeping and that held togeather. Now I rarely break a bow

[mikekeswick]

My first handful of bows were all shooters but then I got cocky and messed a few up.

Remember the absolute golden rule that must never ever be broken - full length fibers running the full length of the stave. Now think about a laminated bow.....unless you happen across that mythical perfectly straight grained board for your backing then you have already broken that golden rule. Boards almost always have fibers cut through to some degree. If you really want to make a laminated bow and don't have a lot of experience selecting boards then I would suggest using bamboo for your backing as it doesn't have any fibers cut through and is therefore almost bombproof - just use a dense wood for the belly.

[Pappy]

Lots. Hang in there,it will come around.
   Pappy

[bubby]

ya got to crawl before ya walk you'll get it, just wondering what profile are you trying, some guys try and start with more advanced designs and get a lot more blows than bows

[BowSlayer]

Good luck.  It took me a whole year until I made a successful bow but I still break one or two so far I have 5 successful bows but one im working on has developed some chrysals so im not going to bother with a finish and just shoot it until it breaks.  keep at it and you will get there. This is a great forum full of great information.

[Dances with squirrels]

None. My first selfbow.is a little whip ended but still shoots 15 years later. Second, third, etc were tillered better and none broke. All of my first bows were osage staves. My first yew, ash, hickory, hhb all still shoot. Again, they were staves I cut and seaskned. I didn't break one until I started getting really carried away with using 2nd and 3rd rate woods, and worse, and pushing limits of design.. Had an Arborvitae explode the first time I drew it by hand, and I had a couple cherry and walnut bows chrysal on me due to poor design.

I've made a bunch of bows with 'boards' I made from staves/trees I cut, but never messed with boards from home improvement stores.

You should post pictures as you progress with your next bow so these guys can guide you through design and tillering. Lots of knowledge and experience here to 'draw' on. Keep at it. It'll come.

[blackhawk]

Everyone's learning curve is different....having someone with some experience under there belt to help you in person and look over your shoulder is the best way to learn how to do this,and get a shooter the first or second time around....

[George Tsoukalas]

I had 14 breaks before I got a bow I could hunt with. Take your time.

As was mentioned, with boards look for straight grained stock. No glued on pieces. Let the handle bend. Do not narrow the handle section. 1 3/8" will get you 45-50# if you do your part. That design makes for an easier build.

There is a buildalong on my site. That bow is 1.5 in wide but is heavier.

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

Jawge