Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => HowTo's and Build-a-longs => Topic started by: knightc71 on January 06, 2009, 08:44:59 pm

Title: My first attempt at building a bow!! (Build-a-long)
Post by: knightc71 on January 06, 2009, 08:44:59 pm: DanaM was kind enough to send me this stave. It is a hard maple stave. This will be my first attempt at building a bow. I will have the help of my husband knightd. (Maybe he can teach me a thing or two about building a beautiful bow!!) It may take me awhile to get this done, so please bear with me in this long process!!! I hope that I can get all of this done in a timely manner. If not, please be patient with me!! Any and all advice or pointers will be greatly appreciated. Am I the only wife on this site that is willing to try this?? ??? (Sorry guys, but I would really like to see some of the wives join you in the MAN CAVE!!!!! ;D ;D :P :P :P)

(http://i312.photobucket.com/albums/ll323/knight3169/stave002.jpg)
Title: Re: My first attempt at building a bow!! (Build-a-long)
Post by: sailordad on January 06, 2009, 09:41:33 pm: i think that is great that you are going to make you own bow 8)

take your time,patience is one of the bowyers(now your one of us)greatest tools.
heck i'm still working on my first selfbow.ive been doing this a year,have made a few bows. my first selfbow however never got finished due to
technical difficulties,that back popped.now i am trying to finish my first bow.

so dont feel bad no matter how long it takes.

if we let our wives into our man caves,it would no longer be a man cave.
Title: Re: My first attempt at building a bow!! (Build-a-long)
Post by: DanaM on January 07, 2009, 04:32:34 am: Looks like a good design to me Cora, Take your time and I'm willing to bet that you make a fine bow :)

I agree more ladies involved in our addiction would be great, would be easier on
the eyes then seeing pictures of all us fugly old rednecks too :D Not only that think of how nice it would be if your
wife was addicted then she wouldn't mind dead critters in the fridge, tanning hides in the tub, someone to help split those logs,
applying sinew on the dinner table, picking up road kill and wood shavings everywhere throughout the house heck you could probably
even convince her that a tarpaper shack in the woods was a dream house ;D
Title: Re: My first attempt at building a bow!! (Build-a-long)
Post by: madcrow on January 07, 2009, 08:16:35 am: I knew this would happen, I just knew it. When I saw the boo arrows that you made, I knew you had been bit. It only gets worse. Won't be long til you and David wil be fighting over the hide glue. If you could get all the kids in on it, you could have you own rendezvous going. So far my son is the only other one to be bit by the bug, my wife and daughter are not the least bit interested.
Title: Re: My first attempt at building a bow!! (Build-a-long)
Post by: sailordad on January 07, 2009, 07:27:22 pm: my wife will shoot em,but not make em.

ITS MY MAN CAVE,MINE I TELL YA,ALL MINE ;D
Title: Re: My first attempt at building a bow!! (Build-a-long)
Post by: DanaM on January 07, 2009, 07:40:52 pm: Quote from: sailordad on January 07, 2009, 07:27:22 pm
my wife will shoot em,but not make em.

ITS MY MAN CAVE,MINE I TELL YA,ALL MINE ;D

At least until the wife tells you different eh Tim :P :D
Title: Re: My first attempt at building a bow!! (Build-a-long)
Post by: sailordad on January 07, 2009, 09:09:38 pm: yup ;D
Title: Re: My first attempt at building a bow!! (Build-a-long)
Post by: ricktrojanowski on January 08, 2009, 06:24:30 am: This is great to see. Don't worry about how long it takes. It can't possibly be any slower than my build a long. It's been going since summer with some real looooong pauses. Good luck, I'm sure your bow will come out a great as your arrows.
Title: Re: My first attempt at building a bow!! (Build-a-long)
Post by: knightc71 on January 08, 2009, 03:33:17 pm: Now I know that some of you BOYS might not even want your wives involved, but think about it, what if SHE needs new tools to do her part??? That will help you out too, ya know!!!! If she does get involved then you can sit back and relax and let her do the work!!! >:D

Now on the other hand, if she does all the work, then you can bet your behind that she will make sure that your MAN CAVE is maintained properly!!!! :D :D :D ;D ;D

Seriously though, personally I would like to see more wives join in with their husbands and really try to understand how it feels to say that you made something basically from nothing. I know from experience that it is a great accomplishment to me knowing that I can make something that our anscestors HAD to make to live. Some people will just never know how good that feels. Now days we don't have to make them to live, but some of us would like to go back to that way of life. (Me and my husband for one!!!) Life then was so much simpler. You didn't have all the stress of wondering where you were going to get the money for this or that. The main thing you had to worry about, was making sure that your family was taken care of!!! Everything revolved around family, not money!!! I think that's the way it should be. Life is about family and friends to help you when you need it. Those kind of people are hard to find these days.

Enough of my rambling!! I want to thank you all in advance for any help and all help that you give me!!!
Title: Re: My first attempt at building a bow!! (Build-a-long)
Post by: sailordad on January 08, 2009, 07:09:07 pm: good points there knightc71,

truthfully i would love it if my wife would join in me in "MY" man cave for a night of pure bliss,of making bows etc. >:D
she goes gun and bowhunting turkey with me,she will go for walks into the woods all day and drudge thru the occasional swamp and briar patch.
i can get her to do all that but she refuses to clean her own kill or catch,she has no interest in making her own gear.
she says thats what i am for,cleaning,carrying,making gear,she'll do the cooking ;D

i do get her to carry osier shoots while i'm in the swamp cutting them,someday maybe she'll get like you and make arrows and such for all my friends :D

peace,
tim
Title: Re: My first attempt at building a bow!! (Build-a-long)
Post by: knightc71 on January 09, 2009, 04:13:32 am: I'm the same way that your wife is, except I will clean my own kill!! That's the way I was brought up. If you kill it, you clean it!!!
Title: Re: My first attempt at building a bow!! (Build-a-long)
Post by: knightc71 on January 10, 2009, 10:47:20 pm: I just wanted to let ya'll know that I will be posting pics tomorrow. I got it roughed out today and it got too late to take pics so it has to wait until tomorrow!!
Title: Re: My first attempt at building a bow!! (Build-a-long)
Post by: Badger on January 11, 2009, 12:03:43 pm: I can't even get my girlfriend to sit outside while I build the bows! You have a good teacher. You should do fine. I will follow this thread with some interest as we have discussed the absence of women in bow making. Most of us think it is in the mans genes to get hooked on this. Steve
Title: Re: My first attempt at building a bow!! (Build-a-long)
Post by: DanaM on January 11, 2009, 01:25:55 pm: Geez where's the pictures Cora ;)
Looking forward to seeing your progress :)
Title: Re: My first attempt at building a bow!! (Build-a-long)
Post by: knightd on January 11, 2009, 03:02:55 pm: I finally got the pics downloaded!!! ;D I finally got it roughed out to 62" overall length. It is a straight taper from 1 1/2" at the fade to 5/8" at the tips. My next decision will be how I want my handle to be. But first, I will do some tillering on it. We'll just have to see how well that goes!! I'm not a very patient person, but I will have to learn to be one, I guess.

(http://i312.photobucket.com/albums/ll323/knight3169/mybow002.jpg)

(http://i312.photobucket.com/albums/ll323/knight3169/mybow004.jpg)

(http://i312.photobucket.com/albums/ll323/knight3169/mybow003.jpg)
Title: Re: My first attempt at building a bow!! (Build-a-long)
Post by: knightc71 on January 11, 2009, 03:04:40 pm: Sorry about that!! The post before is actually mine. I forgot to log out of my husband's and into mine to post the pics!!!
Title: Re: My first attempt at building a bow!! (Build-a-long)
Post by: DanaM on January 11, 2009, 04:06:05 pm: Looks good Cora :) And yes you must have patience lots of it :D
Title: Re: My first attempt at building a bow!! (Build-a-long)
Post by: madcrow on January 11, 2009, 09:19:03 pm: Just go slow with the tillering and exercise the crap out of the limbs between scraping sessions. When you catch yourself getting in a hurry ( for me it is the last four inches of draw length) go make some arrows or something and leave it alone for a while.
Title: Re: My first attempt at building a bow!! (Build-a-long)
Post by: ricktrojanowski on January 11, 2009, 09:45:55 pm: Looking good Knight C. Be patient and have fun. You have access to a really good teacher. ;D
Title: Re: My first attempt at building a bow!! (Build-a-long)
Post by: Hillbilly on January 14, 2009, 08:23:00 pm: Looks like you've got it going on-it's shaping up nicely.
Title: Re: My first attempt at building a bow!! (Build-a-long)
Post by: knightc71 on January 16, 2009, 06:23:05 pm: Thanks guys!! I'm hoping to be able to tiller on it this weekend. Of course that all depends on the weather!!! It's been pretty cold, so I can't stay outside too much, but I will work on it as much as possible.
Title: Re: My first attempt at building a bow!! (Build-a-long)
Post by: sailordad on January 16, 2009, 07:09:17 pm: make your self a woman cave inside, i have an indoors mancave this time of year
Title: Re: My first attempt at building a bow!! (Build-a-long)
Post by: DanaM on January 16, 2009, 09:43:45 pm: Cora that Maple is from the UP eh it don't mind da cold ;) :D
Title: Re: My first attempt at building a bow!! (Build-a-long)
Post by: sailordad on January 16, 2009, 10:16:16 pm: :D :D
Title: Re: My first attempt at building a bow!! (Build-a-long)
Post by: knightc71 on January 17, 2009, 05:38:02 am: Dana, it might not mind the cold, but I do!!!!!
Title: Re: My first attempt at building a bow!! (Build-a-long)
Post by: Jesse on January 17, 2009, 11:41:40 am: Looks like its gonna be a nice one. Keep up the good work :)
Title: Re: My first attempt at building a bow!! (Build-a-long)
Post by: Hillbilly on January 19, 2009, 10:05:57 am: (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v325/hillbillync/Other%20Stuff/pop.gif)
Title: Re: My first attempt at building a bow!! (Build-a-long)
Post by: madcrow on January 19, 2009, 10:51:26 am: Exercise those limbs about fifty times between scrapings, that will warm you up. ;D ;D
Title: Re: My first attempt at building a bow!! (Build-a-long)
Post by: Eric Krewson on January 21, 2009, 10:57:48 am: Your handle section looks pretty long. 4" with 2" fades will give you more working limb smoother drawing limbs.
Title: Re: My first attempt at building a bow!! (Build-a-long)
Post by: stickbender on January 22, 2009, 02:03:32 am: Just follow the advice of your Husband, and that of those on here, and if you are as good at making bows, as you are on making arrows, it will be one heck of a bow. Oh, yeah, it's a Man Cave, because it is his last refuge. He doesn't pick out your shoes, so you shouldn't go into his Man Cave, without his consent. It is hallowed ground. Man stuff in there. Don't touch anything. It might touch back...... or bite, and crawl, or slither, after you......;D
Wayne
Title: Re: My first attempt at building a bow!! (Build-a-long)
Post by: sailordad on January 30, 2009, 10:26:22 pm: Quote from: stickbender on January 22, 2009, 02:03:32 am

Oh, yeah, it's a Man Cave, because it is his last refuge. He doesn't pick out your shoes, so you shouldn't go into his Man Cave, without his consent. It is hallowed ground. Man stuff in there. Don't touch anything. It might touch back...... or bite, and crawl, or slither, after you......;D
Wayne

>:D he he he he he >:D