Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Benvse on October 21, 2009, 10:46:54 am
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I keep Breaking my bows I don't even finish the tillering process. I have broke 4 now. I really want to get into this but it is upsetting when you keep breaking them. I don't have a camera so I can show where they are breaking. I was wondering if anyone knew of a class in the St. Louis area where I can get some instruction. Or just please tell me how you guys started and how long it took before you made your first shooters.
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If you get a chance to go to a bowyer event (like Pappy's Classic) you will learn more in a weekend than a year by yourself. Probably even come away with a shooter.
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Your not even close to the record yet, which I believe Jawge set at 14 in a row :)
I started with ash boards and little knowledge, first one held together and came in at a whoping 8# of draw weight :)
I wa pleased as all hell about that bow and still have it as a reminder :) Best advice I can give you is to don't give up,
go slowly and lots of patience. Ask questions on here and by all means post some pictures when you need help.
Also if you can make it to Pappys this May for the Tennessee Classic you will have all kinds of folks to help you :)
St Louis isn't all that far from pappy's so you may want to make some plans to attend.
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If you get a chance to go to a bowyer event (like Pappy's Classic) you will learn more in a weekend than a year by yourself. Probably even come away with a shooter.
Good advice Jeff ;D
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I know it is discouraging but keep at it. Are you using boards or staves? Get you a nice hickory stave and see what happens. You can get them on the cheap on the big auction site now. I live North of St.louis close to Quincy so would be glad to help you all I can. Dean
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I know the feeling and it was just when I was most frustrated when I got one to work. I broke probably 6 and then had a shooter. Did you read TBB1? Wish I had read that straight away to get a better understanding of some basics. I had a lot of successes using a 6/4 quartersawn board from a hardwood dealer. Hickory is really forgiving. I followed the dimensions for the osage flatbow in the book. Took the time to tiller and exercise the bow. Do you have a cellphone that can take pictures or know someone who does? You can email them to yourself and open with microsoft paint, reduce the size, then post.
Just some thoughts, hope this helps. Keep going - you're getting close, for sure.
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I know how you feel I broke several before I got a shooter.What seem to be happening to them.Are they all breaking the same way or all different.What kind of wood are you using? I know these are a lot of questions but if we know we can probably help you through it.If it was easy everyone would do it but once you get that first shooter there ant much else like it. :) By the way I still break some. :)
Pappy
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You can look at Gordon's Hazel buildalong on this site. It really helped me. See Jawges site also.
My first also came in at 8#, next day it "exploaded" in 6 pieces. I keep the pieces as sweet memory..
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As said, go get you a hickory stave and/or get yourself to a bowyer's event.
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Come to MOjam in July, it's in Marshall, MO, just a few hours from you, it's a weekend of bow building just like Pappy's but closer for you. All I can say is be patient, learn from every bow or in your case break ::) and by all means have fun at it.
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I have been using ash boards. The boards have been breaking when I tiller. Usually towards the middle of a limb.
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Are you backing the boards before the tillering process? If so, what with? If your grain isn't great, maple will split.
My first bows were all made from less-than-ideal red oak 1X2's and they all split. I backed on with fiberglass...three layers of glass-matt drywall tape and TBII sealed up the grain nice enough to hold 60lb draw weights.
Of course people here shun glass, and it's not what this forum is about, but sometimes failures can steer a person away from hobbies like these. The heart needs a quick, simple success sometimes.
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"If you ain't breakin' 'em - you ain't buildin' 'em!"
Howdy Benvse,
Another very good source, that I found to be very helpful was Paul Comstock's 'The Bent Stick.'
You also have to know that not just any board makes a bow. It has to have very straight grain on the side and edge of the board, and the grain must run the whole length of the board.
It's also helpful to make them a little on the wider side; like 1-7/8" to 2" for over 2/3erds of the length of the bow.
Jawge's web site is very helpful, and it shows how to choose a a board from the Big Box store or from the mill.
Also, almost any of the hardwoods will make a good bow; Maple, Red Oak, Hickory, White Ash...
This link is a "how-to site for poor people and/or apartment dwellers who want to build bows". It is a very good place to start...
http://www.geocities.com/salampsio/index.html
Keep at it,
Canoe
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hickory is a good idea to start with if you can get it. if not don't be afraid to back a bow, you can get hickory backign strips online for pretty cheap. once you get one made that holds together, so many things fall into place and the rest will get easier and easier. Of course i just had one break on me a couple months ago during the initial tillering, thats just the way it goes sometimes.
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I'm guessing you have some bad ash boards that have grain runouts, one you get them floor tillered back
the bow with linen or silk and you will get yourself a shooter.
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Breaking bows is part of the process. Ive broke my share. You will get to the point where you make more than break. Its an on going, learning event. Keep your head up.
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Sure. You'll get it. I still get a break now and then. If you ain't breakin' you ain't makin'! Jawge
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give me your address I will send you a hickory blank for free, no body should haft to use ash ;D
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i still got my first bow i made a osage. may got luckey but i have broke a few since then but i still will make many more and break many more also. just dont get in a rush is the best advice i can give ya. if it dont look right to ya it good chance it aint so try to correct it. or post pics and ask alot of ?
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Well I'm not feeling as bad knowing that I am not the only breaking more bows than building them. Hopefully when I get over this bug I can start over building another bow.
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give me your address I will send you a hickory blank for free, no body should haft to use ash ;D
You are a good man, and I agree about ash. ;D
I look at each broken bow as an education. You can only imagine how smart I am after all the bows I have broken. The best part is I am still getting smarter every day. ;D
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give me your address I will send you a hickory blank for free, no body should haft to use ash ;D
You are a good man, and I agree about ash. ;D
/quote]
I disagree whats wrong with ash ??? Not everyone has access to osage or other top of the line woods,
ash will make a good bow capable of taking any game you care to hunt in this country :) Besides its hard to beat a good piece of ash :)
Justin you must have gotten some bad ash :'( Next time be more picky as to what type of ash ya use ;D
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theres no osage where I live. I just started driving west till I found some,pulled over and asked how much ;D
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I would buy a quality osage stave clear and straight with thick groth rings and then procede to build a slightly overbuilt for the draw length and weight. Take your time and you will get your first bow. Osage is still better than the white woods and the extra money is money well spent. Find yourself a reputible dealer who knows wood and will sell you what you ask for. My two cents. Kenneth
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QUINCY IF I WAS YOU ID MAKE A WEEKEND GET WITH DEAN MARLOW GET HIM TO FIX YA UP WITH ONE OF HIS FANCY PIG NUT HICKORY STAVES HAHA HE S ONE OF MY BEST BUDDY S AND HE WILL DO ALL HE CAN FOR YA IF I WAS HAVIN UR PLM ID GET A HICKORY STAVE AND WORK ON THAT TILL YOU MASTER IT AS HICKORY IS AS TUFF AS YOU LL GET DARN NEAR UNBREAKABLE ALSO YOU MIGHT WANNA READ TRAD BOWYER BIBLE 1 BULDING A FLAT NOW AND USE THE HICKORY FOR THAT FEEL FREE TO E MAIL ME ILL HELP YA ALL I CAN BROCK
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Stave.
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You have to accept that you're going to break some bows if you ever want to get any good at this.
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It's hard to say what has gone wrong...could be some poor grain on the ash boards you're using and they just weren't going to make a bow regardless of who was working them. Ash can make a good bow, but it's not as good a choice for your first as other woods such as hickory or osage would be in my opinion.
I'd take yazoo up on his generous offer, he's got lots of bow wood if I know him. A lot of other good advice has been given such as purchasing Volume 1 of the Traditional Bowyers Bible, and checking Jawge's sight out which I know has helped a whole lot of folks! Also, if you can get access to a digital camera or post pictures by whatever means from stave through finished bow...there are a lot of experienced folks here that gladly give constructive advice. Don't give up, the fact that you've gone through this four times and haven't given up yet shows me you really want this to happen for you and it will I'm sure. You just need the right kind of start and a little guidance. We've all been where you are, so hang in there! ;)
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sticks break. what's a guy to do?
don't give up dude. Back when i was breaking more than making, i would walk outside to the curb and lay the two pieces of the broken bows on the ground, then return inside to the shop and immediately start the next one. I made that walk many times it felt like. I didn't count! But you keep practicing. Get the hang of it. Then next year, when i pick up that truckload of yew, i want to distribute some of it to my friends and brothers on this site. By then, you'll be ready to make yourself a bow out of the great yew wood that grows in British Columbia.
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I broke 3 last week and yeah I got a bit dicouraged but I just "KEEP ON KEEPIN ON" A good tip besides take ur time is make sure that the limbs are tottaly smooth with NO cuts or cracks...dont take excessive wood of knots and If u can cut the knots out altogether...hopefully this can help u!!!
Cheers!!!
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I think it would be a good idea for you to check out tbb1, I used it when I started, did what they said, took my time and made a bow that's still shootin today. I've been making them for about three years now and I take more time and care now then I did before. Plus it's so much fun. So keep at it, cuz I've broken way more than four ;D
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it is possible that you will break every bow you every try to make, but i doubt it
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Info here too.
Jawge
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/
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good advice to get TBB1 , i broke about 15 before i got it ,only one since . the sooner you understand design principles the better the bows will be , and the less banging head against the wall