Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: ajohnso8 on October 18, 2013, 01:09:09 pm
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My father and I are both building bows for a Lord of the Rings Archry Tournament for next year. We are making Lothlorien bows like the ones the elves used in the battle of helm's deep in the Two Towers movie. These bows look Asian in origin and are very tall as you can tell by the third picture. These "double recurves" are beautiful, but we are a bit stumped in where to begin. We think we will be using osage orange or yew depending on what we can get ahold of and afford. Someone (who we can no longer contact) made one of these using 6 layers of wood. We would like to try and avoid making this too complicated by not using bone or sinew in the construction; however, we want these be excellent quality shooting bows. We are also willing to use bamboo laminations. Someone made some similiar using bamboo that looks almost like the bow we want. They claim that they are wonderfully strong, tall and very fast when shooting arrows. I know they used hardwood, then a stablized core of bamboo and then a hardwood again. I was just wondering if anyone else had similar advice on what to do. But thank you all the same for your opinions.
The South Indian
Beloved bow of the gods of India in classic double recurve design. At 70" long, the bow is made with bamboo facings over an inner core of multiple square bamboo laminations and hardwood on the edges. Rounded at the riser to about 1" in diameter, wrapped in sting-ray skin or leather. Unique flared limb tips and hand-rubber finish. These bows can be made for a draw up to 35". Shot directly off either the right or left hand, these bows are smooth as silk. Rare smoked and naturally figured bamboos also available in the limbs and well as Japanese urushi finishes.
The Krackow Company - Promoting the Ancient and Worldwide Art of Archery
Bows For Pros Product 3
Well we would like to know if anyone knows some good suppliers for bamboo facings and such online or in businesses located in America. Also any tips of working with bamboo is welcome too! Any help or knowledge is much appreciated.
ALso, we like the decorative ends of the bow, but the builder of the darker replica bow complained about handshock. Anyway to get the right shape and decoration at the end of the bow but decrease the handshock
Can anyone make suggestions, opinions or thoughts about layers and types of wood, recommended bow strings and particular ways to attach the strings for these kinds of bows, tools, process of building these types of bows or anything helpful. We are using the traditional bowyer's bible series as a guide but we would like more of people's helpful opinions to guide us. Thank you so much!!!
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The first picture is the bow we are going to make. The second picture shows a replica that GI Bow made but he complained of handshock. The third picture shows the height of the bows. The fourth picture is a South Indian Bow that someone made using bamboo facings and hardwood, and it just happens to be the right shape in the bow we are trying to recreate. However there is too little information about recreating these types of bows.
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Whoah that's sick! You should go for recreating the whole set. I'm especially interested in the arrowheads :D
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Im not all that experienced, but if i was to build something like that i think i would make a caul (a formtemplate) and make a laminate bow.
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Unfornately, I am not a swordsmith and I am rubbish at arrows. :)
GI Bow did make these arrows heads to replicate the arrows used with the bows in the movie. Wonder if he will do a custom order?
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Thanks for the advice. It will probably be a laminate bow anyway. My dad has many timber suppliers because of the business he runs so we will be getting precut wood staves. I think we have been considering getting osage orange bow staves from Ohio Timber. Anyone ever bought from them before or think using osage wood as the main core with bamboo laminations is a good idea for this type of bow?
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Your best bet is to just use a wood like Elm, Hackberry or Hickory and steam a bit of setback into the handle and recurve the tips. If you make the nocks out on the tip of the recurved portion and use the projecting "leaf" as a string bridge the handshock will be greatly reduced.
This thread shows a bow that has all the features that you are looking for, you just have to add a bit to the recurves and thin and round the handle more so that it is less prominent. http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,42573.0.html
The laminated South Indian bow is far too complex to make if you aren't very experienced
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Oh believe me I won't be making the South Indian bow itself. :D However, I do want the height and shape so I will probably be laminating definately.
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I was just wanting to know if anyone had any opinions on the different layers to make this bow? The backing? The belly? The core? How many layers? Types of wood that go well together and have a great deal of strength. I like osage because it is flexible and resists wood rot. Then somebody said bamboo laminations is good for backing and strength but I was not sure.
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Trust me on the one layer.
Especially if you haven't made bows before.
A stave also lets you stain the wood and have it look uniform.
If you intend to stain a laminated bow all one color it will come out uneven looking due to the differences in material density and porosity.
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<snip>
If you intend to stain a laminated bow all one color it will come out uneven looking due to the differences in material density and porosity.
That's what God created primer and paint for! This is a fantasy bow anyway, ...it is not like anyone is trying to re-create an 'authentic primative design' is it??? I mean there will be no elves clamoring against it for it's inaccuracy or inconsistancy with their cultural heritage! ;)
OneBow
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Gi bow who made the replica in the picture managed to get it all one color. :D
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Have you watched the extras in the box set of the movies? In the extras they talk a little (albeit very little) about the bows and arrows and how they are made. They ones made on set were only like 20 lbs draw I think. I am not sure if you can get a higher draw weight and still have the woodwork and all the embellishments.
Good luck with it!
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http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php?topic=5815.0
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Welcome to the forum! I can't remember if you mentioned on the other forum (AIUK) whether this was your first bow attempt or not?
As I said on the previous forum, it's well worth starting out with a single stave bow, just to get your eye in, as there are a great many intricacies to building bows, and starting out with an advanced Asian double recurve may not be the best way to begin, but I'm sure with the help on here and with enough research and patience you will get the bow you're after!
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If you want to do this with Bamboo you may want to watch Japp's video first !!
It is called all tied up I think !
Meanwhile see how far you can get with a Osage stave for practice !
Then you will know what Osage can do for you !
Have fun on your journey !!
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Have you watched the extras in the box set of the movies? In the extras they talk a little (albeit very little) about the bows and arrows and how they are made. They ones made on set were only like 20 lbs draw I think. I am not sure if you can get a higher draw weight and still have the woodwork and all the embellishments.
Good luck with it!
That's one thing I hate, because you can tell they are only 20lb the way they draw them. I get legalos isn't going to be shooting all super fast with a 80# bow, but it just looks stupid to me to see all the archers shooting target weight bows, with no strain or anything.... ...Well ok, it is of course not the most unrealistic thing in this movie ( ;D ), but it always looks to stupid to me, in other movies too. And I would definitely expected the first bow to shoot pretty shocky with those big pieces of wood on the tips. I would of used something like poplar or cedar for those parts if it was me. Still cool as heck though, :).
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Have you watched the extras in the box set of the movies? In the extras they talk a little (albeit very little) about the bows and arrows and how they are made. They ones made on set were only like 20 lbs draw I think. I am not sure if you can get a higher draw weight and still have the woodwork and all the embellishments.
Good luck with it!
I think you can ;)...................
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My advice is to re-read the bowyers bibles i - iv - all the info you need is in them I promise you!
The simplest way I can think of would go something like this.
1 - make a form
2 - start with 3 lams. Bamboo will be great for the backing. Maple is the choice core wood and osage would make a great belly.
3 - Lam thickness to start with would be somewhere around 1/8th thick backing, tapered core of maple from around 3/16ths to 1/16th and the belly around 1/2 tapered to 1/4. Of course you would need to splice the tapered lams.
4 - you may need to help the belly conform to the form shape with judicious use of dry heat.
5 - Glue up.
6 - Glue on riser
7 - Tiller
Sounds simple eh!?
Have fun and good luck ;)
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Amazing idea, i love LOTR and have always wanted to make a Elvish bow but lack the skill. I cant wait to see how it turns out, best of luck! Navaer!
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That's one thing I hate, because you can tell they are only 20lb the way they draw them. I get legalos isn't going to be shooting all super fast with a 80# bow, but it just looks stupid to me to see all the archers shooting target weight bows, with no strain or anything....
Elves are really strong you know. ;) ;) ;) ;)
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Cool thread.
Cipriano
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I forgett this bow, I must make one in this winter ;)
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(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e362/bowsforpros/DSC03555-1.jpg) (http://s43.photobucket.com/user/bowsforpros/media/DSC03555-1.jpg.html)
I had someone ask me to make a bow similar to what you are asking for. My big concern , would be with handshock from all the weight at the ends of the limbs. The other was that this decorative limb tip would be prone to breaking from getting caught on something, or falling over onto the tip. So I made the tip from basswood, which is very light and has an interlocking grain of sorts. This will minimize the wt. and give a smoother feel in your hand. Never doing this before, I have to tell you that I was pleasantly surprised with how little vibration there was when I shot the first few arrows. I even shot arrows which were very light in weight to see what happened. The length of the bow was 72 inches nock to nock, and the width was 1 inch wide at the riser. I am actually making another right now , as it is an interesting bow to look at.
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(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e362/bowsforpros/DSC03558-1.jpg) (http://s43.photobucket.com/user/bowsforpros/media/DSC03558-1.jpg.html)
Here's a closer look at the limb tip.The extra nock is there to place a stringer on.
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Very nice job Steve, very cool. Innovative too. :)
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(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e362/bowsforpros/IMG_20130325_094259.jpg) (http://s43.photobucket.com/user/bowsforpros/media/IMG_20130325_094259.jpg.html)
Here is what it looked like before I carved it and stained it.To me it looks more like a dragons' tooth. Hope this gives some ideas to you.