Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Orrum on October 24, 2016, 11:59:26 pm
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This is my board bow build thread. Never built a bow of any kind before. But knapping seems to be leading me bow building and arrows too! So let's start this journey together, hey?
Off to Lowes, found the Titebond II and III no problem. Next to the lumber aisle and my search for a perfect grain red oak board. No joy, found one with old thick dark color straight grain. It had a very bad crown and was nearly bent to brace curve!!! LOL A employee came to help me, a one legged guy with all the oak boards sorted in piles on the floor looked bad I guess! Any way I didn't want to buy a really wide board, was hoping for a 1x2x6, two were close butI wanted better and figured to look again tomoro when I have more time, running tight on time to get to a appointment. Takes a lot of tI'm to wreak havoc you know!
So leaving the section I notice a bunch of "Cedar" boards. They don't look like cedar. Our cedar has bright red heart and white outer wood. So I look at the 1x3x6 and see a couple nice ones right away. I checked the tag stapled to the end of the board and it said Cedar from Idaho??? This sounds like Juniper to me, folks out west call it cedar but I am told it's really Juniper. Do yall think this is Juniper? If it is can I make a board bow from a Juniper board??? What if it is cedar, will it make a bow???
Allright this is the start!!#
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Western red cedar. you could build a bow with western red cedar but there are better options. Keep looking. Check your local phone book(remember them) and look for specialty lumber companies, cabinet shops, etc.
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it's western red cedar and won't make a good bow. In all reality you should get a 1 board so you have plenty of wood to get your width but that's up to you. Find the best grain you can but don't expect to find the holy grail😀 what type of bow do you want to build?
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Check out jawges site for picking out a board, it's at the top of the how to page with lots of great info
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Using Georges site for guidance. I want a 72 inch board now with a piece of eastern cedar added for the handle. I want it to be half a inch at the nocks and taper all the way back to the handle. Rounded on the belly edge. I think I want it 3/8 inch deep for the belly end tapering back to the handle. Seems like 3/8 is too thin? Then the confusing part is cutting a arrow rest into the handle. The handle will be 1.5 inches with the cedar board and the red oak board glued together. The part I don't understand is they say don't cut into the board for a arrow rest but the directions I found that I like have you cutting into the handle. The handle is 10 inches before the risers are put in. After it is 5 inches. I have a Green Mojave snake skin that might be long enough to make a backing. IF not there are plenty of coon tailed rattlers killed on the ranch in Az. while riding fence.
So back to Lowes to look at boards after my doctor appt next week. If I could get a hickory or ash board at a speciality place in Florence Sc would that be better?
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If you are in Carolina you should have lots of options. Nothing wrong with starting with the board bow build but as with most things what you'll have at the end largely depends on the ingredients put in...
If you are going to take the time to do it, why not think about getting a stave?
I really recommend thinking about getting out and cutting some staves now while you are beginning, too.
Good luck!
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Already cutting staves! Hurricane you know so everybody has the chainsaw running. I have China Berry and White Oak so far.
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If you go to a specialty hardwood store get a hickory or a hard maple board. I did a board bow build a long using maple and that bow is still shooting after several years
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Hmmm. So I went to peeling my white oak stave log and it didn't seem right so I went over to the neighbors and looked closely at the blown over trees and there was a small poplar tree under the white oak. I so don't have a white oak...I have a poplar. The bark is slipping great so I am gonna peel it, spilt it and dry and call it a stave and make it a bow!!! LOL
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Poplar and the Western red cedar are not so good for bows. Jawge
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I know George! But I want to try. The China Berry will dry and is a good bow woof. The Red Oak board bow will be a good one too. I am in search of a oak stave log and a maple too!
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Go on the hunt for black locust, dogwood, hickory. Gotta be plenty around.
I 2nd the maple board idea. Maple does a fine job and that can be found at any superstore.
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Only got one leg and a bad sciatic nerve so can't go rambling through the woods. Looking in folks yards at what blew over in the storm. Also what I can drive the truck on farm lanes and around field edges. I shall persevete! LOL.
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So split the beautiful straight poplar 6 inch thick and feet long log this afternoon. Invisibleband inside a third of the way down was a huge black knot hole.... The split shot off around and that section just sheared off. So started a wedge on the other end and it went right down where it matched up perfect so half is firewood. The other half spilt right down so I glued the ends and left the bark on. I am putting them in the barn rafters tomoro. Going Friday to continue my Red Oak board search at Lowes.
Looking for locust, maple, dogwood.
Story to be continued...
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Off to the Doc appt today. Hopefully Lowes will have a great Red Oak board!
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I keep thinking about The Trading Post and how yall tradevstsves, snake skins etc. I have no primitive things to trade except a couple arrowheads and knives that I knapped and halfed. But they are few because I break a lot plus they sell fast at the big flea market I go to. I am thinking I dont have anything to trade for a stave or started bow. So I was up at my rock shop yesterday making a couple turquoise cabochons for pendants that were ordered last week by folks at the flea market. Lapidary was and still is my hoboy before knapping and bow making. Anyway it suddenly occurred to me that you primitive guys might need pendants for Xmas presents. Specially turquoise since it can be mounted in or on things that are primitive. Finally here is the question... Do yall think anyone would trade a started bow stave for jewelry pendants? I have lots of shiny gemstone pendants. Quite a bit of turquoise finished into free form cabochons and subsequently pendants. Just wondering.
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Only one way to find out make a post and put it out there
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Hey this is my Chinaberry staves. I think one split too thin.
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I think that will work but its toxicity always detered me.
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Ok what toxicity?