Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Travis on December 29, 2016, 03:24:16 pm
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What are your recommendations for the best designs for a board bow? While I'm trying to find good trees to start seasoning I broke down and bought some boards at Mendards the other day. I found a 1" x 6" maple, 1" x 4" red oak and 1" x 2" hickory. All of the boards are 6' long. I'd like the final bow to be between 45# and 60# if possible. The maple and hickory have a few run offs but overall very straight and the red oak is almost perfect. I could almost follow a ring on that if I wanted.
Thanks,
Travis
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http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,35312.msg464947.html#msg464947
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http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,15690.msg216670.html#msg216670
An alb works great too. There is really no one better than the other
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There is really no one better than the other
I suppose that some designs are better than others for different purposes, at least that what I think bubby is trying to say.
Better for shooting heavy or light arrows? better for target or hunting? better for ease of building?
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Thanks for the tutorials, those will be very helpful!
An alb works great too.
What is alb? Sorry I'm somewhat new to this.
I guess I was looking for feedback or preferences to overall style of bow rather than ease of building. I realize it probably depends on what the end goals are for the bow.
Travis
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different styles are not always necessarily relegated to boards or stave, especially if you have a board that you can chase a ring on. I suppose that some historical recreations might dictate a stave over a board, but boards do lend themselves to pyramid bows with constant thickness limbs. What do you have to work with for tools? Table saw, or just hand tools?
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I like just a plain D bow ,, bend in the hande,,,but I think I am in the minority,,
I dont like to glue a handle on either,, I just keep it simple with a board bow,, looks a little bit like a Cherokee war bow,, or war bow inspired,, :)
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Certain woods may have advantages with some styles i think you can build anything with a good hard maple or hickory board but red oak has limitations. What i consider a alb is a bow say 70" ttt with 2" fades and a parallel taper width wise till a foot from the tips then it tapers to 1/2" tips, search ferrets board bow build and it should come up
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With D bows do you find that they have more hand shock?
What do you have to work with for tools? Table saw, or just hand tools?
I have a table saw, and some hand tools (rasps, drawknife, planes, scrapers, etc..) So I should be able to rip the boards and get quite a few bows I would think.
Certain woods may have advantages with some styles i think you can build anything with a good hard maple or hickory board but red oak has limitations. What i consider a alb is a bow say 70" ttt with 2" fades and a parallel taper width wise till a foot from the tips then it tapers to 1/2" tips, search ferrets board bow build and it should come up
Does ALB = American Longbow? I see what you mean, I think that may be a good option for the red oak board. I would eventually like to try a recurve, but want to get a couple under by belt and shooting first.
Travis
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There is a good simple design for a bend in the handle bow out of a board in the back of TBB 4 I made one out of red oak , I made my first usable hunting board bow from Paul Comstocks book the bent stick , the one in the back of TBB 4 I made & shooting in a week end when I didn't have much experience , I think the bend in the handle bows are underrated as a first bow , I learned & still learning a lot from making them I think because of the simple design they force you to concentrate on what makes a bow a bow Good luck with what ever design you decide on.
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I posted at the same time you did & didn't see your question but with my limited experience the white wood d bows that I made had very little hand shock but the first osage one I made was a little shocky tell I learned how to tiller out and lighten the tips if you don't make them to round in the handle & shoot with a loose grip there's not a lot of hand shock I personally think they make you a better archer because they make you concentrate on form but that's just my 2 cents.
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Yes make the red oak working limbs 2" wide you will get 2 bows from that make the handle 4" long and 2" fades. I'll send a drawing for you
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(http://i623.photobucket.com/albums/tt320/bubncheryl/Mobile%20Uploads/20161229_165616_HDR_zpsxq1gfim7.jpg) (http://s623.photobucket.com/user/bubncheryl/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20161229_165616_HDR_zpsxq1gfim7.jpg.html)
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I like bend in the handle board bows and these gays I rip the board to 1 3/8 inches.
http://traditionalarchery101.com/boardbowbuildalong.html
Jawge
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a well built bendy isn't shocky either to answer your question
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You've just started and you want a fairly easy to make bow design that shoots great....pyramid bows. The beauty of a pyramid bow is that it should have an 'arc of a circle' tiller and this is very easy to read for a beginners eyes, you can also make yourself a tillering gizmo and that pretty much garantees that you won't go far wrong. They also give you even fiber strain almost automatically which is another big plus.
Pyramid, pyramid pyramid!!
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pyramid R/D? maybe static tips/short hooks as well???
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Thanks for all the input guys! I think I'll start with a D bow with the 1 3/4" hickory that I have and then work on a ALB and maybe a pyramid with the oak and save the maple for something else after I hopefully have some success with them. Now I just have to convince my wife to let me turn the extra room in the basement to a workshop over the witnter :)
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Good luck with your D bow hickory is a awesome wood ,D bows are fun to make just go slow & make sure your limb tappers are smooth and you will end up with a nice bow I'm sure :D