Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Jeffwhale7 on June 26, 2021, 08:59:00 pm
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Hello everyone. My name is Jeff Hale, I’m 50 years old, live in WA state and and a complete rookie, noob, beginner with making bows. I’ve hunted my whole life with rifles and muzzleloaders but I’ve never let anyone arrow fly at a game animal. But that’s about to change! I need at least a year of intense pract then I’ll be ready to try some small game, and maybe a real close shot on a deer.
I’ve tried to build 3 bows over the last 3 months. My first one was an Oak board bow backed with fiberglass tape just to practice some basic skills. I had no expectations. It broke after about 200 arrows. Next I bought 2 yew wood staves for $80 each (I’m assuming that’s the going rate for average staves?). They both had some substantial knots, which I understand is more common than not with yew. I used only hand tools and got about 35 hours into bow #2 and I broke it tillering. BUT, I closely examined the break and read a bunch from people on this forum, and I was ready to try bow #3 out of the 2nd yew stave. Well, this time I was way more careful and I had to figure out what to do with the knots. So one I “built into” the limb by accepting it and the wood that flowed around it and left it proud. However, there were two smaller knots on the belly that concerned me with black, soft pithy cores. I decided to drill them out gingerly and plugged them with left over heart wood from the bow that broke only a week before. It worked. Well…so far. Who knows if this thing will last. Only time will tell. It is 45# at 28”. It’s really accurate for me so far. Unfortunately it has about an inch of string follow and it’s only throwing a 500 spine, 300 grain arrow at 140 FPS. So, this won’t be powerful enough to hunt deer with, but it’ll be fine for up close grouse, rabbits, squirrels and probably even Turkey. It’s very, very basic. Nothing fancy. I’m having g a ton of fun. Can’t wait to try another. I want to say thank you to all those that have posted information on this site. Without that information I couldn’t have been successful with my first basic bow. So THANK YOU! I will try to post useful things when I come across them but for now I’m so new that I’m not sure I have much to offer. Here are a couple pics of my basic self on out of Yewwood.
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Welcome to PA Jeff and welcome to the addiction. :BB Can we see a braced and full draw pic of your bow?
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Welcome! Congrats on making a bow out of what is not the easiest stave, can't wait to see more pictures of it.
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Interestingly, it reminds me of the Neolithic bow found in Sarnate, Latvia )
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51272719537_30d02a6b5e_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2m7N6cP)zQuPTxX9_b8 (https://flic.kr/p/2m7N6cP) by Виктор Виктор (https://www.flickr.com/photos/190234196@N07/), on Flickr
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Nice. Nothing like ending with a nice shooter.
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Welcome to PA and congrats on your bow. Like Pat said this can be very addictive. And so can the hunting. It can actually be quite life changing.
I also share your thoughts and thanks to all the people here who have helped so many of us make those first bows and share this addiction. It’s a great group to hang out with.
Bjrogg
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Ditto. What BJ said. Welcome.
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Welcome to PA, enjoy the ride....
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Welcome. You found the friendliest place on the internet. We already love your bow, but we want some more pictures. Specifically, one of the bow braced and then one of you pulling the bow back to full draw. Then the drooling will commence.
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Ok. I’ll brace it and pull it and take some pics. But remember I’m a complete beginner. I’ll get some pics up soon. Thanks all!
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Here are a couple pics. It appears there is a hinge in the tiller at the beginning of the top limb. I left it fatter and wider there because that’s where I plugged the knot on the belly side. That’s right where the hinge is.
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I would wrap the hinge with tape, until it is not so apparent anymore. Then long even strokes of scraping or sanding elsewhere.
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Gotcha. I think I’ll try that. Any other critiques or advice?
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Any other critiques or advice?
Get the stave drying for the next one!
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Make a tillering gizmo, it will prevent hinges from scraping one place too much. The outer thirds of the limbs are a little stiff.
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Thanks all!
I do have a tillering gizmo but I struggle to fit he darn thing that close to the limb tips when it’s bending on the tillering tree. I guess I need to make a “shorty” to fit into those spots.
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Sounds like you didn't make it right, the pencil will extend inches if you want it to although a 1/8" to 1/4" is often enough. There is some confusion on using one, the most intellectually brilliant women bow maker (Colene, lots of folk knew her) I ever met couldn't figure it out until I showed her.
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,61422.0.html
The pencil has a lot of adjustment room;