Project Information
Last year I got the urge to build a longbow. I have hunted for years, although it seems the more time I have the less I hunt. Having harvested (nice way of saying it) two trophy deer in the past, I mostly go out for the walks now. My brother in law has a knack with woodworking so we each built one.
Osage or yew is the wood of choice, but the blanks are hard to find. I found some, but for one bow the cost was over $100. Figuring I'd screw this up, I opted for a visit to the building materials store. I found a piece of hickory 6 inches wide and 7 feet long. For about $10, it would get me enough for both bows.
I laid out a template for the rough shape of the one piece bow and carefully cut it out. I left a buffer to be sanded on the belt sander. The bow was 62 inches long and 3/4 inches thick (the original board thickness.) I added a scrap of walnut for the handle and sanded vigorously until the shape was close. Then carved slight grooves in the ends for the string to rest upon. For the next step a nylon string was used. Later a commercial bow string would be added.
Next step was to use a jig my brother in law built to make sure each limb had the same flex. The jig was a strip of wood mounted vertically with dowells to rest the bow handle on and to hook the string under. When mounted perpendicular to the floor and the bow rested on it horizontal to the floor the limbs could be observed at stress (as in the draw process.)
One bent less than the other had to be sanded more. When both were even, the bow was ready to be finished. Next I took the bow to Bass Pro Shop, where it was fitted for a string. One strung it was ready to shoot!
It shoot really well. Of course it is only as good as the person shooting it, but I really feel as if I could take a deer with it. However, since after taking the deer there would be tracking, field dressing, and dragging, I think I will just use it for target practice.
Osage or yew is the wood of choice, but the blanks are hard to find. I found some, but for one bow the cost was over $100. Figuring I'd screw this up, I opted for a visit to the building materials store. I found a piece of hickory 6 inches wide and 7 feet long. For about $10, it would get me enough for both bows.
I laid out a template for the rough shape of the one piece bow and carefully cut it out. I left a buffer to be sanded on the belt sander. The bow was 62 inches long and 3/4 inches thick (the original board thickness.) I added a scrap of walnut for the handle and sanded vigorously until the shape was close. Then carved slight grooves in the ends for the string to rest upon. For the next step a nylon string was used. Later a commercial bow string would be added.
Next step was to use a jig my brother in law built to make sure each limb had the same flex. The jig was a strip of wood mounted vertically with dowells to rest the bow handle on and to hook the string under. When mounted perpendicular to the floor and the bow rested on it horizontal to the floor the limbs could be observed at stress (as in the draw process.)
One bent less than the other had to be sanded more. When both were even, the bow was ready to be finished. Next I took the bow to Bass Pro Shop, where it was fitted for a string. One strung it was ready to shoot!
It shoot really well. Of course it is only as good as the person shooting it, but I really feel as if I could take a deer with it. However, since after taking the deer there would be tracking, field dressing, and dragging, I think I will just use it for target practice.
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