Woodworking ideas - How to build a primitive wood long bow from a maple board Part 2
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- Опубліковано 28 чер 2024
- Looking for unique woodworking ideas? This is part 2 of how to build a primitive wood long bow from a maple board you can pick up from home depot or lowes. These board bows are easy to make with simple tools, fast, and inexpensive. All you'll need is a block plane and a rasp.
In part 1 we selected our maple board based on grain patterns, knots, etc. Then we drew the bow's profile out and cut the bow to shape. In part 2 we will begin the floor tillering process and back the wood bow with rawhide to help protect it as it is drawn and shot.
In Part 3 we will finish the tillering process, shoot the bow, and do all the finish sanding, staining, etc. This is a fun and easy woodworking project that anyone can do with basic woodworking tools.
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So we're hooked now, can't wait for the next instalment!!
me too!
Nice! Can't wait to see the final result.
Raw hide in house from twisted stave, delivered today! A great video series, so much fun making it happen at your own work bench :) Thanks!
This is exactly what I was looking for. I watched part one, and am about to watch part 3. You making it possible to very easily go out and get a piece of wood from Lowes and make a bow in a day, gives so many more people the confidence to do this as a weekend project and be shooting after a few days of drying. And the best part is, it is all done for virtually no money. Thanks for the videos!
you're welcome
It took me more than a day lol. Snapped it while trying to put a little more deflex in it 🤣🤣🤣 time to start over now.
Great video Clay!! Thank you so much for all the tips and the great content! Can't wait to see this bow finished and see how it shoots!!
Thanks Nik, it'll be out next week.
That block planer is so satisfying
yup! Awsome as always!
Cool, I'm going to try this myself. Thanks for teaching us how.
Thanks Clay for sharing your expertise on building a board bow
Thank you for making these videos. New to traditional archery and you provide great information!
I just subscribed after seeing a few other videos. These are relaxing to watch.
Thanks for the generous knowledge
Definitely would love to see more content like this - especially a bow made with material from home depot but with a shelf. Would be awesome. And as for Merino as base layer, can't go wrong with that, totally different type of warmth you get.
Thanks for sharing, man.
That's on the to do list. I've got a lot of comments about building one with a shelf.
Clay, actually can't adequatly express how much I apreciate and love the content you share! Thanks man. Really looking forward to your upcoming videos.
Wishing you and your beloved ones a very Merry Christmas! Take care, brother.
The reason I watch your channel is for primitive hunting and building techniques.
More to come!
love these beginner bow builds
thanks Jake
You are a true genius.
Very informative! Thank you.
You’re welcome
Awesome video series, looking forward to the next installment .. thank you for sharing your knowledge :) Have a good one
will do.
Awesome thanks for posting !
thanks
Awesome video, just bought some rawhide thanks clay!
Thanks Phil!
Thanks clay really want to make a board bow good place to start thanks
I have been following your videos for a while now and you have inspired me to build a bow for my son and my self. Thank you for your amazing work 💪 you inspirational 👏
Great video ! That is the LEAST confusing explanation of rawhide backing I've ever seen. Thank you so much! Larry Canter
Thanks
Love the videos! Keep them going!
will do
Love these videos
Oh dang!! is it Christmas morning? NOPE,,, Clay just uploaded a video.. part 2 is great man. Thanks
haha, thanks
Love the bow making videos
Thanks David.
It's always going to feel warm with that sweater on. Sorry, we only tease people we like right? Thanks a million for this build series man.
😂😂
Thanks mate for the epic vids that you put out. Such an inspiration. I’m planning on making my first bow just like this. You’re a legend. From Australia, phil
Good luck Phil! Have fun with it.
Grea work my friend. Love and respect from Greece. I wish you the best.
Really enjoy this type of build along video. Great stuff for us new guys.
thanks
Clay for got to ask what size block plane are you using ? Is it a Stanley No. 220 ?
Great video! Love the tee shirt too.
thanks
i really like watching you work, i always learn something new, great video
thanks
Great video! Yes definitely keep up the how to videos. Bow building, arrows, shooting, broad heads, camping, stalking,...campfire cooking in elk camp, what ever you got I'm listening!
Will do Mike, thanks.
Very good. I use stretch wrap but I like the pant leg approach
it works great
As always great video
Glad you enjoyed it
Great video thanks
thanks
Good stuff
Hi Clay! Just found your videos, Love them. I Absolutely love traditional archery. I've made a few bows in the past, but I jumped in way too quickly with less knowledge than I thought I had(over-enthusiastic) and 3/4 have finally failed. My brother still shoots one from time to time, but only I believe because he hasn't dropped the cash on a better bow. Your video has inspired me to try again for a better result.
I use Titebond on a daily basis at my job. Great stuff! I love that you said "add a little glue between the rawhide strips" and then proceeded to put enough Titebond III to hold a car up....
Thanks for the vid! I appreciate your taking time to explain what you are doing and why. I'll just be off to Home Depot now...
That sort of failure is likely because you are not smooth in your cutting of the wood off the bow. It MUST be perfectly smooth. IE no potholes or washboarding or uneven or sudden thickness variations. I would bet, if you take your broken bows and measure the thickness at the break that it will be less that the surrounding wood.
Great content! will look into coming up for a bow class from Boise area.
shoot me an email through the website and we can talk about the classes. ch
Really interesting content. More bow building would be great. Good video.
More to come.
Intriguing
Made one from red oak. Not the quickest, but after snapping three others it feels great to make a successful one
Congrats! The first shooter is an achievement!
Your videos are well put together, really helpful and informative. I'm going to buy the book as a Christmas present to myself.
Thanks much
Excellent series! I tried making a board bow a year ago and hit problems. I think I know why now thanks to your video. I'm going to take another shot at it now. Thank You!
You’re welcome
Loved the video. Never thought about using a pants leg to hold the backing. Get idea. Hole lot easier to take off afterwards.
it works great. and a lot easier than wrapping.
You should offer this on dvd if you're not already. Great how to.
Awesome videos. The worst about about your channel is waiting for the preceding videos to be released, makes it more of a treat when they come out. I'm on my third hickory flatbow (first one shoots terribly, second broke, third one showing good promise), and learn something new every time (like back setting). Helpful tips and tricks in these videos.
thanks, good luck.
Love the videos. I will be following this build. I have made a couple bows out of staves but never really got into board bows. This will be a good start for board bows for me. Thanks for the videos! I look forward to buying some raw hide off of your website!
it's a great way to get started.
good morning Clay, i scored a find at a thriftstore, a squeegee for window tinting, and a wallpaper roller. i use these to smooth out bubbles in rawhide, or linen backing. i've heard of exercising your limbs, but jogging pants? brother you're taking it to the next lvl. that bow's gonna get spoiled you pampering it like that lol.
Haha, you gotta keep'em fit man!
I saw that the sticker was still on the board from purchasing and I thought that would be a nice thing to leave to give the bow some character. :-)
It would have gotten covered up by the backing anyhow.
Please do a video on dogwood arrows
Thanks for all the videos. I've recently just started going down the rabbit hole with bow making. It IS So awesome to actually work wood vs machine and assemble like in cabinetry.
Couple questions, how come you and everyone else puts some kind of baking on all their board bows? A gentlemen medieval reenactor said they were unnecessary(he has made many board bows).
What is that plastic white cup/pipe on the edge or your bench for?
You're awesome! thanks for all the vids and advice.
Great video Clay. You explain things really well. I want to make some of these bows for my grandkids. To reduce the weight do I just remove more from the belly side?
i love this vid i have been wanting to make a bow for years and really want to use Osage but i was pretty intimidated by the process, but for my first self made bow this way seems much less intimidating and novice not to mention inexpensive perfect for getting the feel of bow making, i will be starting my project soon and ordering rawhide from you. thanks for the help and inspiration.
Good luck Shane
@@clayhayeshunter in your book does it show the steps to making a reflex deflex bow? That is my final goal with the Osage. Thanks again.
It describes how to reflex the limb tips but I don’t cover deflex specifically.
@@clayhayeshunter ok in the near future I think I'm just going to come see you for a class
Great tutorial as always with your "how to" series!! Volume was a bit low on this one, but great content.
thanks, I'll check on that.
It was worth the wait Clay , loved the video and with minimal tools as well brilliant thanks for sharing 👍👍👍.
At 70 pounds it would be to heavy for me would it just be a case of removing more wood from the back of the bow for a lighter poundage or just start off with a thinner blank , thanks Clay
we'll reduce weight in the next vid. You'll end up removing wood from the belly to lighten the bow.
ya know a board bow is not as romantic but the wood still comes from a tree. I am going to try board bow first. I just may enjoy the concept more. and there is some nice wood out there
Great video would love to see more like this. Could you let us know if there are any workshops coming up this spring or summer?
There's still plenty of room in the bow building classes. Shoot me an email through the website and we can talk about dates. ch
Awesome video Clay keep them coming, by the way I believe I remember u doing a hickory bow! How did it turn out? I've got a hickory saw mill bout 2 miles from the house I'd love to try that
The hickory turned out good. It's a little slower than my osage but makes a good bow.
Great videos, really helpful. Am wondering though, is it necessary to back a board bow?
It’s safest to do so.
I would definitely watch more videos showing bow builds...I have a beautiful chunk of Osage that was milled into a square post with amazingly straight grain. I'm thinking a board bow style would be great for a first attempt at making a bow of my own
MrDeebz32 how big is your post? With Osage you could chase a ring and make a great bow I would save that for a few bows in. I love Osage it's a great wood to work with bet my first bow 4 years ago was a red oak board bow and it worked great to start.
MrDeebz32
Another option is to mill the post into as many straight grained 3/4”x1.5” slats as you can get out of it. Back it with hickory backing strips, or better yet with bamboo. A well built bamboo backed Osage bow is about as good as it gets for a backed primitive bow in my opinion.
It's about 6 foot long, and roughly 3x3 inches....I've done a tone of reading and watching videos, and I will definitely work up to chasing a ring on a piece of Osage at some point....I believe there's enough wood on the post to make several bows. I will probably try to cut off a piece to do a board bow backed with another wood, and save the rest for when I've got more experience..
MrDeebz32 that sounds like a good plan.
The board that you cut should have the the grain perpendicular to or at 45 degrees to the back and belly of the bow. The grain for the party that you want to chase a ring on should have the grain should be parallel to the back that should give you a place to start. With a 1 in thick piece of Osage that's long and narrow could still produce a good hunting weight bow.
Great videos. What’s got me troubled is it’s pretty unclear how much material to actually remove from the edges. And how much tension should initially be in your limbs. Can anyone provide some insight?
Damn, now I`ve gotta go find a good board at Home Depot. Thanks Clay for another great bow building video. Can't wait for the next one.
Curious...would it be possible to do a small arrow shelf on a board bow?
John Little You have to laminate the wood in order to make a shelf because the board is too thin to make one.
For a bend through the handle bow, you'd add your shelf to the side. Don't try to cut one in. To cut a shelf in, you'd need to add a piece of wood to beef up the handle section and make it stiff. I'll do a vid on the process.
Thanks Mr. Hayes. Love the videos keep em coming.
Is rawhide that yellow/milky white stuff they make dog chews/bones out of?
what's your thoughts on carbon fiber backing?
Hello from Sweden Clay. :)
I have a question:
could you use a silk tie or linen as a backing if you don't have rawhide?
I saw another bow builder use it... so could it work for this build too?
are little weavil holes gonna be a problem for a beginner bow piece of wood?
Clay, what are your thoughts of gluing a block in for a handle section? Is it doable in this type of build?
It is, I'll do a vid on it.
Howdy Clay, been away awhile..love your tutelage..
Was wondering what a good quality bow scale would be, don’t wanna buy a poor one.
I just use the orange one from 3Rivers.
thank you for these videos! I am wondering, I have some deer hides that are prepped for brain tanning I slipped the hair with ash and removed the epidermis layer of skin rinsed them really well and dried them for later use . can these be used for a bow back?
How bad is it if I made the tips as thin as the limbs? I planed the limp all the way through to the tip. It seems that you stopped short of the tips and just rounded them off.
You look at the bend of the limbs and remove wood accordingly.
@@clayhayeshunter Gotcha. Thanks so much, Clay.
Fantastic build. How would you reduce the draw weight. Would you taper the limbs further down. If you had to remove material to lessen the draw weight would you do it just at the far end of the limbs or equally through the length of the limb.
Thanks. I'm going to start one this month.
To reduce weight, continue to remove wood from the belly while maintaining the proper arc. Go slowly, weigh comes off fast toward the end of the process.
Hey, I'm beginning to make my first bow and I was wondering if it's mandatory to have the jig setup for testing the bow? Also, thanks for all your videos! They really help when making your first bows.
I assume you’re talking about the tillering rack. It isn’t absolutely necessary but super helpful.
I m curious. Would it be possible to make a Longview from a red oak branch???
you already lined me out with the rawhide backing for protection, and sinew backing for performance. many 'brick staggered' small strips of backstrap sinew, or wide flat 'sheets' staggered? and would you do rawhide over the sinew to protect that as well?
More of a brick pattern. You could do rawhide over sinew. I like snake over sinew best.
can this be done without backing it and still make a reliable bow?
Great video Clay thanks. I notice your rawhide appears quite thin. Would rawhide from an unwrapped large dog chew work ?
It would but it's a little thicker than I like. Thick rawhide just adds mass and will slow a bow down a little.
Hi Clay, Can you steam the limbs to add some recurve into them
Yes you can! Do that before backing.
What should i be looking for when selecting wood from these sources like home depot or Lowe's ?
I think I talked about that in the first video.
How do you know what the draw weight is ? I’d like to try build one at 45lbs draw ? Thanks clay
Could you just use Saran Wrap to hold the rawhide down?
No, it would never dry.
I have another question. I've been looking at a lot of woods for the bow and i'm wondering if black locust would be a good choice. I know orange osage is a quality choice, but black locust may seem to be better. I've also looking at lignum vitae and its on the choice list for either bow or arrow.
Black locust is a great bow wood. It may even exceed hickory in quality.
Great video. btw, why did you back the bow with rawhide?
rawhide helps protect the back against tension cracks
Clay do you think this would be a good choice for a small kids bow say in the 10 pound @ 16" draw range?I have only built bows out of staves and this would be more economical and save time as well.
Sure, you could turn the board edge ways so it’s only about a half inch wide.
Can you do this without the raw hide?
Should have done the sides before the belly but hey ho, thatks for trying ;)
?
How you doing clay thank you for all your videos It's helped me with all my archery Specially with my shooting in my shot cycle I have a problem with my long bow The limb tips will you hook up your string is very sharp And it's been tearing up my bow strings was in aware of it at 1st but when they start looking at it my strings were being cut in their life expectancy with short By looking at it seems that I have to file it down in round it out a little bit but to be honest with you and the can of afraid it was a gift to me And I love that bow now my problem is how can I fix it your advice is valued maybe you could help me out if I have to send it down in put a finish on it so I don't damage it can I do this myself I hope you understood everything I said I appreciate your time I hope you could help me Can make no mistakes so when you explain it to me 20 to me like if I was a 14 year old OK so I understand I hope you get back to me on this And keep in videos going they've helped me quite a bit
Efrain From Pennsylvania
Check out the video I did on nocks and tip overlays.
Thanks Clay, I'm enjoying the videos. I bought a red oak board today (no maple) and got the design laid out. I'm also curious if a shelf is possible on a bow like this?
I've had a lot of questions about this. It is possible but you'd need to glue on an extra piece to beef up the handle section.
I guess it's time I learn to shoot without a shelf! I backed my bow with fiberglass tape (easier and this is just my first bow) and have glued on two 3" pieces of split Japanese Maple (from my yard) to beef up the bow ends. Thanks for the videos!
In your opinion ,would there be any benefit to adding a riser to a board bow like this?
Only if you want a stiff handle which would allow you to cut an arrow shelf in.
Clay i’ve been meaning to ask you. I’ve been building bows for 12 years. I cut my own trees and split them into staves. But I have never built a board bow, however. What are the moisture content readings usually at for a typical home depot board? I don’t want to bring my moisture meter to test at the Home Depot in case they think I stole it.
The only thing I know is look for parallel grain from end to end with no knots. I plan on building a fully bending design like you did, with a deer rawhide backing/hide glue.
Thanks!
Aaron
Just tell them as you come in the door that you have it. Show them. They will not give you any problems after that.
Store wood is kiln dried and in VERY different from naturally dried woods in how it responds to moisture. Research it. It is something about the plastic nature of the wood getting fixed by the high drying temperatures.
Douglas E Knapp I’ve got to re-calibrate my meter. Getting funky readings. But thanks for the info. I feel like I would have too spend hours searching for the perfect board stave. I think I will back it with rawhide as a precaution as that won’t overpower the belly. I don’t use modern finishes, so i’ll just seal the bow with a dozen coats of rendered hog fat, heat it up gently to drive the oil in, and seal with my homemade beeswax/fat. Thanks for the info.
Aaron
@@aaronluna4341 I never find the perfect wood. I have ended up just taking what I can get and getting good with heat bending the wood. I use lots of branches as my base and then flatten the back. I use any wood that I can get and adjust the width to compensate per the bowyers bible number 3 or was it 4?
Thanks for these videos, Clay. Great series. And I really enjoyed your recent one building a bow from Elm and heat treating it. I already have a straight Elm tree selected on my dad's ground. But that'll be after I get some practice. Anyway, I do have a question. Before I watched this series, I watched one from somebody else in which he made a Mollegabet design from the same kind of board. I don't know if there's a particular reason to want that design rather than a standard longbow. But I figured I'd try my hand at making a couple different designs. My question relates to the back set that you imparted while you were backing with the sinew. Would that also work with a Mollegabet design? Or is it necessary? Thanks again. Keep up the great work. Good luck hunting and congrats on Alone.
I wouldn’t worry about backset much until you’ve got a few under your belt.
@@clayhayeshunter Okay. Thanks. I'm sure there will be a learning curve. I'll experiment a bit. One more question that I didn't pick up on. When you glue on your backing, do you use a "sizing" coat - allowing it to sit and get tacky? Or do you just coat the glue and immediately put the two pieces together? Thanks again.
I've followed you for a while now and I'm considering making a board/self bow for "Primitive" 3D competitions. In the mean time I've purchased a second hand bamboo laminated 'primitive' bow that has moderate string follow. I've never dealt with primitive bows before. Can I remove some of that set by carefully (little at a time) stringing the bow backwards and letting it set for a few days at a time? My gut feeling says no but thought I'd ask. Thanks...
No. Never bend a bow backwards!
Would you recommend staining or sealing the bow before backing or after?
sealing and staining should be the last thing you do.
Could you add a block handle to this bow
🎉
What’s the shortest you could get away with on this style bow
That depends on your skill as a bowyer, type of wood, backed or unbacked, etc. I’ve seen bows as short as 54 inches designed like this reach a 28” draw.
Is it easier to start your tillering with the block plane than farrier's rasp? Seems like it may be more efficient.
On a bow like this,I do all the tillering with a plane and scraper.
Could a piece of the extra board be added to the handle section and shaped to suit
yes it could.
is that bench vise spring assisted? what kind and where did you get it? looks like a very good vise!
Tim Burns I beleive that is a blacksmiths post vise. You can find them about, but they don’t come cheap.
Is it possible to build a contoured handle on the belly? (glue on some wood and shape it on the belly side)
Jim Dussias sure I've done it but I think this bow is supposed to bend thru the handle. The same tight bond glue will work fine.
You can build up the handle area,on a bendy handle,with cork or leather and it will still function as a bendy..You can contour the cork or leather...
Actually,,What Clay is making here,is a working handle bow...A true bendy,works equally through out...But,,this works as well,on either..
Why would one want it to bend through the handle? As opposed to having a handle section with a small shelf.
Several reasons...With a bending handle,one can build a shorter bow,for the same draw length...Some find them much easier to build and tiller..Usually you can build them narrower,so many staves can be used for a bendy,that would otherwise be useless for a static handled bow..You can put a small shelf,on the outside,of a bendy,,you just have to be more precise with arrow spine,but they will shoot,just as accurate,when the right spine and or arrow is used..In the History of archery,,the shelf,is a relatively new concept and was developed after archery,became a form of recreation,rather than a tool of serious survival.....