Hello everyone. My name is Doug and I live in Evansville. I have searched high and low for some sort of archery group in Indiana that was relatively close. Jay St. Charles from selfbow.com (after I sent him an email) directed me to contact you guys.
I am trying to make my own long bow and really need some readable step by step instructions. I have found some pictures that show how to lay it out, but I don't want to start cutting until I'm sure of what to cut.
So, if anyone in the group can give me some leads to a really good instructional site or if you have pictures that you can send, please do.
I guess I should have included that bit of info huh?
I'm trying to make a selfbow. I already have 3 staves of white oak. From my understanding, it's not the easiest wood to work with, but it was the cheapest so I bought it.
Thanks for replying so soon, I wasn't expecting to get any responses this quick.
doug im just learning myself but would be willing to help all i can . heres a good link to get you started http://mysite.verizon.net/georgeandjoni/archer.html also try to come to one of our shoots at scottsburg in, we shoot the 3rd sat. of each month. lots of fun just sitting and hearing all the bull....lol, but the shooting is even more fun! also there are a few guys that shoot selfbows there so you can get a look at some different kinds.
This is Dennis. Welcome. Bowyering is a good thing. Your gonna have fun. Also heartache. The best way we can help at this point is try to get some good bow wood in your hands. I think there should be an extra piece around somewhere. Keep an eye out for osage in your area too. There should be some around. Oh and try to contyact Bernie Swank. He's from Cuba Ill. and he's called Mystic Longbows. He may be close to you. Hope you can make the shoots. We can always use another primative guy to help hold back the hoards of carbon slingers
I would love to be able to make it to one of the shoots. I think it's going to be the best way to learn the things I need in order to complete my little project. But, it's just too far away right now. Maybe if I come up with a little money to spend for the gas to make the trip.
Also, the web site you recommended...well I've been there and read the info listed, unfortunately for me, I'm a seer, not a reader. Meaning I need to see it being done in order fo it to sink in. I can read all day, but there always seems to be a disconnect between reading and doing.
Thanks anyway, I will go back and re-read the stuff there and maybe I can soak up a little bit more and be able to put it into action.
I'm hoping that someone closer to me will read my post and be willing to invite me over for a little show and tell.
Thanks again for the reply, I really appreciate it and if you have other suggestions, please send them along.
try these two sites. Now what you, really need is "Hunting the Osage Bow" by Dean Torges. A great read and you will learn bowmaking too. I'm a firm believer in using the best wood possible for your first bow, and that would be a piece of osage. I've done white oak and would call it 3rd string wood at best. No reason to buy wood IMO. If you live anywhere near the river you have osage growing and I know for a fact that the early farmers around E/ville were German and that means OSAGE. They used it extensively for fence rows. Get over to the club (let us know you are coming) and someone will dig you out a piece of hedge.Or get the book, find out about cutting osage and go from there. You have osage around you, you just have to find it.
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I do not seek the good of others as a sanction for my right to exist, nor do I recognize the good of others as a justification for their seizure of my property or their destruction of my life.- Hank Rearden
After reading the reply about the Osage being in my area I got all exicted and started looking on the internet to find out what it looks like and loe and behold...I have seen that tree in my area. I don't remember exactly where, but I have seen it and I think it pretty much grows unattended. I used to spend a lot of time catfishing in the river and have stumbled over the damned "big green bombs". So, I will be making a return trip to the river and looking for the tree. If I find it I'll post about my good fortune. Thanks for the lead.
As far as the websites, I checked 'em out..thanks for that too.
Hey Doug. If you look around you should be able to find some osage. Check places where new subdivisions and stuff are going in. We had the bulldozer guys tell us to take all we wanted. The hedge apples should be easy to spot here soon. Take a ride through the country and you might spot a gold mine. I had no idea how to go about getting osage when I first started wanting to make bows. I knew no one would be willing to let someone on their land to cut down trees. My buddy Steve showed me how. He just went up and asked. You wll be suprised how many will let you cut hedge apple when you tell them what you wanna make. Those trees are pretty much useless, especially if their growing in your yard. Find out what to look for in specific trees though. A lot of osage isn't good for bows. DEN
Also, just to let those of you who have replied, I called a local bow dealer and he's putting me in touch with another local guy who makes bows and from what he said, they are very beautiful and he loves showing people how to make them on their own.
So, I'll keep everyone posted and I might even get carried away and try to post some photos so everyone can see my errors and successes.
Thanks again, and if anyone else wants to throw some wisdom or ideas my way...I'm all ears and I will greatly appreciate it.
Oh, yea. I haven't told you guys, but I don't have a band saw, but I did hook up with a guy from Craigs list who has one and is going to hold for me until the first. I'm a partially disabled Vet and I get paid on the first. Supposedly, he's only used it a few times and it's a 12" bandsaw.
You don't need a bandsaw actually and for a 1st bow I would not recommend one. A good drawknife will get you there. Bandsaws tend to "hurry" the neophyte bowyer, and that's not good at all. Another thing if it's not a good bandsaw with the right blade, the osage will give you fits. One of those little table top saws are really useless for osage.
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I do not seek the good of others as a sanction for my right to exist, nor do I recognize the good of others as a justification for their seizure of my property or their destruction of my life.- Hank Rearden
