How can i build my own bow & arrows, using traditional methods?

Question

I want to make my own wood bow and arrows. Is there a way i can do it [at home ] ? (what kind of wood is needed, how is it processed, tools etc. )

Answer 1

What you need is thin wood. You need to make a laminate, by sandwhiching wood together in layers to make the recurve on the bow and it have the ability to spring back with strenght.

First your going to need a pattern, (library or online), then, get some cherry, 1/8" a few of them, long enough for the entire recurve of the bow.

Take a piece of wood, plywood,3/4" and put pegs on the board that will resemble the recurveature of the bow. Now, put the cherry in either hot water for an hour or so, or steam it, and get it flexible. Now, bend it to the pegs, and put some more pegs so that it will not move. (make two patterns and have both at one time). Now, when it dries, get another piece and steam or heat it with hot water. Take it out and dry it, then apply glue to it and put it on the piece that is in the mold. Put many clamps on it, to hold them all together.

Do this until you have a good 3 or 4 of them built up, and glued up.

Now, get the middle made. You have to take the two ends, and bundle them in more thin pieces for the middle and glue them up, a section at a time. (since you have the pattern, just keep the small laminate sections being bult up until you achieve your thickness). After that, then use some wood chisels to cut where you need to amend the pattern, and saw at other places...to form the "bow stock" that will fit your needs.

Now, laminate the entire structure with some poly, after it has set up and cured for a few days.

Get some proper bow string, and string the recurve bow and then ooops forgot the arrow, eh? :)

SO, we get some straight dowel rods, and notch the ends out. Get a pigeon that happened to drop dead on your door step, or parakeet feathers :) And put them in the notches that you have at the back of the arrow. Glue them in. (three sides for the fletchings, or four, its your preference and how many feathers you have).

Now, notch the very end, using a saw, (very carefully, - good flat chineese saw for this one).

Now you smooth down the front to a point. Either paint it, or if you want, dip it in some hot lead, for a point...(heat the lead outside, so you dont get lead dust everywhere).

Now, take your bow, that you just put string on, and nock the arrow, and sight it..

TWANG!!! Its gone! oops... DONT SHOOT THE NIEGHBORS DOG!!!

I wish you well..

Jesse

Answer 2

It depends. If you are hunting or sneaking to kill someone than for sure bow and arrow. But if you are simply on the street than sure a gun. A bullet is faster than an arrow. So if you aim an arrow at a person they have more reaction time to dodge that arrow and then react. With a bullet it is faster and gives the person less time to react. BUT, If I were in the Hunger Games, I would still use a bow and arrow. First of all - they don't provide a M16, lol. And, it's a hunting game. Also, You would be able to carry more arrows than you would bullets. Also, I don't really enjoy having to "kill" someone, so if I HAD to it would be with an arrow, not a gun.

Answer 3

You first have to find wood that bends. Most likely something that isn't strong like a sapling, or a younger tree...once oak and maple get old they get tough. Don't use string for the string, use twine..or a thicker piece of rough string...I really do suggest twine. The arrows are more complicated because you have to make sure they are straight, or else the velocity will not work correctly. I don't know what you are going to use for fethers unless you pull a down pillow apart...all I have to say is BIG mess! I do agree with our local lib person, you may find a book that helps you along the way....Enjoy your project!

Answer 4

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Answer 5

The best wood for selfbows is yew or osage orange. Good beginner wood is ash, elm or hickory. If you want to dry your own wood here is a video about how to prepare a stave: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HOO_ELGGuI

Answer 6

I would call forrest park acrhery in forest park Ill on Madison ave .... greatplace

Answer 7

Go to your local library for this info.