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Questions from a newbie

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Lucasade:
Thank you.

 By the way, what's the best page to post stuff about the non-warbows I'm going to make? Presumably there's some sort of general longbow one?

Del the cat:
The Bows section...
Del

Lucasade:
That would make sense  :-[

Hazel sounds interesting - I've got a client with a hazel in desperate need of coppicing. And the pictures of your repeating crossbow were very intriguing!

mikekeswick:
I second what Darksoul says in his advice above. Where some people may just say 'wing it and you'll be alright' he tends to give the cold, hard truth of the matter in a succinct and honest way.  ;)
I'm going to Cornwall on holiday this year (early August) and will be heading down the M6 past Birmingham, Worcester etc if you could meet me somewhere easy to find (for me!) I'll give you a suitable dry stave.
In the mean time get cutting wood! Hazel will make fine bows, I've made a couple that have really surprised me out of coppiced hazel. Before you cut a tree make certain that the grain isn't twisted like a barbers pole by eyeballing the bark. Cut only trees that look like telegraph poles with no knots - this will make your first bows SO much easier to make as it will allow you to concentrate on getting a good tiller and not having to figure out reflex/deflex spots etc. Split anything over say 4 inch in half and always seal the ends. It's safer now in summer to leave the bark on until the wood has lost a chunk of moisture.
Good luck.

Lucasade:
It's the best sort of advice to get!

I'll send you a message about meeting you - that's amazingly kind.

I'm now eyeing up all the local ash trees - and I've found a copse of hawthorn at the bottom of my garden with several 6-8" diameter clear stems in. Oh dear...  :)

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