bamboo self bow build

[superdav95]

If you get this to work right with those tips stiff enough, you may well build the fastest self bow in the world with no hope of ever beating it.

Thanks Kevin.  Ya I’m hoping so!  If I can get it to be at 50lbs or just over that would be awesome.   Right now at brace it’s feeling like around 50-55.  This is purely based on my going by feel from build many of these.  We shall see.  I will only shoot this bow a few times here to speed test and keep my fingers crossed. 

[superdav95]

Very cool.  Clay Hayes did a video a year or two ago where he went to a tropical island, made a bamboo self bow with a snake plant fiber string, killed a pig with it, and cooked it in a primitive bamboo pressure cooker!   

So yeah, I guess it can work.  Yours looks a lot prettier than his.

Thanks WB.  I’ll have to see if I can find that video by clay.  I’m a huge fan of his work! 

[Pat B]

Very cool bow, David. Interesting build along.
 I've seen other bamboo self bows but they had the power fibers(outside) as the belly but I can see how the hollow belly style works for your bow. 

[superdav95]

Very cool bow, David. Interesting build along.
 I've seen other bamboo self bows but they had the power fibers(outside) as the belly but I can see how the hollow belly style works for your bow. 

Thanks Pat.  I’ve actually tried a couple of those too.  They are great for hastily made survival bows.  I did not see the same performance though.   

[superdav95]

A update on the bamboo self bow and a few more progress pics.  I got the handle sanded up and put a coat of tung oil on it to seal it a bit.  Ill add more later. the handle is made up of bloodwood, black walnut and black palm.   i also added thin horn plates for string groove nocks at the tips.  Ive had the string bite in and come close to splitting the bamboo on previous builds.  thanks for following along.