Main Discussion Area > HowTo's and Build-a-longs
Mary Rose Replica Bow Build-Along--An Entrance into the World of War Bows
SteveO:
Since the topic of home made bodkins has come up, some might want to read how I make mine. It's on about the last post in the spine tester thread in the arrow section. http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,915.0.html
Steve
duffontap:
Ok, ok, I have to admit it--I'm a lousy, beginner blacksmith. As my wife always says, I just go 100% with everything I try. So, I'm trying to forge a bodkin. I'll talk more about that first of the week. Take care everyone.
J. D. Duff
"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might..." --Ancient Hebrew Proverb [i
duffontap:
SteveO,
Those are excellent looking points. Much nicer than the ones I made. I'll post what I've come up with today, then you can make critical comments from your more advanced prospective. Thanks.
J. D. Duff
SteveO:
I'm just a beginner, J.D. I put a forge together several years ago and have been learning by the trial and error ( lots of that) method. It takes me about an hour to make one bodkin so I'm not sure I qualify as an instructor. The only trick, if you want to call it that, that I've discovered is to make the socket first. It's the hardest part to get right and it's easier for me to make it on the end of a piece of metal long enough so I don't have to use tongs. I have trouble making a head light enough for practical use, but I'm still working on it. You'll probably figure it out and be able to tell me how!
Steve
duffontap:
Hello Everyone,
If you’re anything like me, you can’t just stop at ‘mostly home made,’ and just have to have your hand in every possible part of the process. I have my limits, but at the very high cost of hand-forged bodkins, I knew I had to find a way to make my own. My first attempt was to make conical bodkins on a lathe. I drilled the socket to 1/2” and started filing, but it was just taking too long. As I moped around the house waiting for an idea, my wife reminded me that there is a professional blacksmith who keeps a shop not two miles from my house. I was on my way.
One of the funny things about archery is that everyone seems to have some connection to it, and some interest in it. Every time I tell someone that I build bows and arrows and follow that with a humble request for a favor—every time—they gladly go way out of their way to help me. Such was the case with John, the blacksmith at Gearhart Iron Works. I showed him a few pictures and he started to work on a piece of scrap iron. After a little trial and error, he told me he would be glad to have me come back for a few weekends to try making bodkins out of steel from his scrap bin. No charge.
After a couple trips to the shop, I have a few rough-looking bodkins with no socket. John recommended that I drill them out on my drill press. I could do that. Or I could grind them down to wedges or tangs and glue them into a V in the end of the shaft and follow with some epoxy and thread wraps. I may do that for now.
While I was trying to figure this socket problem out, I posted a request for information on the arrow page of englishwarbow.com/forum/ and was quickly directed to a most helpful video. It was a 2 1/2 minute video showing a blacksmith making a point from start to finish. You can download this video for free from englishwarbow.com under their video gallery. I highly recommend it to anyone with a hint of interest. I have another appointment this Saturday with John, and hopefully we’ll be able to figure out the sockets together—with the aid of this newfound video.
Following are a few additional pics of my forging adventure. For those with great interest, a simple propane forge can be made for the home shop for little more than a $100. Sounds reasonable to me—maybe some day.
J. D. Duff
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