Author Topic: Any tips for a beginner bowyer?  (Read 2258 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Deerhunter21

  • Member
  • Posts: 2,253
  • What do you despise? By this are you truly known.
Any tips for a beginner bowyer?
« on: February 13, 2019, 06:52:28 pm »
I would like to get into bow making but need some direction in where to go. any tips will help   :) (tools, bow designs, wood, where to buy staves, etc.)  Thanks!
« Last Edit: February 13, 2019, 06:55:33 pm by Deerhunter21 »
Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination.

Offline tattoo dave

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,540
  • Rockford, MI
Re: Any tips for a beginner bowyer?
« Reply #1 on: February 13, 2019, 07:22:20 pm »
Your other post about starting with a board bow is a good plan. Boards are much cheaper and easier to come by in most cases.

There's info in the how to thread, like build alongs. Read as many of those as possible. Post pics and others will hopefully pitch in with suggestions.

Tattoo Dave
Rockford, MI

Offline George Tsoukalas

  • Member
  • Posts: 9,425
    • Traditional and Primitive Archers
Re: Any tips for a beginner bowyer?
« Reply #2 on: February 14, 2019, 06:55:57 am »
My site may help you get started.

http://traditionalarchery101.com

Jawge
Set Happens!
If you ain't breakin' you ain't makin!

Offline Pat B

  • Administrator
  • Member
  • Posts: 37,461
Re: Any tips for a beginner bowyer?
« Reply #3 on: February 14, 2019, 07:25:50 am »
George has what you want to know on his site. Check it out then come back so we can walk you through the process.   :OK
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline bradsmith2010

  • Member
  • Posts: 5,187
Re: Any tips for a beginner bowyer?
« Reply #4 on: February 14, 2019, 08:57:58 am »
Make some no frills well tiller bows to start,..then experiment as u gain experience

Offline DC

  • Member
  • Posts: 10,396

Offline PEARL DRUMS

  • Member
  • Posts: 14,079
  • }}}--CK-->
Re: Any tips for a beginner bowyer?
« Reply #6 on: February 14, 2019, 08:59:48 am »
Start with the best wood you can, any short cuts in that area and your failure rate goes up exponentially.

Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline Deerhunter21

  • Member
  • Posts: 2,253
  • What do you despise? By this are you truly known.
Re: Any tips for a beginner bowyer?
« Reply #7 on: February 14, 2019, 10:09:02 am »
Thanks Guys! another question. What are frills? also whats a Well tiller? I haven't heard of that type of tillering. Also Thanks for the Link George! ;D
Make some no frills well tiller bows to start,..then experiment as u gain experience
Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination.

Offline Strichev

  • Member
  • Posts: 172
Re: Any tips for a beginner bowyer?
« Reply #8 on: February 14, 2019, 11:00:22 am »
Buy a good drawknife and a good rasp. The difference is like night and day. I had two cheap Chinese rasps and the heat treat was so bad that they bent in the handle... while rasping yew. A small high quality draw knife also doesn't really cost that much but is absolutely worth it.

Offline Pat B

  • Administrator
  • Member
  • Posts: 37,461
Re: Any tips for a beginner bowyer?
« Reply #9 on: February 14, 2019, 11:01:17 am »
A no frills bow is a simple bow without all the geegaws, without decorations, just good tiller. Tillering is the heart or bow making. A well tillered bow is one that has both limbs bending evenly and together, depending on the style of bow you are making. Some bows have an elliptical tiller, some a circle of an arch tiller. This depends on the style and shape of the bow.
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Hawkdancer

  • Member
  • Posts: 5,027
Re: Any tips for a beginner bowyer?
« Reply #10 on: February 14, 2019, 11:21:37 am »
Plus 2 on all the replies!  Take your time, and ask questions.  The only dumb question is the one you don't ask!  Read "The Bent Stick" by Paul Comstock's, vols. 1-4 Traditional Bowyer's Bible.
Welcome aboard!
Hawkdancer
Life is far too serious to be taken that way!
Jerry

Offline Deerhunter21

  • Member
  • Posts: 2,253
  • What do you despise? By this are you truly known.
Re: Any tips for a beginner bowyer?
« Reply #11 on: February 14, 2019, 02:00:52 pm »
OK so I want to get the stuff but where can I get a Good draw and pen knife? I know where to get the books. And is it better to buy a stave or make one? Thanks!  :BB
« Last Edit: February 14, 2019, 03:05:48 pm by Deerhunter21 »
Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination.

Offline Pat B

  • Administrator
  • Member
  • Posts: 37,461
Re: Any tips for a beginner bowyer?
« Reply #12 on: February 14, 2019, 06:05:30 pm »
Jusk shops of antique shops usually have good, old drawkinves for about $20 or so. If you know a farrier(horseshoer) they usually have farrier rasps that they will give away or you can but one new for about $20 from Tractor Supply.
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Deerhunter21

  • Member
  • Posts: 2,253
  • What do you despise? By this are you truly known.
Re: Any tips for a beginner bowyer?
« Reply #13 on: February 15, 2019, 06:20:56 am »
Thanks! I will check them out!
Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination.

Offline SLIMBOB

  • Member
  • Posts: 3,759
  • Deplorable Slim
Re: Any tips for a beginner bowyer?
« Reply #14 on: February 15, 2019, 07:22:49 am »
Like learning any new information on a particular subject education is key. You can fly right into the “doing” part of this craft and learn by trial and error. Better I believe to learn from the wisdom of others and simply avoid some of those errors. Get your hands on the Traditional Bowyers Bible, vol I and vol II. Read them as you go, in advance of the “doing” part. Pick up a copy of Comstocks “The Bent Stick”. Lots of wisdom there. So much of what you will read those books will translate directly to that piece of wood your working on. You have the added advantage of coming to this forum throughout your build to consult with any number of guys that are much farther down the road. Tearing into this without that foundation...frustrating at best. Knowledge is power.
Liberty, In God We Trust, E Pluribus Unum.  Distinctly American Values.