First red oak board bow.

5424 Views 23 Replies 6 Participants Last post by Rain Man, May 2, 2010

Rain Man

Discussion Starter · Apr 27, 2010

2

So....... I took the leap, and it turned out pretty good I think. It's 72" long and 47 pounds at my 28 inch draw. It's made from a plain old 1 x 2 x 6 foot red oak board. I glued on a handle and made a shelf. No backing.

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Toxopholite

· #2 · Apr 27, 2010

3

Excellent tiller!

Bet ya cant build just one

That is a fine job indeed! Wait till ya use it in the field!

FWIW-You might want to look into making a tillering tree with a pulley system. I'll try to get a pic of mine to show you what I mean.

Your current one may work just by adding the pulleys. The main problem with your tree- mine was the same for my 1st bow- is that you can overwork the limbs and risk damaging the limb. With the pulley you can "work" the limbs back and forth "teaching" the limbs to bend properly without over drawing during this critical stage.

Again thats a fine bow! Congrats!! And Welcome Home!!

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deluxe hunter

· #3 · Apr 27, 2010

nice

jkhunter

· #4 · Apr 27, 2010

That is awesome, I need to finish mine up it is also made from red oak. Yours looks real good.

Did you use any type of backing? I am going to use silk.

Good Job

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jkhunter

· #5 · Apr 27, 2010

Toxopholite said:
Excellent tiller!

Bet ya cant build just one

That is a fine job indeed! Wait till ya use it in the field!

FWIW-You might want to look into making a tillering tree with a pulley system. I'll try to get a pic of mine to show you what I mean.

Your current one may work just by adding the pulleys. The main problem with your tree- mine was the same for my 1st bow- is that you can overwork the limbs and risk damaging the limb. With the pulley you can "work" the limbs back and forth "teaching" the limbs to bend properly without over drawing during this critical stage.

Again thats a fine bow! Congrats!! And Welcome Home!!

Toxo, if you could get a pic up of your tillering tree that would be great

jkhunter

· #6 · Apr 27, 2010

jkhunter said:
That is awesome, I need to finish mine up it is also made from red oak. Yours looks real good.

Did you use any type of backing? I am going to use silk.

Good Job

just reread and saw "no backing"

Rain Man

Discussion Starter · #7 · Apr 27, 2010

jkhunter said:
Did you use any type of backing? I am going to use silk.

No. I bought some linen to use, but I hit the red oak jackpot and found a board at Lowes with no run-offs and it wasn't warped. Lucky me!

I'd like to see a picture of that pulley system too. It's a good idea, but I'm a rookie and I haven't seen how it can be done. I assume I just attach a pulley wheel to the bottom of the 2 x 4 and set up something to anchor the tree down so it doesn't move when I pull...

loridr

· #8 · Apr 27, 2010

Congrats Rain Man! Looks great!

I'm in the process of drying (and attempting to straighten) a hickory pole to attempt my first build. Jk and I have been back and forth about it several times.

jkhunter

· #9 · Apr 27, 2010

This is very addicting, I have two hickory stave bows going a red oak board bow thats close to being finished and this past weekend I striped the bark and white wood of of an osage stave. The osage will have to sit for some time it was cut recently and that's fine because I will need some more practice before I tackle that one.

loridr, You should try the board bow instructions I sent you, it's cheap practice and gives you some tiller experience.

Rain Man, my board bow has the same handle and rest as yours I wonder if we used the same instructions. Did you get yours on the net or is that your own design?

Rain Man

Discussion Starter · #10 · Apr 27, 2010

I got some guidance from this site:

http://poorfolkbows.com/oak.htm

Toxopholite

· #11 · Apr 28, 2010

I'll get a pic up tomorrow

jkhunter

· #12 · Apr 28, 2010

Rain Man said:
I got some guidance from this site:

http://poorfolkbows.com/oak.htm

Yep that's it. I made mine from a 1x3 though it's wider and shorter than the one in the build-a-long.

loridr

· #13 · Apr 28, 2010

jkhunter said:
loridr, You should try the board bow instructions I sent you, it's cheap practice and gives you some tiller experience.

That's good advice JK and I think I'll do just that while my "magic" stave

is drying, although I think I'll try to get a hickory board from the Hardwood Warehouse in my area and give that a go instead of oak.

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jkhunter

· #14 · Apr 28, 2010

Hickory would be better I wish I could find it around here.

I can't wait to see the magic in that bow that is really cool that it's a local wood from an area you hunt.

I get my stave's on eBay just like the Indians used too

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Retiredusne8

· #15 · Apr 29, 2010

jkhunter said:
Hickory would be better I wish I could find it around here.

I can't wait to see the magic in that bow that is really cool that it's a local wood from an area you hunt.

I get my stave's on eBay just like the Indians used too

Have you checked with the Long Barn in Ebensburg,814 472-9122 ,right off of 22, they might have some hickory. ask for the lumber yard if you call,that where I order my walnut and butternut from.

jkhunter

· #16 · Apr 29, 2010

I'm actually going to Altoona next month, maybe I'll stop in.

Thanks for the info

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loridr

· #17 · Apr 29, 2010

jkhunter said:
Hickory would be better I wish I could find it around here.

I can't wait to see the magic in that bow that is really cool that it's a local wood from an area you hunt.

I get my stave's on eBay just like the Indians used too

Well, I know there’s magic in that wood, question remains whether there’s magic in my hands!

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Toxopholite

· #18 · Apr 29, 2010

4

Heres a few pics: 1st is the tree at rest.

Hope it helps!!

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Toxopholite

· #19 · Apr 29, 2010

Using a tree isnt necessary to make a selfbow. Natives didnt need one but had a good eye and feel. For the novice bowyers it is a big help.

Rain Man

Discussion Starter · #20 · Apr 30, 2010

I like the graph behind it to see precisely how the limbs are bending. It's definitely more accurate than mine. Thanks for the idea and the pics

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