Hello everybody, I got to thinking, and thought it would be interesting to see how, or where all you TradGangers picked up the skill of making bows. Maybe you read books, or it was passed down through the family. I think it would be cool to see all of the different backgrounds of bowyers :archer: .
-Ryan
Well I am still trying to learn, but I started with books, then found this site. I have posted my attempts here as I went along and you can't beat the advise here. The only one thing is you find out that there are only a few fast and hard rules to bow building.
I've never actually seen anybody build a bow from beginning to end in person. I read alot on-line, in magazines, and books. Then I started with Bingham's instructional materials and their kits. Bingham's is probably responsible for getting a large proportion of all laminated glass bowyers started.
I had a friend teach me the basics with my first bow. It's trial and error after that, really hurts when you lose a bow, but you always learn something from it's loss. And the knowledge you can get on here is awesome.
Thanks for sharing guys!
Have you made any bows Chris?
No, I have not, yet. Yet being the key word haha. I really would like to, and I'm learning a ton from everyone's posts on the bench. This summer was nice, I learned to make quality bowstrings and decent arrows, no bows. I leave for college later this month and hope to start on a simple bow making project that I can do some work on when alternating back and forth from Miami to Tallahassee. I would be interested in doing a lamination bow, maybe ill pick up a kit from bingham...
Kenny M that posts here makes great bow material also. Nothing wrong with Binghams either though.
Thanks, I'll keep him in mind. I had someone suggest him to me too, his build-alongs are awesome too
I buy all my laminates from KennyM he picks through the wood and gives you the absolute best products out there. I actually started making bows from this site and talking with Jawge he helped me a lot. If you don't know Jawge then just talk to some of the guys on here he's on all the time and more than willing to talk. I started building Laminated bows from trial and error also the traditional bowyers bible series.
Thanks, Stone. Kenny seems to be the way to go for materials
Chris, I tried making bows several years ago before I knew there were so many people out there already doing it. After several failures and life's situations, I gave up for several years. A student teacher I had told me about Sam Harper's site on-line. I finally got a copy of The Bowyer's Bible vol 1 and found TradGang. The advice on TG has probably helped me more than anything else. Also, after realizing there were so many people with the same ideas and desires as mine has been a motivation. I've improved with every bow, whether a success or failure.
My only regret is not finding my way into actually making a bow sooner.
Good luck with your endeavors.
Stan
Chris - A good way for you to start would be by buying Bingham's instructional dvd's, but then buy materials from Kenny. I don't want to diss on Bingham's materials, but Kenny's lams are of much better quality in terms of beauty of wood grain and precission of thickness. Also, Kenny ships within a couple days and charges you actual shipping cost.
I learn most of what I need and want to learn right here. I usually learn something new everyday.
Always wanted to build a bow and after finding TG I can't keep my hands off of a stick of good bow wood or any wood that has a slight chance of being a bow LOL
Not into building glass bows but these fellers here that are will not steer you wrong.
Stiks
My fathers philosophy on building gun stocks to me when I was a kid "Just take that block of wood and cut everything away that doesn't look like a gunstock" Now as an adult I have the great opportunity to share a shop with him he builds guns I build bows and yes I still tell him when he says how did you learn to do that. Just shave away everything that doesn't look or bend like a bow. Ironic I must say
I friend showed me the basics then I bought just about every book and video I could find on the subject. I found that almost every piece of reference material leaves something out.
The bottom line is you can only learn the complete process by doing.
Having run a bunch of students through my shop, I have found if you ever let fear of failure stop you from trying, you might as well find something some other hobby because you will never make it as a bow maker.
Failure is part of the learning process for a bow maker.
I had a friend introduce me to trad archery and at the same time tradgang. he had made a few bows and gave me some pointers. Then I read some and found some websites, such as Sam Harpers, and got to shaving wood. Most of what I know though has come from the good folk on here, especially PatB, John, Eric and Jawge just to name a few. Good luck with the addiction and see you at Tuesdays meeting;
"my names Tony and I make bows" :)
I pretty much learned what I know here. I'm still very much a novice at building bows but have been working with wood for years.
I've always loved archery and woodworking and I no longer have a big shop to build the furniture I used to build so I started building bows with my makeshift work areas and I'm loving it.
I picked up a book, "Bows and Arrows of the Native Americans" by Jim Hamm because I wanted to know more about the "arrowhead" I had found. His book was so interesting to me that I had to try and make a bow. It was the sadest bow you would ever see! But I was hooked!
Since then, like Eric, I have read just about every book written on the subject. I still buy some books just to add to my collection but still find a few things I'd never heard before. I've taken a class several years ago with Bernie Swank of Mystic Longbows and I have some DVD's.
This forum has also been a huge help. Especially with my tillering skills. Until "The Bowyers Bench" came along I didn't know just how bad my tillering was :) .
My name is Bona and I make self and backed bows. When is the next meeting BTW?
i was bored with shooting a wheel bow. i saw an ad for binghams and made a 3 piece takedown recurve. that was about 10 years ago. i then read all i could on bow making. i have a nice reference library now on bow making because of it. i joined tradgang in 2004 and learned a lot from the members. i should point out that i am still learning and get most of my information from the talent in this forum. don
I scoured the internet for every build-along I could find (lam bows). It seems I would pick up one or two new tips or ways of doing things from each one.
I built my oven & form and then had two kids and a career change that put off building one for a few years. When I got started again there were dozens more build-alongs to read and I jumped in and built one.
You learn a ton on your first one and you will keep picking up something new with everyone you build.
If you can find someone with experience it would be a big help but I did it on my own and without a Binghams kit. looking back, a Binghams kit would probably be a good idea.
As mentioned above, kennyM is a great source for lams that are dead on for quality and fast service.
If you read his form build-along on his site and his link to how he builds a bow its a good start.
Well.. never did archery before in my life. But always have tinkered with wood. About age 35, built a really nice wood sword for my son for christmas.. I was so in awe of what I did.. I wanted to build more.. something better... "to the internet batman..."
Found a forum site like this one back then and started absorbing all the info. I went for the hard tackle up front. The take down recurve. Decided to to build it totally out of wood to see if I could even do it. Guess what?.. I did it.
(http://i383.photobucket.com/albums/oo273/timberwolf177/Bow%20one/bowfinish1.jpg)
So bow two was a fiberglass take down. I still have both those bows hanging on the wall.
(http://i383.photobucket.com/albums/oo273/timberwolf177/Bow%20two/Bowside.jpg)
The other forum closed shop and a member from that one told me about this one.. so here I am and many bows later.
I did buy the binghams blue prints finally and changed them.. but was a good starting point.
I am still building bows.. way tooooo much fun! but also am working on a guitar (first time) and a pool cue (also first time).. Hot Dang I love wood!!!! :)
Have fun! do it.. mess up and do it again!
I learned from books, trail and error (emphasis on error) and I had some help from Bob Holzhauser. Jawge
trial and error/the internet. it worked out pretty decent, but i'm still building and still learning.
I had a go at staves before I had a computer.Read a few booklets I picked up in Alabama(ROLL TIDE). After I discovered the internet I found out about board ows and laminates.WOW, wish I had known about those sooner. Now I'm in the process of building a glass bow with the help of Kenny M. His deflex/reflex bow is so smooth and quiet the only thing the game will hear is the broadhead breaking their ribs! Hell of a nice guy and lots of woods to choose from. And thank you Kenny for your time and patience.
Jeff
im still learning, im working on bow #2
In 1996 I found the Bowsite. In 1998 I found out people make bows with wood. In about 1999, Torges started his series on making osage bows and I learned the basics there. In the past 12 years or so, I have learned alot mostly through this site, stickbow.com, the Trad Bowyer's Bible and Torges' book and video. But the real teacher is experience. I'm somewhere over 150 bows and I still learn something from every one.
Thank you all for sharing, some great info posted on here. I know this will help me, and others start making some bows, finally :D .
I rediscovered bowhunting in the late 90's, going through the compound time for 3 years or so; then visited Jeffrey Archery in Columbia, SC and picked up one of their recurves. So light! Tom gave me a few lessons and I was back in bidness, buying every book and vid I could find on shooting. Someone in Jeffrey's shop said 'you won't own just one'... how prophetic! About 8 years ago, I discovered the Bowyers Bibles, and Dean Torges video on HBBB. Bought a blank from him and turned out a dog of a 42 lb r/d bow, but the lessons learned were invaluable. Just have kept on making all bamboo or bamboo backed hickory or osage bows. Straight limbed, string follow, long, shorter, r/d. Still got to get the gumption to build or attempt osage selfbows (again, Torges' HOB, and this site) and fiberglass sheathed bows. This site has helped immensely with the buildalongs and inspiration. Many times, it is humbling to see the creativiity expressed here.
What fun it all is, after all.
I thought i would save money making my own bow! Self taught from scratch, what a journey its been! :knothead: :laughing:
"Failure is part of the learning process for a bow maker. "
How true Eric!
I always tell folks the hardest part is just starting in on one!
I ,like a lot of others started with Binghams. I would say they have started more folks on the enjoyable hobby or bowyerin than about anyone.
Tons of tips and info right here also, I'm always glad to give a hint or tip when I can.
Ya Jeff, KennyM is ok, I guess:)
Roy , you gotta quit pickin on me, I'm gettin a complex. You don't know how sensitive I am. :laughing: :laughing:
LMAO....
Yep, its amazing the amount of great info right here. Not to mention the years of hands on experience! :notworthy: :campfire:
Well for me it was a 3 part thing.
First bow I saw was a board bow my cousin had and he suggested to do a on line search and I did and made a few bows from hickory boards over a couple year time peroid.
Second was when I me Gary Davis at the KZoo show and he invited my to attend one of his winter work shops where I learned the art of selfbows out of osage from removing the bark all the way to finish. That tought me how to make and tiller a bow correctly (thanks gary) from that knowledge I harvested a few hickory trees made a few and broke a few ouch.
Third while attending the Michigan bunny stomp I met Jim Jones from Firefly bows and fell in love with his bows 3pc takedowns and I thought boy would I shure like to learn how to do that and Jim said he would share whatever info he had and suggested I look at Binghams for info on forms ect.. and I did. So now a few years latter and a few broken risers in the process I have learned what to do and what not to do (sometimes) have tweeked my forms, learned about power lams and tip wedges and how to use those and here I am about 10 years latter it is a blast..
Terry
Also a ton of info from this site and the people here.....
I blame Sam Harper and the folks here at TradGang for this addiction, er, hobby!
3 bows so far, all red oak board bows, with one failure (not really my fault as my son didn't ask for advice before he started on his handle) and getting ready to start another board bow.
Wife doesn't know it yet but am looking into getting started on a laminate....
Wild Bill
Bought the Bowyers craft by Jay Massey in 1987. Lot of books and watching more experienced bowyers at the start. Still get idea's from other guys.
I have been shooting for a long time. I am one of those Jack of all trade kind of people. I love shooting so much and thought to myself I need to get my wife shooting. So I started here by soaking up info and looking at different build alongs... and just like a lot of people have said already, there are only a few "rules" the rest is up to you, be creative and let the shavings fly.
Also you just need to start out having faith that you will make something. You can just be doubting yourself or else you'll always be afraid and never get started. I guess thats an all encompassing thought about life too huh...
I started doing family history research about 30 years ago and am still heavily involved with that pursuit. Years ago, I discovered that my second great grandma, Sarah Brown Drake was Cherokee. I never wanted to try to join one of the tribes, because I grew up in the white-man's world and really didn't feel like I deserved to be considered Cherokee. Lately, however, the more I researched about Cherokee history (trying to find Sarah's parents), especially around north east Alabama, the more I realized that being Cherokee is part of my heritage.
Even though I never knew her, (she lived from 1825 to about 1910) my search for her roots created a real bond with her. I admire what she and her family must have gone through and want to honor their memory.
I wanted to think of a way to pass some part of her culture and heritage on to my children and grand-children. After searching the net, I decided to try my hand a bow making and I love it.
I bought Al Herrin's book "Making Cherokee Bows and Arrows" and the first three volumes of The Bowyer's Bible. After reading Herrin's book, I thought I would try using Osage. I searched the net for Osage Orange and found James Easter's site and ordered his DVD. I called him a couple of times while I was working on the first bow. Very nice and helpful young man. I made two bows before I found this forum and have learned a whole lot from the guys here.
Didn't mean to ramble.
In 1997 I was deployed overseas and decided I wanted to build my own bow. I bought every book I could find shortly there after and read them while out to sea. Some of the titles were "The Bent Stick", "The Bowyer's Craft", TBB I, and II, and several others.
After arriving home, after studying these books for 6 months, I discovered the Leather Wall and some great mentors in Jim Hamm, the Ferret, Murray Gaskins and others. I made a draw knife from an old file that belonged to my late grandfather. I then built a hickory selfbow that I still have today.
After that I started building laminated all wood bows. After quite a few of those I started shooting fiberglass laminated bows. Then I started buying and selling bunches of those, while looking for that perfect one!
In 2007 I decided to build a fiberglass bow. I bought Dan Bertalans book "Bowyers of America", and Binghams video. With tons of research on this site, and several books, I took the glass plunge. I still have and shoot that first one. After building that first straight hill style bow, I've built mild D/R, Pronounced D/R, two piece longbows, and even three piece ones.
Building custom order bows has a few downsides though. I enjoyed myself much more when I was building for myself, and sharing all my work with you folks. One day when I retire from my day job, I'll start building customs hard again. For now I plan to resume building for me after finishing my last few custom orders. I want to build a youth longbow, and a 50s style recurve. :)