Hello all,
I'm new to traditional archery. I build bamboo fly rods and I'd love to make a bamboo longbow. I've done some extensive internet searches and I've found a lot of info on Ipe/bamboo bows but nothing about a bamboo only longbows. Why is bamboo always mated to a hardwood such as hickory or Ipe? I'd like to glue two bamboo planks together for the limbs and tiller for desired weight, but I haven't found any information on this type of build.
Can anyone point me toward a good book or internet resource? Any info, experiencees or pics of bamboo bow project would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
The mating of bamboo back and wood belly is that the fibers in the outside of bamboo are very strong in tension.
The wood chosen such as IPE is strong in compression.
They pair up well. The tillering is done on the belly wood.
There have been all bamboo bows built. Some with a wood sandwiched between.
By plank if you mean like flooring you might be able to tiller it I don't know.
I would just go for it and post up the results. Better yet, put together a little build along.
It looks like you may be able to laminate a bamboo backing to a bamboo flooring plank. the trick will be to either splice the flooring to get the length or find one long enough.
At worst you're out a couple of pieces of bamboo.
I just got my shipment of bamboo planks from Franks. I'm new to bow building so I'm cutting my teeth on a red oak board bow, then we'll see how the bamboo/bamboo bow works out. I'll take some pics and if it turns out I'll post a build along.
There's a technique in rodbuilding where two pieces of bamboo are glued up "outer edge to outer edge". The power fibers remain on the inside of the lamination and the outer pith side is scrapped to affect action. I'm going to try this to tiller the bow. We'll see how it goes...
Google "PMQ" (poor mans quad)for an example of what I'm taking about.
Good luck. If you don't leave the outer unmolested surface of the bamboo on the outside for the back of the bow, I think it's going to catastrophically fail in tension on the back. But, that's just a guess as I've never done it :)
But hey, whatcha got to lose? Go for it. Oh, uhhh, ya better wear safety goggles :)
The Fall 2001 (vol 9, issue 3) issue of Primitive Archer has an article on making an all-bamboo laminated bow. Author is Stefan Seitz.
You should be able to get a back issue from PA.
Guy
your back piece of boo needs left natural for tension and your belly piece of boo needs to be heat tempered. Your boo needs to tillered before glue up.
If you flatten each piece of Bamboo, leaving it as thick as you can for a hunting weight bow, you leave alot of pith. The bow will take a real set.
It's best to flatten the back and belly, taper it as best you can and glue in a tapered piece of wood or even more bamboo for the core.
You'll have to do most of your finish tillering from the sides so get it tapered as best you can before gluing.
I just went to the PMQ site you mentioned above. Very interesting, I'm going to rethink my answer above just a bit.
Hi,
Here's a very very good build along for an all bamboo recurve. I did a longbow with serious reflex and no deflex and the bow took about 4" of set. I didn't heat temper my belly enough. Get your belly as dark as possible, all the way through. Good luck. All bamboo bows are great. I have also made bamboo backed verticle bamboo floorboard bows, they are great too!
http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=125;t=001887;p=1
Thanks
Pete