Trad Gang

Main Boards => The Bowyer's Bench => Topic started by: Frosty the Bowman on December 30, 2012, 02:29:00 AM

Title: bow styles for beginers
Post by: Frosty the Bowman on December 30, 2012, 02:29:00 AM
Hey I want to know what is your opinions as to the best, easiest style of bow to build for a beginer, and why.

Thanks guys, your better then any book or  library.

Kevin
Title: Re: bow styles for beginers
Post by: Osagetree on December 30, 2012, 08:02:00 AM
This was easy and almost fool proof.
You can substitute the Urac with Titebond wood glue.
I still shoot this bow regularly!

http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=000069
Title: Re: bow styles for beginers
Post by: jsweka on December 30, 2012, 08:38:00 AM
If you want to get into glass laminated bows, a straight limbed Hill style bow is easiest to build.  In all the ones I've made, I've only had one where I really needed to do any tillering.  Glue them up, reduce the limb with, put a string on them and the limbs bend the same and the string tracks down the center.

Now a glass laminated bow does take more equipment to build than an all wood bow, but is easier when is comes to tillering.

I have built a few reflex/deflex glass laminated bows and those all did take a little tillering to get the limbs bending equally and evenly.

The toughest one I build was a takedown recurve.  That thing gave me fits from getting the alingment holes lined up right to getting rid of twist in the limbs.  I now understand why professionals charge so much more for a takedown recurve.

In the end, I still prefer shooting my stright limbed Hill syle bows.
Title: Re: bow styles for beginers
Post by: George Tsoukalas on December 30, 2012, 01:33:00 PM
What kind of bow? I assume you are making a self or backed bow. I think the easiest to make is a bend in the handle bow. They are jus easier to tiller. More on my site. Let us know if you need help.
Title: Re: bow styles for beginers
Post by: George Tsoukalas on December 30, 2012, 01:39:00 PM
Frosty, I saw on another thread you want to make a board bow. Choose straight grained stock. Don't do a glued on piece. Makes for more problems.  Bend in the handle bows are easier to tiller. Leave the handle width. 1.5 in will get you 50-55#. 1 3/8 in board will get you 45-50#. I like red oak. If you need help let us know.
If the board was milled at an angle, no way you can chase a ring. You could only do so on a  plain sawn piece anyway. As Steve said, choose a straight grained piece and  it won't matter. More on my site. Jawge
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/index.html
jawge
Title: Re: bow styles for beginers
Post by: George Tsoukalas on December 30, 2012, 01:41:00 PM
The weights I gave are estimates. Beginners usually come in under weight if they are lucky.  :)  Jawge
Title: Re: bow styles for beginers
Post by: So-Mo Archer on December 31, 2012, 04:04:00 PM
Kevin, listen to Jawge, he is very wise to this addiction of bowyering. There is a wealth of info on his site, and a lot of great stuff in the how-to forum here. My design was based off one from Sam Harper's site, poorfolkbows.com. A pyramid bow is also an easier design to start with, since there is a lot less aggravation in the tweaking stages. Hope that helps a little.