Hi guys, I'd love to pick up a self bow tutorial vid. What would you say is the best one out there?
The only ones that come to mind are the Dean Torgues one and Billets to bow by Glenn St Charles.
Any recommendations for me?
Also someone on here gave me a description of the Trad Bowyers Bible before. I think they said volume 1 was just history, volume two etc....
I am trying to figure out which to buy first. IIRC #`1 was not the most helpful to start with.
Looking to build a maple or yew longbow.
Gary Davis' video Rattlestick is a classic and was/remains very helpful. Also, Mike Yancey's video on the sinew backed bow is a good one to own.
OK, I have seen most of them and I will say there is not or has there ever been a video out there that you can watch and learn step by step how to make a bow. You will pick up some good pointers on all of them but will not learn how to make a completely finish a bow, they all leave something out. They have to cut corners or the video would be at least 5 hours long.
They do pretty good on stave selection, layout and floor tillering could be better, tillering; an all day process for me is condensed into just a few minutes on the videos and is a bit vague.
Here is the biggie that is always omitted; problem solving, what do you do if something doesn't go as planed, heat corrections, limbs out of time, string not centered on the handle, hinges and a host of other things I run into every time I make a bow.
As for the Bowyers Bibles; volume one is the one you want first, more bow making info then 2 or 3. I had two and three as well, I have never seen #4.
Mike Yancey video,he is a sponsor here
Terry
Mike had a really neat way to apply sinew, I enjoyed his video.
Clay Hayes' videos on Youtube are very helpful as well. Eric brings up a great point, it is very helpful to have a mentor somewhere who can help you evaluate pictures, videos, etc. of your work to give you direction. James Rempp has been a huge help to me through the first 4-5 bows as has the internet advice and build alongs on other primitive sites and our own Bowyer's Bench.
Several years ago I won one of Eric's tillering Gizmo's in a drawing here on TG.....invaluable little tool. Look that one up in the BB.
Agree with all of the above, started my first Osage bow with Al Herrin's Cherokee Bows book, and the Rattlestick DVD. They were great, but as I ran into issues I used this site's search and generally found the answers (most of the time with very helpful pics), and sometimes youtube videos.
The DVDs are great, but when you hit problems, and if you don't have a mentor, then you may need other assistance.
I liked Dean Torges' DVD about making a BBO, but was disappointed that it skipped over most of the tillering process, which is always the hardest part for me. Then again, maybe he can floor tiller to within 5 pounds of his target weight. This mere mortal is lucky to come within 20 pounds and with a few hours of head scratching and cursing still to come.
TBB1 has a lot of good info. Of the rest, I reread Vol. 4 the most. Just about any success I've had making wooden bows has come from reading The Bowyer's Bench on here and the PA forum. There are so many good bowyers on here and they are always generous with their advice.
Make one of Eric's gizmos if you don't already have one. It's cut my cursing by more than half. ;)
QuoteOriginally posted by okla bearclaw:
Mike Yancey video,he is a sponsor here
Terry
X3, very good video Mike has produced and you can always call him for pointers and supplies. He gives bow building classes to people from all around the world at his shop in Arkansas.
Tracy
Whats the mike yancey vid?
I have only seen Mike and Garys videos I learned from both.
Mike Yancey Gary Davis
http://www.3riversarchery.com/Rattlestick%3A+A+Selfbow+Tutorial+DVD+By+Gary+S.+Davis_i7041_baseitem.html
http://www.pinehollowlongbows.com/DVD_s.html
Eric hits it true. You can read all the books and watch all the videos but you will just have to make shavings to get the true knowledge of bow making. A mentor would be great and the bowyer's bench is a lot of help. Selfbows by their nature will almost always throw you a curve and only experence your's or a mentor's will help you make bows or fire wood.
So read books watch videos but make shavings, as others have said troubleshooting is the most difficult part of bow making then tillering and Eric's gizmo has done more to improve my bow making than any advice, book, or video.
QuoteOriginally posted by Green:
Gary Davis' video Rattlestick is a classic and was/remains very helpful. Also, Mike Yancey's video on the sinew backed bow is a good one to own.
Rattlestick
Agreed - you can't learn to ride a bike by watching a video of how to ride a bike. Same is true for making a bow. BUT....Gary Davis' video does a great job of helping you get started and giving you the basics of the process. I learned a great deal watching it at least 10 times as I made my first bow. I also bought Mike Yancey's video when it came out - he gives a different perspective on making a sinew backed bow. I have made several sinewed back bows, but have not used his method yet.
My cousin and I have made several bows after watching Mark Keller's dvd. 3 Rivers has it. Good luck, the good thing is it's very addictive.
Mark Keller's video was the first one I bought many years ago. It is a very entertaining video because of his enthusiasm but there is less actual bow making info in it than any video I have seen since, he just hits the high spots.
Could be that the DVD is an up dated version, I don't know because the one I bought was in VHS.
I think what it is; If you have never made a bow,the videos look like something special, so much knowledge to absorb. They get you really excited about the process and you think "I can do this".
After you have made a bunch of bows you look back and think "The videos are fun to watch but don't really show you the way."
Thanks for the help guys!
All I can tell you is that I put all I had into the making of my DVD. I planned it out over a year and had 6 bows from stave to almost finished to be able and film the deal in three days and invested several thousand dollars. You should be able to make a bow from mine as well as Gary's with any mechanical skills at all and a few tools. The problem with a video is you simply cant film every single minute of the bow making process. It takes roughly four hours to tiller a bow so why show every minute of it, just give a few pointers and go with it. Don't make it any harder that it is, remove wood where its thick and not bending and avoid where its thin and bending to much. Its as simple as that! All you need is a sound method and both that you are talking about have that. I have had many great comments from guys that have bought my DVD and I thank you all. This is a way of life for me and not just a passing fad that I started because it looks cool hunting with a longbow or flintlock. I love it and live it everyday and will personally answer questions hours each week from guys that are just getting started. Good luck with your bow building, there is nothing like making your own and hunting with it.
Mike
Like I said; I really enjoyed your video Mike.
I was teaching newbies at Twin Oaks a few years back and guy came up to me, said he had the latest video gear and wanted to stay at my house for a while and shoot a bow making video with me.
I told him there was too much information to cover, I would probably bore people to death, didn't want the notoriety, and was retired and didn't want a job, he walked away.
Hats off to you guys who make the videos, I understand what a daunting task it is.
So far I have seen; Making a Wood Bow with Mark Keller, Billets to Bows by Glen St Charles, Hunting the Bamboo Backed Bow with Dean Torges,
Naked in the wilderness #3 Primitive Bows and Arrows with John McPherson, Rattle Stick with Gary Davis, Building a Sinew Backed Bow, with Mike Yancey and maybe one or two more I don't recall.
I enjoyed them all and learned a little something from each one.
Eric, did you notice that you were the only guy that I plugged in my DVD? Your gizmo is famous! No kidding it has really helped me in that its almost a no brainer to tiller!
I was really flattered by the recognition, thanks a bunch.
As a relative rookie. I researched, read, and watched everything I could get my hands on. It was all good, but none of it really hit home until I started actually making shavings! I would get to a point i would get stuck and that is when all the great videos and tbb's really came through for me.
Wealth of information we are blessed with today at our fingertips that the old timers didn't have.