Maybe 20 or so years ago Dean wrote a great article about making a kid's laminated bow, basically just gluing a slat of wood as a backing to the main core.  This is a different bow build than his kid's rattan bow article.

Anyone have a link to that Torges laminated bow article or saved it?

Rob, I remember Dean's rattan bows but don't remember him making a kids laminated(backed) bow. I'd be interested in reading it. Hope someone has a link. 

Rob, I just posted your question on Primitive Archer. Let's see if we get results there. 

Quote from: Pat B on July 22, 2025, 10:29:59 AMRob, I just posted your question on Primitive Archer. Let's see if we get results there. 

I recall seeing on PA a kids bow that looked like a sorta pyramid style flat bow but it had a thin, narrow strip of maybe hickory glued to the back for the tension loads. Is that the style we are talking about?


Mark

Quote from: mmattockx on July 22, 2025, 03:07:03 PMI recall seeing on PA a kids bow that looked like a sorta pyramid style flat bow but it had a thin, narrow strip of maybe hickory glued to the back for the tension loads. Is that the style we are talking about?


Mark

Yep, that sounds just like it!

Quote from: Rob DiStefano on July 22, 2025, 03:52:11 PMYep, that sounds just like it!

I went looking through my stash of pictures saved off the interwebz, but couldn't find any pics of that bow. Had a search through PA as well, but that is pretty hopeless. If I ever come across it I will post details here.

It shouldn't be that hard to recreate that design, though. What info were you looking for?

I would guess that making a plain pyramid kids bow and tillering it at least to brace, then adding the strip on the back and finishing tillering would get you pretty close as a first try. The backing strip isn't going to massively change weight or tiller if it is appropriately thin and narrow.


Mark

Rob, a few years back there was a Tradgang member, Jamie Miller from Ohio who knew Dean very well. I'm not sure if he still is a member here but maybe you have the capability to look up his info?

https://bowyersedge.com/hobhbb.html

This was posted on Primitive Archer by Bob Barnes...
"Pat, It seems like Dean started out making a hickory backed hickory bow for kids, but he decided that his rattan bows were better and much safer.  We sure made a lot of them at MoJam when he was there and sent maybe 50 kids home with an indestructible bow."