long bow in the making                       

The bows that I build are hunting bows, not speed demons (but they are not slow either). I want a bow that will send a 500- to 600-grain arrow into the vital area of the game that I’m shooting at. I’m after quietness and accuracy, with enough force to bring the animal down as quickly as possible. I am a hunter, usually the last one back to camp. I don’t baby my hunting gear; I use it. This article is geared toward building your first or second bow.

I own a traditional archery shop and teach people how to build selfbows. The wood that I use the most is osage because it is “drag-through-the-brush tough.�?If you don’t use osage, make the bow longer and wider, depending on the wood chosen. I cut my own wood �?it’s not that hard. Look for the straightest tree that you can find that is free of limbs and big knots if possible. The bark should run straight up and down, not curve around the trunk. I look for a diameter that is 12 inches or larger because the larger the tree, the flatter the back of your bow. Also, larger trees give you more staves.

Once the tree is cut down, seal both cut ends with yellow carpenter’s glue, then split the log with a sledge hammer and wedge. Let the split log cure for about two years. If you don’t want to wait that long, there are plenty of wood dealers in this magazine. I’m sure any of us would be happy to talk with you.

Tools to Use
The tools that I use are as follows:
�?old drawknife
�?farrier’s (horseshoer’s) rasp
�?small rasp rounded on one side
�?medium-size pocketknife
�?small chainsaw file
�?various grades of sandpaper
�?band saw or hatchet
�?tillering string
�?tillering board (or another set of eyes)
�?various sharp objects

In regard to the hatchet, the second size up in the leather-handled Eastwing is the best. I find the cutting edge is thin, so it doesn’t tend to bind up as much. Try any other tool that you think might work. Use a chunck of scrap wood if you have any doubts.

One thing that I want people to know is that it’s not that hard to build a good bow. There’s enough material on this subject, it’s just hard to decide which one to choose (books, videos, etc). I think that I’ve seen or read all that there is available. It is a lot better to research than to use the “trial and error�?method that I used years ago. Just remember that anybody can build a good bow. You just have to be persistent and willing. The only thing that really matters in the finished bow is that you are proud of it (no other person’s opinion matters) and that it has enough rear end to hunt the game that you are after. In my opinion, this type of hunting or shooting is for self-satisfaction. You’re not going to take as much game or get as high a score at 3D shoots right away but, when it all comes together, these are some of the most fulfilling moments that you will ever have.

Selecting the Stave
The bow we are going to build is going to be 66 inches long, or longer, depending on draw length. The widest point on the bow is about 1 3/4 inches. You need a stave that is about 2 x 70 inches (or bigger). If you have ever built bows before, then you must be thinking that this bow is overbuilt. Yes, it is, but it will also give you years of faithful service. If anyone says that they are not accurate, well, all of the meat in my freezer didn’t crawl in there by itself! A good friend of mine, whose bow was built at my shop, has taken first place in the selfbow class for the last three years at the Texas State Longbow Championship. Although this type of bow is overbuilt to some, to me it is just what I need.

If you are using osage, the back and sapwood need to come off and a growth ring needs to be chosen for your back. There are various opinions on the thickness of the rings. The thicker the ring, the easier it is to work, but I’ve seen some good bows made with very thin rings. This is one thing about osage �?I’ve seen bows made of osage that should not have lasted more than two minutes after being strung, but they shoot for years. I’ve made some of them, and they still shoot. The ring that you want is the hard, thicker, darker one, not the light-colored, porous, spongy one. Let’s say it is 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick.

Study your stave very closely before you even take the bark off. Look for knots and pins, any curves in the grain, cracks, etc. I’ve been told that I look like I’m in a dazed state while I’m studying a stave or a rock that I’m knapping. They will let you know what they need done if you can figure out the way to listen to them. Really little things will jump out at you and say “do this.�?The funny thing is that at times it takes a little looking to get hit with something so simple that I think my son could have done it faster (and he just turned 2)!

Shaving the Bark
Take it slow, as if you’re getting paid by the hour. It took me around 30 to 40 hours to complete my first bow, and it is still shooting today. I prefer to take the bark and sapwood off with my hand axe. Just hold the stave in your off-hand with one end on the ground. A small square of plywood on the ground will prevent your axe from hitting rocks and such. Use small downward strokes. Don’t try to take off too much at one time. You have to be very aware of where any knots, pins, or dips in the grain are. If the wood starts to split out too far, turn the stave over and stop it from the other direction. Remember, go slowly, and don’t try to see how fast you can build a bow. Take your sweet time and smell the wood shavings. If you don’t like using the hand axe, try using a drawknife. Use a bowhorse or a solid bench vise and take your time.

Always keep your eyes out for knots. Do not cut through them, even if you have to go down a few rings after the sapwood is gone. When you come to a knot, you must leave it raised. Most of the time, the tree has grown around and over the area, leaving the area beefed up because it needs to be. It’s like if you were hunting in South Texas and dropped your pack to go on a stalk. Later, you come back and lever your pack out of a foot of dust with the end of your bow. You know where it is by the raised area in the dirt. It’s the same with your knot. Each layer of dust is a ring. Don’t dust them flat. Always follow the grain of the wood, whether it’s around or over.

Removing Sapwood
Now, you have you have to take the sapwood off. Use an axe, drawknife, rasp, or whatever. It doesn’t matter what you use, just use what you like and what does the job well. If the stave is wide, leave it that way for now. Choose the ring for the back of your bow (the side away from you). Just keep enough wood for your handle thickness back to belly. Find a ring that you can live with �?the thicker the better, but you can only work with what you’ve got. To work down to your ring, you will go through the thin, light, porous rings and around, over, to the side of knots. You will know where most of them are if you’ve been on the ball.

Place your stave in a bowhorse or vice. I start on the very end and work toward the other end. That’s not the only way to do it, but it is a pretty safe way. You will be going one ring at a time. Even if your ring is two or three down, go just one ring at a time. Do not try to go two rings at a time. This will give you valuable practice working knots and show you how to work the wood.

When you come to a knot or pin or just a spot that you think may give you trouble, don’t go after it with a large tool. Use a small rasp or file, pocket knife, sandpaper, or whatever, but take plenty of time and work down slowly. On knots, stop an inch or two shy all around them. I work around all of them and then come back to them last. This leaves you with the entire back complete with islands to finish. A thin-blade pocket knife and medium sandpaper work for me. I start in the center of the knot and work to the outside of the islands using the blade as a scraper. If the blade starts jumping, use a different angle. If you get chatter marks, sand them smooth and then keep going. The chainsaw file works well on knots if you use long sweeping strokes. Once you finish the entire back, sand it down to get out any tool marks that might be there. Don’t go overboard on the tops of the knots and sand through them.

Laying Out the Bow
If you left your stave wide, you can layout your bow to avoid problems. Start by leaving your stave an inch longer on both ends than your finished bow. My draw is 29 1/2 inches if I draw it all the way back. My bow is 66 inches long. Most say 66 for 28 inch draw and two inches longer or shorter for every inch added or subtracted in draw length. You may have some cracks in the ends of your stave once you come up with your length. Leave an inch on both ends for now. You can cut the ends down and get as many as you can out later.

Now, take a chalk line and snap a center line down the back. Then, get a pencil and go over the chalk for a line that will last a while. Measure and get the middle of your stave. Go two inches above and two inches below center and put two more marks. Now, go down the entire stave with lines one inch on either side of your center line. Trim to these lines with your bandsaw, hand axe, or nail file. Measure now from the center of your bow to the ends. Use half of that to get your mid-limb mark. Go from the edge of the mid-limb mark to the ends 1/4 inch over from the center line. You can use a yardstick or chalk line. Cut to these lines. Once you have these lines cut out, go the handle. You have a center mark and two others above and below.

Now, figure how wide you want your handle. This is also your choice �?some people like the feeling of a 2x4 in their hands while others like it a bit smaller. Put lines for the handle width, then four others for the flares (see illustration A). I use the bandsaw, but a coping saw works great. Whichever you use, be very aware of where the blade is on the other side of where you are looking. It is very easy to cut more than you planned, so cut a little at a time to be safe. Just as with everything else so far, you can leave more than you need and slim it down later with less aggressive tools. With this done, it should look like a bow from the back.

Now, with the stave on its side, mark lines from the handle to both tips (see illustration B). You can do this on both sides, so that you don’t overcut. Once this wood is removed, the bow building really begins.