Making an ash longbow :

[gyro]

The bow stave, uncut, with centre line marked by string :


Probably not so easy to see, but I've then marked a centre point for the bow, and 6 inches either side of that, marked out a width that runs straight, at about 1.5 inches across in total. After this total 12 inches, each limb of the bow is then tapered to a width of half an inch at each tip :


The stave is then roughed out using a combination of sawing and planing:


As well as the 'sides' of the stave, I also taper the bellyof the stave (the bit that faces you when you hold the bow, and compresses as you pull. The other side, the bit that bends over to shoot the arrow is called the back..) down to half an inch at each tip, keeping approximately 10 inches at the centre of the stave at an even inch and a half before the wood tapers:


I've not decided what sort of bow I want to make yet. Medieval warbows would mostly 'come round compass', which means ALL of the bow bends when pulled. Later types retained a stiffened section in the middle (those 12 inches as above) which pretty much stayed straight and put more pressure on each limb to perform. Sometimes this can make a quicker, faster bow, and sometimes a bow that comes round compass can be more effective and more reliable.

[Deleted]

Help! These photos must be resized!

[gyro]

They do come down to 79 or 80 percent size. Don't know how long it takes for you, but it took just a few seconds on this 'pooter, and it's hardly a fast one !

[bixaorellana]

This is so interesting, Gyro! How did you learn how to do this? You make it seem easy, but I imagine a person needs a real feel for it. Can't wait to see how the work progresses, and what you decide to do with it.

Hope you don't mind -- I've taken the liberty of reducing the size of your photos. They were taking too long to load for me on broadband, & I'd hate to see this great thread passed over because some people have slower internet.

[Deleted]

So, how is the longbow coming along? I suppose there are long periods where you just have to wait for the wood to take the proper form?

[gyro]

Bix: cheers. Luddite that I am, I'm still not sure about reducing photos other than how it first came out. I didn't think it was too bad seeing as it took hardly any time on my 'pooter at home, and that's NOT fast at all.

To answer yer first question, I just researched on the internet and got some books to help. Then went REALLY slowly with my first stave ......

[gyro]

" I suppose there are long periods where you just have to wait for the wood to take the proper form? "

Not really. The only part where you have to exercise REAL patience and take time is when you 'tiller' the bow. Essentially, once you've got the stave to the point that it's starting to bend in the way it needs to, you then have to 'teach' it to bend properly. Inch by inch, you're drawing the stave to ensure it is bending smoothly and without putting too much stress on any one part of a limb. If it's not bending evenly, you look at the 'stiff' areas and take off enough wood until it does. But the trick is letting the wood rest between these stages. If you continue to draw the stave without letting it rest, the wood will take a set (meaning one or more limb will stay slightly curved when not drawn). Obviously, this is always going to happen to some extent, but to be as efficient as possible, the bow needs to be as straight as possible before you draw it. This way, you get more power. On average, I let the wood rest for 20-30 mins minimum between each inch, but it's best not to over-do it when tillering. I'd rather take a week to tiller a bow than get it done in a day and have a weaker draw.

[Deleted]

Even though obviously these types of wood are supposed to be flexible, does the damned piece of wood sometimes unexpectedly snap "even though you didn't do anything wrong" ?

[gyro]

See how relatively straight this bow looks before it's strung :




THAT's what you're after ....

[gyro]

" Even though obviously these types of wood are supposed to be flexible, does the damned piece of wood sometimes unexpectedly snap "even though you didn't do anything wrong" ? "

Yep. You have no idea normally how durable a certain piece of wood will be. It can be easy enough sometimes to tell from the grain etc. if a wood is going to be any good in the first place, but performance is very difficult to guage.

Luckily, thus far, I've not had one break on me - and don't want to ! If you think that a bow with a 50lb draw weight exerts 150 square lbs of pressure between your shoulder blades at full draw, you can imagine the force released if it does break .....

[Deleted]

Am very impressed G.,you seem to have such a precise knowledge of what you're working with. Thanks for taking the time to show this process.

[bixaorellana]

I had no idea! Guess I thought the bending was done with steam or some other form of moisture.

So do you have to string the bow in order to start tillering? And -- is that what a "tillerman" is, like in the song?

[Deleted]

Where's the bow?

[gyro]

Yeah, you string the bow to a 'fistmele'; pretty much the universal bracing height from the string to the belly of the bow. Essentially approx 5-7 inches, a fistmele is the length of a clenched fist plus an outstretched thumb. Like this :

[gyro]

Oh, and I'd always thought a tillerman was a nautical term .....

[Deleted]

Me too -- I even thought in the Cat Stevens case, it had something to do with canal navigation.

[gyro]

Here's a bow I made 3 years ago. Unstrung, it's reasonably straight, but you can see the lower limb has taken a little set :

[BigIain]

Interesting stuff Gyro, I would love to see it done in real life. Thanks for posting

[gyro]

There are a number of places in the UK where you can go on a weekend course and come away with a fully operational bow, Iain. A good one I saw a while back involves camping out in the woods and making a bow from one of the trees around you.

One of these days I'll book myself on one ....

[Jazz]

Apr 24, 2009 23:05:13 GMT BigIain said:

Interesting stuff Gyro, I would love to see it done in real life. Thanks for posting

Before this very interesting thread proceeds much further, you could get someone to videotape you 'step by step' and present it at the very end?

You appear to love to work with wood and to make bows. I think you should treat yourself to one of these special weekends. You will love it, and may find that you could do this yourself and both make extra income and meet people who love the 'art of the bow'.

[gyro]

I may drop a few subtle hints to Mrs G about the 300 pounds I'd need for the course as a 40th birthday present for next year, but she's already booked the flights to the Oktoberfest this year as an early present and I still have hopes on that Anglo Saxon Sword Casting course for 2010 ....

[BigIain]

I will come over and film it for nowt

[gyro]

Which bit; the Oktoberfest or the sword ?

[Deleted]

Probably both.

[gyro]

Pervert.

[Deleted]

Perhaps we as a group could appeal to Mrs.G .Wouldn't that be a hoot? I can see it now.
Dear Mrs.G. ...
Seriously,how's it coming along? I don't want to miss anything here.

[Jazz]

We are all ageing along with the wood. I was looking forward to the gradual telling of the 'story of the bow'...is Gyro toying with us?

[Deleted]

I feel like I could "unexpectedly snap".

[gyro]

Not much more to tell yet. I shaved a bit more off both limbs the other day, but haven't had a chance to do much. I probably need to sharpen my spokeshave.

[Deleted]

That's what they all say