Any Bowyers here?

[firemn260]

I’m slowly transitioning from a compound to a recurve in the deer woods. I really love the simplicity of traditional archery equipment.
I currently shoot a Martin Howatt hunter but I’m drawing almost 31” so it stacks pretty bad.
The cattle farm I work on has a whole bunch of Osage trees that I have been scouring for a piece straight enough to make a few staves to try my hand at making a self bow.
My goal is to make a 68” longbow. I’m getting together the tools I need to make one including building a bow making bench and tillering tree.
If I can cut a few usable staves I’d be willing to share the wealth in exchange for some knowledge in building bows.

 

[Vic]

My son and I made a self bow out of hickory. Osage, even better. There's a guy that does a class in Baltimore county. We attended his class and had a lot of fun. It was at Marshy Point Nature Center. Might want to contact Marshy Point and see if he has any classes in the near future. Hope this helps.
Vince

 

[firemn260]

My son and I made a self bow out of hickory. Osage, even better. There's a guy that does a class in Baltimore county. We attended his class and had a lot of fun. It was at Marshy Point Nature Center. Might want to contact Marshy Point and see if he has any classes in the near future. Hope this helps.
Vince

I will look into that. Thanks Vince

 

[Pale Ryder]

I’m not.
You may get something from this though, the guy won season 8 of Alone.

 

[Gordon]

Check out Baltimore Bowmen Traditional archery meet coming next month located in Cub Hill. You should find what you're looking for there. It's 4 day event plus you can camp over. Great time

 

[Archeryrob]

I used to build self bows but always considered myself more of a arrow smith than a bowyer. I made everythig with shoot shaft and preferred southern arrowwood. I wrote a bunch of stuff on that and posted it online. https://boweyrsden.wordpress.com/

As said Baltimore Bowman May traditional classic is a good place to go an meet people. A class will help but you might need more than just that weekend in help. Always pay attention to moisture content. Even a good stave will take set tillering if it has too much moisture. I would drop bows on their tip when making them on the concrete. A wet bow thuds more and a dry bow rings at a higher pitch.

Below is the bows I made and hunted with. Top one I did not make but killed my first deer with. Now my son has it. 2nd one is Osage and broke after years. Bottom was was meant to be a blackfoot plains copy and went crazy on steaming it. Recurved the tips and defelxed to almost brace height. Takes no set when strung all day for hunting. 47" tip to tip, 46" nock t nock and 55# at 26". I took it the Balto Bowman and guys called it my kids bow. They were shocked when I let them shoot it and they felt how heavy it is. It stacks at 24" pretty good. This was made forma limb. Good, straight, Osage is very hard to find.

 

[K31]

I haven't seen Yew mention in this thread like trad English longbows were made of. Anyone using that in the US?

 

[firemn260]

I haven't seen Yew mention in this thread like trad English longbows were made of. Anyone using that in the US?

I’ve read about it but never actually seen any. I imagine it’s pretty stout? Didn’t those big English longbows draw like 80 lbs back when archery warfare was prevalent?

 

[firemn260]

I used to build self bows but always considered myself more of a arrow smith than a bowyer. I made everythig with shoot shaft and preferred southern arrowwood. I wrote a bunch of stuff on that and posted it online. https://boweyrsden.wordpress.com/

As said Baltimore Bowman May traditional classic is a good place to go an meet people. A class will help but you might need more than just that weekend in help. Always pay attention to moisture content. Even a good stave will take set tillering if it has too much moisture. I would drop bows on their tip when making them on the concrete. A wet bow thuds more and a dry bow rings at a higher pitch.

Below is the bows I made and hunted with. Top one I did not make but killed my first deer with. Now my son has it. 2nd one is Osage and broke after years. Bottom was was meant to be a blackfoot plains copy and went crazy on steaming it. Recurved the tips and defelxed to almost brace height. Takes no set when strung all day for hunting. 47" tip to tip, 46" nock t nock and 55# at 26". I took it the Balto Bowman and guys called it my kids bow. They were shocked when I let them shoot it and they felt how heavy it is. It stacks at 24" pretty good. This was made forma limb. Good, straight, Osage is very hard to find.

I love seeing stuff like that and I bet it’s a real feeling of accomplishment to take a animal with something you put your sweat and blood into. I couldn’t imagine myself trying to shoot a bow that stacks up to 55 lbs at only 24”. I’m drawing at least 30”
I’m a firewood geek so I have a somewhat understanding of moisture content and the thud or clink.
I do look forward to going to the balto bowman meet. I was thinking I could take a few Osage staves and do some trading for some wood arrow shafts.
I’ve really been doing some researching no on how to look for the best logs that would produce good staves. I have identified about a half dozen or so that are very straight and the bark is not twisted. They are out in the cow pasture in clumps and it seems like the biggest ones are in a draw where a lot of runoff flows through.

 

[K31]

I’ve read about it but never actually seen any. I imagine it’s pretty stout? Didn’t those big English longbows draw like 80 lbs back when archery warfare was prevalent?

Yeah some were 95lb draw. They even find skeletal changes in the remains of those archers.

I don't think that precludes making a lighter draw selfbow from yew.