How many bowyers?

[Clay Hayes]

#3497

How many bowyers on this site? Pro, amature, whatever, just curious.

I think we might need a buildalong to get this forum rolling!

ch

[Yellowfeather]

#29461

A wannabe. I think it would be cool to build one just haven’t done it.

[crittergitter]

#30613

there is only one thing better than shooting a bow you made and watching it hit where you were looking,the one thing better think about it.

[Voodoo]

#33462

I’ve made a few from Elk antlers,but as far as doing a build-a-long, I can’t, these are very hard and labor intensive to build, and I only do one off’s,…no two are the same, so explaining this procedure would require a books worth of info, but I would like to see a build-a-long, as they are very interesting!………Steve

[cyeager]

#40422

Amateur here, 11 bows to date, all slight reflex-deflex longbows, most with hybrid recurve grip. Sorry, no pics yet. What a blast creating your own!

[Todd Smith]

#40891

Amateur for sure, but have made some self-bows. When I can finally force myself to work on them I really dig it but I seem to never make the time. Have some crying out to be finished too… Need to get back to them. todd smith

[tom-wisconsin]

#44704

How do you pronounce the word bowyers? Is it bower or boyer?

[Clay Hayes]

#47371

If ya just say it kinda quick and muffled, you don’t really need to know how to pronounce it!

[stykbow67]

#49956

Amateur to say the least,I’ve built 2 for my boy and 2 for myself and I hope to build a couple more this summer. So far they have all been 62″ r/d longbows.

[tmorgan60]

#61771

Just got started within the last year. I built a Bingham longbow and want to build a Jennings Ultra Recurve which I bought an old book on how to build them last year.

[texasota]

#23222

never built one. i love woodworking though. if ya get the buildalong going, i join

[Greg Clark]

#24407

I’ve lost count — maybe 30, but still very much an amateur.

[Alan A]

#26057

I’ve built nine so far I am planning another now.
I’ve sold a few, mainly build them for my wife and myself just not enough time I’m a fulltime taxidermist.

[aeronut]

#52497

I just started a new one. It will be a Hickory core with Osage lams. I don’t have much free time and I just hope I get it done by October. I just ordered the glass and glue for it.

Sanding lams.

A bow’s worth of Hickory and Hedge.

I am going to do a build-along on another forum and I’ll post it here too if anybody wants to see it.

Here are some pics of a Curly Hickory I built last year.

Dennis

[Clay Hayes]

#53073

Post away!

[David Petersen]

#54083

A few years ago Dave Sigurslid got me into it. I’d always wanted to try but couldn’t pick it up from books or videos; needed hands-on instruction. Then I went nuts and built some 3 dozen across two winters, working in a tiny crowded unhead storage shed in CO. Perhaps half turned out to be good shooters. I traded several, gave a few away, sold one for materials cost and still have a couple. Osage stave bows and mostly hickory and boo-backed osage board bows. Even made a couple of glass-backed. All were straight or r/d. Then I got tired of working in a cramped cold shop and just quit. Maybe someday if I ever get a real shop I’ll start again. Highly recommended hobby and cheap to get into as hobbies go these days. Give it a try! dave

[Tbauer]

#54202

Built a Bingham take dowm recurve ten years ago. It remains as my only bow.(gave up my compound yrs ago!) Its’ time to either build or by another.

[Carpdaddy]

#26357

I piddle around and build a few in the garage after I get off my paying job. Not smart enough to do a build along; that involves too much camara and computer work.

[3blades]

#43830

Made a couple and all but one has broke. I have a Osage stave that is basically finished minus the tiller and nock groves. Its a kids bow for my 4yr old as was the others. 😀

[Mr. Vegas]

#42236

Amateur. Built 15+?, boo backed. Still alot to learn! They were built over the span of the last 5 years, that has been my biggest set back. If I ever get to the point where I can build a few back to back I might get somewhere! BTW just signed on today, hi all. Here’s some pics of one I just finnished, osage with boo back, 62″ ntn, 35# @ 28

[William Warren]

#51570

I’ve built several self bows for myself, friends and family. I use the local smoothbark hickory. The shagbark will work too but is less forgiving. I have been building bows since 1999. Before that I hunted with both recurves and the compound. Starting out with traditional, getting caught up in the compound wave of the 80’s and going back to my recurves after a couple of years with the compound. I have not killed a deer with my selfbows. I got lung cancer in 2001 and I survived but I have limited wind. In 2003 I killed my last buck with a muzzleloader rattled in to about 15 paces. Getting him out by myself was both encouraging and discouraging. I have never been so starved for breath!
Anyways I still enjoy building bows, strings, quivers, etc. I still think I can hunt but would need help getting the deer out.

[superduder]

#25589

Hi y’all,
Just wondering do “board” bows count?
If not I guess I’d be a dabbler,
Ive made a cherry selfbow from a tree branch,
Whittled down to a bow, mostly for decoration.
And one Poplar board bow, 60″ ?# @28″
J

[Bowana]

#26028

My buddy and I have been building glass bows for about 3 years. We started with 3 piece takedown longbow and recurves and are working on the forms now for a 1 piece longbow.

[rayborbon]

#35470

I try to build bows. Not very good but always trying to improve.

Vine Maple

Ipe and Bamboo

Ipe and hickory

[wTk]

#36247

Amateur but love it.:D

[Arko]

#37233

Voodoo wrote: I’ve made a few from Elk antlers,but as far as doing a build-a-long, I can’t, these are very hard and labor intensive to build, and I only do one off’s,…no two are the same, so explaining this procedure would require a books worth of info, but I would like to see a build-a-long, as they are very interesting!………Steve

WOW! That’s all I got to say about that. May we see some more please?

[William Warren]

#39186

There are some beautiful bows posted here. If I can ever figure out how these pics are getting posted I’ll post some of mine too.

[harperclan7]

#26657

I am currently finishing up my first 2 68″ longbows Red oak and hickory when I finish this weekend I will set up some pics. There is nothing better then making your own bow to hunt or just to shoot.

[Kegan]

#57954

I build my own selfbows and backed bows, some for friends, and sold a few here and there. Couldn’t afford to buy longbows and recurves, so I just tried to get good at making them. Still working on it:wink:. I’ve built alot of them over the past four or five years… weren’t really that good until recently though!

[thesingingbowyer]

#10308

Every time I start feeling like a pro, I see a bow from Ed Owl or my buddy Mark Baggett, and then I wake up…:roll: They aren’t always pretty, but they do make meat!

[The Gopher]

#53989

My first post here.

Amateur bowyer, i’ve made one glass bow, a straight limbed howard hill type takedown, and about 20 or so self bows, as you can see i’m more of a selfbow guy.

[Apex Predator]

#46550

I started with selfbows and all natural laminated bows in 1998. Now I just play with glass laminated bows mainly. Here are a few recent ones.

[Stephen Graf]

#47326

Nice bows! I’d like to see the first one unstrung…

[Apex Predator]

#47471

Here is an almost identical bow off the same form Steve.

[Stephen Graf]

#48399

Thanks.

When I see an unexpected curve to a braced bow, I like to see where it came from. The bow seems to have fairly straight limbs when braced. It looks like when it is unbraced the reflex curve is concentrated in the middle of the limb. Are these observations true?

How does it shoot?

[Apex Predator]

#48493

You are right about the reflex Steve. They are really good shooters, and quite fast. That one is 64″, but the best length off of that form is 62″ NTN. At 10gpp, drawn to 28″ with a three fingered release, she will shoot 184 fps. Here is a full draw shot of the 62″ bow.

[1924925]

#48783

Clay Hayes wrote: How many bowyers on this site? Pro, amature, whatever, just curious.

I think we might need a buildalong to get this forum rolling!

ch

Both my bowyer friends have died; I am stuck with all the essential materials and probably the neccessary tools. Is there any one out there in Albuquerque NM or close by that ckould help m please?

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