good video . Have been shooting a 70inch 40lb recurve for a little while. bit big for the bush i hunt in . have made a 64 in long bow from green heart with Aussie hard wood handle and have got it to 40lb at 28 inch . Tillering took a while . a bit worried about drawing it but am now confident.
I’m a little late for this vid , but based on this video and a few others iv made a similar bow, got me a red oak board from Home Depot and I still haven’t finished it . I have a few videos of it. I own a lot of bows and crossbows but there’s something satisfying about making something from scratch. I baked mine with fiberglass tape and made my own tiller stand . It shoots good but I still need to either paint it or stain it . Thanks for the vid if time let’s me hopefully I can make a few more and give it to friends . Just subscribed. Btw people thinking about making bows there’s no excuses now I mean I used a rasp and a small block planner and a ice scraper lol and spent 20 bucks . Most fun iv had with a 20 dollar bill
this type of tutorial is a wonderful idea Clay. it will doubtless encourage new people to cut their teeth on an awesome hobby, without fear of failure. plus it gives some ideas on viable materials for those without access to good bow species, or the expense of buying one from a stave cutter. to anyone just starting out, don't ever get discouraged if it fails. with every failure comes valuable lessons. Merry Christmas my friend.
Have you ever tried laminating by cutting sheets out of same peace and gluing them together in the desired shape to maybe hold that shape better? I'm a wood worker and do this technique a lot. I e never built a bow yet but was wondering if you've tried it before?
There is doing and then there is teaching, however taking teacher from the space of a few to the masses is one of the greatest acts of giving back. Thank you clay for your Acer trilogy and thank you for continuing to give back and grow our world instead of tearing it apart.
Just want to say, years ago I watched a video on one of your Osage build alongs. In doing so you have inspired me to make my own bows. Your videos are superb. Best I’ve seen on the net. Thanks for your lessons and sharing your knowledge. Since then I’ve made about 7 good bows. I’ve made a couple really good stick bows and some really nice pacific yew and Osage bows. Thanks again from Alaska. You have inspired me to start my own bow product of local Alaskan woods. Im even getting into laminate, but will never give up on traditional as it’s a first love.
Brilliant series Clay , l kept rewinding to see what you where looking at on the tiller . I have learned such a lot from your videos l thank you for that you've answered every question l've asked 👍 . Can't wait until l can afford my first bow ( traditional of course ) done a beginner's some time back then was made redundant but will soon be back on track. Thanks once again for sharing looking forward to your next video 👍👍👍
Just got my copy of Traditional Bowyers Handbook in the mail yesterday and finished reading it today! Much easier to understand, read and follow then my Bowyers Bible and I now feel confident to start on a spare Osage stave I have sitting out in the shop. Looked at HD but no maple boards to try a board bow yet. Great book! Thanks
this has been a wonderful series! I want to make my own bow and do not have any fancy shop or tools so this is exactly what I needed. Making all that possible and for virtually no money really makes this project move left on my time table so that it can be shooting this year. And thank you for leaving in every step of the long tillering process because I would not have known to be that meticulous, so that was helpful as well. Thank you very much for the video!
Awesome series and I might just try this out myself with both maple and red oak to compare and see which I like better. Also am I the only one who's just noticing that he's got a file on his hacksaw instead of a blade? Or am I just blind 😂
Hi, I really enjoyed the tillering part as that is where I most often have problems with. As to what kind of videos I would like to see in the future - tillering a recurved bow. I always struggle with how thin I can do the tips and the bend where the recurve starts so that is is not too heavy and yet does not start to bend.
Thanks Janis, I'm working on a project that will cover more advanced techniques. Sign up on my Patreon page and you'll have access first when it comes out. www.patreon.com/clayhayes
Hi Clay, at that point of the build would you say the limbs are tapered in thickness from handle out to tips? if so is there an amount of taper to aim for ? thanks
It is a pleasure to to watch a master at their craft. I have learned much and hopefully I will continue to learn from doing and watching. Thank you for your videos.
After watching your original series building the osage bow a while back, helped in many ways allowing me to actually finish shootable bows! Love all your videos
Hey Clay, is it safe to put one of these board bows (hickory) on a true backset form jig like you would a natural log bow stave and have 3 to 4 inches of backset and is it safe to fire harden them like you would other bows or is it best to only put minimal amount of backset like you did here in this video and not fire harden?? What about recurring the ends as well?? Will be ordering rawhide from you real soon for this build of mine. Thanks again for your time and support my friend remain safe and blessed and keep the great quality of videos coming 😊 Robert Benson
I appreciate the knowledge, thank you for sharing this with us. I'm getting geared up to do my first laminate bow and a lot if what you shared here has really helped the planning process.
Great video series, are you going to show how to stain and seal the bow? I have built several board bows and they all take set thanks for showing how to correct that.
Been watching your videos for about 4 days now, they’ve encouraged me to pick up archery, I bought myself a 68” recurve, 36lbs draw nothing too crazy just a good all around bow and started shooting. Your videos are amazing and really helped me improve my technique, loving all the craft videos also, would love to make my own bow someday, please don’t stop making these videos Clay, you’re a really good teacher and have a lovely way at explaining this stuff, others videos were too technical or used too many big words, there’s no harm going in depth but they used all lingo like I’m some kinda pro. Looking forward to what you make next! Subbed!
No but it is a lot more likely to break if you don't if you don't wont to spend that much money on rawhide you can find some backings witch will be cheaper silk is good but not as good as rawhide hope that helps
Really enjoying this series as I am in the process of building my first self bow. Going through tillering right now and this video shows me what to watch for and how to do it. Thanks
To bad no hunting or fishing in that area at all, I am an old UOFI guy hunted selway fished it all in my time.to OLD now but still like to flintknapp and build indean bows and atlatels ANND darts EXCT.I. thank for your good info .I also like Moscow hide GREAT things right by you....Rob
Clay, great videos on bow making. I have tried making 64” long bow four times now. Poplar wood with fiberglass backing each time. Broke each one right at end of tillering process. Cracks, or brake occurred in four different locations on each bow. I tried to adjust the thickness of limb each time, from very thin to much thicker especially at fade-out. What would you suggest the target thickness of limbs to be when starting with board bow 1 1/2” wide X 3/4” thick? Thanks
thanks a lot great videos! I'm trying to build an arch, in my country in Italy there are many fir trees like you okay? Did he also make the window for the rest in his arch where to place the arrow?
Finally got to watch this. Looks good. As far as fiberglass laminated bows and memory if built correctly they retain only the memory of final tiller. I've blown up so many self and board bows trying to match my draw length of 33" it's pathetic. Still fun. Had a few survive. I love shooting them. Great video Are you going to reflex the tips?
I'm very new; using red oak boards, don't have a mounted vice or blacksmith's rasp, just enough basic hand tools to get the job done and have broken 3 boards so far. I purchased your book (have not finished reading) and keep watching this series of videos for my guidance. I'm trying to make a 50-55 lbs draw at 26 1/2", finished length of 62". Also found a local supplier of exotic hardwoods for adding a backing later. Bamboo is not available. All my failures occur about 2" below the handle's tapered end. Each time I have gotten further along in the tillering process only to have it fail when attempting to string the bow. Any help would be appreciated. Sincerely.
It's easy to get those areas just outside the fades a little too thin. Just be conscious of that and watch that you're not getting to much bend in those areas while tillering.
I’ve got my board bow made and I thought I could use # 36 bank line for a string and serve it w some braided fishing line , how do you get the appropriate size string ? It’s 62 inches nock to nock on limbs ,what size string do I need and do you sell them ? You got me working lol , but it stretches the bank line and I shorten it and it stretches more , HELP !!! Thx for all the cool videos
This is so awesome, and I've really enjoyed it, but my OCD makes me cringe every time you set your plane on the table like that. Thanks so much for posting this information. If I have any cash left after Christmas I'm going to buy your book.
Just wanted to say I'm loving the videos :) I'm more of a target shooter and normally shoot olympics style recurve but I've always wanted to try a traditional bow I'm part way through my first board bow build.... I've probably made many more mistakes like overstressing the limbs before backing or taken too much/not enough off but it's all part of the learning experience and appreciate the time you've taken to show us I've watched a few other videos but you've got such a wonderful screen presence and the way you explain things are spot on Keep making the videos :)
Clay, just got done making my first bow. Thanks for the videos. Your views on tradition archery and ethics are what got me to subscribe to your channel. Keep it up.
Mr Hayes, Thanks for doing this little build along. Now I do have a question for the nocks. I have some deer claws from last season and i was wondering how to put them on for the nocks any sudgestions... Thanks again.. Jay WoodPigeon Outdoors
My wife bought me your book, great read! Do you need a straight grained board if your backing with rawhide or bamboo? I have a left over piece of hickory w/ not so good grain. Was wondering if the rawhide you sell would make the piece of wood usable for a bow?
Clay, great video brother. Broke my first poplar board bow;learned a lot. Almost finished my second bow, this time oak board. Is there a particular time when you know you're ready to brace?
@@clayhayeshunter thanks man. I'm there! That's exactly what I needed to know. I'll send you a picture when I get an actual string on it. Thanks for your help!
Watched every single vid in this series and will be trying this out. I do woodworking for a living and love to watch people work with wood in ways completely different from what I do in more niche areas with specific talents. Loved the vid. Thanks for what u do on this channel. Just subscribed., 👍🏾
Great video. Why do we want to avoid having a crowned belly in the profile of the limbs on the bow? I'm used to seeing English style long bows built that way, but I don't know the dynamics of why you would or wouldn't want that. Thanks for the video, I have a hickory stave in the mail now.
The heartwood of yew can handle a D shaped belly pretty well. White woods like hickory would take a lot of set of made with that design. I cover all this in my book.
Clay, Love the videos! Especially how simply you explain the processes as you go. I have one quick question... I notice you shoot these bows off your hand rather than incorporating some form of shelf. Would there be any reason why you couldn't shoot either right or left handed? I can actually shoot both ways quite well and I've always wanted a bow that I could do just that with. This looks like a nice, inexpensive way to experiment with that and learn a fantastic craft. Also, is there any reason why you couldn't recurve the tips of these bows a bit like you do on your Osage bows? Thanks again for all you do! Your a very generous person to share such knowledge.
you could shoot these bows off either side with no problems. And yes, you could put some reflex into the tips. I've never tried a true recurve with maple though. I'm not sure how well it would take a dramatic bend. try it with a scrap piece.
I wish you could just send me one of your bows… I don’t have your skills. I’ve tried so many times to build one but it’s usually ended up in failure. Anyway, keep up the great work!
Can you tell us what plane you are using, size, name etc. I have never owned or used on. I usually use a file and scraping blade. The use of a plane would save me considerable time and work. Thank you, Ron in WA.
Thanks again Clay - great series. I have completed my red oak board bow to this stage and have enjoyed shooting it. It is pulling 57# at 28" and chronos at 143 fps with 470 grain carbon arrows. I was hoping for a little more speed, so am looking forward to your next video! Also, it has a little bit of set. Not much, but enough to notice. Would the maple board do better with that?
Rawhide creates a durable back for a stave that might not be able to handle the tension forces without it. 140 is plenty of the bow is quite and the target is close.
Thank you, Clay. Hoping to jump in and build bows for the grandkids Finding your channel was fortuitous. My question is, how do you tell/measure the weight of the pull when it is on the tillering rack? Is it by feel, because of having done it so long, or is the a more exact way to do it for those just starting.
Hi Clay. I just got my rawhide last week and have glued it today on my future bow. I overlapped them over the handle about 4 to 5 inches. I'm wondering if you can cut them out so that they just 'meet ' on the center of the bow instead of overlapping. Does it make any difference? Or is it preferable that they overlap like you did with your board bow. Thanks for your reply. (M.G., Quebec, Canada)
This is an awesome video series by far the best bow build along video I’ve been able to find on CZcams. But would it be possible to make a recurve out of a oak or maple board?
Great series Clay, awesome video as always and really inspiring! I would love to try make my own board selfbow but I have to collect the right tools first. I just have a couple of questions: 1-What can I buy that is cheaper than a handplane and that can do the same work? (I'm looking for good quality tools that will last) 2- Is there any other kind of wood cutted in boards that will work fine in making a bow? Thank you so much for all you do and for your help.
Hey Man, got another question. How should i treat the belly of the board bow? I used boiled linseed oil on my first successful bow but i think it made the limbs too soft and the “SET” is bad. Should i just leave the wood dry as possible and poly it? Your the man. Paul Cumming GA
Woooooo!!!!
Just bought some rawhide for a questionably backed oak board. Super excited!
Great series… Gold standard 👍
Thanks 👍
This is a really cool video and really in depth, thanks.
Welp I've just made my first hunt worthy bow today and I'm very happy
Love the heavy tube(shockers) ,great vid
good video . Have been shooting a 70inch 40lb recurve for a little while. bit big for the bush i hunt in . have made a 64 in long bow from green heart with Aussie hard wood handle and have got it to 40lb at 28 inch . Tillering took a while . a bit worried about drawing it but am now confident.
I’m a little late for this vid , but based on this video and a few others iv made a similar bow, got me a red oak board from Home Depot and I still haven’t finished it . I have a few videos of it. I own a lot of bows and crossbows but there’s something satisfying about making something from scratch. I baked mine with fiberglass tape and made my own tiller stand . It shoots good but I still need to either paint it or stain it . Thanks for the vid if time let’s me hopefully I can make a few more and give it to friends . Just subscribed. Btw people thinking about making bows there’s no excuses now I mean I used a rasp and a small block planner and a ice scraper lol and spent 20 bucks . Most fun iv had with a 20 dollar bill
this type of tutorial is a wonderful idea Clay. it will doubtless encourage new people to cut their teeth on an awesome hobby, without fear of failure. plus it gives some ideas on viable materials for those without access to good bow species, or the expense of buying one from a stave cutter. to anyone just starting out, don't ever get discouraged if it fails. with every failure comes valuable lessons. Merry Christmas my friend.
Absolutely!
Nice job, but why did you want it so light? If it was pulling 60lb.. that's a heavy bow from a board! I would have called it a day
Have you ever tried laminating by cutting sheets out of same peace and gluing them together in the desired shape to maybe hold that shape better? I'm a wood worker and do this technique a lot. I e never built a bow yet but was wondering if you've tried it before?
Clay, would you be able to add some reflex to this bow? I've seen you steam the ends of selfbows - wondering if you can do the same here?
Awesome thanks for the videos
There is doing and then there is teaching, however taking teacher from the space of a few to the masses is one of the greatest acts of giving back. Thank you clay for your Acer trilogy and thank you for continuing to give back and grow our world instead of tearing it apart.
Thanks Ian!
Just want to say, years ago I watched a video on one of your Osage build alongs. In doing so you have inspired me to make my own bows. Your videos are superb. Best I’ve seen on the net. Thanks for your lessons and sharing your knowledge. Since then I’ve made about 7 good bows. I’ve made a couple really good stick bows and some really nice pacific yew and Osage bows. Thanks again from Alaska. You have inspired me to start my own bow product of local Alaskan woods. Im even getting into laminate, but will never give up on traditional as it’s a first love.
Very cool!
Brilliant series Clay , l kept rewinding to see what you where looking at on the tiller . I have learned such a lot from your videos l thank you for that you've answered every question l've asked 👍 . Can't wait until l can afford my first bow ( traditional of course ) done a beginner's some time back then was made redundant but will soon be back on track.
Thanks once again for sharing looking forward to your next video 👍👍👍
Thanks, some of the tillering adjustments were very minor one subtle. Hard for a beginner to see sometimes.
Just got my copy of Traditional Bowyers Handbook in the mail yesterday and finished reading it today! Much easier to understand, read and follow then my Bowyers Bible and I now feel confident to start on a spare Osage stave I have sitting out in the shop. Looked at HD but no maple boards to try a board bow yet. Great book! Thanks
Thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying it. You could also use red oak or hickory if they're available. ch
I have watched these videos a few times. Still learn something each time.
Enjoyed this..
WE LIVED IN MISSOURI FOR A FEW YEARS LOTS OF TURKEY HUNTING GREAT WITH A BOW , HOPE YOU ARE GOING AFTER THEM...THANKS ROB
Can you cut out a shelf on a board bow like this?
Keep the videos coming! Can't beat locally sourced trad bow education series!
Made several of these bows and have broken some This video has help me again like always so thanks
You’re welcome
this has been a wonderful series! I want to make my own bow and do not have any fancy shop or tools so this is exactly what I needed. Making all that possible and for virtually no money really makes this project move left on my time table so that it can be shooting this year. And thank you for leaving in every step of the long tillering process because I would not have known to be that meticulous, so that was helpful as well. Thank you very much for the video!
you're quite welcome
Ive made six bows two of them broke but the two osage bows turned put better than red oak. I still think ive got a long way to go but a good start.
How to figure the string length? Really enjoying this series, many thanks
Awesome series and I might just try this out myself with both maple and red oak to compare and see which I like better. Also am I the only one who's just noticing that he's got a file on his hacksaw instead of a blade? Or am I just blind 😂
Great videos.
Hi, I really enjoyed the tillering part as that is where I most often have problems with. As to what kind of videos I would like to see in the future - tillering a recurved bow. I always struggle with how thin I can do the tips and the bend where the recurve starts so that is is not too heavy and yet does not start to bend.
Thanks Janis, I'm working on a project that will cover more advanced techniques. Sign up on my Patreon page and you'll have access first when it comes out. www.patreon.com/clayhayes
Hi Clay, at that point of the build would you say the limbs are tapered in thickness from handle out to tips? if so is there an amount of taper to aim for ? thanks
Thanks again Clay. I love the content that you provide!
Well done clay👍👍.Thanks for the info.
It is a pleasure to to watch a master at their craft. I have learned much and hopefully I will continue to learn from doing and watching. Thank you for your videos.
Thanks Joshua
Awesome series so far. Can't wait to watch part 4! 👍👍
After watching your original series building the osage bow a while back, helped in many ways allowing me to actually finish shootable bows! Love all your videos
I’m glad they helped.
Hey Clay, is it safe to put one of these board bows (hickory) on a true backset form jig like you would a natural log bow stave and have 3 to 4 inches of backset and is it safe to fire harden them like you would other bows or is it best to only put minimal amount of backset like you did here in this video and not fire harden??
What about recurring the ends as well??
Will be ordering rawhide from you real soon for this build of mine.
Thanks again for your time and support my friend remain safe and blessed and keep the great quality of videos coming 😊
Robert Benson
I absolutely suck at tillering!
I take my time and am patient but I just do not have an eye for how the limb is supposed to bend
I appreciate the knowledge, thank you for sharing this with us. I'm getting geared up to do my first laminate bow and a lot if what you shared here has really helped the planning process.
Awesome, good luck!
Great video series, are you going to show how to stain and seal the bow? I have built several board bows and they all take set thanks for showing how to correct that.
I can do a vid on that.
Thanks Clay! this is something I can make as a starter to shoot it in my yard
Yep!
Been watching your videos for about 4 days now, they’ve encouraged me to pick up archery, I bought myself a 68” recurve, 36lbs draw nothing too crazy just a good all around bow and started shooting.
Your videos are amazing and really helped me improve my technique, loving all the craft videos also, would love to make my own bow someday, please don’t stop making these videos Clay, you’re a really good teacher and have a lovely way at explaining this stuff, others videos were too technical or used too many big words, there’s no harm going in depth but they used all lingo like I’m some kinda pro.
Looking forward to what you make next! Subbed!
That’s perfect for a starter bow. Most people start way to heavy and develop bad shooting habits because of it.
Do you have to add the rawhide for strenght or would it work without too?
No but it is a lot more likely to break if you don't if you don't wont to spend that much money on rawhide you can find some backings witch will be cheaper silk is good but not as good as rawhide hope that helps
Really enjoying this series as I am in the process of building my first self bow. Going through tillering right now and this video shows me what to watch for and how to do it. Thanks
Cool, good luck.
Awesome thanks for the great videos. Followed them and made my first bow!
Really cool to see your process and to hear your thoughts. Much appreciated
You’re welcome
To bad no hunting or fishing in that area at all, I am an old UOFI guy hunted selway fished it all in my time.to OLD now but still like to flintknapp and build indean bows and atlatels ANND darts EXCT.I. thank for your good info .I also like Moscow hide GREAT things right by you....Rob
We’re got tons of whitetail around here, and gobs of turkeys.
Clay, great videos on bow making. I have tried making 64” long bow four times now. Poplar wood with fiberglass backing each time. Broke each one right at end of tillering process. Cracks, or brake occurred in four different locations on each bow. I tried to adjust the thickness of limb each time, from very thin to much thicker especially at fade-out. What would you suggest the target thickness of limbs to be when starting with board bow 1 1/2” wide X 3/4” thick? Thanks
thanks a lot great videos! I'm trying to build an arch, in my country in Italy there are many fir trees like you okay?
Did he also make the window for the rest in his arch where to place the arrow?
Finally got to watch this. Looks good.
As far as fiberglass laminated bows and memory if built correctly they retain only the memory of final tiller. I've blown up so many self and board bows trying to match my draw length of 33" it's pathetic. Still fun. Had a few survive. I love shooting them. Great video
Are you going to reflex the tips?
33 inches! wow! This bow will remain straight limbed. I wanted to do something very simple to show what could be done quickly and cheaply.
Clay Hayes gotcha
I'm glad I found your channel, great content, great delivery, and no B.S.
I'm very new; using red oak boards, don't have a mounted vice or blacksmith's rasp, just enough basic hand tools to get the job done and have broken 3 boards so far. I purchased your book (have not finished reading) and keep watching this series of videos for my guidance. I'm trying to make a 50-55 lbs draw at 26 1/2", finished length of 62". Also found a local supplier of exotic hardwoods for adding a backing later. Bamboo is not available. All my failures occur about 2" below the handle's tapered end. Each time I have gotten further along in the tillering process only to have it fail when attempting to string the bow. Any help would be appreciated. Sincerely.
It's easy to get those areas just outside the fades a little too thin. Just be conscious of that and watch that you're not getting to much bend in those areas while tillering.
I’ve got my board bow made and I thought I could use # 36 bank line for a string and serve it w some braided fishing line , how do you get the appropriate size string ? It’s 62 inches nock to nock on limbs ,what size string do I need and do you sell them ? You got me working lol , but it stretches the bank line and I shorten it and it stretches more , HELP !!! Thx for all the cool videos
This is so awesome, and I've really enjoyed it, but my OCD makes me cringe every time you set your plane on the table like that. Thanks so much for posting this information. If I have any cash left after Christmas I'm going to buy your book.
Would i be able to steam the tips and bend them to make it a slight recurve bow ?
Just wanted to say I'm loving the videos :)
I'm more of a target shooter and normally shoot olympics style recurve but I've always wanted to try a traditional bow
I'm part way through my first board bow build....
I've probably made many more mistakes like overstressing the limbs before backing or taken too much/not enough off but it's all part of the learning experience and appreciate the time you've taken to show us
I've watched a few other videos but you've got such a wonderful screen presence and the way you explain things are spot on
Keep making the videos :)
Thanks and good luck with your bows!
What can you use for backing bows except sinew and rawhide?
what about the back? When you made it it looked like you just cut the board and didn't need to chase a ring or reorient the board in any way
The rawhide takes the place of an unbroken growth ring.
@@clayhayeshunter So no need to reorient the board? got it. btw love your book bro!
Im giving this tutorial a shot, time to hit the depot for some wood
Go for it!
Great video. Going to try to make 1 for sure.
Have fun!
Clay, just got done making my first bow. Thanks for the videos. Your views on tradition archery and ethics are what got me to subscribe to your channel. Keep it up.
Awesome!
Well done. Loved it.
Not sure if I missed the reasoning but what’s the purpose of backing a bow?
Awesome video, Clay. Thanks for doing these... Very helpful.
Seriously man... Best videos on bow making I've seen out there. I am excited to start my first "board bow".
Cool, good luck with it!
Great video, thanks for sharing with us.
Mr Hayes,
Thanks for doing this little build along. Now I do have a question for the nocks. I have some deer claws from last season and i was wondering how to put them on for the nocks any sudgestions... Thanks again..
Jay
WoodPigeon Outdoors
My wife bought me your book, great read! Do you need a straight grained board if your backing with rawhide or bamboo? I have a left over piece of hickory w/ not so good grain. Was wondering if the rawhide you sell would make the piece of wood usable for a bow?
It depends on how bad the grain is. Hickory is a lot tougher than maple but it’s hard to say without seeing it.
LOVE all these videos, man. What pocket knife are you carrying on this one to make those fine tune adjustments?
Clay, great video brother.
Broke my first poplar board bow;learned a lot. Almost finished my second bow, this time oak board. Is there a particular time when you know you're ready to brace?
When you can get the tips bending to braces position without being over your target weight.
@@clayhayeshunter thanks man. I'm there! That's exactly what I needed to know. I'll send you a picture when I get an actual string on it.
Thanks for your help!
Watched every single vid in this series and will be trying this out. I do woodworking for a living and love to watch people work with wood in ways completely different from what I do in more niche areas with specific talents. Loved the vid. Thanks for what u do on this channel. Just subscribed., 👍🏾
Awesome, good luck with it.
What string are you using? Are you looking for a certain brace height?
I mainly use low stretch material like some kind of fastflight. My brace is usually set between 6.5-7”.
Great video. Why do we want to avoid having a crowned belly in the profile of the limbs on the bow? I'm used to seeing English style long bows built that way, but I don't know the dynamics of why you would or wouldn't want that. Thanks for the video, I have a hickory stave in the mail now.
The heartwood of yew can handle a D shaped belly pretty well. White woods like hickory would take a lot of set of made with that design. I cover all this in my book.
Great series. Do you have similar video making a board bow with a reinforced handle bow, I.e. Not bending in middle ?
Not yet but I will.
Thanks for this video this is one of the best I have seen I really like your teaching style and the way you explain things simply and concisely.
Thanks Veronica
Great series Clay. I'm really enjoying the book, too. Thanks.
Thanks Jim
Do you craft your own arrows to shoot off a homemade bow or can they be bought? Can any type of arrow be shot or only wooden arrow?
I do make my own. You should check out the video I did on tuning. There’s lots of info there explaining how to match arrows to the bow.
Thanks for replying and thanks for the videos. I will definitely check out that video you recommended
On this 70” board bow how long was the finished bow string?
Thanks just found your channel and really enjoy watching
Thanks Tommy
Clay,
Love the videos! Especially how simply you explain the processes as you go. I have one quick question... I notice you shoot these bows off your hand rather than incorporating some form of shelf. Would there be any reason why you couldn't shoot either right or left handed? I can actually shoot both ways quite well and I've always wanted a bow that I could do just that with. This looks like a nice, inexpensive way to experiment with that and learn a fantastic craft. Also, is there any reason why you couldn't recurve the tips of these bows a bit like you do on your Osage bows?
Thanks again for all you do! Your a very generous person to share such knowledge.
you could shoot these bows off either side with no problems. And yes, you could put some reflex into the tips. I've never tried a true recurve with maple though. I'm not sure how well it would take a dramatic bend. try it with a scrap piece.
I wish you could just send me one of your bows… I don’t have your skills. I’ve tried so many times to build one but it’s usually ended up in failure. Anyway, keep up the great work!
Do you have to use the rahide
why do you back the bow with rawhide? if it strengthens the bow, can you use a heat gun instead? btw, great video.
Backing provides tension strength in the back. Heat treating increases compression strength in the belly. Very different.
Can you tell us what plane you are using, size, name etc. I have never owned or used on. I usually use a file and scraping blade. The use of a plane would save me considerable time and work. Thank you, Ron in WA.
It’s an old Stanley. I’m not sure of the size
Thanks again Clay - great series. I have completed my red oak board bow to this stage and have enjoyed shooting it. It is pulling 57# at 28" and chronos at 143 fps with 470 grain carbon arrows. I was hoping for a little more speed, so am looking forward to your next video! Also, it has a little bit of set. Not much, but enough to notice. Would the maple board do better with that?
In my experience, red oak tends to take more set than maple.
Informative videos. What does rawhide do on the back of it? Add strength?
Would you hunt that bow at 140 ft./sec?
Thanks, Daniel
Rawhide creates a durable back for a stave that might not be able to handle the tension forces without it. 140 is plenty of the bow is quite and the target is close.
all great so far if I come up with some thing you will hear from me. Thanks
What arrows do you shoot with a board bow?
How do you keep from crushing wood fibers in vise? I have the same type of blacksmith vise. Ty
Just use pads on the jaws.
👍
Hi clay. This is great. Thanks for the information. I think i will try and make some
good luck!
Really good video. You explain everything in an easy to understand way.
Thanks
What brace height did you start with?
That carbide blade in the hacksaw made your knocks go so quick! I have spent a hald hour or more just filing away with a file. I'll have to get me one
Nice
Thank you, Clay. Hoping to jump in and build bows for the grandkids Finding your channel was fortuitous. My question is, how do you tell/measure the weight of the pull when it is on the tillering rack? Is it by feel, because of having done it so long, or is the a more exact way to do it for those just starting.
Just pick up a bow scale. I use one from 3RiversArchery.
Hi Clay. I just got my rawhide last week and have glued it today on my future bow. I overlapped them over the handle about 4 to 5 inches. I'm wondering if you can cut them out so that they just 'meet ' on the center of the bow instead of overlapping. Does it make any difference? Or is it preferable that they overlap like you did with your board bow. Thanks for your reply. (M.G., Quebec, Canada)
If the bow has a stiff riser then they don’t need to overlap. But if the handle is bending then it would create a weak spot.
This is an awesome video series by far the best bow build along video I’ve been able to find on CZcams. But would it be possible to make a recurve out of a oak or maple board?
You could
Great series Clay, awesome video as always and really inspiring! I would love to try make my own board selfbow but I have to collect the right tools first. I just have a couple of questions: 1-What can I buy that is cheaper than a handplane and that can do the same work? (I'm looking for good quality tools that will last) 2- Is there any other kind of wood cutted in boards that will work fine in making a bow? Thank you so much for all you do and for your help.
I have used red oak, also from HD, hickory is another one. One of the most important things is picking a straight grained board.
Thank you for your help my friend!
What Bryce said. Look into a spokeshave. It’s a different tool but I’m not sure the cost would be any different.
Thank you so much for your help and for the response! I really appreciate it! Thanks.
Did you put the buckskin on this bow because the grain was turned in a not so perfect direction or would this bow have been ok without the backing?
This bow was made from a sawn lumber board which doesn't follow the grain at all. The backing was necessary to create an unbroken backing layer.
Ok that's what I thought I just wanted to know for sure! Thanks and I enjoy your videos
Hey Man, got another question. How should i treat the belly of the board bow? I used boiled linseed oil on my first successful bow but i think it made the limbs too soft and the “SET” is bad. Should i just leave the wood dry as possible and poly it? Your the man. Paul Cumming GA
I like truoil gun stock finish.
Can you use glass instead of rawhide for the backing?
Sure.
Doesn't the rawhide backing slow the speed down alittle?
A rawhide back may slow it down a little but without one this bow would likely have broken.
You should be verified.