You can alter the dimensions of the bow to fit your specifications.
Whether you are a novice or an experienced archer, or simply a woodworker looking for a new project, making your own bow can be a rewarding task. Bows have been used by almost every culture on the planet at some point, and there are hundreds of methods of making a bow. To make a simple, no-frills bow, however, all you need are a few basics and almost anyone can create their own homemade bow.
Instructions
1. Acquire a stave of yew wood about 5 feet long with a diameter of around 2 inches. Yew is the perfect wood for making bows, as it is both strong and flexible and will make a bow with a very strong poundage.
2. Mark the handle on the bow. The handle should be located exactly in the center of the wooden stave. It should be about 4 inches in length, but you can tailor it to the size of your hand as long as both limbs of the bow are the exact same length as each other.
3. File the bow to shape using a rasp. First file the handle so that it is comfortable to hold. Now move on to the limbs. The limbs must be tapered so that they are thicker near the handle of the bow and slimmer at the tip so that the limbs bend. File the wood at the handle to a 1.5-inch width and 1-inch thickness. At the tip, file the limbs to a 1-inch width and 0.5-inch thickness. File the limbs so they taper evenly and make sure both limbs have the exact same dimensions.
4. Soak the bow in simmering water for up to 30 minutes. This will cause the wood to become soft and supple so that you can bend the bow into the curved shape it needs to be. After 30 minutes of soaking, take the bow out of the water, tie a rope to each end of both tips and stand on the handle of the bow. Now pull the rope upward so that the limbs bend. Hold this position for a few minutes. Repeat this constantly until the bow has dried and it should have adopted a slight curvature.
5. Cut notches in both tips of the bow. These notches should be about 0.1 inches deep and semicircular in shape. These notches will accommodate the string.
6. String the bow. Acquire a string that is around 1 foot shorter than the length of the bow. Tie two loops in both ends of the string. Bend the limbs backward and loop the string into the notches on both ends of the bow. You made need a friend to assist you with this process, as bending the bow while simultaneously attaching the string can be tricky if done on your own.
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