72" Hickory and Maple Longbow Build

Tail Dragger · January 15, 2018, 09:11:00 PM

Hello everyone I'm Chris, this is my first post and first bow build. I've been lurking for sometime ever since I got the wild hair to build a bow. Let me start by saying thank you to all who have unknowingly contributed to supplying me with such an incredible repository of knowledge. In all honesty, I'm still pretty green to the whole trad thing so please excuse my lack of experience and ignorance to some terminology. All of this nonsense started in August when the new pastor at church let me shoot his bow at a great little range out here in CO. I was already shooting compound bows but man, that was a really fun yet challenging day. You mean you can take an elk with that little stick and string? After a resounding yes, I was hooked.

For my first bow, I decided to build a double lam all wood hickory and maple longbow for my wife. There's not much in the way of plans or instructions so I winged it based off some older threads and current tri-lam builds. My wife kinda has a thing for english longbows, so this thing had to be really long, 72". With future plans of building different styles of bows, it quickly became apparent that I was missing some much needed tools. Hooray, a great excuse to build or buy tools! For laminations, I built a thickness sander from a motor off e Bay, a ton of MDF and some home depot odds and ends. I also realized an edge sander would come in handy. Again, MDF and some salvaged parts and voila, a dust maker. The final addition was a craigslist bandsaw score.....ready go!

The first step was milling the hickory backing and hard maple belly. With no plans, the combined thickness was 2" tapering to 3/4." I later regretted how much wood had to come off between the bandsaw, sander and card scraping. I used a simple jig on my workbench to set the reflex and mild deflex using a technique learned here. The lams and handle were glued up using titebond III and were left to dry for over 48 hrs.
Excuse the mess...

After a quick cleanup, I was pleasantly surprised to have a nice blank to start tillering.

Man, the tillering process is a pain.

I eventually switched from the card scraper to the sander, thats when I really started seeing results. Long story short, I was aiming for 30# at 28" and ended up with 29#, not too shabby. I'm currently in the process of finishing the bow with linseed oil and will hopefully have a nice enough string to have my wife shoot it by this next weekend.

Her name is Jorunn by the way and she shoots better than me.

All critique and advice is very much welcomed.

John Malone · January 15, 2018, 09:49:00 PM

Excellent!!! But we gota see the full draw pics. First bow huh, hope my 20th bow comes out that good.

Pat B · January 15, 2018, 10:54:00 PM

Yeah, we need a braced and full draw pic. Nice looking bow and your woodworking skills are good.
Did you cut across the back at the string nocks?
What's the draw weight and length?

BMorv · January 16, 2018, 10:27:00 AM

It looks like it held some reflex and that's really good for your 1st attempt at tillering. Great job. Looking forward to draw pics.

Pat B · January 16, 2018, 10:38:00 AM

Has the bow been braced?

Tail Dragger · January 16, 2018, 11:54:00 AM

Thanks for the kind words. I should hopefully have a full draw pic tonight if I can get a string from RMSGear down the street from work. I don't have it in me to post pics with the paracord used to brace and tiller. The string I bought online was too short and made me nervous when attempting to brace. I'm not quite sure what is meant by cut across the back at the string nocks. I put doublers on the back at the tips and filed nock grooves if that's what you mean. I pretty much just emulated what I've seen others do.

Pat B · January 16, 2018, 12:02:00 PM

It looked to me that your nock groove was cut across the back of the backing. Looking closer now I see you have an overlay over the backing.

YosemiteSam · January 16, 2018, 12:45:00 PM

Wish my first bows came out that nice. I'm finishing #10 and it still isn't that nice. You've got some skills with wood!

Tail Dragger · January 16, 2018, 02:52:00 PM

Got a string but......
Heard a bit of a creak attempting to put the new string on at the shop so we aborted. If I can steal some time tonight, I'm going to look for evidence of the sound. We definitely noticed the upper limb looked stiffer than the lower which was not the case when I had the thing on the board. Man, hope I can sort this out without making splinters. Rookie colors are starting to show.

John Malone · January 16, 2018, 04:46:00 PM

Put it on the tillering tree and pull on it. If you used the para cord through the entire tilering process that was a mistake so ive been told. I wouldn't let a lil creak scare me though my john boat has been creaking for years and it aint sunk yet. Seriously though be safe.

Pat B · January 16, 2018, 04:57:00 PM

Lightly rub a cotton ball over all surfaces. If there is a splinter or crack it will grab the cotton.

Tail Dragger · January 17, 2018, 12:43:00 AM

Well, it shoots ok but a nice little crack opened up on the lower limb hickory backing. Never fear, carbon and kevlar are here. So I robbed the bow of it's sanctity but my wife still enjoys it. I dare not draw the bow all the way to 28", I'll stay between 25"-26", thats where my wife draws anyway. Looking at the pictures, I really think I left the root of the limbs too thick and tapered the outer limbs too much, there's not enough symmetry. Oh well, knowledge gained and a pretty paint mixer created. Wonder how long she'll hold up. Really thought that hickory would be a lot stronger.

BMorv · January 18, 2018, 10:01:00 AM

Sorry to hear that happened. I hope it holds up for you. Check it often.

Next time you can get us involved early in the tiller stage. We probably could have helped prevent that from happening. Your inner limbs are stiff. Get or make one of Eric Krewson's tillering gizmo's. It's a beginners best friend. You have a lot of the basics down packed. Looking forward to your next one.

Roy from Pa · January 18, 2018, 10:17:00 AM

Your bow was/is bending too much at mid limb. Needs to bend more out of the riser.

Roy from Pa · January 18, 2018, 10:22:00 AM

See the difference below?

Roy from Pa · January 18, 2018, 10:44:00 AM

Read this and make yourself one.

http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=000075;p=1

Pat B · January 18, 2018, 10:54:00 AM

You mean that he's young and you're old Roy. I can see the difference.

Your inner limbs are too stiff especially the top limb. The fade area, just above and below the grip are the transition between the static handle and the working limb. The bend of the limb should come into the fade or at least close. By softening the inner limb you will relieve the stress on the outer limb making the limbs bend more evenly.

Roy from Pa · January 18, 2018, 11:57:00 AM

Ah so ya took a KennyM smarty pants pill this morning, Pat? LOL. Yup looks to be about 40 years difference there..

Tail Dragger · January 18, 2018, 01:51:00 PM

I see a huge difference in those pictures, thanks for taking the time to show me. With as light as the bow is, I thinks its a gonner with nothing left to take off. Round 2 will have to happen soon and that tillering gizmo will certainly be used. What thickness backing and belly should I cut and do you think a trilam would be more beneficial?

Just purchased the book The American Longbow, hoping to get more info there. It's dang near impossible to find plans anywhere, model airplanes are a heck of a lot easier.

Appreciate all the help guys

Pat B · January 18, 2018, 01:55:00 PM

You could cut a few inches off each end of this bow which will increase the draw weight(about 2# - 3# per inch) then retiller so the limbs bend more evenly and together.