Build a Longbow
Building a longbow from scratch can be a somewhat complex process. There’s much more to it than finding a long piece of wood and attaching a string to it. Follow these steps to build yourself a functioning bow that can last for years.
Contents
Steps
Prepare the Stave
- Find the wood. You will want a straight section of branch that has very few twists and knots. The stave will be about {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} long, so if you cut a branch down make sure not to split or crack the wood.
- Some of the best bow woods include yew, ash, and hickory. Any hardwood should work OK in a pinch.
- The stave should be no more than {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} in diameter.
- Find the curve. Hold the stave upright, with a loose grip on the top and the bottom set against your foot. Gently push the center of the stave. The piece of wood will rotate and the natural curve of the wood will point away from you.
- This will show you the “inside” and the “outside” of the bow. You will be making cuts to the inside of the bow, but the outside must be left untouched. Any cuts made to the outside of the bow will severely affect the integrity of the bow, and will lead to it breaking early.
- Mark the handhold. Find the middle of the stave. Make marks approximately three inches out from the center in each direction. This will be the handhold. Like the back, it will remain untouched to keep the tension from snapping the bow in half.
Shape the Bow
- Test the bends. Put the bottom tip of the bow on the top of your foot and hold the top of the bow with your hand. Use your other hand to push out the center of the bow a few inches. Observe where the bow bends and where it does not.
- Make adjustments. Using a knife, cut off wood from the inside of the bow where it does not bend. By removing wood, you will increase the flexibility of the stiff areas. Keep testing the flexibility of the bow until it bends in a uniform shape, both above and below the handhold.
- Only cut wood from the inside. Leave the outside of the bow untouched.
- The handhold and tips should remain relatively straight compared to the rest of the bow.
- The amount of carving required will vary greatly depending on how thick the stave is.
String the Bow
- Cut a notch on each side of each tip. These notches will be used to string the bow. They only need to be deep enough to hold the string in place.
- Be sure not to cut all the way into the outside of the bow.
- Prepare the string. Tie loops to both ends of a length of nylon. The bowstring should be {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} from the handhold when the bow is complete.
- Bend the bow and loop the nylon onto each notch.
- Do not pull back on the string yet, the bow is not complete and could break.
- Hang the bow horizontally on from an elevated position. Rest the bow on the center handhold, with the string perpendicular to the ground.
- Use a tree branch or a piece of scrap wood to hang the bow from.
- Pull the bowstring a few inches. Check and see how the bow bends. Ideally, both sides will bend the same, at the same angle.
- Make adjustments by removing wood from the inside of the bow where it is not bending enough
- Continue to make adjustments and pull the string back a bit more each time. Do this until you reach the draw length. Your draw length is the distance from the string at rest to your upper chin. This is how far back you would pull to shoot.
Finish the Bow
- Apply a light oil to keep the wood from drying out. Linseed or tung oils are the most common used for making bows.
- Use your new bow. At this point, the bow is ready to be used. To finish it, sand the inside so that it is smooth.
Tips
- Do not fire the bow without an arrow, as this can damage the bow and cause it to break.
Warnings
- A bow is a deadly hunting weapon. Never point it at something you don’t intend to kill.
