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I have a bow kit and I need to figure out what kind of bow it is, and where to get the plans?
It was given to me bacause the guy who bought it no longer wanted it. He got it on eBay. The seller called it "Bow kit/traditional archery" I can give measurements. Tried to give pictures, .but due to the rain here, I can't get regular lighting to take a half decent photo.
Measurements:
First piece is the hard maple core I believe: 3/4" x 2" x 72"
The next is the hickory backing: 3/16" x 2" x 72"
The last is a maple handle: 1" x 2" x 18"
It's really good wood, no knots or anything, it would be a shame to waste it. If you know what type of bow that makes and where I could get some plans for it, preferably ones that are free, that'd be great.
http://www.murraygaskins.com/bow-bld.html
http://www.freewebs.com/traditionalbows/makingyourownbow.htm
I am assuming it is a longbow.
In England they would likely refer to it as a flat bow.
The man who wrote the article in the first link suggests Tightbond II as his favourite glue.
The second link is describing a bow made of one piece of wood but he has a good description of the shaping and the tillering process.
Do not be afraid of whether you succeed or fail. If you go slow on the shaping and the tillering you will likely succeed. If not then don't feel bad. Even people who make bows professionally have staves that fail when they start using them.
I suggest using sanders and scrapers for shaping. It is important to avoid nicks and sudden changes in size because they create extra stress and make the bow weaker than it could be.
Remember to go slow as you thin it down, it is easy to take wood off, but almost impossible to put it back.
They seem to shoot better if the bottom limb is just very slightly weaker than the top limb.
Without knowing your kit I can not tell you very much more.
If you can find a copy of the Bowyers Bible at a library or used it would likely help. You would be looking for volume 2, I think.