Title pretty much says it all, I've knapped a couple of glass arrowheads before and I'm looking into making my own bow
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Title pretty much says it all, I've knapped a couple of glass arrowheads before and I'm looking into making my own bow
I think that Yew was the go to for traditional bow making back in the day, but not sure it is even found in NZ
Maybe ash wood?
lancewood is good native option...depends entirely on what poundage yo uwant to achieve and how much time n effort you are prepared to put in...the bowmakers of old went to lamination for a good reason
Around 45lb draw weight, not looking to put in too much effort aside from drying out the wood as the first couple ones are bound to be a bit shoddy
Do some searching on the forum.
There was someone a while back offering up some wood that was suitable for making bows with.
Quite a while ago though so might be a dead end.
A customer at work make his own longbows, he is quite fond of Kowhai
Hi Wisemushroom,
Try using 2 x Hickory axe handles from miter-10 just need to look for good straight grain and then do a splice joint. Easy to get, easy to shape and Hickory is a good strong wood for a first bow attempt and pretty cheap at 90 bucks for 2 x handles
When I get a shed (mancave) I will be building a bow or two, I have done a lot of vac bagged epoxy surfboards so like the idea of laminating up a recurve and have a nice 60# hunting recurve that hasnt been used in a long time that I would like to try and replicate.
Pick handles are a better shape to start with.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fat belly Dog
If you can find them these days.
I would look at manuka or its close relative kanuka - see if that has the right credentials - there are clubs and groups right into this should not hard to tap into adviceQuote:
Originally Posted by WiseMushroom
Osange orange if you can find it. Otherwise try find some old skis,use front half and shape them for limbs. Laminate some wood and something synthetic for a handle and bolt ski bits to it.
Two hickory pick handles. Head end to head end and screwed on to a riser.
Plane/sand/whittle them down to the desired shape, size and weight.
It works.
We use mulberry tree making curve bow in China. It `s light with good strength and elasticity, easy to work with, not like hardwood. I believe NZ has mulberry tree since I know some people raising silk worm. And, you got lots organic material available from deer or shark and deep salt water fishes to make very good bow
I know some use laminated Tanekaha , possibly with some other type https://www.tanestrees.org.nz/specie...iles/tanekaha/
A read a study exactly on this subuject by a forestry chap who was into bowmaking, and all the aspects for a good bow wood are in....macrocarpa. Which is actually a cypress tree. It actually scores higher then yew.
Yew can be found in NZ, mostly as an ornamental tree, too small to be of any use, or I have seen some in old parks. But they are a twisty tree, unless they are big enugh you wont have a limb large anough and traight enought o be useful. Plus you have to sneak into a city park at night with a saw.
The Tanekaha suggestion is interesting, it's a very nice tough timber, definitely less brittle than Macrocarpa. My yacht is Tanekaha below the waterline, Macrocarpa above. From nudging various rocks and reefs on Stewart Is I can say I'd prefer the Tanekaha (but it's 50 years since I made a bow, and back then it was a Lancewood stick).
Try this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8A1aSW_Q_s
Penobscot bow
Tanekaha is/was quite popular for fishing rods.
could be worth a lookQuote:
Originally Posted by WiseMushroom
Dodonaea viscosa
The exceptionally hard wood of akeake (Dodonaea) was much favoured by Maori for making taiaha, patu and other weapons as well as garden implements
I think that Macro would be the easiest / most practical. Those low whooping branches on cow farm Macros that the cows rub their backs on are really strong and springy. Two of those branches shaped and fired hardened as per the Penobscot bow link above would have to be great
Yeah tanekaha or lancewood wood be good options.
Hickory shovel handles are good aparantly.
Josh James has a youtube video on making a longbow and he uses Kanuka
This chap does some rather neat videos of bow building.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVCMsbF_OD0
Dunno what he's like in person, but seems like a guy who I'd be happy to have a beer with.
Long bow or short bow, laminated bows are very powerful short bows as used by the Mongol hordes and many American first nations.
Making a laminate bow with plaster board tape is on my long list of things to do. Buggered if I know how to use a bow, but making one will fill in the evenings for a few weeks.Quote:
Originally Posted by Happy Jack
Does Akeake have alot of elasticity?Quote:
Originally Posted by Barry the hunter
dont know I also understand that they put it into a swamp to harden the taiaha - worth a look
But it does require good upper body strength to pull those hard laminated bows as we knew from history as the "The last traditional bow marker" in China said in a TV show, and his family has been making bows for hundreds years.Quote:
Originally Posted by Happy Jack
Follow Clay Hayes if your interested in bow building
https://m.youtube.com/@clayhayeshunter/featured
Also this taught me so much about trad Archery
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1E1vKkSSoNs
I'm planting some gleditsia at the moment(honey locust) no tricanthos, author mentions the natives used that for bows