Bow Building season is here

[petew]

Well Hunting is over for another year, and it's time to get out the draw knife and make a few bows .
I am planing to do a couple Yew English Longbows, an Osage recurve and Longbow, a Hop Hornbeam Penobscott and Holmgard style and Ash longbows in the Holmgard style, as well as a few kids bows from the trim on the larger staves, and some Maple boards .
Are there any others that build Self bows, or any type of bows on here? Where do you get your staves? or supplies? Whats in the Vice for this winter?
Staves are hard to come by in Alberta so if you have a source I would be interested .
Pete

[Pudelpointer]

IF, big if, I can find some time this spring I hope to build a couple.

I have some Yew that I got my dad to cut on his mill last spring. It was too 'wiggly' to make a decent self bow, so I was planning on laminating two strips of the yew together and backing it with rawhide.

Was going to make the first one for my nephew, and the second for myself.

Do you have any idea how to estimate draw weight with wood laminations / rawhide backing? I know there are a thousand variables, just looking for somewhere to start.

Cheers.

[petew]

You can heat/ steam straighten staves as you go or Make a Snakey bow, or character bow as some call them.

As for weight estimating, you reduce the weight as you tiller. Never draw it to more weight than you want the finished bow to be.

Do you have boards or sawn staves?

[calgarychef]

Pete I know a fellow in BC who makes wooden bows and he was saying recently that he has lots of yew to sell/trade. He's made a lot of bows so I'd really trust his judgement in choosing a nice stave for someone.

[petew]

Post his name contact info tracy. Unfortunately most guys selling staves are price gouging , I have seen poor quality small Yew staves full of knots and they were asking over $200 for them.

[LeroyvdH]

Windsor plywood sells hickory staves and a few others. Haven't been there in a while. But you got to order them. Bert Frelink in Pincher creek was getting some osage, don't know ifin he has any extra. He also has boo backing.
Just a thought- If someone finds a good stash of yew/osage/hhb how about group buy???
Pudelpointer - rawhide does not increase weight like sinue, just a backing. Rather than lamiating strips maybe back with thin boo or a tri-lam
Personal goal- Vine maple for the grandson he wants to help
hickory moly for myself hopefully ready for Calgary in april. But first I promised mom a new bathroom with a jet tub.
Thanks Leroy