Red Oak Board Bow
This is a longbow I made out of red oak. It's my first bow. Most would call it a board bow, since I made it out of a 6 foot long red oak board. It's backed with linen strip, glued on for strength and to prevent a hazard if it breaks (I really hope it doesn't!). It took me 2 years, on and off, to finish -- I started it inspired by LOTR and the SCA (a medieval reenactment group), and finished it on the impulse to get a good workout shooting every day :). A little weird, I know. Normally, if I put my mind to it, it would take about 4 weeks total.
Tools I used were: A surform plane, 4-in-1 file/rasp, various files, a jigsaw (to cut out the initial excess), and some sandpaper. For the string, which is homemade as well, I made a jig with plans commonly available online to make flemish twist bowstring. The string material is Dacron B-50, purchased from eBay.
I finished it with a few coats of a homemade beeswax-olive oil finish, to protect the wood from moisture and bring out the grain.
It comes out to be 6 feet tall (a bit taller than me) unstrung, and pulls about 25#.
(One of my) pride and joys in my DIY career :D.
Speaking of which, please vote for me in the I Made It Photo Contest if you'd be so inclined. If I receive a leatherman multitool, my DIYing isn't only limited to my home -- I can't name the multitude of times I've been stuck during camping, hiking, or just somewhere in the city where I need a pair of pliers or a screwdriver to fix things... Or make something, for that matter.
Tools I used were: A surform plane, 4-in-1 file/rasp, various files, a jigsaw (to cut out the initial excess), and some sandpaper. For the string, which is homemade as well, I made a jig with plans commonly available online to make flemish twist bowstring. The string material is Dacron B-50, purchased from eBay.
I finished it with a few coats of a homemade beeswax-olive oil finish, to protect the wood from moisture and bring out the grain.
It comes out to be 6 feet tall (a bit taller than me) unstrung, and pulls about 25#.
(One of my) pride and joys in my DIY career :D.
Speaking of which, please vote for me in the I Made It Photo Contest if you'd be so inclined. If I receive a leatherman multitool, my DIYing isn't only limited to my home -- I can't name the multitude of times I've been stuck during camping, hiking, or just somewhere in the city where I need a pair of pliers or a screwdriver to fix things... Or make something, for that matter.