- Joined
- Oct 19, 2010
- Messages
- 436
This is an update to my previous post http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=805074
Finally had some nice weather and was able to get outside with my survival bow.
I started off by removing some more material from the staves to get a little more flex out of the bow.
Like this ?
This is pretty much the only method used for making this bow and arrow.
I got everything to length with a folding saw.
Cutting any of the materials by batoning would likely result in a bow stave in the face later on.
Moving on, as I said in the last post, I was going to drop an arrow fletching field kit with some arrowheads into my kit.
This is pretty compact, fits perfect in a survival tin.
Thanks for the arrowheads Jeff!
I started with a whole new arrow this time. It was mostly straight when I stripped the bark off of it but had a small curve in it.
I heated it up over the fire and flexed it straight. This worked real well.
This also hardens the arrow slightly, and draws the moisture/sap to the surface.
Per some advice recieved in the original thread I cut a slit in the arrowhead end of the arrow and attached it with some lighter cordage.
Went with 50# fish line. Sorry Mike, all out of dental floss at the moment.
I cut a shallow knock in the arrow and wrapped the end with some fish line to help prevent it from splitting.
I had to come back later and make this knock a little deaper.
I then attached some fletching that were trimmed down a bit.
I used some fletching glue that is included in my kit.
Once I was done with this I also applied some glue to all the cordage on the arrow, to help keep it all together.
From what I understand pine pitch can work well for this also.
I made a rest for the bow by wrapping parachute cord arround the handhold on the bow with a small stick on the side.
Time to fire...
Well I lost the yellow fletching on the first shot.
I jumped the gun a bit, need more time to cure.
I continued on with a single fletch.
Plenty of penatration this time arround.
I shot the bow about 25 times from ranges between 20 - 30 feet.
The arrow held up much better than last time. I could have kept on shooting it in the condition it was in.
My hand grip / rest was starting to come apart, will have to figure out something better for this.
To remove the arrow from the target I simply pushed through or pulled it straight back out. I was fairly impressed with the way it all held together after repeating this process so many times.
Hardly even a single scratch on the arrow head, even after shooting through the target and hitting the tree once.
I still have to remove more material from the bow stave... or grow bigger arms.
This is a fun project, it's time consuming and only half the battle is making the bow, learning to shoot it worth a damn is a whole other story.
Finally had some nice weather and was able to get outside with my survival bow.
I started off by removing some more material from the staves to get a little more flex out of the bow.
Like this ?
This is pretty much the only method used for making this bow and arrow.
I got everything to length with a folding saw.
Cutting any of the materials by batoning would likely result in a bow stave in the face later on.
Moving on, as I said in the last post, I was going to drop an arrow fletching field kit with some arrowheads into my kit.
This is pretty compact, fits perfect in a survival tin.
Thanks for the arrowheads Jeff!
I started with a whole new arrow this time. It was mostly straight when I stripped the bark off of it but had a small curve in it.
I heated it up over the fire and flexed it straight. This worked real well.
This also hardens the arrow slightly, and draws the moisture/sap to the surface.
Per some advice recieved in the original thread I cut a slit in the arrowhead end of the arrow and attached it with some lighter cordage.
Went with 50# fish line. Sorry Mike, all out of dental floss at the moment.
I cut a shallow knock in the arrow and wrapped the end with some fish line to help prevent it from splitting.
I had to come back later and make this knock a little deaper.
I then attached some fletching that were trimmed down a bit.
I used some fletching glue that is included in my kit.
Once I was done with this I also applied some glue to all the cordage on the arrow, to help keep it all together.
From what I understand pine pitch can work well for this also.
I made a rest for the bow by wrapping parachute cord arround the handhold on the bow with a small stick on the side.
Time to fire...
Well I lost the yellow fletching on the first shot.
I jumped the gun a bit, need more time to cure.
I continued on with a single fletch.
Plenty of penatration this time arround.
I shot the bow about 25 times from ranges between 20 - 30 feet.
The arrow held up much better than last time. I could have kept on shooting it in the condition it was in.
My hand grip / rest was starting to come apart, will have to figure out something better for this.
To remove the arrow from the target I simply pushed through or pulled it straight back out. I was fairly impressed with the way it all held together after repeating this process so many times.
Hardly even a single scratch on the arrow head, even after shooting through the target and hitting the tree once.
I still have to remove more material from the bow stave... or grow bigger arms.
This is a fun project, it's time consuming and only half the battle is making the bow, learning to shoot it worth a damn is a whole other story.
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