To all you Bowyers...

Joined
Mar 28, 2002
Messages
317
I'm in desperate need of some assistance here...

As you all know, I reside in the Merry Land of OZ. That's Australia, in case you're wondering if I just skipped my meds... :D

I'm eagerly trying to complete my first self bow; 60" with slightly recurved tips.

It was to great horror that I found that the typical Aussie hardware store wood (usually Tasmanian Oak or Victorian Ash which aren't in fact Oak or Ash) isn't in any way suitable for bowmaking.

So, anyone out there know what Australian Hardwoods can be used? One carpenter I know suggested Blue Gum, but another guy said it might be too hard...

Any and all suggestions are welcome!

Thanks!
 
Hello,
so as I m bowmaker by trade now, I ll try tow rite you few lines:

1. I wouldnt make recurve as a first project - I would try typical flatbow 68´´ long, 5 inches handle, 2 inches fades, limbs 2 inches wide at the fades and 1/2 inch tips - this is the project you can accomplish during afternoon and it makes good shooting bow and even if you have only sawn wood, it will survive. This is good design for oak, ash and maple.

2. The thing what the carpenter says you is right, this wood can be used, but I would make a longbow (because of weight) from it and you would need to back it, since it is reported that its brittle and doesnt hold the compression well.

3. I would definitelly try to get one of these : red oak, white ash (fraxinus excelsior), MAPLE

4. If you cant get these, you might try companies selling tropicall hardwood floring. Try to get Jatoba, Bubingo, IPE, Wenge or similar wood. These are not good for flatbows, but they make good target tilered longbow. They need to be backed either with hickory, or at least rawhide to prevent splinter raising. Of these you need only about piece 70´´ long, 1X1 inch.

When you get the wood write me an email, I ll send you tutorial what to do.
 
Hawkwind...others of us might like to see that too! I'd love to hand make a bow worth using on small deer!

:D
.
 
Well if you like, I will post tutorial on ash flatbow here with pictures. This bow takes about 4 hours to make and you can go after big deer with it.
 
hawkwind, your pix are great. Bet you guys are having some fun.

What's the re-enactor group called again? Think you mentioned in an older post.


Ad Astra
 
This is different group. These are just fencer, not much into living history. The other group is Skjaldborg and this one is Canis.
 
Thanks for the pictures, Hawkwind. It DOES look like fun. Maybe not for the spy, though.
 
hawkwind said:
Hello,
so as I m bowmaker by trade now, I ll try tow rite you few lines:

1. I wouldnt make recurve as a first project - I would try typical flatbow 68´´ long, 5 inches handle, 2 inches fades, limbs 2 inches wide at the fades and 1/2 inch tips - this is the project you can accomplish during afternoon and it makes good shooting bow and even if you have only sawn wood, it will survive. This is good design for oak, ash and maple.

2. The thing what the carpenter says you is right, this wood can be used, but I would make a longbow (because of weight) from it and you would need to back it, since it is reported that its brittle and doesnt hold the compression well.

3. I would definitelly try to get one of these : red oak, white ash (fraxinus excelsior), MAPLE

4. If you cant get these, you might try companies selling tropicall hardwood floring. Try to get Jatoba, Bubingo, IPE, Wenge or similar wood. These are not good for flatbows, but they make good target tilered longbow. They need to be backed either with hickory, or at least rawhide to prevent splinter raising. Of these you need only about piece 70´´ long, 1X1 inch.

When you get the wood write me an email, I ll send you tutorial what to do.

Did anyone read the second line of my post? I am in need of *AUSTRALIAN* bow woods, *NOT AMERICAN!!!* There is absolutely no way to obtain Hickory in Australia at all, at least here in the state of Victoria...

So I reiterate: I need some suggestions for *AUSTRALIAN* bow woods.

Rant over. Sorry to have to rant, but there seem to be a lack traditional Aussie Bowyers around...
 
I sort of figured that was why they came up with the boomerang...no good bow woods in Oz...

A fellow went looking for some, kept finding bent branches too short, stiff & brittle for bows, kept throwing them away and they kept coming back..until he gave up and just tossed the sticks instead.

hey...have a cold one and it will make more sense to you too...
cheers.gif



.

.
 
I m not american. I m in europe. Other than that - Dont you have any bamboo, or bamboo dealers in land?
If yes, you can make fantastic bows out of bamboo only.
Othar than as I said, check hardwood flooring companies, they can import any of wood I described above.
 
hawkwind said:
I m not american. I m in europe. Other than that - Dont you have any bamboo, or bamboo dealers in land?
If yes, you can make fantastic bows out of bamboo only.
Othar than as I said, check hardwood flooring companies, they can import any of wood I described above.

Oh I have *PLENTY* of Bamboo. my side fence is practically falling down because them bamboo plants are just out of control. I'd like to know more about building a Bamboo-only bow. And I've tried the floorboard shops. I managed to score (for free, mind you!) a set of pretty exotic aussie hardwood boards, but none of them are bow-material...

Do you know of *ANY* Aussie bow hardwoods?

Thanks!
 
There has been article on primitivearcher.com about building bamboo bows.
Basically you can just plane bamboo flat, glue the slabs together and glue another piece of bamboo on back of the bow as a backing.

Well I found the article for you. Bamboo being 8X stronger than most wood makes sweet shooting bow.
http://www.primitivearcher.com/articles/bamboo.html

Jaap Koperdryer is maker of yumi and OTHER types of all bamboo bows and sells video how to do it:
http://www.horsefeathersranch.com/crafting.htm

If you have bamboo, then stop mourning, you can use it. As for wood you have found at hardwood companies, you havent told us WHAT you found. Almost any wood over SG 0.6 DOES make bow. If its brittle (such as bloodwood) you got to back it, again ,if you have bamboo you can use bamboo for backing.
 
Try www.ozbow.net. Threads there say some Eucalyptus species make excellent bows and some are terrible.

Looks like a place you should be hanging out in any case.

Careful. There could be fletchers there as well.
 
Hi There
I'm in NZ, the local exotic timber dealer can supply all of woods mentioned, white ash makes a lovely bow, and good spear shafts too. Are exotics aproblem to obtain in OZ??
Phil
 
hawkwind said:
There has been article on primitivearcher.com about building bamboo bows..
So far as building with bamboo................

Last year I had found several sites dedicated to
the art of rod-making with bamboo.
{As in fishing}
Most the same technical aspects as bow-making.
They focus on strength & flexibility, drying,
glues, selecting & planing/tapering bamboo,
heat-treating, specialty tools/jigs, & much more.

Google'ing
planing bamboo ......[9170 results]
planing bamboo blank ......[746 results]
"planing bamboo"|"bamboo planing" ......[153 results]
planing bamboo bow|bowyer|bows|archery ......[670 results]
planing bamboo bow|bowyer|bows|archery|rod|rods ......[3890 results]
planing bamboo bow|bowyer|bows|archery|rod|rods|fishing ......[4810 results]
planing bamboo bow|bowyer|bows|archery|rod|rods|fishing|blank ......[5050 results]
planing bamboo bow|bowyer|bows|archery|rod|rods|fishing|blank|blanks ......[5130 results]

www.google.com/search?num=100&hl=en...er|bows|archery|rod|rods|fishing|blank|blanks


basically a lot more info on rod-making than bow-making
& most techniques can cross over.
Probably find some rod-makers more locally for 1 on 1.

~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<>call me
'Dean' :)-FYI-FWIW-IIRC-JMO-M2C-YMMV-TIA-YW-GL-HH-HBD-IBSCUTWS-tWotBGUaDUaDUaD
<> Tips <> Baha'i Prayers Links --A--T--H--D
 
Back
Top