depends on the wood. if you're going with a white hardwood

3/4 in before tillering

as wide as you want... 1 1/4 in for lighter bows 1 1/2 for 50ish # bows and two inches or two and a half for really high draw weights

Make two notches on either side with a file, knife,  or dremel

first bow is recommened to be pretty long 68" or longer is easier to make than a shorter bow

if by 'knots' in the wood, then yes it does. no knots, the bow will break.

http://www.angelfire.com/magic/jawge/boardbowbuildalong.html
http://residents.bowhunting.net/sticknstring/brdbows2.html#choosing

those are the bible, if you don't want to spend any money... also check out the other threads on this site to answer a lot of questions. good luck

How thick should it be at the thickest exept the handle?

If you are making a flatbow, then probably something like 3/8" thick. But always go thicker when roughing it out with a hatchet, bandsaw..

How wide should it be at the widest part, and at the end?

The tips should be about 1/2 to 3/8" wide, at the widest part, for a flatbow, it should be about 2" wide. Flatbows are generally 63 to 68" long. D-bows (bows with a square cross section and bend at the grip) are typically 1 1/4 to 1 1/2" wide, and 6 foot long.

How do you do it at the end where the string is tied?

Just cut a notch, take a file or pocketknife and cut a notch about 1/4" in, at a 45 degree angle from the side of the bow, and only cut on the side for the nock, not the back.


How long should it be (I'm about 165 cm high)?

If you are making a bow which works in the grip, then as tall as you are. If you are making a flatbow, then 66 to 68" will be fine. Not certain how long that is in centimeters.

Does it matter if it is those things after branches on the wood used

Yeah, try to get wood with as few knots as possible. Red oak boards at a hardware store are good to find knotless wood.

And also, arrows, how do you do that?

go to google, and type in george tsoukalas. He has a great website with instructions on bow and arrow making.

from what i hear, white oak can make a very nice bow. my bowstring is a drawstring from the bag my ipod came in. i've been meaning to get something better but it works.

You can buy bowstrings from many online stores and also you can make your own using sinew or flax and many other materials.

nylon wont work very well. If you live in a rural area, then there likely is some livestock. Use the sinew from their legs/backs. You can also collect standing freshly dead nettle, and process that. Or you can use commercial flax, dacron, fastflight. You can even use a kind of fishing line called spiderwire.