Nick first welcome to the site.

   One of the best things you can do is find a copy of the  The Traditional Bowyers Bible  there is one, two, and three (start out with 1 ).

  What sort of wood were you considering using?

It'll cost around $20, but its very worth while.

Welcome!

excellent step by step site for beginners (he has a lot of other stuff on that site as well so click around): http://www.angelfire.com/magic/jawge/boardbowbuildalong.html

One possible set of dimensions (you could follow something like this exactly, but feel free to experiment as I have done):
http://residents.bowhunting.net/sticknstring/brdbows2.html#choosing

Our very own, Hellfire is making what should be a very nice buildalong here: http://www.slinging.org/forum2/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=other;action=display;num=1142...

Scour the older threads as people post the bows they make, by the end of this weekend I'll pyrograph and stain/seal my latest (second) bow. It's made out of red oak, 1.5 inches at the widest point, 48 pounds at 28 in.
My first bow is here: http://www.slinging.org/forum2/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=other;action=display;num=1137... (the pic is on the second page). I promise that this one is MUCH nicer. I asked the questions that I had/have in that thread so you may find it useful. Pages 3 and 4 of the primitive weapons section have a lot on bows.

Also be sure to check out Johnny's incredible red oak bow here: http://www.slinging.org/forum2/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=other;action=display; num=1114654417;start=0#0 ... I wouldn't expect that to be what your first bow looks like, but you'll get it soon enouch (I think that my third bow will be somewhat comparable). Hellfire has posted some very nice pictures of his bows, but I don't know where they are

As for woods, almost any hardwood will work. Yew and Osage Orange are thought to be the best bow woods but are rare and expensive... also take a bit more skill to work.
If you can find red oak, white oak, maple, elm, ash or anything with good grain you can make a nice bow out of it. Remember that the world's fastest shooting longbow was made out of kiln-dried pecan, according to Hellfire. If you don't want to or can't cut a tree down a lumber yard or home depot if you're in the US will have the wood you're looking for.

Don't be intimidated by all of the stuff that you read, It's a lot easier than it looks... The best advice that I can give is, "JUST DO IT, experiment, learn, and have fun" Even if the first bow dosn't come out great, you should be very pleased with your second or third.

Good luck!

Sorry for posting again but I was doing research on palm trees and using them for bows and the Machiguenga and Seminole tribes used palm trees to maufacture their bows. Apparently the wood has a super strong flexible core.

Cutting down a palm tree is gonna suck lol.

I am thinking I might use a palm tree as my wood, I really am only baseing this on the fact that they have evolved to bend during hurricanes so I would think it was a flexible wood?


Good hypothesis but as I understand even balsa grows in the tropics, so its not a valid theory. Palm (I think) is strong bow wood however so I suggest you use it. Another good bow wood I think grows down there is guava and crepe myrtle. Good luck making bows.

argh,  apparently a lot went on between clicking reply, and posting. I had to leave half way through....

Sorry about the redundancy, nice bows hellfire

Quote:



Why is cutting down a palm tree going to suck? Is it very hard to cut down? Or is it because they grow mostly on other peoples property? 


If you want some knowledgable advice on palm wood, go to

http://b.16.ezboard.com/bpaleoplanet69529

Put up a thread called "palm help" or something like that. There is a pile of very knowledgable people there, including some of the people who wrote the Bowyers Bibles.

I think palm is a monocot, so it is related to bamboo and other grasses, so maybe you will need special preparation for it?