i make decent arrows from "wild rose", or more commonly thorn or pricker bushes.  you strip the thorns off and bundle up the stalks and stick them somewhere for a couple of days.

i then add a hardwood foreshaft and sometimes primitive metal points.

i fletch them with a sandwhich of ductape, teh shaft in teh middle and then i trim it.  i lose my arrows all the time, adn this quick, nearly free alternative is great for me. 

don't forget to reinforce the self nock with cord or ductape wrapping, or else the arrow will split.

if you don't have any of these plants nearby, you can use bamboo from the local garden shop used for tomato stakes adn whatnot

Nice bow!
I'm thinking about making red oak bow too, as this bow and many others (such as cando's) seem to have turned out well.  I've looked at ferret's instructions, and they look good, although I know very little about making bows.  Two other similar sets of instructions that I have looked at are:

http://www.geocities.com/salampsio/oak.htm

and

http://www.angelfire.com/magic/jawge/boardbowbuildalong.html

(Both of those sites were mentioned on this forum a while ago, but now I can't find where.)  Also, I heard that using kiln dried wood can cause problems, but none of the sites I have looked at mention kiln dried wood, and I can't find anything against it with google.  Would it be a problem?

Nicely done  , any pics at full tiller? Any interesting observations on the fiberglass?

Cliff,
Stop hesitating and start building ... one of my first thoughts upon nearing completion was "Why did I wait so long to do this?!" 

If you use wood from a lumberyard/hardware store there won't be a problem, just make sure the grain is nice and straight.
That angelfire hosted site you mentioned in combination with ferretts board bow graphic should be treated like gods for your first attempt, if you pay attention and use some common sense, they'll guide you well . I haven't had a chance to check out the other site you mentioned but looks great from a glance at the pics.

If you're cutting your own wood - try searching for some of Hellfire's posts on this forum. Basically, Rough the stave out of green wood, and let it dry in a hot place for a couple weeks (preferably with the ends sealed in wax or similar) and then proceed.

We're here if you have more questions (and especially for the pics of the finished product)



If you have the time/resources to spare, I'd suggest making a rough bow first - quickly though thoughtfuly. You'll learn a lot in the process (especially if you don't have a whole lot of experience with the tools), and make your first "real" attempt go smooth and without any surprises.

Hehe-Don't worry!  I've found this project to be a great deal of fun, and it's definitely gotten me back into archery.

I have enough material left for another bow, and trying to decide what to do with it.
The fiberglass drywall tape is a good dodge, and dead cheap as well.  However, it's extremely ugly...

Proper backing material is pretty cheap; the various suppliers have either hickory or bamboo strips ready-to-use for 20 bucks or so.    Fiberglass, as used in laminated bows, evidently requires controlled, heated drying for the epoxy adhesives.
I may try either the hickory or bamboo as a backing for the next project.

That's the problem, the remainder of this board isn't particularly good.  Too many runouts...That's why I used the fiberglass tape on the first one.

Just from reading, I see it's the opinion of many that bamboo is a bit harder to use; the nodes make it harder to get a good tiller.
Hickory would seem to be the best bet; cheap and readily available, and all you need is good wood glue and some clamps.

Siguy, I think that could be workable if you wrapped the entire limb in some sort of chord to stop it from shattering, but I don't know if I'd really trust "fuzzed up" bamboo for any length of time.