Slinging.org Forum - bow staff question

Welcome, Guest. Please Login

Slinging.org Forum › General › Other Primitive Weapons › bow staff question

(Moderators: Curious Aardvark, Masiakasaurus, Bill Skinner, Mauro Fiorentini, David Morningstar, Chris, Rat Man)

‹ Previous Topic | Next Topic ›

Pages: 1 2

bow staff question (Read 4619 times)

slinger87 Funditor Offline I bet I can throw a rock farther then you can! Posts: 731 MI Gender:	bow staff question Sep 4^th, 2009 at 8:30pm how do you figure out if a bowstaff has strait grain before you cut it down?
Back to top	when in dought, sling a rock a his head, if you miss, well, good luck! IP Logged

slinger87 Funditor Offline I bet I can throw a rock farther then you can! Posts: 731 MI Gender:	Re: bow staff question Reply #1 - Sep 4^th, 2009 at 8:35pm and can you use artificial sinew as a backing, or do you have to use natural?
Back to top	when in dought, sling a rock a his head, if you miss, well, good luck! IP Logged

Paleoarts

Interfector Viris Spurii

Offline

it don't mean a thing
if you aint got that
sling!

Posts: 1993
oceanside, CA
Gender: male

Re: bow staff question
Reply #2 - Sep 4^th, 2009 at 9:08pm

no, artificial sinew doesn't stretch like real sinew does. but i wouldn't worry about backing your bows just yet. just concentrate on the form and the tiller for now. as far as grain is concerned, it will always follow the direction of the trunk or branch you're working with (more or less). now, if you're using store bought lumber...that's a different story. on a natural branch it doesn't matter too much if the grain is wavy or straight, as long as you don't cut into it on the back of the bow. just strip the bark and only work the belly.

once you get a decent bow going, Slinger, i can show you how to do a tied string backing that will add 20lbs to your draw wieght!

visit me at www.paleoarts.net and my new gallery at www.flintknappers.com

IP Logged

slinger87 Funditor Offline I bet I can throw a rock farther then you can! Posts: 731 MI Gender:	Re: bow staff question Reply #3 - Sep 4^th, 2009 at 9:22pm thats cool, is $25 too much to spend on my first bow, includeing a board, a rasp and a few files? it might not be that much thats just all I have.
Back to top	when in dought, sling a rock a his head, if you miss, well, good luck! IP Logged

slinger87 Funditor Offline I bet I can throw a rock farther then you can! Posts: 731 MI Gender:	Re: bow staff question Reply #4 - Sep 4^th, 2009 at 9:23pm by the way, dose artificial sinew streach at all?
Back to top	when in dought, sling a rock a his head, if you miss, well, good luck! IP Logged

Paleoarts Interfector Viris Spurii Offline it don't mean a thing if you aint got that sling! Posts: 1993 oceanside, CA Gender:	Re: bow staff question Reply #5 - Sep 4^th, 2009 at 11:37pm $25 is a good amount. and no, artificial sinew doesn't stretch. it's just nylon made to look like sinew.
Back to top	visit me at www.paleoarts.net and my new gallery at www.flintknappers.com IP Logged

Woonilsra Interfector Viris Spurii Offline Posts: 1611	Re: bow staff question Reply #6 - Sep 4^th, 2009 at 11:52pm That 25 includes tool right? well thats a long lasting investment, so you can make even more bows!
Back to top	"Come on you sons of bitches! Do you want to live forever?"&&&&"A sword is a weapon. The art of swordsmanship is learning how to kill. That is the truth"&&&&"Dead!" I answered, and amiably "Murdered," the Hangman corrected me. "First the alien ... then the Jew. I did no more than you let me do." IP Logged

Bikewer

Interfector Viris Spurii

Offline

I love Slinging.org!

Posts: 1627
St. Louis, Mo
Gender: male

Re: bow staff question
Reply #7 - Sep 5^th, 2009 at 9:17am

The proper name for a piece of wood used to make a bow is a "stave". If you cut your own, say, a small hickory tree or a largish branch, you'll still need tools....

A saw or axe, and something to split the log with to make staves. Then you have to carefully dry the new stave for some weeks (at least) until you can work it.

Folks have made perfectly functional bows with very few tools; perhaps a hatchet, a pocketknife, and some broken glass to use for scrapers.
Some enjoy being as primitive as possible...More like our ancestors did things.

For most of us, a few basic hand tools will make the entire process much easier.

IP Logged

xxkid123 Past Moderator Offline Hallo, ich heiße kartoffel Posts: 4807 new to california Gender:	Re: bow staff question Reply #8 - Sep 5^th, 2009 at 12:40pm can i use a good knife as a scraper, or a shell? i don't have good knapping skills, and i don't have a local blacksmith
Back to top	There's no break, there's no end, just a-living on;&&Wide awake, with a smile, going on and on. IP Logged

Paleoarts Interfector Viris Spurii Offline it don't mean a thing if you aint got that sling! Posts: 1993 oceanside, CA Gender:	Re: bow staff question Reply #9 - Sep 5^th, 2009 at 1:07pm kid, a good sharp knife works excellent as a scraper.
Back to top	visit me at www.paleoarts.net and my new gallery at www.flintknappers.com IP Logged

xxkid123 Past Moderator Offline Hallo, ich heiße kartoffel Posts: 4807 new to california Gender:	Re: bow staff question Reply #10 - Sep 5^th, 2009 at 1:19pm thanks
Back to top	There's no break, there's no end, just a-living on;&&Wide awake, with a smile, going on and on. IP Logged

slinger87 Funditor Offline I bet I can throw a rock farther then you can! Posts: 731 MI Gender:	Re: bow staff question Reply #11 - Sep 5^th, 2009 at 4:03pm how big of a tree do you use, a sapling or a small tree?
Back to top	when in dought, sling a rock a his head, if you miss, well, good luck! IP Logged

xxkid123 Past Moderator Offline Hallo, ich heiße kartoffel Posts: 4807 new to california Gender:	Re: bow staff question Reply #12 - Sep 5^th, 2009 at 4:05pm slinger87 wrote on Sep 5^th, 2009 at 4:03pm: how big of a tree do you use, a sapling or a small tree? well if you use a sapling you use the trunk, if you use a tree then use a large branch (come on, your not going to chop down an entire tree just for a stick to make a bow wit are you?)
Back to top	There's no break, there's no end, just a-living on;&&Wide awake, with a smile, going on and on. IP Logged

slinger87 Funditor Offline I bet I can throw a rock farther then you can! Posts: 731 MI Gender:	Re: bow staff question Reply #13 - Sep 5^th, 2009 at 6:02pm well I wasn't sure if you used a sapling or cut down a small tree and spit it.
Back to top	when in dought, sling a rock a his head, if you miss, well, good luck! IP Logged

xxkid123 Past Moderator Offline Hallo, ich heiße kartoffel Posts: 4807 new to california Gender:	Re: bow staff question Reply #14 - Sep 5^th, 2009 at 6:21pm slinger87 wrote on Sep 5^th, 2009 at 6:02pm: well I wasn't sure if you used a sapling or cut down a small tree and spit it. oh...
Back to top	There's no break, there's no end, just a-living on;&&Wide awake, with a smile, going on and on. IP Logged

Pages: 1 2

Slinging.org Forum › General › Other Primitive Weapons

‹ Previous Topic | Next Topic ›

(Moderators: Curious Aardvark, Masiakasaurus, Bill Skinner, Mauro Fiorentini, David Morningstar, Chris, Rat Man)