If you plan on living in the wild, want to pick up an interesting hobby, or pretend you're Robin Hood without the merry men, you can always take up archery bow making. It takes some degree of skill to make a good bow, but archery bow making can be very rewarding as well. Imagine taking down a deer or other game using a bow you constructed yourself. You can use many materials when constructing your bow. For instance you can use ash, yew or bamboo wood. The material is up to you, and some will work better than others, but for the purpose of this article we will use yew wood. Here are the steps you need to take in order to construct a bow. First off, you will need a sharp knife and axe, a piece o straight, unflawed yew wood and some kind of string that isn't to stretchy. Carve the wood so that it looks slightly like a boomerang. Next take the string (rawhide works well) and wax it. This is to protect it from the elements more than anything. Now make some arrows. They have to fit the bow itself, and the arrows usually have fire hardened tips. The arrows should be short enough that they won't break on contact. Next carve two notches on the end of your finished bow, and loop the string around each end. The string should be tight enough to give it enough power to shoot an arrow a goodly distance. If the string is too loose, or stretchy, it won't shoot well. You can also devise some kind of handle and nock system, if you so wish. Some people also make composite bows. This is done using more than one type of material and a lot of glue. People usually use horn to reinforce the wood of the bow. A composite bow that is made properly is infinitely better than a normal wooden bow. It is tougher and usually has more power. It also takes a lot more practice and time. Archery bow making isn't for everyone. Hell, you can go buy a bow for a couple of hundred bucks instead of sweating to make your own. Pre-made ones are usually better too, having been constructed by a corporation. But for people who enjoy a challenge, archery bow making can be a lot of fun, and a good way to pass the time. It might come in handy too, if you ever find yourself trapped in the wild. |
