Making a bow like a Recurve Bow or Compound Bow is very as interesting as shooting it. Each bow will give you a different feel and has character of its own. They’re nice to have a look as well as fun to use. Besides, not a lot of working with wood projects that you need to do outdoors!
A Bow seems to be complex, however, the kit to makes it is rather straight forward. In this article, it will give you the instruction how to make a bow from a wood router and a belt sander to shape the bow.
How to make a bow? Start with these 3 steps
The first step in bow making is to create the figure for sticking the bow laminations. The figure is made from 4 layers of 1/2-in. plywood gummy together. 1 layer is used as the template and need to be cut to the correct shape. The rest are cut oversize. By the way, they are also trimmed to fit the other. A V-shaped trowel creates a nice glue spreader
The second step is fulminating trims all the figure layers alongside the template one. The top half of the figure is made in the similar method. When the gum is dry, choose the wood router trims the rest and the templates as well.
Thirdly, use gum for the invert taper strips to the decreased figure with the contact cement. Ensure the thin end is fitted with the index pin. Insert plastic wood strips on upstate of the invert cone strips to make a sleek facade on the figure.
The handle of the bow is formed from a huge block of solid wood which is called a “riser block.” Use an oscillating spindle sander to smoothen it. Use a backer board to feather the rise with the thickness as a thin paper.
The bow is made from 3 kinds of laminations: solid wood strips with particular thickness, and taper in thickness from the bottom to the top. Cover the entire pieces with epoxy in slow setting.
Build the bottom pair of rolling towards the index pin of the figure. Place the riser block over them so the hole drilled will match with the index pin. The upstate rolling will lie over the riser. Plastic enfold saves the form from epoxy extract out. Enfold the filament tape around the rolling to protect them against gliding around of the underneath figure.
To create the pressure to the laminations, pump air into the pressure hose which is set on upstate of the laminated bow in the figure. To hold the 2 halves of the figure, you need to use the metal straps and bolts in the kit.
Next, set a shop made plywood oven (which is heated to heal the slow-set epoxy by incandescent lights) in 4-hour bake to create the form. And then disconnect the figure after cooling it all night long.
READ MORE: Types of Wood Glue
Use a sander to remove out all the excess epoxy. Remember to wear leather gloves as the epoxy can make you hurt with its sharp edges. Also wear the protective masking tape on the facade of the edges to avoid scratches.
Tauten the paper piece with the limb’s centerline as well as the string groove point. Use a band saw to cut the shape and use a wood sander to shape the edges.
String the bow and then measure from the string to the end of each riser to test whether or not a limb is stiffer than the rest because of the variations in shaping and sanding.
Check whether or not the limbs are twisted by pulling the string and flex the limbs by a tiller tick. If yes, point the higher position and sand it to remove enough material.
Create the profile for the top first to further cut the hand-grip area by draw the arrow notch and grip by hands with 2 patterns in the kit. Cut and lay the bow on it.
To fit the bow with your hand, use the wood sander to smoothen and form the shape gradually but remember to sand the fiberglass surfaces with anything less than 120-grit sandpaper to avoid creating the too deep scratches to remove.
Hook a wire to the string grooves and spray some layers of gloss varnish to protect the bow and create the beautiful outlook for it as well. Finish!
Conclusion
Making a bow is not difficult at all but just need a little bit cleverness and passion to do it carefully and correctly. Above are the full step-by-step instruction to create a bow with a belt sander and the wood router.
