How do I Construct Wooden Recurve Bows?
- 1). Pick a stave. A stave is the piece of wood that you will carve the bow from and can be made from elm, hickory or lemon wood. The stave should be approximately 6 feet tall and 3 inches wide. Inspect the stave for signs of weakness.
- 2). Measure the stave and with the pencil make three marks in the center. One mark is in the direct middle and the other two marks are three inches above and below the center mark. This is the grip of the bow. Using your block plane begin to shape the bow by working from the center to the end of the upper and lower limbs. The belly of the bow is the part of the bow that faces you.
- 3). When shaping the bow, the handle will be approximately 2.5 inches wide and the ends of the bow will be one-half-inch wide. It is important that the limbs of the bow have the same amount of tension. If one limb is stiffer that the other, use the rasp and the file to shave off small increments. The stiffer limb will be the lower limb. The thickness of the limbs will also determine the weight of the pull.
- 4). Shape the curve of the bow with boiling water. The pot will need to be 12 inches to 14 inches tall. Place one end of the bow in the simmering pot of water and let soak for three hours. Repeat on the other side. While the bow is soaking, take the piece of ply wood and with a jig saw cut the board into the shape that you want for the bow. Take the bow from the water and clamp each limb to the end of the board and then use one clamp above and one below the grip of the bow. Allow the bow to dry completely.
- 5). Nock each limb on the belly of the bow by using a rasp to make notches for the bowstring. Hang the bow by the upper limb and completely spray with laminate and let dry. Repeat for a second coat. Once the bow is dry, use a cord stringer and attach the bowstring by looping the smaller loop around the lower notch. The belly of the bow is facing down. Place the larger loop on the upper limb and check that they are both secure. Step on the cord stringer and pull the bow up until you get proper tension.
