I haven't touched a stave in several years, and I have never had any turn out very well. Sinew has been a lifesaver with the ash I have used. Thanks for the very well taught videos. I will have to get going again.
Thank you so much for this inspiration. I am actually making mine out of hickory and almost done with it, but i still love to come on here and learn more and by far your videos have been the most patient and most inspiring...Just the fact of how much respect you have for the wood brought tears to my eyes. Thank you greatly and keep up the great work.
I often go back to these videos to keep my mind fresh and on target, for a while I wasn't making many bows ,and since this covid crap I make them to stay active . And I've been making arrows in the evening so I will have stock for when business picks up
In our massed produced, made China, and got to have it today society it is refreshing to see that someone doesn't mind putting in the time and effort it takes to hand craft something. I tip my hat to you young man. Thank you.
I have watched a lot of bow making videos over the past few weeks. It's great to see the process start to finish like you've done here. I have to say, as far as self bow making goes, your videos are the best I've seen. Just the right amount of detail where needed. Keep up the great work!
Thanks Steedan, I'm in the process of writing a book on building wood bows. There's a lot more detail that I can cover there that could never be shown in an hour and half of video. Thanks for watching.
Clay wonderful content. You appear to have a lifestyle one living in the suburbs can only envy. This bow series was invaluable to me. Cheers! and Thank you.
My goodness that was a joy to watch. Although I know it takes years to get there and it's a lot harder than it looks you made creating that bow look easy. Masterfully done.
Seriously fantastic series, these videos go hand in hand with his book and help illustrate parts that are easier understood through watching. If not for these videos I would not have been able to successfully make my first bow. Thanks Clay, we all appreciate the time and effort you’ve put into this (and all your videos for that matter).
this is definitely the best osage bow video ive seen on the net. Ive been working on mine and going over these videos to double check what I am doing and it has been very helpful. thank you, sir.
I never really check the weight. I just keep taking off wood until it feels about right. If you'fe trying to reach a target weight, you could use a bathroom scale and a board. Simply place a 2x4 about 4 feet long on the scale, hook the bowstring over the top end and push the bow handle down toward the scale. This will bive you a fairly acurate reading on weight at whatever draw length you push the bow too. We'll cover arrow spine and tuning in a later video. thanks for watching.
Thanks for watching, and I hope they help. When I first started trying to build bows there were very few resources available, and a lot of mis information. Today it's just a click away.
I just watched all three of your videos and learned a lot...Thank yuou so much for taking the time to film them. A friend of mine lives in Alabama, and says they have a lot of osage there. I think I will try that first...Cant wait to see the rest of your vids. Thanks again
Finished! Bow is really good,probably best since I make them. Shoots really good and returns to its original shape like it was not even used.Its about 45lbs drawweight and Im so happy that Im able to make a bow that is good like this one.Thanks for your coments and all time and effort that You invested in this videos... Thanks so much!!! Btw your bow is just beautiful and I wish all best in bowmaking hunting... THANK YOU SOO MUCH! :)
I'm going to do a vid on how to properly sharpen a single bevel broadhead. A draw knife is really just a single bevel blade, so the technique will be fine for that as well.
That depends on a few things like diameter of the stave, temp, humidity, etc. On average I let a split 4" stave dry for at least a year. You can start reducing mass and getting down to something that looks a little like a bow before then, but if the wood is too wet, it will develop longitudinal cracks as it drys.
Clay... thank you for sharing this very detailed series. I am currently making an Osage Orange bow and everything you have shown is what I'm dealing with now. Thank you again.
I'm starting to build my first bow with osage, your videos are life savers. So well explained, especially the steaming part, since I have to do this. Thank you Thank you Thank you!
I cut a black cherry a long time ago when I first started, but never made any bows with it. I do remember that the darn thing was impossible to split until I cut a line down the bark. Cherry bark has fibers that encircle the trunk and it's some very tough stuff. I'd think that sapwood for cherry would be fine to use, but the heartwood is nice to look at. I've heard of people using cherry bark for backing bows.
Thanks for the great videos. I've learned a lot from them. I just finished my first Osage orange bow. I am super happy with the results and can't wait to hit the woods. Thanks again.
Great detailed videos man. I gotta say I've been struggling with the backing getting it right from New wood to the old wood. Thanks for the techniques. Keep up the good works man
I made a couple of bows many years ago, before the internet and You Tube videos. I used the Traditional Boyer's Bible as my guide. They turned out OK but they didn't shoot well enough for me to have confidence to hunt with them. I just watched your videos and plan to try again this winter if I can find a good osage stave. Great video! Thank you.
Thank You very much for making this video series, it is very informative! And i'm totally impressed that You made bow from start to finish using only couple of tools.
I'm not familiar with that species, but with other white woods, it's a common practice to just remove the bark and use the outer most ring as the back. With such a small diameter limb, you are probably "decrowning" it. That's fine, but it does make things a little more touchy. Your tiller will need to be perfect. Just remember, the road to becoming a good bowyer is strewn with splintered wood.
Thx a lot man. I found all knowledge that i need in your videos. I just try to make a bow last summer. The result was quite good for first experiment but i almost missed all substances. Thx again and your bow is a masterpiece.
Never used honey locust, but I'd bet it's closer to hickory. You could probably just take the bark off and there's your back. Oh, and the locktite does stick to the poly on the arrows. No problems.
Great Osage making videos. I wish I had seen them (all 3) before I started my bow. I've only made 3 bows in recent years. I just finished my first Osage. It was a real challenge for me. I had one limb with a bit of a hinge in it. I finally figured out how to fix the problem, but I had to think about it awhile. I was hoping for about a 55lb. bow but ended up with about a 45lb bow. Stil a good shooting bow. It started getting a little scary for me when I looked at how thin the limbs were. I'm going to have to get one of those ferriers rasps. Thanks for making those videos, Jim Martinette
This was a great serious, thanks for taking the time to do this. If you ever find yourself looking for another project video, I'd love to see you work a white wood. I've had a hard time finding that.
I've made one board bow, and it happened to be form red oak. The performance isn't great, but it'll work. Hickory would be a better choice. You could probably find some good info on making bows from boards if you searched for "board bows".
I already talked the wife into making one as well :) Just got back from Lowes checking out the materials we'll need. I think we're going to try Red Oak, I heard it's a good wood to start with and it's cheap and available. I hope to get my hands on some Osage as well but not until I get a little practice. Thanks for this great tutorial, I stayed up all night watching it lol.
Awesome tutorial Clay, the best thus far! Still would like to see you put an arrow through some targets with it though but all in all it was a sweet video!
I've used lot's' of different woods. Yew is another prime wood in the US, but hard to find. Hickory, persimmon, eastern red cedar, etc., etc, are all good woods.
Yep i agree there is so much on the internet you can find out whatever you need to know. You guys are lucky with all that osage it dose not grow here in the uk and costs around £100 per stave which i quess is about $170, but its worth it i have made 3 bows from osage and man dose it make a great bow.
Awesome job, Man! When you first started, I was thinking; 'How in the World is he going to fix all those curves?'. But you show'd how to. I'd really love to see you do a video on the completed bow and watch you shoot it. But that's OK. I learned a great deal. Thanks for all the work, and boy does it take a lot of work.
+Sir Pyro Thanks Sir Pyro, you can see me shooting some of my bows in other vids. I don't have this bow anymore. It was donated to a fundraiser for Backcountry Hunters & Anglers.
Very good video!! I have made three bows but all three have broke. Therefore, I am the best worst bow maker in the US! Something to be proud of. But I think your video will help make that a thing of the past. How do you check the weight and how do you decide the spine for your arrows? I have a lot to learn,
The best way to learn is to get some wood and start scraping. It's easier to see what I'm doing when you can look at a stave for your self. Osage is good for beginners, as is hickory.
I was curious how the knots and such was going to affect the end product, but the finished bow was really nice looking. I hope I get me a shed like that sometime in the future, so that I could do stuff like this:P
Best instructional video i have seen.! thanks very much for sharing.! I Live in Denmark and obviously we dont have the same sorts of wood like you have. i am thinking of cutting down a few trees to try the art out for myself - wich tree do you think would be the best for beginners. on our land we have oak, ash and pope and hasel. would oak be the best.? cheers from denmark.
I just ordered your bowyer handbook, hope it help me doing some serious bow. In my area is quite a problem to find some good wood and nobody sell it, so I' ll use what my forest gives me also if it isn't the best choice. Right now I have a started project made of "Pino silvestre" pretty hard to work, I have also tried and finished one of olive tree, really hard work but well surprised of getting out of it 23lbs, I wasn't expecting anything strong but my expectations were worse
I watched all 3 videos on the Osage bow. Very impressed! However... I really would've liked to have seen the finished sanded/sealed product in close detail
btw nice vdeo. and few days ago some master bow maker says that there is only few people in the world that can make a bow whit an knot in it. i gues you are 1 of them.
Clay, I have a suggestion, I think you might want to paint a black and white grid behind the tiller. It will make it easier to show the differences in the curve and flex.
Any chance you can do a video showing us how you sharpen your draw knife? I have one like yours but I have no experience of how to sharpen it properly. Great videos by the way?
great video. I'm still a little confused about the knots and the stringing of the bow. Also, which wood is easier for beginners? I'd like to make a dozen bows for practice
Have you ever used cherry? We have a lot of cherry trees around here and I've cut some staves. I don't know where to go all the way to the heartwood or use the sap wood on the back. Any suggestions?
Ah, makes sense! Thanks :) Have you ever tried or used a Red Oak board from somewhere like Home Depot or Lowes? Just wanted to get your thoughts on it for a beginner (I've never built anything like this before) before I go for something like Osage or Hickory.
Hi Clay, I was at the point of stringing my Osage stave (the 20:00 mark in this video) and I heard a slight crack. There was a quarter inch splinter at a pin knot on the back about 10"-12" from the stave midpoint. I gouged out the splintered wood to the next growth ring and smoothed the transition between growth rings. I then applied 2-3 layers of sinew to the area extending 5"-6" above and below the area in question. My question is, do I need to apply sinew to the entire back or is what I've done sufficient? (appearance doesn't matter)
+Steve Lardner That's probably the best thing you could have done. If the rest of the back is sound, it's probably not necessary to back the whole thing.
+Clay Hayes Thanks Clay. I got impatient and applied sinew to the entire length. It was quite a learning experience. My sinew was quite stiff because it didn't separate well from the outer sheathing. I tried to work in the glue best I could. We'll see in a couple days how it worked out. Newt time I will moisten my sinew by putting it between wet cloth in a covered container overnight so it's good an flexible.
I would have to agree with @jinxed247. This series is #1, and I'm sorry to say, @primitivepathways, while fairly comprehensive, has dropped to number 2. I'm subscribing and looking forward to more videos.
I've never thought of duct tape as a backing. I guess it would help to hold down a splinter, and may add a little weight, but I'm not sure how long it would last. Give it a try.
At 27:00 you talk about the bottom limb being stifer and its benifits is that because when you draw back you are pulling the string on that side of centre ? If you get what I'm saying your arrow nock is pretty much centre and in your case all three fingers are pulling on the bottom side so you are constantly pulling the bottom limb just a bit more than the top......or have you ever thought of that?
Hey Clay, enjoyed the series. Unusaul vice you have there, never have seen one like it. Could you tell us tool nuts a little more about it or a short vid. would be great.
It's called a leg vise. You can sometimes find them in old barns. The leg sticks down into the floor of the shop so you can really crank a lot of leverage on the handle.
Hi clay, I am making a hickory long bow and I am almost done with tillering. I am noticing my bow getting a bit bend after I get it off the tillering block is that normal and or how do I stop that, Thanks
That was awesome. So I just started my first bow. These videos have got me concerned though. Mine is from a Silky Oak (in Australia) branch. It's diameter is about 3 inches so trying to find a ring like you did while still trying to make it flat is going to be impossible. The whole time (10hrs) I've just been ignoring rings and have just been trying to get the right shape. I'm using a tiny little (single tang) survival knife and that's it. Does it sound like I should start over from scratch?
Freaking love the Tillering you did there. With the shape at 7:38 i would have low expectations and hope that i could fix it, and make it beautifull. And then BAM! Look at that 26:08, beautifull arc! Alot to learn from you, thx! :)
I haven't touched a stave in several years, and I have never had any turn out very well. Sinew has been a lifesaver with the ash I have used. Thanks for the very well taught videos. I will have to get going again.
This is probably one of the most comprehensive series on bow making here on the youtube . Really enjoyed seeing your work! Thanks for posting! ....Ben
***** Thank you.
Thank you so much for this inspiration. I am actually making mine out of hickory and almost done with it, but i still love to come on here and learn more and by far your videos have been the most patient and most inspiring...Just the fact of how much respect you have for the wood brought tears to my eyes. Thank you greatly and keep up the great work.
I often go back to these videos to keep my mind fresh and on target, for a while I wasn't making many bows ,and since this covid crap I make them to stay active .
And I've been making arrows in the evening so I will have stock for when business picks up
Nice 👍
One of the better tutorials I've seen. Very nice work. I appreciate the simplicity of your approach. Refreshing and inspiring.
Thanks jovado105
In our massed produced, made China, and got to have it today society it is refreshing to see that someone doesn't mind putting in the time and effort it takes to hand craft something. I tip my hat to you young man. Thank you.
Thanks rcklarue. I've always enjoyed being more involved in the process. It's so much more satisfying.
Thanks for subscribing, and stay tuned. You can also check out my website.
I have watched a lot of bow making videos over the past few weeks. It's great to see the process start to finish like you've done here. I have to say, as far as self bow making goes, your videos are the best I've seen. Just the right amount of detail where needed. Keep up the great work!
Thanks Steedan, I'm in the process of writing a book on building wood bows. There's a lot more detail that I can cover there that could never be shown in an hour and half of video. Thanks for watching.
Clay wonderful content. You appear to have a lifestyle one living in the suburbs can only envy. This bow series was invaluable to me. Cheers! and Thank you.
Norman Albano Glad it helped Norman, thanks.
Clay Hayes starting my own bow here in nyc ..any suggestions on wood?
My goodness that was a joy to watch. Although I know it takes years to get there and it's a lot harder than it looks you made creating that bow look easy. Masterfully done.
man these videos are really going to help people who have never made a bow before awseome job.
Seriously fantastic series, these videos go hand in hand with his book and help illustrate parts that are easier understood through watching. If not for these videos I would not have been able to successfully make my first bow. Thanks Clay, we all appreciate the time and effort you’ve put into this (and all your videos for that matter).
Thanks Jacob
this is definitely the best osage bow video ive seen on the net. Ive been working on mine and going over these videos to double check what I am doing and it has been very helpful. thank you, sir.
Thanks Bill.
I never really check the weight. I just keep taking off wood until it feels about right. If you'fe trying to reach a target weight, you could use a bathroom scale and a board. Simply place a 2x4 about 4 feet long on the scale, hook the bowstring over the top end and push the bow handle down toward the scale. This will bive you a fairly acurate reading on weight at whatever draw length you push the bow too. We'll cover arrow spine and tuning in a later video. thanks for watching.
Thanks for watching, and I hope they help. When I first started trying to build bows there were very few resources available, and a lot of mis information. Today it's just a click away.
Very interesting video. One suggestion: mark a grid on the white wall behind your tillering block to help you gauge the evenness of each side.
Had the same idea.
This bow turned out at around 60 lbs @ 28 inches if I remember correctly. You can check out my website for more info.
I just watched all three of your videos and learned a lot...Thank yuou so much for taking the time to film them. A friend of mine lives in Alabama, and says they have a lot of osage there. I think I will try that first...Cant wait to see the rest of your vids. Thanks again
Finished! Bow is really good,probably best since I make them. Shoots really good and returns to its original shape like it was not even used.Its about 45lbs drawweight and Im so happy that Im able to make a bow that is good like this one.Thanks for your coments and all time and effort that You invested in this videos...
Thanks so much!!! Btw your bow is just beautiful and I wish all best in bowmaking hunting... THANK YOU SOO MUCH! :)
Lo La Very nice Lo La, now on to the next one..
Hi Blake, backing is always challenging for new bowmakers. Once you get the hang of it, it comes really easily.
I'm going to do a vid on how to properly sharpen a single bevel broadhead. A draw knife is really just a single bevel blade, so the technique will be fine for that as well.
brilliant info, perfect detail, modest videography and editing, strong beard.
thanks for the videos. can't wait to see more.
That depends on a few things like diameter of the stave, temp, humidity, etc. On average I let a split 4" stave dry for at least a year. You can start reducing mass and getting down to something that looks a little like a bow before then, but if the wood is too wet, it will develop longitudinal cracks as it drys.
Clay... thank you for sharing this very detailed series. I am currently making an Osage Orange bow and everything you have shown is what I'm dealing with now. Thank you again.
You’re welcome Chuck.
Thank you Ares, good luck with your hickory bow, and I'm glad my videos could help.
I'm starting to build my first bow with osage, your videos are life savers. So well explained, especially the steaming part, since I have to do this. Thank you Thank you Thank you!
+Erik Nadoban you're most welcome
I cut a black cherry a long time ago when I first started, but never made any bows with it. I do remember that the darn thing was impossible to split until I cut a line down the bark. Cherry bark has fibers that encircle the trunk and it's some very tough stuff. I'd think that sapwood for cherry would be fine to use, but the heartwood is nice to look at. I've heard of people using cherry bark for backing bows.
The grains and patterns of the wood and rings is so beautiful. Was a real pleasure seeing your craft. I'm going hunting for osage orange tomorrow!
Sweet
Very informative and very high quality video! Best bow-making video on TH-cam, hands down! Great work
Thanks for the great videos. I've learned a lot from them. I just finished my first Osage orange bow. I am super happy with the results and can't wait to hit the woods. Thanks again.
William Bostic Great William.
Great detailed videos man. I gotta say I've been struggling with the backing getting it right from New wood to the old wood. Thanks for the techniques. Keep up the good works man
best bow tutorial i've watched so far
18:57 was the exact moment in my head when I thought, Oh. Beautiful. Excellent work my friend.
+Karan Trivedi Thanks Karan.
Because the handle section is placed a little toward the lower limb, which makes it a little shorter. It get's the arrow a little closer to center.
I think you did an exceptional job on these videos.
+Riverbendlongbows.com Thank you
I made a couple of bows many years ago, before the internet and You Tube videos. I used the Traditional Boyer's Bible as my guide. They turned out OK but they didn't shoot well enough for me to have confidence to hunt with them. I just watched your videos and plan to try again this winter if I can find a good osage stave. Great video! Thank you.
Hi Harold, I started out with the TBB vol 1 as well. Great book.
Thank You very much for making this video series, it is very informative! And i'm totally impressed that You made bow from start to finish using only couple of tools.
mrgod Thanks
That is some beautiful work Clay, and what a wonderful job of teaching on top it, well done!
thanks
thanks
Great look forward to it. Learning something new every time I watch one of your movies!
Dean
UK
I'm not familiar with that species, but with other white woods, it's a common practice to just remove the bark and use the outer most ring as the back. With such a small diameter limb, you are probably "decrowning" it. That's fine, but it does make things a little more touchy. Your tiller will need to be perfect. Just remember, the road to becoming a good bowyer is strewn with splintered wood.
Thx a lot man. I found all knowledge that i need in your videos. I just try to make a bow last summer. The result was quite good for first experiment but i almost missed all substances. Thx again and your bow is a masterpiece.
thank you for such a great tutorial. probably one of the best I have found.
fantastic work, mate. watched all of the series. now I'm planning to make my first one. thanks
Excellent, good luck!
Never used honey locust, but I'd bet it's closer to hickory. You could probably just take the bark off and there's your back. Oh, and the locktite does stick to the poly on the arrows. No problems.
right on man thanks a ton!! im a real visual learner so you just taught me how to make a bow !!
You have been super helpful! Thanks for sharing.
make a bow like a pro for dummies loved the series heading out to find some Osage asap thanks for the videos
+Iowa Bushman You're welcome
Very nice video series. Thank you for doing it. I was able to learn quite a bit from them.
GREAT video buddy thanks for making it really gave me a good insight into what my final steps will be, thanks.
That tiller looks great, i just started my first osage a month ago
Excellent and informative. A pleasure to watch.
Thanks
Great Osage making videos. I wish I had seen them (all 3) before I started my bow. I've only made 3 bows in recent years. I just finished my first Osage. It was a real challenge for me. I had one limb with a bit of a hinge in it. I finally figured out how to fix the problem, but I had to think about it awhile. I was hoping for about a 55lb. bow but ended up with about a 45lb bow. Stil a good shooting bow. It started getting a little scary for me when I looked at how thin the limbs were. I'm going to have to get one of those ferriers rasps. Thanks for making those videos, Jim Martinette
you're welcome Jim
This was a great serious, thanks for taking the time to do this. If you ever find yourself looking for another project video, I'd love to see you work a white wood. I've had a hard time finding that.
Tradbow85 Thanks, I've been thinking about that very thing.
Great video Clay. Very helpful . Thanks a lot. keep them coming
Thanks Nick
I've made one board bow, and it happened to be form red oak. The performance isn't great, but it'll work. Hickory would be a better choice. You could probably find some good info on making bows from boards if you searched for "board bows".
Incredible. You inspired me to try this myself.
Thanks Shane, once you get started, there ain't no stoppin...
I already talked the wife into making one as well :) Just got back from Lowes checking out the materials we'll need. I think we're going to try Red Oak, I heard it's a good wood to start with and it's cheap and available. I hope to get my hands on some Osage as well but not until I get a little practice.
Thanks for this great tutorial, I stayed up all night watching it lol.
Awesome tutorial Clay, the best thus far! Still would like to see you put an arrow through some targets with it though but all in all it was a sweet video!
Thanks. I sometimes use polyurithane. Sometimes tung oil. Can't remember what I used on this one.
Hace como 7años que miré tus vídeos.. hoy 2020 los sigo mirando.. mi maestro!!
I've used lot's' of different woods. Yew is another prime wood in the US, but hard to find. Hickory, persimmon, eastern red cedar, etc., etc, are all good woods.
Yep i agree there is so much on the internet you can find out whatever you need to know. You guys are lucky with all that osage it dose not grow here in the uk and costs around £100 per stave which i quess is about $170, but its worth it i have made 3 bows from osage and man dose it make a great bow.
Awesome job, Man! When you first started, I was thinking; 'How in the World is he going to fix all those curves?'. But you show'd how to. I'd really love to see you do a video on the completed bow and watch you shoot it. But that's OK. I learned a great deal. Thanks for all the work, and boy does it take a lot of work.
+Sir Pyro Thanks Sir Pyro, you can see me shooting some of my bows in other vids. I don't have this bow anymore. It was donated to a fundraiser for Backcountry Hunters & Anglers.
Very good video!! I have made three bows but all three have broke. Therefore, I am the best worst bow maker in the US! Something to be proud of. But I think your video will help make that a thing of the past. How do you check the weight and how do you decide the spine for your arrows? I have a lot to learn,
The best way to learn is to get some wood and start scraping. It's easier to see what I'm doing when you can look at a stave for your self. Osage is good for beginners, as is hickory.
I was curious how the knots and such was going to affect the end product, but the finished bow was really nice looking. I hope I get me a shed like that sometime in the future, so that I could do stuff like this:P
Best instructional video i have seen.! thanks very much for sharing.!
I Live in Denmark and obviously we dont have the same sorts of wood like you have.
i am thinking of cutting down a few trees to try the art out for myself - wich tree do you think would be the best for beginners. on our land we have oak, ash and pope and hasel. would oak be the best.?
cheers from denmark.
Ash, elm, maple may be able to find yew.
Awesome set of videos! Thank you.
I just ordered your bowyer handbook, hope it help me doing some serious bow.
In my area is quite a problem to find some good wood and nobody sell it, so I' ll use what my forest gives me also if it isn't the best choice.
Right now I have a started project made of "Pino silvestre" pretty hard to work, I have also tried and finished one of olive tree, really hard work but well surprised of getting out of it 23lbs, I wasn't expecting anything strong but my expectations were worse
finally, some good advice, what about honey locust? is it like hickory, or do you have to take it down to a growth ring like on osage orange?
I hope you are still making bows Clay. Great series of videos. thanks.
Never stopped!
Nicely finished.
thanks,
I watched all 3 videos on the Osage bow. Very impressed! However... I really would've liked to have seen the finished sanded/sealed product in close detail
btw nice vdeo. and few days ago some master bow maker says that there is only few people in the world that can make a bow whit an knot in it. i gues you are 1 of them.
amazing your skill and knowledge is truly awe inspiring, presentation is clear and concise all in all a friend I haven't met
+Joe Vandervoren Thanks Joe
Clay, I have a suggestion, I think you might want to paint a black and white grid behind the tiller. It will make it easier to show the differences in the curve and flex.
Clayton Graham I've seen some people do it that way. I like to just wing it though.
amazing, absolutely amazing work!
Hi! Do you think duct tape will work as a backing? Will the bow gain draw wheight?
Great series!
Any chance you can do a video showing us how you sharpen your draw knife? I have one like yours but I have no experience of how to sharpen it properly. Great videos by the way?
great video. I'm still a little confused about the knots and the stringing of the bow. Also, which wood is easier for beginners? I'd like to make a dozen bows for practice
Realmente incrivel este arco.
No brasil não tem essa madeira, aqui é bem escasso de boas madeiras.
Have you ever used cherry? We have a lot of cherry trees around here and I've cut some staves. I don't know where to go all the way to the heartwood or use the sap wood on the back. Any suggestions?
Ah, makes sense! Thanks :) Have you ever tried or used a Red Oak board from somewhere like Home Depot or Lowes? Just wanted to get your thoughts on it for a beginner (I've never built anything like this before) before I go for something like Osage or Hickory.
Hi Clay, I was at the point of stringing my Osage stave (the 20:00 mark in this video) and I heard a slight crack. There was a quarter inch splinter at a pin knot on the back about 10"-12" from the stave midpoint. I gouged out the splintered wood to the next growth ring and smoothed the transition between growth rings. I then applied 2-3 layers of sinew to the area extending 5"-6" above and below the area in question.
My question is, do I need to apply sinew to the entire back or is what I've done sufficient? (appearance doesn't matter)
+Steve Lardner That's probably the best thing you could have done. If the rest of the back is sound, it's probably not necessary to back the whole thing.
+Clay Hayes Thanks Clay. I got impatient and applied sinew to the entire length. It was quite a learning experience. My sinew was quite stiff because it didn't separate well from the outer sheathing. I tried to work in the glue best I could. We'll see in a couple days how it worked out. Newt time I will moisten my sinew by putting it between wet cloth in a covered container overnight so it's good an flexible.
Learn well... Sinew backing is a ton of work. as you know.
I would have to agree with @jinxed247.
This series is #1, and I'm sorry to say, @primitivepathways, while fairly comprehensive, has dropped to number 2.
I'm subscribing and looking forward to more videos.
brilliant. thank you for taking your time i learned a lot
I've never thought of duct tape as a backing. I guess it would help to hold down a splinter, and may add a little weight, but I'm not sure how long it would last. Give it a try.
At 27:00 you talk about the bottom limb being stifer and its benifits is that because when you draw back you are pulling the string on that side of centre ?
If you get what I'm saying your arrow nock is pretty much centre and in your case all three fingers are pulling on the bottom side so you are constantly pulling the bottom limb just a bit more than the top......or have you ever thought of that?
Hey Clay, enjoyed the series. Unusaul vice you have there, never have seen one like it. Could you tell us tool nuts a little more about it or a short vid. would be great.
It's called a leg vise. You can sometimes find them in old barns. The leg sticks down into the floor of the shop so you can really crank a lot of leverage on the handle.
Clay Hayes Thanks for response Clay. Cool and interesting vice.
Awesome instructional videos and some vintage Clay Hayes to boot! Curious where you source your Osage Orange...
Thanks for sharing, really nice.
Harold Troutman you're welcome.
Hi clay, I am making a hickory long bow and I am almost done with tillering. I am noticing my bow getting a bit bend after I get it off the tillering block is that normal and or how do I stop that,
Thanks
thank you very much for these video's. You are a good teacher. :)
Just tillering my first bow American Red Oak feels a terrifying process!!
best osage bow video yet,,,what did you use in finishing the bow?
what weight did that turn out? thanks for this series
That was awesome. So I just started my first bow. These videos have got me concerned though. Mine is from a Silky Oak (in Australia) branch. It's diameter is about 3 inches so trying to find a ring like you did while still trying to make it flat is going to be impossible. The whole time (10hrs) I've just been ignoring rings and have just been trying to get the right shape. I'm using a tiny little (single tang) survival knife and that's it. Does it sound like I should start over from scratch?
I was wondering how long I should let an Osage stave season for before I can start te process of making a bow?
Freaking love the Tillering you did there.
With the shape at 7:38 i would have low expectations and hope that i could fix it, and make it beautifull.
And then BAM! Look at that 26:08, beautifull arc!
Alot to learn from you, thx! :)
***** you're quite welcome. Glad you liked the vids.
Oh yeah, do you use any of other wood other than Osage?