Heads-up: I filmed this series back in 2014 (about 12 years ago), and it’s not how I build bows today. It’s still a solid walkthrough for the general idea, and the dimensions are spot on for a proper bow.
What this series builds
A 72″ fiberglass-backed red oak longbow made from a plain board you can buy at Lowe’s. By part 7 it’s tillered to 48–49 lb at a 28″ draw. Part 1 covers the most important decision of the whole build: picking the right board.
Materials for the whole build
- One red oak 1×2, 72″ long (actually about 3/4″ x 1.5″). This is your bow stave.
- A 12″ piece of red oak for the riser, glued to the belly in part 3.
- Scrap wood for tip overlays, 1.5″ long by 1/4″ thick.
- Wood glue. I like Titebond better than Gorilla, though you’ll see Gorilla in a couple of the videos.
- Fiberglass and G/flex flexible epoxy for the backing (part 4).
- About three 3″ C-clamps and two small clamps.
- 60-grit and 220-grit sandpaper.
- A 4-way rasp, a round file, a flat file, and a small Stanley Surform.
- A tillering tree (built in part 2).
How to pick your board
- Look for straight grain on the face. The grain should run the length of the board without diving off.
- A little run-off on the edges is okay. This bow gets backed, and the backing keeps the wood from splintering. If one side has no run-off, make that side the back.
- Ring orientation doesn’t matter much. Quarter-sawn and flat-sawn both work.
- Read the growth rings. Thicker, solid rings mean a stronger stave. Put the weaker end at the top limb so you get a positive tiller.
- No knots. A knot is a weak spot waiting to break.
- Be patient. Dig through the rack or check more than one store. Everything after this depends on the wood.
Why it matters
Store-bought boards are rarely perfect. In part 3 I show how to lay out a true centerline even if your board isn’t dead straight, but a clean, straight-grained board makes the rest of the build a lot easier.
Up next: Part 2, building a simple tillering tree.