How To Build A Longbow

Kentucky Afield visits Joe Lacefield to see what it takes to build a long bow from tree to finished product.

[@delmusingle2338]

Thank you for making this video. I aim 66 and retired. I made two bows when I was about twelve. I did not have access to any tools except a draw knife and a hunting knife. My father was not confident I could do it. And a neighbor adult made a big deal out of me making weapons. But I enjoyed those bows for several years until I joined the Army. I don't remember what happened to them. Both were about 35 pound pull at my draw length and longer than I was tall by several inches and very wide at about 2.5 inches. Us boys then mostly enjoyed a game we called cloud shooting in a long pasture using an old sheet for a target on the ground. I believe the tree I used was about 12 inches diameter and an ash. My father needed it out of the way and cut it down. Watch out for cows!.

[@johnlaccohee-joslin4477]

Rather than using a paint scrapper, a cabinet makets scapper is a lot better.These can be made using an old rip saw or standard wood saw cut into oblong blages about 6 inches long and three inches wide. Run a file at right angles to the blade in an upright position making sure to keep it that way. You can actually use the file like a draw knife, but that angle is important. Once you are happy that it is nice and straight, lay the blade on the bench with about an inch overlap and draw a round bit of steel from the far end to yourself, this will in fact turn the burr up and inwards, it is this burr that does the cutting and the shavings are thinner that paper. If you do both sides of the blade, all you need do is turn it over and do the same with the round steel, noting that as with the first there is a slight angle to the left as you draw the steel along the blade. One of these will last you a life time andd if you use a saw that has a thin blade, you can bend it as you draw it along the wood, tilting it slightly towards you as you go. You would be amazed at the finish, but please remember that in all cases you go with the grain not against it, you can usually tell the firt time you use it which way you are to the grain, you get a plane smooth finish, this is why its called a cabinet makers blade because it is used the surfact cabinets, amoung other things.

[@ihatecorporatedatacollecti6609]

There’s always going to be someone to make a stink about that, but boys will be boys and we’ll always be fascinated with weapons. The last boy who walks this earth will no doubt make a spear, a staff, or a bow. And minus any instruction will practice doing what we’re instinctively driven to do, which is hunt.

[@fishindude72]

For a short video this was very well done. I cant tell you how long I've been wanting to make one. This just makes me want to get started. Thank You for sharing.

[@RogerZerne]

Nice Video! the steps shown here are exactly how I did mine. I made a Bow out of Hickory about 30 years ago it turned out great and still shoots awesome today! I had Zero experience and I certainly made a few minor mistakes that Fortunately were Fixable, but all I had was an a old friend who who told me the basics of keeping it straight and keeping with the grain, I came up with the design all on my own. kinda makes me want to do another one

[@Triggerboy78]

I love those longbows so much more than laminated bows.. you still can see nature in the final product. I built 2 bows myself and love them

Traditionally, English Longbows were made from Yew, because the heartwood and the sapwood are naturally laminated, and have the qualities you'd be looking for with laminates. With the heartwood making the inside of the blank and the sapwood on the outside, you get the compressive strength of the heartwood, and the flexibilty of the sapwood right where you need it. The Warbow is simply a beefed up Longbow, commonly having a 200lb pull, but made in the same way, from Yew. Funnily enough, most English Yew longbows were made from Spanish Yew because they grew straighter trunks.

[@neanderpaul14]

I love that everything is by hand, this guy is awesome.

[@Reviveftp]

Awesome seeing this!!! Entertaining, and informative. Couldn’t stop watching.

[@arrowtagoc3987]

This is an awesome video. Such a simple concept, just takes some elbow grease and time.

[@jameswilliams5961]

good job on making the ball I learned a lot I appreciate you very much I just started shooting the bowl last few years so I really enjoy it and thank you very much

[@thurst6510]

Love this video. Way "frinken" cool man. Great job.

[@MDR-hn2yz]

Awesome video!

[@rokbow2523]

Beautiful life .. That's how I want to live❤️❤️❤️ ((:

[@djkilpatrick5256]

Really awesome. Please do more videos on traditional bow hunting and bow making

[@vikramkannan2350]

Very nice update

[@Malcolm_99]

I do love the start. Perfect way to deter people, well played!

[@neosky9]

Thank you very much for the video.

[@islambhd]

wonderful bow good job and easy way to make it thank you so much

[@mrmyfriendfrom4945]

Watching 2020 from Ireland. Thanks for sharing this video it is both informative and great viewing. I learned a great deal about making a long bow.

[@jimbojet8728]

I enjoyed this vid. Thank you

[@quinntheeskimooutdoors6234]

I like the bow vice. Thanks good video.

[@alwaysforyou3268]

Great job

[@snakeriverscotto]

That handle is powerful enough to stop a squatch. I’m quite jealous of the quality of that black locust.

[@edwardchance2543]

Thanks for the great video subscribed

[@tonynapoli5549]

Very interesting subject like it thanks for sharing

[@randycurtis1176]

Great video. Thanks for showing this once dying, now resurrected skill. Maybe you can showcase a Briarhopper that makes arrows from river cane, dogwood, arrow wood viburnum, etc, in the fashion of the Shawnee with their normal (to our modern thinking) three fletch arrows and the Cherokee's curious and accurate two feather fletch. I love these videos from the BBN!

[@tonymaurice4157]

Rough leaf dogwood has made the toughest primitive arrow and of course River cane... I Have even shot them out of a modern fiberglass bow, and they fly like darts!

[@Badj4s]

Just made a bow for my daughter. Now I need one for myself.

[@cavemanjoe7972]

First time seeing that grip & release style actually used. Not bad at all.

[@nakoawarrior3186]

This ain't another you-tube bowyer,.. he actually knows what he is doing,... He tell's you exactly what to do. I work them into a stave when they are green, I seal the ends and give it 4 coats of linseed oil. Then I clamp them in place for a couple years so they don't warp. So as they dry they don't look like a snake. At this point you could add reflex or deflex or recurves. I never bend the green wood so the wood don't take a set,... meaning changing it in to compression wood,.. that ruins it.

[@qtpie2630]

Yeah i'm pretty sure historical longbows didn't sit for "a couple of years"

[@HangryGiant]

Hey I could really use some help, I'm looking into drying my stave an you said you seal the 2 ends, but did you apply the linseed oil to seal the ends or another product? Also is it boiled or raw linseed? And what other surface do you apply the oil too, the side that had the bark or the side that faces the inside? Would be really great full for your knowledge, thank you.

[@bishplis7226]

this is youtube...

[@danielempson]

Compression wood is a growth characteristic of living wood. It is not something that can occur.when the wood is no longer living.

[@snakeriverscotto]

Rowan Pritchard I have been using carpenters or simple white glue to seal the ends of staves, like most folks. If the bark is left on the stave, you don’t need to do anything to that surface. If the bark is removed from a green stave, you must also apply glue to that surface. Use a few coats on the back to be certain. Urethane or other sealants like this may also be used. Linseed oil is a wonderful finish, but poor at preventing drying checks. I believe he was meaning that he finishes his bows with linseed.

[@UnseenSpirit]

I was looking to make my own bow but it's not quite as easy as I first thought lol

[@jozefkucera8402]

lol same

[@joeroganofficial5433]

I am almost done with mine. Using white ash. Took about eight tries but I was fixed on making a bow.

[@nelotharen8599]

try wooden leggs from a bed and the wooden rails the matress is placed on.

[@RealShojin]

I thought it was just three sticks and three strings

[@stufoo]

try a pvc bow

[@jerrycox2058]

Well done

[@corbinhuffman5732]

I plan on making me a bow and I like the antler tips.

[@tanhofficial9428]

Really great

[@falcaoperegrino1487]

🇧🇷 perfect job 👏👏👍

[@liubeiwushijiu8168]

Holy shit this is a badass bow

[@shanek6582]

That was the straightest Osage orange tree I've ever seen.

[@jimmyhaley727]

and the length/height that it grew,,,,

[@greenscreen1248]

Im pretty sure god himself made that there tree

[@jamesaritchie1]

That's not the least bit unusual where I live. We have hedge apple trees all over the place. They were brought to the northern states in the nineteenth century because they make excellent hedges when young. The were called "hedge trees", and the Orange was renamed an apple. A hedge apple. Some of them here get huge. Like many trees, particularly walnut trees, if they grow where they are nearly alone, and subject to being hit continually by wind, they twist as they grow. But if they grow inside a woods where numerous trees break up the wind, they grow straight grained and tall, exactly as walnut trees do. @@jimmyhaley727

[@richardhatt6541]

Here in Kansas it is hard to find a straight Osage orange tree.

[@nicobonz7902]

Bonjour, Merci beaucoup monsieur pour votre vidéo. Chaleureusement, Nico.

[@ShyamSunder-dj4yu]

Nice bow

[@markrogers4765]

mark r pa life archer at 68 yrs old, my mentor used lemonwood and yew and made arrows , cedar I think thx 4 the vid my best

[@pcdubya]

Good job on that, I made a few a few a while back out of hickory I bought at a lumber yard. No osage in SC and the hickory works pretty well on a flatbow like that. All you need is a draw knife ( I actually bent and sharpened a piece of flat metal before I found a draw knife ) and a spoke shave and the internet ( or book ) and some patience.

[@arnaulpujol8439]

Muy buenos felisitaciones es el arco preferidos mio los arcos de esos modelos de madera esos son mis preferidos de Argentina gracias saludos

[@austennickerson3190]

Link to buy one? I love the quality of your bows.

[@cretudavid8622]

I want to see more bows those 2019-2020

[@blipblip88]

I'm surprised you don't use a simple shave horse. It's a lot more stable and easy to use. Nice bows!

[@darthkek1953]

That's decided it for me ... I'm making a PVC bow. ;-)

[@rifraf276]

@Primedragoon I've found that the whole aging thing is pretty much a myth. All you need to do to get perfectly workable, dry staves is to split the log into individual staves right after cutting it, seal the ends of the staves and leave them in a room-temperature space. They should be dry in a month or maybe two if it's a particularly thick stave.

[@ottovombaum2993]

Pantastic!

[@themaskedblader3691]

it is a official video..it should get more views

[@kennethsmith1744]

My ggrandpa was a Bowyer Now I been building them for over 10 yrs

[@giacomobacchi8856]

Anche se sono piccolo e italiano o una grande passione per gli archi

[@randycurtis1176]

Re: magunra3k the flat bow is also technically a long bow because it's "long" and because the string only touches the bow at the knots. Because those around me suffer from my OCD I would have called it "a flat bow, a long flat bow."

[@harleyme3163]

actually.. an en english longbow is taller then a man, and is typcally 100 pound draw. givin the "longbow" is a english thing...

[@lrn4795]

Chanel you Good I love Chanel you

[@jadiahforshee3098]

Cool I love longbows so cool

[@websitesbymark]

Have to agree with others this is not whats known as an English Longbow, but its a wonderful example of building a field bow.

[@Xrider6]

9:32 yo i thought the video froze 😂

[@anfernee_2378]

Allen X 🤣🤣

[@RedrulesRedrules]

@Ninetails From Pokémon! they're, also he knows

[@davidprimeau3368]

I could have made at least 10 toothpicks out of that tree. Actually a pretty good, back to basics, video.

[@benspeedschannel888]

The bowyers bible books are excellent 😎😎

[@MXddm-kl7hu]

Hi .. great work man .. do you have a bow and arrows for sale ??

[@harleyme3163]

ah, I had a piece of osage, its a truly beautiful wood, but if you can get it, the 100 pound draw longbows were made from alaska yew.

[@syedmehdi47]

Amazing tutorial 👏🏻👏🏻 is it ok if one side bends more than the other marginally or should we make sure both sides bends consistently when it is pulled

[@joelacefield8966]

Generally, the bottom limb is slightly bending less than the top.

[@youtu6er860]

Gotcha. Gotcha. Gotcha. Gotcha. Gotcha

[@robsarchery9679]

nice

[@moisesmoraescutelaria933]

Is very beuthful bow archery

[@dhuanabsa774]

Can you plant the Osage orange trees , like a few hundred trees in a couple of acres of land, to be harvested let say 10 or 20 years in the future? How long do Osage and black locus trees grow before they can be cut down to be made into bow staves? Very informative video, one of the best I've watch for wooden bow making. Thanks.

[@tonymaurice4157]

Yes you can but they will definitely not grow all straight. Farmers used to use them as natural fences. Black locust grows much straighter, but your tiller has to be spot on or else you will develop belly cracks

[@zgoombah1308]

*Line on the wood n everything is good*

[@petelaferte375]

you can get a spoke shave pretty cheap, it won't scrape paint as well, just saying.

[@chesterwright1976]

8-16 is my birthday. I need a bow from that wood.

[@nakoawarrior3186]

A good tree bears good fruit,... so plant that fruit and get some more.

[@maxwelljimenes6771]

A question, to make the bow I can use wood of any type and that has good flexibility, or it has to be a wood exclusively for that. I am looking forward to your response

[@joelacefield8966]

Many woods can make a bow. In the US, osage, hickory, ash, maple are more commonly used. This bow was Kentucky coffeetree.

[@lilimaboruah3146]

Good

[@NO-vy2so]

Made my first ever Bow during the corona lockdown out of Blackthorn. It's knotty as hell, looks like 💩 but it shoots and it's solid but flexible. I tried to make a second bow out of Birch but it broke. Lol, lesson learnt. Use hardwood in future. I'm on the hunt for Yew and Ash trees now. The shape of the second bow was coming along nicely until it snapped. Think this could be my new hobby🌿🌳🍃🎯

[@brandonfoley7519]

Wow! You could make alot of money selling your bows, I know thsys not why you make them it's something to consider

[@christopherstube9473]

I wonder if the staves could be harvested like the Paiutes harvested them from the living tree and let the tree heal over . They were yew bows, but i marveled at the trees with stave grooves in them when i was near Mono Lake in California. On the other hand Osage Orange is nearly a premier wood for making bows. www.onlinenevada.org/articles/bow-stave-trees

[@michaellong9359]

Can I build a bow out of dried epei wood it's a hard very dense wood with good grain.

[@SuperRealhigh]

That guy look like John Locke from Lost 🤔

[@muntariousthaborian1309]

I have no idea where is this location is but I know one thing '' at 3:32 that wood laying place shows lot of small plants round in shape - that plant we call '' Brahmi '' to have that daily morning before food RAW ' or juice will make you healthy gut and healthy brain. ! - wisdom of Health

[@arnaulpujol8439]

De Argentina mostrame como esta echa ese tipo de morza para sostener la madera de hacer el arco gracias saludos un abrazo gracias

[@elcazador9963]

Do u put a finish on it?

[@allurajasekhar8980]

Which type of rope is used to bow

[@L8rCloud]

Have you done a video of making arrows from scratch?

[@josegodoy9160]

Hola cuantos meses debe dejarse secar natural. La madera para hacer un arco

[@arsenal1548]

Did he ever mention the draw weight?

[@madhumitaroy4756]

👏🏻

[@MJFAN666]

beaut

[@michaelrabe1221]

2022 now, how's the bow going? Honestly just curious.

[@716tg3]

Challenge excepted! ✌🏽🦾

[@elliottsandifer9278]

Cooking a person use a good-sized lamb instead of a big chunk and splitting it down and if so should I Debark it sit on it and let it age for at least a year before working it.. that's what I'm thinking on doing what are your thoughts on

[@joelacefield8966]

You can use a limb if it's large enough. Mark the upper side as tension and the bottom as compression and split to separate that way. Put spacers between staves and wire or ratchet strap back together as it was to dry - to prevent crazy twisting as it dries. You could also clamp to a caul or bench to dry.

[@grozsee]

This guy look like a john locke :D

[@titustitus4817]

Which tree

[@TheJsp426]

Can I buy one?

[@rabeesyed6629]

Can anyone please say me which wood should I use for making a bow in south-east Asia.

[@reedcooper6545]

I love your focus on details!! Sorry but I cringed every time you hit those wedges with the mushroomed splits on the hammering face, I had a piece fly off and entered my forearm and deflected at the bone and tunneled 1.5” along the bone! My own fault, not criticizing but offering my experience. Great work in all your detailed explanations!!

[@navigator1383]

yes any mushrooming on wedges needs to be ground off ASAP.

[@funoff3207]

Sometimes these videos amaze me, no gloves, no eye protection. Aprons. I guess you take the risk you're comfortable with

[@andilocco2112]

Its what wood?

[@XeTylerr]

What are the trees called ?

[@madcap47764]

I need more information

[@tlbutter1]

Who is the guy that makes the bows

[@remusdon3848]

Banyaknya pokok pegaga

[@megadisme1764]

remus don buat ulam la..

[@Xrider6]

How do you enchant it with special abilities?

[@Dwight511]

Get a spell book.

[@Meeeeeeeeeeees]

It's called 'practice' ;)

[@jacob2790]

You need gems, rubies, emeralds, diamonds etc.

[@sangtaothuvi7151]

I want to know what kind of wood you use. Thanks you

[@joelacefield8966]

This bow was made from Kentucky coffeetree. The tree that was split into staves for demonstration was black locust.

[@willysy.medina2084]

Como se llama ese árbol ?

[@corbinhuffman5732]

How did you make the antler tips on your bow

[@scott729]

Corbin Huffman: Im interested too. I wish this was more of a series than a single video without much detail. There is a bowyer named Swiftwood Bows who is up in Oregon I believe. He has several KZbin videos on bow building. He shows, in a fair amount of detail, how to add buffalo horn to the nocks or tips.... but leaves out just enough to give me pause. I am sure the technique is the same if antler or horn or whatever. I have a bunch of black locust staves that are dry and ready and I am trying to find more info on using it. Like I know it will be a better bow if the belly is heat treated, but no one shows how to heat treat. And is it okay to leave the sapwood like they often do on Yew. Also, it is not as easy as Osage to "chase a ring". Meaning that it is easier to cut through a ring and not realize it... they are not as defined I guess. I just started working a BL stave. We shall see how it goes.

[@joelacefield8966]

I cut the antler tip in half with a bone blade hacksaw. Then thin and flatten on sandpaper. I then glue to the prepped bow tip. I use acetone on both surfaces to remove oils, and glue with either titebond 3 or a superglue. I remove excess with a file or rasp and sandpaper. I cut the string grooves first with hacksaw, then follow with chainsaw file.

[@ericwatts50]

11:13-he says " I'll whack off this" as he points to the log

[@qtpie2630]

ok

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