How to make an English Longbow from an Ash stave

[@DanSantanaBows]

Beautiful bow! Great tiller too.

[@BowtellBows]

Thanks Dan! Isn’t it nice when the wood just works for you?

[@tonymaurice4157]

@@BowtellBows great job! A made a ash flatbow. 50lb at 29. 70 inches

[@ScottWinters]

That's a nice bow my friend! Awesome.

[@BowtellBows]

Thank you!

[@Peekcasso]

Amazing looking bow! What are the measurements you use for bow making?

[@BowtellBows]

Thank you! It was 1.25” wide limbs that taper down to .5” starting halfway down the limb. It is around 1” wide at the handle. Overall length is 74” and about 72” nock to nock. The thickness taper is based on the draw strength I wanted but starts around 1” thick in the handle. Hope that helps!

[@Peekcasso]

@@BowtellBows wow thank you very much for the fast answer 😄👍🏼 yes i hope it will help, lets see if i am able to make a bow^^

[@kevinemery1177]

That tillering chart is brilliant! Did youdesign it yourself

[@BowtellBows]

It is actually a fabric cutting mat and works great!

[@kevinemery1177]

@@BowtellBows genius

[@thebeerphilosopher]

Odd question, but where do you find a measuring poster like the one on your wall behind your tillering tree? I need such a thing!

[@BowtellBows]

I have actually received this question a few times so it’s not too odd. It is a fabric craft board and can be found on Amazon: Dritz 890 Superboard Durable Kraft Board, 39-3/4 x 72-In... www.amazon.com/dp/B0018N22FO/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awdb_imm_

[@rikodracula8822]

Good bow brother

[@BowtellBows]

Thanks!

[@riner0631]

Can you show how to rough it out?

[@williamsydney535]

Sweet vid🤔

[@BowtellBows]

Thank you!

[@kebartholomew543]

Did you work it down to a single growth ring ?

[@BowtellBows]

I sure did! Lucky for me, the stave came pretty much ready to go. Just a little work in the back and it was good to go!

[@Thetravelingmonke]

Beautiful now i can defend myself against those crusader knights

[@BowtellBows]

You sure can!

[@mattconroy3918]

being native american, I wonder about the shape of an england longbow. the kind with horn in the knocks. Wondering if back is flat or roundish or belly flat or roundish

[@BowtellBows]

The shape is what they call a “D” shape cross section with it flat on the back and rounded on the belly. I used cow horn for the nocks I believe.

[@raacee2355]

How did you heat treat it?

[@BowtellBows]

I used a heat gun to do the light heat treatment.

[@brodieknight772]

How much does one of your bows cost?

[@BowtellBows]

I’m more than happy to discuss this with you directly. You can find my contact at bowtellbows.com

[@Peekcasso]

How does heat treating work?

[@BowtellBows]

That is a very good question. As far as I understand, heat treating makes the belly wood of the bow a little stiffer and resist compression. In most white wood bows, it helps them to not take set or crush the belly wood fibers therefore increasing the performance and life of the bow.

[@Peekcasso]

@@BowtellBows Is it done over a fire?

[@BowtellBows]

It can be done over a fire for sure. Coals or charcoal is best to keep an even heat. I like using a heat gun because I have a bit more control but I can only do a small amount of the bow at a time.

[@Peekcasso]

@@BowtellBows I am now at tillering my ash longbow 😅 My first attempt qith black locust didnt go well. Do you apply oil on the belly for heat treating?

[@BowtellBows]

Good question. To heat treat I do not apply oil. The purpose of oil is to keep the wood from burning and to help the heat travel into the wood. Heat treating is about lightly browning the belly fibers to make them stiffer.

[@riner0631]

I am maybe going to buy an ash stave, how do I know where to draw?

[@BowtellBows]

Definitely recommend the ash staves for bows. The dimensions are based off of what you want from the bow. I recommend lining up your bow tips and handle then shape the bow around that.

[@riner0631]

@@BowtellBows how wide should the tips and handle be, can you send me like a template?

[@riner0631]

@@BowtellBows And do I need the horn nocks?

[@BowtellBows]

Sure thing. Email me at [e-mail] and I will send you a template. Tips are about .5” wide and the handle is around 1” wide. Horn nocks are not required for ash because the wood is strong enough without it.

[@riner0631]

@@BowtellBows okay, thank you so much😀

[@dejanseguljski5102]

is that White ash (american ash)

[@BowtellBows]

I am pretty sure it is. Got the stave from a guy on eBay.

[@dejanseguljski5102]

@@BowtellBows i harvested four nice staves. I had very bad luck with compression. How did you avoid that

[@BowtellBows]

I haven't had an issue with ash before myself but maybe I got lucky. As far as I have studied, compression fractures occur for a couple reasons; design is not right for that particular wood (ie too narrow or too high of crown), imperfect tiller, too short, or too heavy. I think if I were to make this bow again, I would have heat treated the belly to improve the woods resistance to compression. I have done this on other ash bows and it has helped a lot. It also adds weight so I have had to take wood off and re-heat the belly a couple times before.

[@sanjorge6744]

Conseguirás más potencia si separas más la cuerda del mango, la cuerda tan cerca del arco no tiene sentido ya que no aprovechas la tensión de las palas🙄

[@BowtellBows]

Al apretar la cuerda hace que el arco sea más apretado, pero también pierde su golpe de potencia o el tiempo que la flecha está en la cuerda para transferir la energía a la flecha. La mejor distancia sería cero, pero no nos gusta la cadena que nos da una bofetada de las manos, así que se prefiere 6-7". By tightening the string you do make the bow tighter but you also loose your power stroke or time the arrow is on the string to transfer the energy to the arrow. The best distance would be zero but we don’t like the string slapping our hands so 6-7” is preferred

[@sanjorge6744]

@@BowtellBows es interesante pero he probado longbows que superan las 10 pulgada y no desaprovechan potencia más bien por más tensión ejercida hacia atrás se consigue más velocidad, al menos con algunas maderas y arcos.

[@mikeseeley1042]

I missed the "how-to" part...

[@lorddiaz7744]

That beard 🧔

[@BowtellBows]

Quarantine has been good for my facial hair. ;)

[@stevetaylor5520]

English longboats are made from u trees

[@riner0631]

I bought a ash stave

[@tonystoops7802]

Not going to be much american ash left in a few years.

[@BowtellBows]

Really?! That is sad news to hear.

[@bradleyrobinson7552]

The emerald ash borers are destroying ash trees.