Master Bow Builder Series Part 1- Preparing the Stave

[@jeffreyscottharris]

It's very impressive to hear someone with so much knowledge speak without being condescending. He seems like a very humble man. God bless him...

[@chais1111]

listen man, if you look at Mike in the states with osage bows or Joe Gibbs in England with the warbows or Jim Hamm for that matter,. they all seem to have 2 things in common, humble and soft spoken. When you re confident in your skills and abilities, you don't have to show off.

[@ADmyrr]

I've bought materials from Pinehollow Long bows in the past and they offered the best customer service I've ever experienced. One of the staves I ordered was lost in the mail they helped me to track it and eventually replaced it no extra charge when we couldn't recover it. They are very helpful and offered free advice as I was building my bows. Thanks again Pinehollow Long bows.

[@chais1111]

Mike is the real deal as far as building the American flatbow. I like his style and demeanour. the perfect instructor

[@phillipdavid6825]

When I was a little boy I read the book Robin Hood and his Merry Men! Thus began my love of Archery! I never really took to it in my youth though, too busy doing other things, but as an old man one day I bought a PSE stinger and taught myself how to shoot it. At 30 yards I'm deadly with it, but I could put one in you at a 100 if we were at war with each other! But raw archery like what I just watched I never tried but this video sparked my want to try jones and I'm a fan brother. Ima dedicate the entire year coming to learning how to make a bow like what is taught in this video. Excellent video sir. I enjoyed it to no end and look forward to watching them all to the end result of making my first bow! Thank you!!

[@revolutions7262]

I simply LOVE how they are ALL sitting in a circle while he's in the center of the attention, teaching them on how to create their first bow.

[@davidcullen4996]

It is abundantly clear that Mr. Yancey has a wealth of knowledge in bow making that is 1 in a million (probably more :-P ) and is a true master craftsman. Many thanks to Sigma 3 and Mr. Yancey for the video and sharing knowledge.

[@Loveoftheoutdoors]

I'd love to spend a few weeks with this guy and learn whatever he'd what to teach me. This is a dying art.

[@jackboyd2352]

hi love your show but i live in the uk and here i have never seen hickory wood as here they seem to use base woods , though i do not come from here, i was born in ire land and was always in woodland and there i saw every wood in creation. i made bows when i was young but after i was about 12 was the last time i made one untill recently i have had about three successes in creating bows except for recurves every atempt has ended n failure , but i keep going . cant afford to by them disability kills any chance at work and money but hopefull i will get on one day love shooting my friends recurve. thank you for bringing enjoyment of archery to my world you dont realise but for people like me watching your videos brings so much enjoyment into my world have a great lie to everyone that works and does special activities for the people of the world

[@SurakuHirano]

Depends on the tools you have available. This is mostly talking about self bows, not so much laminates. Yew is a natural laminate, the sapwood is great in tension, poor in compression, and the heartwood is great in compression, poor in tension. Certain bow types work better with different woods, but... i would still recommend hickory, osage, walnut, pecan, hop-hornbeam, hornbeam, or any other wood with interlocked grain... the people in this video are doing it the way i have done for 6 years.

[@coolkidmiracle]

This is by far the best instructional series on bow making that I've ever seen. Thank you so much!

[@Rabican030]

if you speed dry your wood, the water within it will vapourise and exit the stave in the quickest possible way...you will get a really dry wood...filled with microscopic tears in the structure made by water vapour. if you decrease your stave to some basic dimensions, it can actually dry to the wanted level within a month, month and a half.

[@kentowens2179]

Great video. My grandmother was 1/2 Cherokee and I spent all the time I could at her place as a kid. Cherokee's are a great people. As a kid, I tried making many bows, usually from hickory, but never could get a string that would hold up without breaking. Making a bow definitely isn't as easy as it would appear.

[@chriswittenberg6678]

I would also advise getting a few books on the subject from any library, however seeing it done in first hand thank you sigma has been invaluable to crafting a primitive bow kudos and keep up the good work!!!

[@nutthrower]

been making primitive bows for 40 years now, not any good but enjoy it just the same, so will enjoy these vids for sure ,

[@Redneckamerican]

I guess with this process you could make a recurve bow, I recently got into archery and I like the recurve. This is up my alley because I can not afforde a good bow but I am ok at working with tools.

[@savage308win]

yeah, that's right just get it to a ruff size and how long to store it depends on where you live how warm and humid it is so on. A warmer climate with less humidity will dry faster. Just do not make the bow with green wood or it will take set; I mean it will bend in the shape of an arc and loose all casting power. You can take an 8 inch tree split 4 staves out of it and have multiple staves to learn from.

[@tazerguy]

what your doing is by far the greatest thing i could of found, support you guys 100% KEEP IT UP!

[@1000000volts]

I've Made a few Longbows in my time jim Hamm the bowyers bible helped me a lot,good work lads I almost got the urge to make another one now.

[@sigma3survivalschool]

no but there are always options available in the woods. standing dead. or for a quicky bow you can cut and let dry for awhile. But archery and bow building isn't a short term survival skill. it is a long term living skill.

[@rosevineman]

Sigma, thanks for the video. And a special thanks to Mike Yancey for demonstrating the techniques to make a bow so that the skill can be passed on for future generations!

[@derricklopez8165]

Keep up the good work fellas when things go down we will need this knoldge thank you.

[@jeffsantos1973]

yes, this is where learning how to make fire comes in handy. training in the basics of primitive living is where you want to focus your energies. friction fire, hand and bow drill. then you can either make char cloth or char wood, or burn a green log to make a bowl, or use the hollow parts of bamboo to boil water in to kill bacteria.

[@silentsteelghost]

Thank you. Your English is good enough to give me an answer so no worries brother.

[@willnotcomply1328]

This guy knows what he's doing, awesome video. I am gonna try my hand at an osage orange selfbow soon.

[@scruffytribesman545]

Wow those bows in the beginning look absolutely beautiful..

[@savage308win]

I will answer this correct me if needed:) Most of the time you split the log then you can ruff it down to stave. You must seal the ends with wax or glue or it will dry and crack out. The moisture must escape out of the sides not the ends. To speed the process up place it in a warm dry area like an attic. The idea is to dry it to I think 7% moisture anmy people use a moisture meter to test though there are other methods. You then carve the bow and seal it to keep moisture out.

[@ferulloscoasting6432]

Im working on writing a book for my kids(fantasy book) and let me tell you this dude is helpful!!! Subscribed! Cant wait to give a whirl myself

[@kristoffercoffin3087]

I spoke to Mike on the phone very nice guy . The wood needs to season

[@gypsiewind1618]

Absolutely Beautiful Bows and fine craftmanship ! Thank you very much :)

[@Scurvyrot]

How did he go from the large split log, to the piece he's working on at 9:07?? Is there a specific way to get it down to that size or do I just hack it with my axe? Thanks..

[@marclipska1991]

I made a build-along for a mollegabet made from black locust, this is part one and the rest is in the side bar/details. imgur.com/a/bRFct

[@SerJahPhoto]

Fascinating! Pieces of art.. Maybe someday you decide to show us how to build the log cabin ; )

[@sigma3survivalschool]

width and thickness is all determined by the tillering process. its just about getting your correct draw weight

[@0302060807]

I'm looking to buy a rasp on line, I like to know what grain is good for building a bow. Thank you

[@pixiesmate]

When I did my survival training the key elements for survival were drinking water, shelter, fire and food. A bow is a tool that was used for thousands of years to put food within reach. If you are happy making do with scraps of food you are lucky enough to find that's up to you, personally I would find the time to make something that gives me the edge to put something worthwhile on the menu

[@douglasbecauseyouchaseandk8010]

I have no words to describe, Wonderful very good

[@martin10977]

Hey does the type of wood matter or can it be any type of wood. And also what wood did you use in the video and what wood would you recommend to a beginner

[@jois6499]

what for a paint do you use for the bows in minute 2:16-3:27 ?

[@triumphmanful]

I just cut down a nice maple about the size of yours. Do I need to paint the ends and season it for a while before splitting it ? It is October 27the 2017 here in the NE. Leaves are almost done falling. The tree is green without leaves. Can I split it now ? i would like to start making a bow ASAP. Thanks for your wisdom and skill .

[@bsmith973]

What is the best kind of wood to use? I have seen people laminate 2 different kinds of woods one on the belly and one on the outside. Is this a good idea?

[@chtomlin]

3 questions...would it help accuracy if you measured the center of the bow for where the arrow would rest, with the handle just below that? and doesn't that bark come off easy in one sheet in the spring when freshly cut? I guessing that wood is seasoned to some degree, so can that seasoning be done with the bark already removed?

[@christopher756]

Hi again. Just made a bow out of walnut. It looks nice and sturdy but I see some small microfractures on the bottom leg of the bow on the face with the handle. Is this a sign that it will break?

[@Kumagai1976]

Thank you. Ruffing it, you mean do the initial shaping before you start thinning the two sides of the bow right? Then from there you can seal and store for the duration of 2 years?

[@branwenwashere]

Thanks I will have to check it out next time Im out at the folks house.My wife and I just got into archery and I would love to have my very own handcrafted bow! My wife shoots a samick sage and I shoot a samick journey so as you can tell we went fairly cheap into it but they seem to shoot nice haha. But Id love to have a bow that is not a TD, I hope I can follow your instructions on these videos, If I fail oh well still thank you for sharing this information

[@andreww.7716]

What state do your classes take place cuz I live in Manatee Co Florida and the back ground looks like it could be north FL through the Blue Ridge mts or maybe further up the Southern East Coast...? Also I'd like to say I love the woods and water, heck top of the boat with gas and a few provisions and I could lose a week if i find the right sand bar, key, or shore line make camp living with the land and not off it!! that last part is getting harder and harder to do with out moving further in land!!!

[@sigma3survivalschool]

Andrew W. we are re-opening in Florida in a month or so. And we are also opening a school in Georgia later this year. But our headquarter is in Arkansas.

[@andreww.7716]

I was born in Btown grew up on the BradenRiver/ManateeRivet but I coconsider home between Sarasota to Homasassa Crystal River but like I said I grew up on the south side of the Bay area and if you know the backwater to the outer flats their are plenty of mangrove islands with high ground.their are some of my fav spots south andnorth of port Manatee

[@whynottalklikeapirat]

so - in a survival situaion do you carry 2 year dried hickory staves around?

[@scottmoore1778]

i have a black walnut stave,will it be good enough to use?Or should i look for hickory or oak?

[@Mr._E._Shark]

Anyone else watching purely for interest in Bows and Archery?

[@TriggaPleas]

Ive never really done any shooting but Im an arborist so a lot of nice bits of wood pass through my hands and one day I thought fk it ima build a lethal weapon with my bare hands.

[@kschambers70]

Yep....

[@busydoingnothing3014]

Yes love from India.....

[@brucepreston3794]

Yes... interested in making my own bow. Already started one. Not finished yet...

[@Joespmama.]

@bruce Preston how’s the go bow I year later

[@josephthornburg08]

How do you determine the draw weight and adjust the draw weight when you are building your bow

[@tpd134]

Correct me if I am wrong or if this has already been answered. From the time you split the log with the maul to the time you started cutting the bark off with the drawing knife the wood went through some type of cutting it seemed. You did not take the split log straight to the drawing knife. How did you cut it and what dimensions did you use to get it ready to be laid out?

[@tpd134]

I guess I am just going to need to buy the DVD I guess.... sigh.

[@boxbox6290]

he cheated and used a band saw a pillar drill and chop saw this are ALL CHEATERS FOR MONEY AND KZbin VIEWS NO APOCLYPSE OR ILLUMINATI IS COMMING OE EXSISTS

[@eleazarelbuchon]

he is using another piece of wood since staves need to be seasoned for two years (tjat's what video says)

[@gumboot7867]

hi i live in New Zealand and its quite hard to find hardwoods, what would be best out of pine or willow? or are there other woods i could use?

[@sigma3survivalschool]

Time2Tickle any hardwood. or yew would work. Cedar will work. You can do pine but they won't last and require very wide limbs. YOu can make a bow out of any wood almost, it just won't perform well.

[@gumboot7867]

yeah, but where I live its quite hard to get woods like yew or cedar but ill try, thanks

[@chaistan]

How about speed drying it over a fire? I've seen it done but how does it affect the material for use in a bow?

[@noblegreen2692]

Very awesome video series I will definitely use these methods when I make my bows

[@dwarning1]

hey, do you think cypress would be a good bow wood? im trying to make a bow and have a bunch of cypress in my area.........

[@TheInvincibleMonster]

hey i live in england kent and we dont have orange osage around this area and i cant find hickory is there any other wood i can use and also do i need to use the main part of the tree or is a branch okay?

[@Cryogenius333]

You live in england. Use yew.

[@lazarusknight2084]

+OneOrdinaryGuy Here in the Uk ash is a brilliant wood but don't go with yew because Medieval archers had their yew wood imported from other places.

[@Cryogenius333]

+Luke Shaw they had that capability? shows how much I know. lol. I always thought yew was standard for longbows. I've heard of ash arrowshafts, but I'm not sure I ever thought of an Ashwood bow. Ash seems like your best bet then.

[@lazarusknight2084]

Cryogenius333 Ash is an amazing bow wood it's a wood i commonly use for my bows along with hickory and red oak. I prefer birch,ash and dogwood shafts and sometimes use poplar but it really depends what materials i can get and at what price i can get them at. Yup they had that capability and did often have wood imported :)

[@teresagideon4737]

yew is what our ancestors used in england i have read books on bows one bowyer said if youre not sure if a certain wood will make a bow , make one and find out

[@jaggernutox]

altho i know it is not the best option but will birch or other trees like that work? while i do live in the forrest i only have trees like that around me (no Yew, ossage, ash, the oaks are illegal to cut down) and can i cut out the stave and then dry it over a fire?

[@HARDYSFISHINGADVENTURES]

+Androandroandrica now thats cool as i have some 1 year old birch local guess il be of to get a few pieces tomorrow

[@megancuccio9565]

What are the things on each end of the bowstring? Looks like fur where the the string meets each end of the stave. What are they called and what purpose do they serve?

[@VooDooI3ass]

someone correct me if Im wrong but i think they were rabbit fur silencers to dampen the string vibration it gives you a more silent release and better accuracy.

[@rodparsons6719]

Mike knows his stuff and his roughed out bow staves are great value for anyone who wants a short cut rather than the labour of reducing a full stave. But I would never put any kind of shelf or rest on a primitive bow since these are in relative terms a modern innovation. Before this innovation the primitive bow was shot off the hand, which is my preference.

[@GooseBurt]

Before I start my bow I have an urgent question. Do you carve the stafe with an arch ? Or do you carve it perfectly straight until you string the bow? After the bow is finished, should it be completely flat or should it be arched without a string? Thanka

[@sigma3survivalschool]

eburt6 you work with the natural curve of the wood. you don't carve any shape into them. The back of the bow will determine what you take out of the belly. Mike has a DVD on our survival store website below. I would suggest buying it, it is much more thorough than this video and will explain it much better. its $35

[@janzatrepalek2460]

Jenom trouba může tlouct železnou částí sekery do železné části nože. Od toho raději dál. :-) Ale ten starší pán lukař je velmi sympatický dělá krásné luky.

[@zeke18ish]

have you ever made a bow out of teek wood im sure you know teek is very strong very heavy so i was just wondering if you ever seen, made , or heard of someone doing it

[@guillermoa.garcia3690]

hi guys, great set of videos. really helpfull. i wonder tho, how much time do i have to let the bow in the tillering stick so it get that curved shape? or it is just to see if it bends right on both limbs. Thanks

[@HARDYSFISHINGADVENTURES]

+Guillermo A. Garcia its to tiller what you remove determines the shape of the bow tillering each side then testing makes sure you dont remove to much and end up with a week spot

[@FloridaHammer]

Do bow strings need to stretch or as little as possible? I would like to make my own bow, and due to my job I have access to amazing cordage.

[@bartbever6634]

The string needs to stretch as little as possible because the power comes from the lims

[@FloridaHammer]

Oh, boy. I have access to some killer stuff!!!

[@ProtossImba]

What kind of hatchets do you reccomend? Is Fiskars x7 a good quallity steel?

[@MustObeyTheRules]

Go metal detect and find a axe head in the ground, clean It up and put a handle on it

[@sinsemilia0815]

***** i like this fiskars hatchets, also: @Kahutea: you cant say that all old hatchets are good...

[@sinsemilia0815]

sorry theres a word in my native language that is a "false friend" to "generally". it means "all (of this kind)". i agree with you after getting rid of this misunderstanding :)

[@HARDYSFISHINGADVENTURES]

+ProtossImba sharp for sure iv the 7 and 5 great easy to sharpen a little easy to damage the edge as well id go for a hultafors they are the same price super sharp better cover and you can replace the handles if it breaks

[@Brachwah]

Is de-barking the stave necessary? Would I be able to leave the bark on and allow it to fall off with use? The reason I ask is because it seems simpler to just leave the bark on, guaranteeing that the growth rings aren't compromised.

[@davehorwedel916]

Would it be better to dry and bend or bend while green and let dry in form

[@pavolmagda2628]

how thick should be tree cut for staves to make bow? what do U think about ash wood? how to dry wood? should i split tree to staves before drying or after? can be the wood dried in carpentry (in drier)?

[@jameshust3350]

love the mal pup in the video!

[@ΓιάννηςΦελέκης-ε8ζ]

hello guys! very nice video! I want build one bow but I live in city and I want know if the planks of wood is good for bow. I want hunt small birds and sometimes maybe find and wild boar and roe deer. thank you very much!!!

[@marthaduncan2655]

What kind of woods are good for bow building?

[@sven147963]

These are some good video's, well done!

[@silentsteelghost]

does backing on the bow increase the strength or draw weight?

[@xReape12x]

This was a very informative video, nut I have a question. Would I be able to make a bow stave from a tree limb that has a very pronounced curve?

[@xReape12x]

*but

[@timbutler5690]

You are a gifted man thank you for sharing your skill. Wish you and family well.q

[@johnmallette3143]

thanks for the vids guys .,.,.can i use canadian maple and or yellow birch ?.,.,also in my area we have alot of white ash .,.,.,i would relly appreciate your input thanks again

[@JackSilver1410]

I don't hunt or buy into the whole "the end is nigh, stockpile everything" schtick, but I do love making things.. Maybe I should give bows a shot (no pun intended.) There are plenty of vine maples scattered around that should work. Maybe keep some leftovers to use as scales on a matching knife.

[@thatboymari6580]

What is that tool he's using to get thhe rough shape @9:15

[@johnnyjohnson2148]

what is the best type of wood to use.

[@rinux56]

Taxus baccata (tasso)!

[@austinbell9593]

osage also known as bois de arc is one of the best in north america but hickory is a good starter wood for beginners

[@Kumagai1976]

Do you split the stave then dry or dry for two years then start the bow making process, split, shave and so forth? Also when you split the stave there are a lot of rough edges on it do you just shape it down? Nice video by the way, am thinking of making one here is Aus and got a fresh stave not split yet so trying to follow the process in the video.

[@topchivideo9157]

Hi I will like to know what is the name of the tool you are using in the video at 9:16 Pls answer

[@mattbrown1306]

It is called a draw knife.

[@goprosimracing7408]

What kind of wood are u using to make bow?

[@triumphmanful]

Is your wood already seasoned. I just cut some Hickory trees. How do I season them so they will be dry. How long will it take ?

[@adammaher7418]

hi im doing my leaving cert next year and for my construction exam im thinking of making a bow similar to the ones shown in the video, would it be easy to get osage in Ireland? or would i have to order the materials online? Thanks.

[@odyfirdaus6243]

Beauty of a bow!

[@biologicalhunter520]

How long would it take for a stave to dry if i live in Alabama with the heat? Would it still take about 2 years?

[@KingofWolfs11]

So the staves have to dry for two years after being carved? Would it work if the log has dried out for over two years?

[@RageDMonkey69FPS]

Today i started from suits and ended up on master teaching me how to build a bow nice

[@PracticalPrimate]

The internet is a wonderful thing :)

[@sammyer4331]

How long does wood need to season before beginning the bow? Can you use green wood?

[@kevint.7508]

yes but its gonna be harder to get the bark off of the back of the bow

[@brabanthallen]

I have used green wood for bows but they tend to crack. Not always, but it makes them far more likely to crack. It is better to season the wood, normally for about a year. It makes the wood harder to work with but there will be far less chance of the bow cracking as you're working it, or when you go to use it. The best rule of thumb for seasoning the wood is to split the log in half and paint the ends to slow the drying process. I usually paint the end and about 3 or 4 inches up the split side.

[@tyrander1652]

I have roughed out staves while green (easier) then coated them in white glue and let them season. The slowed drying rate (and tension?) from the glue coating helps prevent cracking.

[@johnqpublic2718]

I definitely want to learn this skill, at least to some degree. I've been involved with archery since childhood, but always compound or composite recurves. When society finally collapses, this will come in handy.

[@WrathfulAngelofChaos]

would pine or birch work good? it's the most common types of wood in this area

[@pappafunk420]

how do u get it to look like a 2 by 4? just split the log untill i get a long pole like piece? becuase i think my tree is bigger than the one he got for this vid

[@Escumbuit77]

Nice movie, thanks. What kind of Hickory is OK, good and the best for making bows? Pignut, Shagbark, Bitternut..Swamp Hicory?? I don´t know.. Best Regards, Ian

[@philschneider9826]

Mike is awesome!

[@whynottalklikeapirat]

Makes sense. Just screwing around. Nice vid bro

[@theopsonis4068]

Hi i live in Greece.What kind of wood i going to use to make a bow?

[@dylansehdev1449]

What types of woods are common in england would be good for making bows?

[@777Thebear]

Did you use green wood, or was that log seasoned. If so how long?

[@joeykolasky1553]

Wondering myself

[@Koloherides]

like those boots are they comfy what make are they. thx

[@mikeharper4529]

Holy crap where you get that tent?!

[@reconranger1370]

Nice video, you guys do really nice work!

[@remirobichaud5989]

Five thums up for that ... He is a master of his shit ... He knows what he is talking about ... Very informative and its easy too spot a man who take care of gis work ... Thx you to you guys