bushcraft skills: how to make a bow (just a very basic one... yet effective!)

[mrbigtoe71]

whats the draw weight?

[Eliashoffman580]

wow, it works better than my homemade bow... :(

[dominatorvids]

what did you use for the bowstring

[bushcraftmyway]

@dominatorvids just plain cotton twine... far from perfect, but it works.

[dominatorvids]

you are awesome like the bow...would you happen to have other bows made

[bushcraftmyway]

@dominatorvids not at the moment... but i have some wood drying, so maybe this summer i'll post a "real bow" vid.

[Beatboxer1964]

thats a awesome bow

[bushcraftmyway]

@Beatboxer1964 thank you, but nope... it's only functional - i hope i'll show you an awesome bow this summer, if the selected piece of wood will be dry enough :D.

[dominatorvids]

@Beatboxer1964 areed

[CaldoBrendo]

Well better than bear grylls attempts haha

[bushcraftmyway]

@CaldoBrendo he-he, i never saw him making a bow... :D

[n1k3sh0x]

What kind of Bow string did you use?

[bushcraftmyway]

@n1k3sh0x a plain cotton twine (not the best choice, but it works).

[suzukoyan]

Amazing can't wait to make it :D

[bushcraftmyway]

@suzukoyan maybe you can post a video response?

[SuperMETAZ]

Took only half of hour too make lol

[bushcraftmyway]

@SuperMETAZ yep, it's easy to make one...

[AlexejNeroKleiner]

heh i can rate this like : fast, easy, good :) thanks a lot

[bushcraftmyway]

@AlexejNeroKleiner :D thank you!

[Filmskra]

Wat type of string should I use as a bowstring? im only 13 and I need 2 know sumthing that would work but would be cheap...would thick nylon twine work?

[AlexejNeroKleiner]

@Filmskra first what you must know is the power of bows isnt in strings its in that wood ... string must be something longer than bow ... when its finished bow must looks like 5:11 ;D im making something like that one soon xD with vid.

[shawneegeek]

@Filmskra Artificial sinew is the best, you can get it at any craft store for cheap. its just waxed nylon, but iv used it to make many successful bows.... if you want to make your own, use deer or elk sinew and indian hemp.

[Filmskra]

Im making a long bow!

[nonameismynameno]

How long did it take to finish the whole bow, with the parts you fast forwarded?

[bushcraftmyway]

@nonameismynameno about half of hour... can be done even faster.

[tristan10398]

you should add weight to the ends of your arrows it would make it way more acurate

[bushcraftmyway]

@tristan10398 of course it would... :D

[triphopchill]

chiar ce cutit folosesti aicea?:d

[bushcraftmyway]

@triphopchill un mora 106.

[Naturliebe]

Great work.

Very nice instructions.

Thanks for showing.

Greetings Tito

[bushcraftmyway]

@Naturliebe always a pleasure to share... thank you!

[snaponjohn100]

NICE!!!!! 10 stars.

[bushcraftmyway]

@snaponjohn100 thank you, my friend!

[GOBRAGH2]

That is a good, simple, practical video on how to make a survival bow.

[bushcraftmyway]

@GOBRAGH2 i was aiming for simple and practical... good is extra! :D thank you!

[MrMycoo]

Good job, as allwaysl!!!

[bushcraftmyway]

@MrMycoo thank you very much!

[MrTxroady]

well done.

[bushcraftmyway]

@MrTxroady thank you!

[jreaper23]

Amazing and helpful as normal thanks for the post i can't wait to make this bow i already started on the arrow keep up the good work! :^)

[bushcraftmyway]

@jreaper23 thank you! maybe you can post a video response?

[curtisskeete]

Another great vid as usual. Thanks for the post

[bushcraftmyway]

@curtisskeete thank you for the kind comment!

[saradreaming]

"Simple" and "little effort" are two of my favorite words, well three words. : ) Nice little bows like that are fun to make when they work. For an "eye ball" job, yours came out really really well. Great video : )

[bushcraftmyway]

@saradreaming "simple and with little effort" should be taught in school... sadly, it is not - but it's never to late to learn :D

it was fun to do it - and even more fun to use it!

thank you!

[Watchdovr]

Great project to pass some time while camping, thanks

[bushcraftmyway]

@Watchdovr and if you're camping with kids, it's even better!

[lobo25111967]

very nice !! video and not so bad powerfull bow!!

[bushcraftmyway]

@lobo25111967 thank you!

[otacon451]

to tiller you really only need a dull drawknife, as it will follow the ring better than a sharp one..

in one of the bowyer's bible books they make one with very crude stone tools from green wood as a proof of concept..

[bushcraftmyway]

@otacon451 uh, i wanted to get the bowyer's bible some time ago, but i forgot... thank you for reminding me! :)

[otacon451]

@bushcraftmyway and thanks for the video! i own all 4 bowyer's bible books and have read most all of it, but have been simply too lazy to even make a bow. this was inspiring..

[bushcraftmyway]

@otacon451 reading is important! but, as it turns out, it's not always enough... :)

reading plus trying, that's a really great combo - so, i'm glad if i inspired you to try!

[tankmdg]

good power

[bushcraftmyway]

@tankmdg decent...

[007vauxhall]

Excellent video, and the bow worked great. Many thanks for sharing this :-)

[bushcraftmyway]

@007vauxhall thank you for watching&commenting!

[Prepare2Survive]

great job. you could not have picked a better time to make this video because I've been planning on making one of these in a few days from a piece of green ' witch hazel ' that I cut 2 days ago. What did you use for a string? I think I'm going to use artificial sinew.

[bushcraftmyway]

@Prepare2Survive cotton string from the supermartket... doubled up and twisted. you can use anything is strong enough and doesn't stretch under tension.

looking forward for your bowmaking vid! :)

[Prepare2Survive]

@bushcraftmyway

thanks, but I wasn't planning on making a video. If anything I'll just post a few pictures on my facebook page.

[bushcraftmyway]

@Prepare2Survive hey, no problem... :)

[nedeljkomostar]

Very nice bow.

[bushcraftmyway]

@nedeljkomostar thank you!

[EDINBURGSTAR]

It turned out fantastic

[bushcraftmyway]

@EDINBURGSTAR wow, thanks!

[BombMastre]

You are indeed a very skilled buschraftsman, and I enjoy every one of your videos! Thanks again for a simple, yet informative and exellent demo on how to make a bow.

-All the best,

[bushcraftmyway]

@BombMastre thank you for watching and for your very kind comment!

[BombMastre]

@bushcraftmyway You are very welcome. I look forward to more videos from you, my friend.

[triphopchill]

ma gandesc daca pub cateva alune si sa le duc la padure si peste ceva ani sa ne infructam din ce produce si sa ne folosim de lemnul produs n-ar fi un proiect rau...

[bushcraftmyway]

@triphopchill n-ar fi rau deloc... dar as zice sa vorbesti cu cineva care se pricepe, sa nu muncesti degeaba.

[triphopchill]

am gresit am observat mult stejar adica cer si garnita:D

[triphopchill]

respect omu" cel mai tare episod , tot respectul meu , chiar ai gasit la padure langa timi alun, eu nu am prea observat sa fie decat mult stejar si garnita , din nou zic si ma repet foarte fain filmuletul sa faci cat mai multe !

[bushcraftmyway]

@triphopchill he-he, cine umbla stie... asa-i cum zici, alunu-i mai rar pe la noi. de asta am filmat "in deplasare" la otelu-rosu!

multumesc, filmulete o sa fac atita timp cit se uita lumea la ele! :)

[bushcraftmyway]

@Waldharmony great! i'm looking forward for your vid!

[jntroisi]

Very good instructional video, showing just how simple it is to make a usable bow if you need to.

Thanks!

[bushcraftmyway]

@jntroisi exactly my point! thank you!

[SurviveN2]

Good job on making the bow. Take Care :-))

[bushcraftmyway]

@SurviveN2 thank you!

[BigHickory357]

Awesome video thanks! Also you said you used normal cotton string, how could you improvise to have a stronger string, that gave more thrust/ power? Also I noticed to "fire hardening" comment, did you mean it would add 10 more lbs of power or weight?

[bushcraftmyway]

@BigHickory357 thank you! i doubled up&twisted the cotton string - it was enough for that bow. for stronger bows i use braided high-strenght non-stretching fishing line to make the string. firehardening the wood would have make it stronger, so an additional guestimated 10 pounds would have been necessary to fully draw the bow.

[1097411]

I have always wanted to make my own bow. Good job and thanks for sharing. Take Care.

[bushcraftmyway]

@1097411 thank you! if you decide to make your bow, maybe you can post a video response?

[nvrhaveaniceday]

I like it! what did you use for the string?

[bushcraftmyway]

@nvrhaveaniceday cotton string from the supermarket (doubled up and twisted).

[IrlDave71]

Thank you and will done Sir. Thumbs up.

[bushcraftmyway]

@IrlDave71 thank you!

[alexgoyettemobile]

thank you

[bushcraftmyway]

@alexgoyettemobile thank you!

[jolietjake1970]

Good job brother! - That is a very effective bow.

[bushcraftmyway]

@jolietjake1970 i'm glad you like it!

[budedees]

As always...I like it!

Thanks for asking "I hope you like it."

[bushcraftmyway]

@budedees thank you for watching and commenting! :D

[patje0109]

Very nice bow for that amount of time you put in ! I put some wood aside last autumn to dry somewhat, got hazel, birch,cypres, maythorn, cherry, walnut. Hope I can make one that will last some years..

Thanks for sharing!

Groetjes

[bushcraftmyway]

@patje0109 exactly my point - you can make a decent bow in notime.

i hope you will show us how you'll make your bow!

i also have a nice piece of black locust let to dry... hopefully, this autumn i will make a "real" bow, too.

[patje0109]

@bushcraftmyway Sure I make a vid of it!:-) . I have two more projects: Knife from an old file, and making a foldable bucksaw. Is Juniper a good bow wood?

Groetjes

[bushcraftmyway]

@patje0109 wow, you have some projects going... :)

juniper is very good under compression, so it is perfect for a sinew-backed bow, but there are some good juniper bows out there without backing.

[Waldhandwerk]

Cool and good looking bow! Have a great Day, my friend. Sepp

[bushcraftmyway]

@Waldhandwerk thank you, my friend!

[busycando]

Nice job on the bow,you make it look so easy...the shootin not bad either :-)

[bushcraftmyway]

@busycando well, it is easy... :)

the shooting continued to improve as i was "learning the bow"... (i filmed only the first 6 arrows - i got much better after 20-30).

[bushcraftmyway]

@Waldharmony thanks for watching! maybe you can post a video response?

[GamerSwag]

how did you attach the string

[bushcraftmyway]

@GamerSwag just simle overhand knots.

[wideawake73]

what did you use for the string? anything ? Im just a girl, I dont know these things haha ; )

[bushcraftmyway]

@wideawake73 there are 2 conditions for a good bow string: it must be strong enough and it must not stretch. i used cotton string from the supermarket (doubled and twisted). for a stronger bow, i make the string from braided high-strenght fishing line (i will show you how in the autumn, when i'm going to make a "real" bow...).

i hope this is helping you - if you have any more questions please feel free to ask!

[wideawake73]

did you shave any in the middle of the bow? I couldnt tell

[bushcraftmyway]

@wideawake73 no, the middle (the handle) was left as it was.

[SgtSplatter782]

Nice. Didn't know Hazel Wood could be used to make a bow. Will have to keep that in mind.

Great Vid and keep up the bushcraft.

[bushcraftmyway]

@SgtSplatter782 hazel is flexible, easy to work with and will make a reasonable fast bow... on the downside, it is not very strong, but firehardening it adds about 10 pounds to the bow (i am guestimating that the bow in the vid, which was green and not firehardened, draws between 15-20 pounds).

[longtoes12]

wow good vid

[bushcraftmyway]

@longtoes12 thank you!

[calixtesaint]

Thanks so much for this lesson!

[bushcraftmyway]

@calixtesaint thank you for watching!

[falo1967]

Best greetings to Romania.

Another nice video, like all of yours.

I like to work with hazel, too. It isn´t the best choice, but the most availiable in my region.

I´m still waiting for ur next vid. Love them ;)

[bushcraftmyway]

@falo1967 indeed, there are better choices for wood... but for a bow that you can make as quickly as this, hazel is my first choice, as it is easy to work and doesn't require a high level of skill. better wood requires better craftmanship and much more time... (in autumn i'm going to make myself a "real" bow - you'll see that it will be very different than this one).

[MOISECRIMI]

Frumos, daca asa arata unul primitiv atunci nici nu vreau sa ma gandesc la unul mediu.Ce ai folosit pentru coarda, paracord ?

[bushcraftmyway]

@MOISECRIMI poti sa te gindesti :), ca pina la toamna se usuca salcimul pe care l-am pus deoparte... alt lemn, alt proces de fabricatie si, sper, alt rezultat!

pentru coarda am folosit sfoara simpla din bumbac, pusa dublu si rasucita. paracordul se intinde, sfoara de bumbac nu (in schimb nu-i buna pentru arcuri mai puternice, ca nu rezista).

[faisalkfpm]

ممتاز



[bushcraftmyway]

@faisalkfpm ?

[falo1967]

@bushcraftmyway : it is arabian and means "Excellent" ;)

[bushcraftmyway]

@falo1967 in this case... thank you! :)

[faisalkfpm]

@bushcraftmyway means excellent I thought you come from Jurdan

[bushcraftmyway]

@faisalkfpm nope, i'm from romania... but hey, that's really not a problem! :D

[faisalkfpm]

@bushcraftmyway aha romania isn't that near by turkey on it's right in Asia ?

[bushcraftmyway]

@faisalkfpm nope... google it! :)

[faisalkfpm]

@bushcraftmyway google, man best friend

[LaughTonyLaugh]

Why did you peel all of the bark wouldnt it have helped to leave the bark on the front of the bow for extra protection during the carving process, and as well extra strength when drawing it.

[LaughTonyLaugh]

@LaughTonyLaugh I was meaning protecting the sap wood that is or would it not matter on a stave that size

[bushcraftmyway]

@LaughTonyLaugh the bark is very loose on green hazel, and it will come of anyway... also, the hazel bark is somehow friable and lacks the required elasticity to add the extra strength.

[realgoshawk]

Nice bow and good work but was there really a need to shoot on a living tree ?

[bushcraftmyway]

@realgoshawk absolutely not! the old plum-tree is partially dead and, because it is no longer safe (it may fell down during a storm) will be cut down this summer and replaced with another one.

[steintanz]

Hello Mr. Hood! :o)

Fine demo once again and the bow turmed out to be pretty good. I once tried the same method with ash wood, but then it bent very unevenly in the arms and the bow broke after a few draws. Still it had been some nice carving activity.

Greetings, Tim

[bushcraftmyway]

@steintanz better wood (like ash) requires a much finer (laborious, time-consuming) making process, which must include tillering; to produce a very good bow from ash will be easy for a high-skilled bowmaker, but for the less experienced one the hazel is a much more forgiving wood (and, therefore, a better choice).

on the other hand, the only way to aquire the necessary experience is to do it... so, keep trying! :)

[steintanz]

@bushcraftmyway ... good tip. So I'll go for hazel next time. Thanks!

[bushcraftmyway]

@steintanz can't wait to see the vid! :D

[bushcraftmyway]

@inomurasensei thank you for watching!