Make a bow for under 20 Bucks

Make a hardwood bow with no special tools, setups or working space for under 20 bucks. Everything was purchased at Lowes. There are more details at http://www.dejapong.com

Step 1: Glue together Wood

I went to Lowes and got these thing.

48"X1/2" Oak trim piece
24"X1/2" Poplar trim piece
bottle of gorrila glue
Stanley hand planer
bundle of jute rope (In the future, hemp would probably be better)

The hand planer from lowes turned out to be just the ticket for shaving down the bow arms to what I needed. Its only 6 bucks and its about 3"X1" big. Any bigger would probably turn out to be too unweildy. Any sort of wood glue would work really.. as a matter of fact, gorrila glue is probably not the best one to use. The wood was just some project wood or you could use trim wood too, I guess.

This is pretty self-explanatory, just make sure you get the glue more evenly spread than it is in this picture. Use sticks and rope as a clamp and the piece until its cured enough to release. This should actually take a few hours but since I'm really impatient, I waited for half an hour and then started carving. Dont do that, it just messes things up in further steps. Whatever you do, don't try bending the bow until the glue is dry either. This just makes them pop apart.

Step 2: Plane down the wood

This is not really a hard step, but its pretty critical. Try to keep both sides the same and shoot for a shape like one in the diagram. I think The pictures can do a better job of explaining this than I can. So just ask me if you have any questions. Check out more detailed description on my website: http://www.dejapong.com

Step 3: Add handle

It might look a little complicated but actually is just a rope wound around the handle in a spiral fashion. I soaked the rope with glue too so it would stay there. This does a good job as a handle and a reinforcer for the two pieces of wood.

Step 4: Cut the ends

You need a place for the string to rest, so in two steps, cut notches at the ends like they are in the pictures. In the first step, cut the profile of the notches, and then smooth them out in the next step.

Step 5: Bamboo Bows

Heres a picture of a bamboo bow that I made. There are a few more details and tutorials at http://www.dejapong.com

Comments

[kmuggerud]

also what is a good tool besides the planer to use?

[kmuggerud]

when i click on ur website it doesn't show me the detailed description??

[Imcrazydude]

DON'T use any soft woods pine poplar e.t.c only use hard woods oak cherry osage e.t.c

[Zetsumeimaru]

I remember long ago, when people used to make bows from a single piece of wood.

[Wikiman12]

Hello, I am 12 years old, is this too big of a bow for me?

How much is the pull weight? How heavy is the bow?

Thanks!

[Givver112]

Come check out my instructable with explainations on what I said before.

[Givver112]

Ill try to put up a thingy to explain... Three different bows

[Master97865]

looks like im not the only 12-year-old around here. as a matter of fact, im a girl as well. i think i might try this project, or maybe a bamboo bow since i know a place where a whole shootload of bamboo grows.

[Imcrazydude]

You can cut down one thick peice of bamboo it should be almost as tall as you unstrung I'm 11 years old and I've already made a few bows

[Master97865]

Thanks :) I found a piece even taller than me and already cut but it was stuck between the fence and rest of the bush :( obviously, I would have cut it a bit but thanks for the advice :) if I used a branch, would it work even if it was straight but still bendy? Gosh, I type too much. Haha one of my friends found a bow in a forest and the wood was thicker than my forearm and she said it worked XD

[Xthinker]

Well, It would depend on how tall your are, and your strength. You could always change the design around a bit, you're the one making it.

[La cacatua carmesi]

Is fir tree wood goo for making bows or should I buy another kind of wood?

[Givver112]

Try oak or pine! :)

[La cacatua carmesi]

OK, thanks!

[hedge98hog]

Do you have to use oak?

[Givver112]

USE CHERRY, OAK, PINE, OR FIBERGLASS

[HamsterPants]

If oak were the only wood that could be used, then we'd still be throwing rocks at each other in stead of using guns. lol

Any wood that is strong can be used. Flexible is also a feature to look for. Bows can be made of more than one wood also, with layers to make for a different behavior altogether.

Fiberglass is also a great material for making bows.

[TheInventor1997]

my dad once worked in a fibreglass shop, he says it's bad for him

[Mr. Thirty6]

Is the bow in this 'ible good for hunting? I want to hunt deer, and only want to make a bow that will down a deer. Also, can sights be mounted onto it? The sight's thing isn't that important, I can improvise that somehow, but the deer thing would definitely be good to know. Thanks!!!

[Givver112]

If you kill a deer, use a strong bone for an arrowhead

[shmyt]

Shoot it at a target (piece of wood or maybe large roast if you don't mind wasting dinner or buying two) and if it goes through it can kill deer if you hit it right, if not try a different arrow or type of arrow, if that doesn't help use a heavier wood. (note I am in no way an expert in hunting, bows or archery in general; take proper precautions and its not my fault if you mess up or something bad happens when trying my ideas) now let's fire some hopefully deadly projectiles!

[hedge98hog]

What type of string do you suggest using? 

[Givver112]

Kite cord! strong enough to hold kites in strong wind!

[DANISMAN]

I used 5-50 military cord. This stuff will never break.

[That Inventor Dude]

Nylon, with Dental Floss to thicken a section in the middle so the arrows stay put

[sconner1]

Get a big roll of floss and make the string yourself.
A jig is easy to set up with 2 nails and a plank of wood.
Set the nails partway in a plank of wood about as far apart as the string should be long.
Wrap 7-8 times around the nails with floss. Tie ends together so you have a big loop.
Now wrap floss tightly in a spiral over 4inch sections in the middle of both sides of the loop.
Slide the wrapped sections so they are around the nails.
Now wrap floss tightly both sides together about a 4 inch section in the middle for the arrow notch.
Pinch together the wrapped sections at each end to form a hole for the bow ends and wrap tightly with floss. Now you can take your finished string off the nail jig.

[TheInventor1997]

horsehair, or linen, maybe try using actual bowstrings!

[dra9on112233]

Is there a way to make sharp arrows,anyone?

[Givver112]

Use a pencil sharpener (manual) or a knife (whittle)

[lhall1]

sharpen the arrow to a point then slitly char it useing a lighter or a candle ONLY any thing more powerful is not good ,the reson you char it is that the heat hardens the wood by taking away moisture and making the wood denser

[DANISMAN]

Yeah, you can make wood arrow heads the glue on to the arrow, or do the same thing with stone, flint would be the best.

[hamzah123]

what kind of bamboo u use??not any kind of bamboos are flexible

[Givver112]

VERY THIN BAMBOO! Bamboo has the separator things. they might lead to a broken bow

[hrodriguez7]

if you buy the stuff at home depot, will it sill be @ 20 bucks?

[Givver112]

Little bit lower. I know wood isn't the most expensive From Home Depot. probably 20 or so

[Saurian24]

Very nice, I enjoyed reading this and seeing your work. My only suggestion would be to maybe use red oak as it is a harder wood, the only problem is the physical labor that is required to shape the red oak. Once again, this is a phenomenal instructable. One of the best bows I have seen on here!

[SgtJellyfish]

SKYRIM :D

[Du7raz]

anyone else gonna use this for a hunger games cosplay?

[GofishRC007]

Yes!

[HungerGamesLover101]

Haha thats exactly why im looking at this tutorial. But it seems kind of hard! Any other websites that you found that could help me out?