Life Size, Working Minecraft Bow

The minecraft contest approaching, struggles to clean up and build at the same time = this whole process.

OK, lets give you a proper intro to the build:

"Its late at night, running through the blocky forest hearing the occasional SSSSSS of creepers and moans of zombies. CRAP! What was that sound? All of a sudden a skeleton pops out of nowhere and starts dealing you damage! Quick, whip out your bow! and return fire. you see the skeleton fall dead and drop an enchanted bow.(There is a very low chance of that happening.) Again, you have survived the night.

LET'S BUILD!

Step 1: Creative Inspiration.

Step 2: SUPPLIES AND STUFF

You will need:

-Thin wood

-Many paint sampler cards

-Dowels

-Stretchy ''shockcord"

Step 3: TOOLS AND GADGETS.

You will need the following:

-A pencil

-A jigsaw or scroll-saw

-A drill and 1/32 drill bit

-A sander

-Various paints

-A "square''

-Many types of glue (wood, super, stick)

-A rasp and sandpaper

-Some way of cutting paper

-Your hands

-Spray paint

-Painters tape

-Clamp(s)

-Paint

Step 4: Marking Wood

The basis should be a 3'' wide piece of wood.

FIRST PART OF ARM- Mark a rectangle 2" and 5.5" long.

SECOND PART OF ARM- At the end of the 5.5" go up an inch and lose an inch on the bottom. So its still 2".

Then, 2'' wide and 7.5 long. and put a 1" box on the end in the middle.

Step 5: Holes

Put holes with a drill where 2 pieces ofd wood join up to another

Step 6: Cut It Out!

With a jigsaw cut out the outline.

Step 7: Handle and Holes

The handle is very simple.

Put your bow arms out at a 90' angle and make a handle on paper.

Trace paper onto wood.

Add holes.

Step 8: Cut Handle

Cut out the handle going very slow.

Step 9: Rasp Out Nasty Bits

Try to get rid of any bad bits or overhanging bits with a rasp.

Step 10: Dowel Laying

Lay out the bow and place your dowles on top to see where they need to be.

Step 11: Dowel Drilling!

Drill from one piece to another to see if they fit. If not, that sucks, If they do, nice!

Step 12: Wood Glue

Glue the pieces together. Clamp it down. Wait for some time.

(twiddle your thumbs)

Step 13: Sanding

Sand the whole body down. Make it look "acceptable as a bow"

Step 14: Paint #1

Paint the arms with a base of brown. Its ok if its messy.

Step 15: EXTRA: Painting Shelter-thingy

NEEDED-

-Rope

-Tarp

-Sticks

Put the rope trough the first grommets on the tarp and attach it to the fence.

pin the tarp down at a 90' angle with sticks through the grommets.

Step 16: Paint #2

Mask everything EXEPT the front 1/3 of the 2"

Spray with lighter brown spray paint than base.

Remove the masking paint and then admire.

Step 17: Paint #3

Mask everything EXEPT for the handle and spray with grey paint.

Remove masking tape and admire.

Step 18: Paint Tester Squares (Obtaining)

Go rob Home Depot of half of their brown paint sampler slips.

Step 19: Cutting Slips

Divide the arm into 3 parts.

Make the squares that size. REPEAT 100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000

Step 20: Gluing Little Slips

Glue the little slips in a line alternating various colours

Step 21: Holes and String

Because this bow won't flex. You need to add "shock-cord" or elastic easily obtained at MEC or home depot

Drill holes on each of the 1' squares on the end of the bow

Tie a length of cord to it, and make it tight. Tie on other side too.

Step 22: Clear Coat

Spray a clear coat on the whole thing and let dry.

Step 23: FINISHED

Now that it is done, end this build with a very nice pull back of the bowstring. Now go kill some skeletons.

cheers,

mwonton