Making a Willow Bow

1. I had heard of bow making classes at Native American community centers but never managed to make it to one. I had bought a hand made wooden Willow Bow from rual Mexico about 30 years ago but did not want to use it. So I wanted to make usable copy.
2. I stopped a arroyo and cut a nice section of Arroyo Willow about 5 feet long about 3/4 to 1 inch in diameter.
3.  I cut both ends even dopwn to length of  50 inches, I used a Japanese doubel saw as their teeth cut this material better in the past.
4. I used an old draw knife to remove all of the bark from the wood.
5. I laid out one side to be flat about 1/3 to 1/2 way through the length on the wooden piece
6. I made it tapper using my draw knife like the orginal one was.
7. I shapped the end to look the same and knotched them for a bow string.
8. I sanded the bow using a pumice stick as willow green will clog you sand paper quickly
9.  I heated the ends to bend them and set the shape of the bow.
10. I let it dry for two weeks. I braided nylon construction string for my bow string.