Archery is not only the ancient art of combat and the lot of modern historical reenactors, but also an exciting sport that has a lot of fans around the world. Participation in archery competitions is a responsible business, and your victory will largely depend on how well and soundly your bow and arrows are made. In this article, you will learn how to properly make a bow from a ski with your own hands, as well as arrows for it.
Instructions
Step 1
Use an ordinary fiberglass ski as a basis for work. Fiberglass is a suitable material for bow arches as it has good elasticity and does not break when bent. Make the middle part of the bow out of wood.
Step 2
Before starting to select a piece of wood, create a life-size stencil for the profile of the wooden part of the future bow. Make the stencil so that its rod runs along the grain of the tree and contains a bundle of even longitudinal fibers a couple of centimeters thick. Calculate the length of the handle in accordance with the length standards of different sport bows, choosing the most suitable one.
Step 3
A wooden handle should be comfortable, and you should also think in advance about the angle of inclination of the bow's shoulders, which affects the strength and speed of the shot. Draw on the stencil all the necessary convexities and concavities, which you will subsequently cut out on a block of wood.
Step 4
When choosing the type of wood for the handle - the center of the bow - choose an affordable and durable material. A dry wide board made of birch or pine, processed with a plane, is suitable for the handle. The board should not have knots, cracks, strong fiber bends and other imperfections. Place the stencil on the board and trace around it.
Step 5
Begin to separate the excess with a jigsaw and a hacksaw, and then refine the outline and sand the sections with sandpaper. Cut out the aiming frame for the boom on the desired side. Round off the corners of the handle and round off the ribs that form a right angle on the bowstring side between the boom shelf and the wall of the aiming frame.
Step 6
After the middle of the bow is formed, use a metal hacksaw to cut the skis to make the bow shoulders of the desired length. Secure the shoulders to the handle with clamps and determine the angle of their inclination. The shoulders may also need to be shortened.
Step 7
Attach the GRP shoulders to the handle using the furniture screws and washers. Pull a bowstring made of a nylon cord 2 mm thick over your shoulders and try to shoot from a bow. After you shoot it, start finishing - carefully grind the handle and polish it, cover it with varnish or protective impregnation.
Step 8
Do not forget to make a sufficient number of arrows - the strength and accuracy of the shot depends on the quality of the arrow as much as on the quality of the bow. When making an arrow, keep in mind that the arrowhead must be aerodynamic, strong and safe.
Step 9
Choose a shaft for the arrow with a round cross-section and polish it to perfect smoothness if necessary. It is best to choose birch slats or boards for making arrow shafts. Round off the square slats with a sharp plane, and then sand with fine sandpaper.
Step 10
Form a shank on the boom with a notch for the fingers and a groove for the bowstring. The groove for the bowstring must be deep and smooth enough so that the arrow does not slip at the moment of the shot, and so that the groove does not fray the bowstring.
Step 11
The arrow shaft can be coated with wood protection and must be marked. Plumage with a stabilizer for the boom can be made of double-layer adhesive tape.
