# Homegrown Longbow How To * Now finished*



## Todd Cook (Feb 7, 2014)

This has always been my least favorite time of year. Deer season's over, cold weather hangs on to long, ect.  The good news is: 3d season has started up again, and bow building season is open! I love to build my own bows. To me, shooting a critter with a bow I made is about as good as it gets. I built my first one in 1997. I'm not the best boyer out there, but I've built a lot of them and I think they shoot pretty good.

I came up with an idea I want to do. I've heard a lot of folks say they would like to try to build a bow, but they didn't have the tools, or didn't know where to start. Well, that's where my idea comes in. I'm going to build a longbow and show how I do it.

I normally use a lot of power tools, but for this I'm going to try and build it as simply and basic as possible. Some things are pretty much necessary, but many steps can be done other ways. 

The theme here is simplicity. I'm not building a showpiece, although I'm going to try to make it beautiful. 

No, what I'm building is a no nonsense killin' machine. Hill style, straight limbed longbow. 68" long, about 50 pounds at 28" draw. I will get started shortly.....


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 7, 2014)

Materials: Custom bows today contain just about any wood imaginable. Also, clear and different colored glass, and even foam cores and carbon. Most hard, dense hardwoods are good for the riser, or handle, section. This area receives a lot of stress, plus the sight window is cut out, making it narrower than the rest of the bow. So a stout wood is needed. This is a piece of bubinga I'm going to use for this bow.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 7, 2014)

I already had this chunk of bubinga, so that's what I'm going to use for this bow. It's a good choice, very hard, strong, and heavy. You can use lots of other things, such as hickory, maple, osage, locust, walnut( usually a good idea to strengthen walnut by laminating it) or all sorts of exotic woods.

I'm cutting this piece down to 1.5" wide by 1.75" tall, 16" long. I ripped it on the tablesaw( couldn't figure out a low tech way to do it accurately by hand), but I cut it to length with a handsaw.


----------



## Ancient Obsession (Feb 7, 2014)

Can't wait for you to get started!


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 7, 2014)

I didn't realize how bad that picture was until I posted it.


----------



## D4 (Feb 7, 2014)

Can't wait to see it finished Todd!


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 7, 2014)

That last picture made me realize I'm getting ahead of myself. Before you can build a bow, you have to have something to build it on. The longbow is a made of several layers laid up and glued together. This bow will be 2 layers of fiberglass and 3 layers of wood. It is held together with epoxy. The epoxy, once cured, holds the bow in whatever shape it was glued into. 

While the epoxy is curing, the parts must be temporarily fastened to a form. Recurves and reflex/deflex bows obviously need a curvy form . This bow is straight limbed, so we need a straight form. 

You can build your form as fancy as you want to. I've seen them made out of aluminum, plywood, LVL beams, ect. But as I promised, we're after simplicity. After all, straight is straight.

You need a 8 foot  2 by 6. Sort through them until you find one as straight as you can. Usually you can find one straight enough, but if necessary you can use a sanding block to level it.

Cut a piece of it 6 feet long. Cut the leftover piece into and use the 2 pieces for feet.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 7, 2014)

The form in the previous picture has made many bows. It is still as straight as when new. When I store it, I always leave it flat.

You can see also the dowels . They are 3 inches apart, 5 inches long. They are 1/2" diameter, centered from side to side. I use 22 of them in all. The hole in the center is a 2" hole for a big c clamp we'll use later.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 7, 2014)

Ok, back to the riser. The riser( or handle section) of this style bow I make 16" long, 1.5" wide, and 1.75" tall. I mark a line in the center, 8" from each end. Make this mark heavy, because we'll use the center mark several times in the future to lay out parts of the bow.

I then make a mark 2" in each direction from center. This makes a 4" handle section, and will end up being where you grip the bow.

The fadeouts, or dips, are the section of the riser from the end of the grip area to the end of the riser itself. The ridged , unmoving riser "fades out" into the working limb.

This part is very important: We must make a smooth transition into the limb. We want the line of the bows belly( the side of the bow that faces you) to form a gentle curve from the end of the grip to the edge.


----------



## seeker (Feb 7, 2014)

This is going to be fun to follow this thread.  I also like the bow in your photo album.  Did you make that one?


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 7, 2014)

I normally cut out the riser on my band saw. But in the homegrown spirit, we'll try this one with a jigsaw. I figure more people have them than a bandsaw. You could also use a coping hand saw, just keep the cut as square as you can. If you get off your mark a little, you can square it back up when you start sanding.

I used my template to mark the line, but here's another way: Make a mark about 1/8" up from the bottom, at the end of the riser. Now, take a piece of your fiberglass, a wood lamination, or something else flexible  and shape it into a slight curve from that mark to the mark you made earlier at the end of your grip area. Trace it with a pencil and cut it out. Take the piece you just cut out, flip it over and trace it on the other end. That way, both sides will be the same.

I used another piece of wood beside my riser to help the jigsaw to sit flat.
I clamped the riser block to the table and began to cut....


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 7, 2014)

Picture of it clamped.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 7, 2014)

OK, that worked out pretty good. I don't know if you can see it in the picture, but I left the end of the fadeout about 1/8" thick. I wasn't sure how well the jigsaw would track compared to the bandsaw, but it did pretty good.

It's normally advised to cut well outside your line and sand to final dimensions. I'm bad to cut right against the line for less sanding, but I've run power tools for a living for many years. It's a lot safer to sand a little more. Once you cut to far, it's dang hard to put it back.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 7, 2014)

seeker said:


> This is going to be fun to follow this thread.  I also like the bow in your photo album.  Did you make that one?



I did. Thank you.


----------



## willgreer (Feb 7, 2014)

This exactly what i wanted to see here.
More build slongs.i may just do one myself.thanks for the inspiration.i got some erc, hand cut red oak, rosewood, and old faithful natural bamboo.hummmmmm


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 7, 2014)

Something I forgot to write earlier: When you orient your riser board and mark it for cutting out, make sure the growth rings are mainly running front to back. Wood is much stronger when turned like that. 

Also, if you have no way to rip a board for a riser, there are several places you can order the from already cut. Bingham's supply has them. I order some of my material from Kenny McKenzie at Kenny's Custom Archery.


----------



## Rix56 (Feb 7, 2014)

Great thread, Todd have you used Kenny McKenzies 64/62 R/D longbow form and if you have how do you like it?


----------



## Shane Whitlock (Feb 7, 2014)

wow, what a great post. I have always wanted to do this and this could not have come at a greater time. I love homemade productions.... thank you


----------



## Al33 (Feb 7, 2014)

Thanks for doing this Todd. No doubt it will encourage a lot of folks to make a bow.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 7, 2014)

Rix56 said:


> Great thread, Todd have you used Kenny McKenzies 64/62 R/D longbow form and if you have how do you like it?



No, I made the R/D form I use , mainly just trial and error. The profile he uses is similar to mine from what I can tell. My new one has more of a forward handle. I know of quite a few people that really do like his form and bow design.


----------



## Shane Whitlock (Feb 7, 2014)

me and my buddy Sean have been talking about it for some time and were thinking about building one over the summer, but really needed some good instructions and a kick start.....


----------



## PRlongbow (Feb 7, 2014)

Great thread Todd can't wait to see the finished bow


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 7, 2014)

Shane Whitlock said:


> me and my buddy Sean have been talking about it for some time and were thinking about building one over the summer, but really needed some good instructions and a kick start.....



Well cool! I've been wanting to do this for a while. I hoped people might enjoy it.


----------



## Munkywrench (Feb 8, 2014)

Thank you Todd. This is one of my goals, along with two miniature versions for the boys. 
My brother in law has a pretty good selection of wood, I my have to stop by and pick up some curly maple or ipe. 
Can't wait to see the finished product


----------



## Apex Predator (Feb 8, 2014)

Good stuff man!  This is all very familiar!


----------



## longbowdave1 (Feb 8, 2014)

Always a good idea to pass on the knowledge! Great job Todd.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 8, 2014)

The riser is cut to shape, but now we must sand the fadeouts. This is before any sanding.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 8, 2014)

You'll notice in the picture above that the curve is pretty smooth, but you can see at the end of the cut that it's a little bit out of square. For the glass to sit down like it should, the fadeout "ramp" must be square(  90 degrees) to the side of the riser.

Normally I use this to sand the ramps. It's a Ridgid oscillating belt/ spindle sander. You can run it as a belt sander, or it comes with a set of spindles that use an abrasive sleeve. I use this tool more than any other in the bowmaking process. It costs around $200 new.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 8, 2014)

I'm having technical difficulties. Why would some pics load and others not? They're off the same camera, out of the same batch.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 8, 2014)

Ok figured it out. I've got to resize some pics, I'll be back in a bit.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 8, 2014)

Ok, back to it. The ridged sander is the one tool I would say is almost a must have. If you do woodworking, it works great for all sorts of things. 

But if you don't have access to one, there are other ways. If you have a drill press, you can get a small sanding drum for $10 or so. That's what I used when I started out. 

Also, you can do it by hand. It doesn't matter how you get it sanded, as long as you do. For this one I used the setup seen below.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 8, 2014)

As my trusty assistant shows, I sanded these fadeouts with a sanding belt and a can of spraypaint. I put a piece of wood underneath the riser to support it, and then used the can as a sanding block. 

If you do it this way it will work fine, but use a small square to make sure your sanding 90 degrees to the sides.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 8, 2014)

It took a little while to get it sanded, but it worked out great.  When you get close to finished, be very carefull at the ends. The ends need to be basically paper thin so they can merge smoothly into the working limb. I use 50 grit paper. While you want the shape smooth and free of bumps and low places, a rough surface is needed for the epoxy to have a good gluing surface. This one is ready to glue up.


----------



## Munkywrench (Feb 8, 2014)

You could also use the drum for a drill press on a standard drill and just build a simple jig to hold it. Most of us have atleast a drill, though we way be less likely to mess up doing it by hand


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 8, 2014)

Time to get started on the limbs. I won't get into a bunch of deflexion theory and limb physics here. There's plenty of that online if you want to look it up. Besides, we're trying to build a simple longbow here.

The main thing to know is this: limb laminations usually perform better when made from a light, snappy wood. You can make them out of about anything, but some of the exotics are really heavy. That can lead to more handshock and a slower bow. 

Some boyers use extremely rare, beautiful hardwoods , but they're usually used as a veneer that is very thin(.020-.025)". In other words ther're just for looks. 

Most of my bows are built without veneers, using locally available hardwoods. They're cheaper, work just as good, and are pretty enough for me.

I like cherry, ash, maple, hickory, walnut, sassafras, ect. Bamboo and actionwood make good bows to. 

I make my own laminations out of boards, using my bandsaw and sander. You can buy them from various retailers online, already cut and ground, ready to glue up. I would highly recommend Kenny's Custom Archery.

I went digging through my stash and found some walnut that I like. I think it will go good with the bubinga riser. I got them sawn and now have to grind them to specs.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 8, 2014)

I got the laminations ground to proper thickness. When you buy lams, they come 36" long. I like to splice them together to form a 72" lam. If you don't, it would be almost impossible to glue up the bow without them slipping.

Sometimes I cut mine full length, depending on what they are and what they're for. I cut these at 36" so I could show the way I splice them. 

First I set up my belt sander with a block of wood used as a fence. I don't know exactly what angle I set it on, probably around 7 or 8 degrees. It doesn't matter as long as both sides are ground at the same angle.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 8, 2014)

I slide the butt end of the lam into the sander, making sure to keep it up against the fence. I grind the lam until the edge is paper thin. This long angle gives you lots of gluing surface.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 8, 2014)

I wish I had a better camera, but maybe you can see well enough. See how thin the edge is? That way you won't have a hump in the glue joint that you have to sand off.

I lay the 2 pieces on the edge of the table and glue both sides. Then I sight down the joined pieces and make sure they're straight as I clamp them together. Some people use superglue for this, but I've had better luck with Titebond 3 wood glue.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 8, 2014)

I'll let those joints set overnight and lightly sand them tomorrow. It won't take much, just enough to remove the excess glue. 

Well, the riser is ready, the lams are basically ready, now to prep the fiberglass. 

The fiberglass I'm using for this bow is called "no color"by Gordon Products. It's .040" thick. The only difference between this and the regular clear is this glass has a slightly amber color. I got a few pieces or this from Paul at P&A Archery last year, originally to make kids bows with. The price is a good bit less than clear, and I like the looks of it, so I've used it on my last few bows. Paul also carries clear and colored glass.

One side is smooth and one side is sanded. The sanded side( rougher side) goes to the inside of the bow. That's the side you glue. The top piece is the sanded side.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 8, 2014)

I then blow the dust off of them and tape the smooth side with masking tape. This protects it from scratches, but mostly keeps the epoxy from getting all over the glass. 

The piece for the back of the bow I leave full length, and the piece for the belly I cut at 36"(in half)


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 8, 2014)

Here they are taped and cut, ready to become a bow. I'll try to get this one glued up tomorrow afternoon.


----------



## Shane Whitlock (Feb 8, 2014)

What was the thickness of your walnut lams?


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 9, 2014)

I made some more progress today. I want to show first the lam splice I use to join the lams. I showed the prep and glue up before, here's how they came out. The first picture shows it as soon as I took the clamp off, the second after I sanded it a little bit.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 9, 2014)

With that done, it's time to make a bow out of it. I put paper down on my table to keep the epoxy off of it. I blow the table off and then vaccum it. This part needs to be CLEAN. The saran wrap on the form is to keep from gluing the bow to the form. Those little pieces at the end of the table in the bottom picture are my deluxe hi tech special tools. 2 strips of wood for digging the epoxy out of the can, little strips of fiberglass for a spreader, and a broken cedar arrow to dribble the epoxy on the lams. I told you this was simple


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 9, 2014)

The epoxy I use is Smooth On EA40. It's some gooey, nasty stuff, but it sure works good.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 9, 2014)

I got this picture a little bit out of sequence, but I wanted to show you this. This was one of the belly lams, that is the one directly under the glass on the belly side. Originally, this was to be a 3 lam bow, but I miscalculated and ground my lams to thin, so I had to add one and make it a 4 lam. This piece is only .050" . When I looked close at it, I noticed a tiny spot I didn't like. Well, without really thinking about it I grabbed a rough grit sanding block and.....
Gotta be carefull with thin lams.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 9, 2014)

I lay everything out in order and start gluing. I use the arrow to drag some out, and use the strip of glass to smooth it out. Real scientific, huh? The main thing to remember is , make sure you glue both sides, and check real close for dry spots. They'll break your heart with clear glass.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 9, 2014)

I glue everything first, then assemble it. I used to glue a piece, put it on the form, glue another piece, ect. I can't do it that way without making a giant mess, so I use the other way. I put the bottom glass and 3 lams together, then put on the riser. After the riser is in place and clamped down, I put on the belly lam and glass.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 9, 2014)

At about this point I had glue all over my gloves, so I didn,t take as many pictures. I use old innertubes for clamps. Get the clamp set on the riser first, and make sure everything is straight on the form.

I then hold everything in place with masking tape. I start at the riser with the innertubes and work my way to the end. I'm not sure how much psi this creates, but it's a good bit. One of these days I may switch over to the firehose method, but I've had good luck with the tubes.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 9, 2014)

A couple of things I forgot to mention: I wrap the saran wrap loosly around the bow after I set the belly lams on. And I use 2 additional lams outside the saran wrap to spread the pressure from the clamps.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 9, 2014)

At this point, all that's left to do is put it in the oven. Mine is nothing more than 5 lights mounted under a shelf. You can get fancy with this if you want to. 

There is debate among lots of folks as to whether or not heat curing is nessesary. I do it, but have built several at room temp. I've never had one fail that was not heated. But to me, it's cheap insurance. I leave it under the lights for 4 hours and let it sit till tomorrow.


----------



## Munkywrench (Feb 9, 2014)

Ok, I'm loving the thread and the bow look great. I just have one question. How many strips are between the back glass and the riser and how many between the belly glass and riser. 
I was also wondering what made you realize you needed another layer? Is there a target overall thickness or was this an experienced judgment call. 
Sorry for the questions, just really intrigued. Thank boy again for this Mr. Cook


----------



## Barry Duggan (Feb 9, 2014)

Slight back set, straight, or string follow?


----------



## gurn (Feb 10, 2014)

Cant wait ta see it finished


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 10, 2014)

Munkywrench said:


> Ok, I'm loving the thread and the bow look great. I just have one question. How many strips are between the back glass and the riser and how many between the belly glass and riser.
> I was also wondering what made you realize you needed another layer? Is there a target overall thickness or was this an experienced judgment call.
> Sorry for the questions, just really intrigued. Thank boy again for this Mr. Cook



There are 3 strips between the back glass and riser. 1 strip between the belly glass and riser.

I have a specific thickness I needed to make 50 pounds. I was going to make it with three lams( to keep cost at a minimum) but when I cut the lams on the saw,  I cut them a little to thin. When I ground them to final thickness, by the time I got the saw marks out of them, they were thinner than they needed to be. So I added another piece and divided by 4 instead of 3.

Don't be sorry for the questions, I appreciate the interest. I'm having fun doing this.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 10, 2014)

Barry Duggan said:


> Slight back set, straight, or string follow?



Straight of the form it's dead straight. By the time it's finished it will have about 1/4 to 1/2 string follow.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 10, 2014)

I had a little while to work on the bow this afternoon. This is what it looked like after I unclamped it.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 10, 2014)

This bow is to be 68" nock to nock, so overall needs to be 70". I pulled 35" in each direction from the center mark and cut it off with a hacksaw. A fine tooth hacksaw blade cuts this cleanly.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 10, 2014)

As you can see in the picture, lots of glue oozes out the sides. I use my belt sander to clean up the edges. I used to use a hand held belt sander, and it worked fine. Just remember to clamp it down first. This creates a lot of dust, so a mask is a good idea. Notice my shop vac is hooked to the sander.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 10, 2014)

All cleaned up


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 10, 2014)

Now it's time to lay out the profile. First I find the center of each end.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 10, 2014)

Now I want to find the center of the riser. The goal is for the string to end up in the center of the limbs. You need to establish a straight line from tip to tip. I use my high tech super duper center finding gauge


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 10, 2014)

yessir, a piece of Dacron and 2 c clamps.


----------



## Barry Duggan (Feb 10, 2014)

That'll work


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 10, 2014)

Now, my layout for my Hill style is this: The section in the middle of the bow is laid out 1&1/4" wide, 6" on each side of center. In other words, the middle 12" is 1&1/4"  and the tips are 1/2" wide. The limbs taper from the tips to the edge of the 1&1/4 mark


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 10, 2014)

Time to cut it out. I usually use my table saw, but I thought some people might not have one of those. So, I used the belt sander. It took a little longer( about 25 minutes) but it worked out fine.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 10, 2014)

I left the tips a little wide for now, till I can check weight. I'll try to get a string on it tomorrow.


----------



## kennym (Feb 10, 2014)

Lookin good Todd!! I may hafta make one of those straight ones just for the simplicity factor!


----------



## Barry Duggan (Feb 10, 2014)

kennym said:


> Lookin good Todd!! I may hafta make one of those straight ones just for the simplicity factor!


About 48# @ 28"...say 66"?


----------



## ngabowhunter (Feb 10, 2014)

Thanks for taking the time to do this Todd. I've been wanting another Hill style bow ever since I retired my father-n-laws Trophy Hunter. Don't be surprised if I start harassing you with questions this summer when I attempt to make one for myself.


----------



## Munkywrench (Feb 10, 2014)

Todd, you should just charge a couple hundred dollar ant do 3 weekend classes teaching this.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 11, 2014)

kennym said:


> Lookin good Todd!! I may hafta make one of those straight ones just for the simplicity factor!



Thank you Kenny. You know, they are easier in some ways to make; usually very little tillering. I make several of those short hybrid types; my wife and kids love em as do lots of folks, but I've settled on this type. I just flat out shoot them better.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 11, 2014)

ngabowhunter said:


> Thanks for taking the time to do this Todd. I've been wanting another Hill style bow ever since I retired my father-n-laws Trophy Hunter. Don't be surprised if I start harassing you with questions this summer when I attempt to make one for myself.



Shoot Ronnie, no trouble at all. I'll help all I can.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 11, 2014)

Munkywrench said:


> Todd, you should just charge a couple hundred dollar ant do 3 weekend classes teaching this.



That's flattering, but I'd do it for free if we could figure out when and where.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 11, 2014)

Let's turn this walking stick into a bow. Time to get a string on it. For that I use a hacksaw, a triangle file, and a round file.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 11, 2014)

I left the overall length 70" to end up with a 68" bow. First I use masking tape and tape up a 1&1/2" area  where I'm going to cut the nocks. I mark 1" from the end on the back side of the bow( side away from you). Then I use a speed square and make a 45 degree line toward the belly side.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 11, 2014)

I cut my nocks in 3 steps. First I score the line with the hacksaw. The cut is not deep, maybe 1/16". I then enlarge the grove with the triangle file, cutting just a bit deeper. Then I use a round file and cut it to depth. I don't have an exact depth, for now just enough to hold the string. 

The masking tape keeps the glass from splintering, but go slow and easy anyway. You can always cut them deeper later.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 11, 2014)

Ok now we have both ends done and are just jumping to get a string on her. WAIT. Take a piece of 100 or 120 grit paper and carefully sand the limb edges. I use a block under the paper. First I blocksand the flat edges of the limbs, then I sand the corners of the glass, in one direction from riser to tip. The picture shows why. When the limbs are just roughed out they will sometimes have tiny slivers that raise on the edge. If you start bending the limb with those there, you stand a very good chance of making the sliver lift and running into the face of the limb. Don't ask how I know this


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 11, 2014)

Now that you have the limbs fairly smooth, go ahead and string it up. I use a special thick tillering string I made. It'c 16 or 18 strands of Dacron and it's long enough to do bows from about 69 64 inches. I don't make the real string till I'm nearly done; the glass is pretty tough on strings till you get it smooth.


----------



## Michael NG (Feb 11, 2014)

This is great Todd, thanks for sharing this, very interesting and inspirational!
Mike


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 11, 2014)

When I first string one I leave the brace height low. I don't want to stress the limbs any more than nessesary until I check a couple of things. First, I sight down the bow from above and see how well the string is tracking . I want it to be running down the center of the bow. This is what I saw .


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 11, 2014)

It's not horrible, but it's not right either. See how the string is riding a little bit to the right of center. The groove on the right is not deep enough, and it's also causing the limb to twist.

I took the string off and deepened the right groove just a little. Small moves are good doing this. I re- strung it and checked again. Better.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 11, 2014)

Time to check tiller. First I set the brace height to about 6 inches. Then I measure from the very tip of the fadeouts to the string. I like to have the top limb measurement about 1/8" bigger than the bottom limb. This is something I've gone back and forth on. I shoot 3 under, and lots of folks say if you do you should tiller the limbs even.

I've done it both ways many times, and I'm still not sure which is best. Truthfully, I think you can tune the bow to shoot well either way.

Then I use a tiller stick. It's just a 18 inch piece with a groove to hold the string.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 11, 2014)

I've got a tiller tree with a pulley too, but I didn't need it with this one. This bow had 1/8" positive tiller from the start, at 6" at 20" and at full draw.

I hope I don't upset some other builders out there, but this is my honest opinion: If you are carefull with your glueup and your cutout( basically carefull up to this point), very little tillering should be nessesary with a glass bow. 

Selfbows are different. Building a selfbow IS tillering. But glass bows , if designed right, should be predictable.

I picked the weaker limb and marked the sight window.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 11, 2014)

This bow has a solid riser, as in it's not laminated. Also, it's a Hill style( well pretty much) , and usually those shelves are not cut quite to center. I like to have at least 3/4" of thickness left after I cut out the shelf, so this one will be cut 1/8" shy of center. If I'm going to cut one deeper, I build the riser with an Ibeam or laminate it.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 11, 2014)

I used to cut the shelf straight across and then shape it with a file. Lately I've been cutting  a high point from the start, just above the deepest part of the grip. I can't get that picture to load, but you'll see what I mean soon.

After I cut it out, I narrow the grip.


----------



## Blueridge (Feb 11, 2014)

Enjoying this Todd . Good job.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 11, 2014)

I worked some on the top part of the grip. I used the belt sander, but you can use a rasp, file, ect. I like a slightly dished grip on mine. This is where you can get creative. Just like the rest of it, go slow. You can't put it back once you sand it off.


----------



## Dennis (Feb 11, 2014)

Maybe sometime in the future explain how to build a form


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 11, 2014)

Time to put on some tip overlays. If you are using a Dacron string, this is not necessary. I started not to put them on this bow, as it is supposed to be no frills. But I do like the fast flight option. And I wanted to show how I did them.

I make them about pretty thin, about .075, and use 2 layers. I thought wenge and bubinga would look good together. I pre taper the ends before I glue them on.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 11, 2014)

You can use micarta, glass, or other materials for this. I used to try and glue up everything at once, but I've started gluing the pieces together before I glue them to the bow.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 11, 2014)

Then I tape the limb just below where they'll end and sand the glass with 220 grit. Wipe it with denatured alcohol  and glue them on. I use the gorilla impact resistant superglue. Press down hard for 30 seconds and they're stuck. I'll let em cure a bit and get back to it tomorrow.


----------



## NavyDave (Feb 11, 2014)

Great tutorial!!


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 12, 2014)

After the superglue sets, The first thing I do is use the belt sander and sand the overlays flush with the limb edges. Then I use the round file and ,using the grooves we already cut, extend the string groove on around.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 12, 2014)

After that, like the grip, be artistic! People have different ideas of what tips should look like. One thing that I recommend: use a file and cut some relief between the groove and the tip. This lets the string slide instead of jump out of the groove as you near full draw. Notice the top and then the bottom picture.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 12, 2014)

Before I go any farther, I string up the bow and make sure the string is still centered. If not, make corrections by lightly filing the grooves. I blend the overlay into the glass by hand, 80 grit, then 120, then 220. I wrap a piece of sandpaper around the round file and sand the groove at this time too. The grooves need to be smooth so they don't cut your string.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 12, 2014)

I was going to leave the grip area as is, but decided to do a back overlay. I cut the piece 10" and centered it where the leather grip will go. I prepped it the same way I did the overlays. Same superglue, but I wanted to say the epoxy we used to glue up the bow works good to, just takes longer to cure.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 12, 2014)

After it sets up, I sand it down flush with the grip. Then just start shaping the riser like you want it.


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 12, 2014)

There's not much " how to" left in this one. I like to slightly round the edges of the limbs. I shape the sight window to have the high point over the deepest part of the grip.  I sand the whole bow with 100, 150, 220. Then it's ready to apply a finish. 

I shot it a few times this afternoon. I believe she's gonna be a good one. I'll be along to show how I finish and do the grip over the next couple of days.


----------



## Tlingit Archer (Feb 12, 2014)

I know you make wonderful bows because I sure do love mine! I can't wait to see the finished product.


----------



## frankwright (Feb 12, 2014)

I have really enjoyed watching a bow come to life. Thanks!


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 14, 2014)

Sorry I've not posted in a few days. After the shaping is done I sand through 220 grit and then spray with spar ureathane . There's not to much to show about that part; basically finish like any other woodworking. I sanded between coats with 320 grit. When it dried I did the leather wrap. I didn't show that part because I'm really still learning how to do it.

I'm pretty happy with how it came out. I was trying for 50 pounds at 28" and ended up at 49. I put a 10 strand fast flight string on her and padded the loops with Dacron.  I really like the way it shoots. It's a little slower than my other Hill styles, but it's about 10 pounds lighter.

I've really enjoyed doing this online. I really appreciate everyone's comments. When you decide to build one of your own, I'll be glad to help however I can.


----------



## Barry Duggan (Feb 14, 2014)

Looks good from here.


----------



## D4 (Feb 14, 2014)

Turned out awesome Todd!


----------



## Al33 (Feb 14, 2014)

A great tutorial many will benefit from no doubt. The bow is beautiful. Love the classic look!!! Thanks Todd!!


----------



## Munkywrench (Feb 14, 2014)

Great build Todd and one of the best I've found. The bow came out beautiful. 
Once I can find the time and money I will have to test your teaching


----------



## frankwright (Feb 14, 2014)

That was a great tutorial and the finished product is a beauty. It sure did demystify a lot of the things I wondered about in bow building.
You really make it look easy but I am sure that comes from building experience like anything else.
Thanks!


----------



## longbowdave1 (Feb 14, 2014)

Great looking bow Todd!


----------



## mudcreek (Feb 14, 2014)

I really NEED one of them! Simple, yet Beautiful


----------



## 2wheelfoster (Feb 15, 2014)

After reading this, then shooting the bow today...... I am inspired! I am going to have to try this. Thanks Todd and that is a fine shooting bow!'


----------



## Dennis (Feb 15, 2014)

That bow shoots really good


----------



## Barry Duggan (Feb 15, 2014)

Dennis said:


> That bow shoots really good



Yes it does, and this is coming from someone who never had much love for hill style bows.


----------



## SELFBOW (Feb 15, 2014)

I guess everybody had their hands on her today I liked how she felt too


----------



## Allen Oliver (Feb 28, 2014)

Todd, 
Have you built any of the Hill style bows in the 62 or 64 inch range? I am thinking of trying to make one at 64 inch and about 45 or 40 lbs at 27 inch draw. Would you need to shorten the riser on one like this to get more working limb?


----------



## Todd Cook (Feb 28, 2014)

Allen, I have built them at 64". I used the same length riser( the person had a 26" draw), but I think you have the right idea about shortening it. Theoretically, if you glued up 2 bows with the same lam stack, but one with 12" riser and one with 16" riser, if one was 4 inches shorter overall  than the other they should be the same weight.

I've seen some Hill style's built with a 12 inch riser, but I've never tried it. If I was starting from scratch and wanting to make a 64", I would probably go with a 14" riser.


----------



## Dennis (Feb 28, 2014)

I would not want anything shorter than a 66" Hill style bow even with a 26" draw. I think you would like the way it draws and shoots and your only talking about adding 1" on each end. Hill style bows were designed to be on the long side


----------



## Barry Duggan (Feb 28, 2014)

Dennis said:


> I would not want anything shorter than a 66" Hill style bow even with a 26" draw. I think you would like the way it draws and shoots and your only talking about adding 1" on each end. Hill style bows were designed to be on the long side



x2 on what Dennis said, particularly for a 27" draw.


----------



## SELFBOW (Feb 28, 2014)

I think Jeff should make this a sticky for the rest of this yr  and next yrs have someone else do a build along and so on yr  after yr...


----------

