How to Make a Longbow

For many, traditional archery is a passion. For others, it’s just plain fun! Either way, learning how to make a longbow is something that nearly anyone can do, even without an extensive shop or lots of woodworking experience. This article will provide an overview of how to make a longbow.

Part of the key to longbow success is starting with a kit. The Boise Bows and Arrows kit uses a yellow heart for the belly wood and riser and bamboo (yes, bamboo) for the backing. The kits include a stave, bowstring, and complete instructions.

Chamfering Corners When Learning How to Make a Longbow After filing the edges of the stave to remove bandsaw marks I file a chamfer onto the bamboo, just enough (1/8″ to relieve the sharp edge. This is a crucial step. If you don’t do this, fibers in the bamboo may blow out the first time you bend the stave.

Shaping when Learning How to Make a Long Bow Shaping the stave is next. I use a spokeshave. This is an exercise in finesse. You don’t want to take too much wood off, or you’ll lower the draw weight of the longbow.

Shaping Belly Wood on a Longbow I’m working my way down to two lines. One is centered on the belly wood (the side that will face the archer), and the other is 1/8″ down from the face of the belly wood. I create four of these facets on the stave. (It’s not a “bow” until it shoots an arrow.) The spokeshave works great, but you could also use a rasp. The surface finish isn’t critical at this point.

Final Shape on a Long  Bow Belly Shaping results in a ridge on the belly wood side of the longbow.

Floor Tillering a Longbow With basic shaping done, I floor tiller the stave. I’m checking for uniform curvature from top to bottom and determining which part of the stave will be the upper limb. Floor tillering shows me where I need to remove more material from the belly wood. This is an important step when you’re learning how to make a longbow.

Shaping a Longbow for Proper Tilling For this stave to tiller correctly I need to remove a little material from what will be the upper limb. I’m now using the spokeshave horizontally and taking the high point off the ridge on the belly wood. Light even passes and frequent checks with floor tillering are critical. I know you want to get a string on the stave, but it’s a big mistake to ask too much of it too quickly. You’ve got to teach the wood to bend. It takes patience and a gradual approach.

Filling a Nock on a Longbow Once the bow floor tillers correctly I can file the nocks for the string. A 3/16″ chainsaw file does short work of this. I can (finally) string the bow and exercise it. That means gentle pulls, not coming to full draw. When I’m learning to make a longbow, I measure, at uniform points, from the string to the bow. I want the upper and lower limb measurements to be within 3/4″ or less of each other. If they are not, it’s back to the spokeshave or rasp to take off a little more material.

Test Shooting a Longbow The pay off.

Once everything looks good and the bow has been gently exercised, I can come to full draw and shoot a few arrows.

First Round of Archery Using a Longbow I’ll take that as a first-round at 25 yards!

Aniline Dye on a Longbow Finishing doesn’t happen until the longbow is tillered and shooting well. I like to use aniline dyes, which I can blend into various colors and patterns. A top coat seals the aniline dye in, and the bow is ready to use.

These longbows can produce a draw weight suitable for hunting or being pared down to a lighter draw weight suitable for young shooters.

Tom Turgeon Photography Tom Turgeon, Master Bowyer, owns and operates Boise Bows and Arrows and Turgeon Tools.

For more information about how to make a longbow using longbow kits call (208) 484-2320.

When you’ve finished learning how to make a longbow make sure to check out the other woodworking projects that we have to offer. We have something for everyone to stay busy in the shop year-round.

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14 Responses to “How to Make a Longbow”

  1. Anderson Michel

    I love that everything is by hand, this guy is awesome.

  2. Peter stucki

    Exelent

  3. Best Longbow Reviews & Guide 2018 - recurvebowguide

    […] traditional longbows.During writing this part, I will take help of Mr. Tom Turgeon one of the best longbow maker and his visual instruction on Woodworkers Guild to America. […]

  4. Mark Dyer

    Send price and info

  5. Bill

    I have a bowdock tree to use. Would that work for your longbow or better for recurve? Thanks

  6. Paul Hagemann

    I need directions on how to make a bowstring.

  7. Forrest parish

    I would like learn how to make longbow and what martarials needed thanks.

  8. Proud_to_be_American

    I took his class this past June. Great guy gives you more knowledge than you thought you could handle. Great class, now I need to go shooting!

  9. David Rowley

    I just finished Tom's bow making class in San Antonio. The class was excellent and Tom clearly demonstrated his in-deapth knowledge of making bows. Let me be tell you folks, there is a lot more to making a bow than simply putting a string on a stick. I would highly recommend taking Tom's class if you get the chance. It will mean the difference between putting a sting on a stick, and making a quality bow from a stave that you could hunt with. Be sure to take the finishing class. Really good!

  10. Gordon Larry Avery

    I found this article helped fill in a few more blanks along with the instructions includes with the Kit, (The Woodcrafts Mag. article reprint) and the DVD from Woodcrafts. I have had problems with the strings being too long to properly brace the 66" staves, but Tom Helped Me with this. There are still little things I am learning each time I attempt to build another stave thast I feel should have been mentioned in the instructions, but I will keep on till I have a bow made with My own hand that I am satisfied with.