Making a Traditional English Longbow made simple. Intructions Written by: Sheri Dube, Kyle Kramer, Nathan Brophey, Nick Tuminski and Alex Porter

History and Tradition…………………….. 3 Materials………………………………………. 4 Tools……………………………………………… 5 Safety Guidelines …………………………. 6 Steps ……………………………………… ~ Glossary………………………………… Trouble Shooting ………………………… 14 Table of Contents

History & Tradition Archery runs deep in human history. Almost every early culture throughout human history has used some type of bow as their main hunting tool one time or another. The English longbow, also refered to as the Welsh longbow, is a medieval weapon used between the 13 th and 17 th centuries. The longbow shoots heavy, deadly arrows and stands about as tall as the average male, about six foot ( 1.83 meters ). Though many cultures differ in styles of bows, arrows, and shooting technique, the thrill remains the same. In fact, the only thing that makes it better is shooting a bow that you made. These instructions will lead you through the steps you need to take in order to create your very own traditional longbow. created and will be able to use in hunt or sport. You can even save it and pass it down through your family, which can likely become a family airloom. It will be yours, we are just happy to get you started.

There are several types of wood that can be used to make a Longbow. Each type of wood will give your bow a different luster and appearance. Any piece of wood you choose should be free of knots or cracks. These different tree types conist of wood that are either water resistant, dense, or both. Wood that is not as water resistant, such as walnut, can be coated with beeswax. Dense wood is strong and can withstand bending. They are as follows: erials Oak Beach Wood Plum Wood Walnut Ash Osage Wood Lemonwood Yew Materials: Selecting the Appropriate wood for your bow

Tools Jack/Surface Planer Spoke Shave Rasp Files Sandpaper Workbench Clamps Knife Power Saw Tiller Concave curve of the wood pushes the spoke shave down, providing a smooth, curved surface

~ Always wear appropriate eyewear, such as safety glasses, when operating machinery or using a blade of any sort. ~ Be sure that your tools are sharpened. A dull blade is a dangerous one. ~Wear safety gloves when handling stave to avoid splinters. ~ Remain calm and have patience. This can be a tedious process and frustration can be dangerous when using sharp tools. Safety Guidelines

Sequential Steps Step 1 Choose and aquire wood appropriate for making a longbow. (see page 4 four details on selecting wood) Step 2 Cut the wood parallel with the grain making sure most of the wood is between the heart wood (the darker inner rings of a tree’s trunk) and the outer wood. You will need roughly a 1 1/2” x 1 ½” x 40” section of wood. Step 3 Begin to make the form of your bow by first penciling in the shape of the bow stave. Then cut out the rough shape using a table saw. Be careful not to break the grain.

Step 4 Use a surface planar to smooth and straighten out the back and belly of your bow. See Figure 4.1 Figure 4.1

Step 5 Begin to shape the belly and handle with the rasp and sand paper. Be sure to leave extra material for later steps. See Figure 5.1 and 5.2 Step 6 Now begin to file string notches into the end of the bow at a 45 degree angle, and ½ inch from each end of the bow stave. Only make the nothces big enough for the string to fit in snug and tight. See Figure 6.1. Step 7 Cut a piece of twine rope, making sure it is long enough to attach and knot onto the bow string notches. Make sure it is secure, then cut off the extra at the ends. Figure 5.1 Figure 6.1 String Notch

Step 8 Place the stave on the top of the tiller with the back facing up and the belly fitted into the groove. Refer to figure 7.1. Bend the bow stave at about 25% of it maximum at a time to prevent cracking the limb. After 15 minutes, increase the bend by placing the string into the next notch down on the tiller. Step 9 Dry sand bow smooth being careful not to remove too much material using (2000 grit paper) you may not use wet sanding methods on the bow. Notches that hold the tillering string in place Groove at the top of the tiller provides a secure hold for your stave Figure 7.1 Tillering your Longbow

Step 10 Next, dry sand the bow stave until smooth with fine sand paper, while being careful not to remove too much material. Step 11 Finish the bow stave by applying 5 to 10 coats of beeswax, wiping each coat down with a lint free rag. Apply a coat every two hours. The final coat you should allow to dry overnight. Step 12 String the bow using thin twine rope.

Longbow - A long, hand drawn, wooden bow held vertically, and used especially by medieval archers, which sometimes exceeded 6 feet (1.8 meters) in length. Tiller- A piece of wood used to create the arch or bend in the wood of the longbow. It has a notch in the top for resting the bow in and notches along the side for the string. Jack plane - Also known as a smooth planer. This tool is used for general smoothing of the edges or wood surfaces, sizing of wood and jointing edges. Spoke Shave - A small plane with handles used for shaping curved surfaces. Rasp - A coarse file or similar metal tool with a roughened surface for scraping, filing, or rubbing down objects of metal, wood, or other hard... Stave - Refers to the plain wood of the longbow Longbow Belly - The side of the stave facing the string Longbow back - The front of the stave opposite the belly Longbow Limbs - The Outermost part of the stave on each end Glossary of Terms

Trouble Shooting Possible Causes One side of bow was not scraped with the rasp as many times as the other side Enough wood was not removed to form the flexibility of the bow through the “tillering” process (this is a very slow process that must be done correctly) Grooves cut into the bow for string application may have been cut at a reversed angle Possible Solutions Finish scraping the bow until the heavier sideis equal to the other Remove excess wood from bow with the rasp until it gradually begins to bend easier, keep going until bow is fit forits user (do not remove too much or it will break) Grooves should be cut at a 45 degree angle toward the belly and a half inch from both ends of the bow Bow is off balance Bow doesn’t bend cooperatively String Troubles Problems