Flat bow- eng.pdf

OUTDOOR SPORTS

Now you can shoot

American

FLAT BOW

HEN the white man provided the American

Indian with a cheap trade musket in place of

his native bow and arrow, he saved himself a

good deal of grief, for had the red man de-

veloped his weapon along a logical path he might have arrived

at an approximation of the bow we now know as the "semi-

Indian," "flat," or "American" bow. With such a bow he could

have shot with accuracy at a hundred yards (about the extreme

accurate range of the long rifle), and could have delivered ar-

rows faster than any frontier scout could load his rifle.

Any home workman, equipped with ordinary tools, can readily

build the most modern and most efficient bow yet designed. The

best material for the amateur is the imported wood known as

"lemonwood." It can be worked almost entirely by measure-

ment, without much regard to the grain. California yew and

Osage orange probably make a better bow, but not for the

inexperienced builder.

Lemonwood can be had from most dealers in archery sup-

plies, either in the rough stave or cut to approximate outline.

The price ranges from about $1.75 to $3. In ordering you

should be careful to say you need a wide stave for a flat bow.

The dimensions given are for a bow 5 ft. 8 in. long with a

weight (the archer's term for the strength of a bow) of from

45 to 50 lb. at a draw of from 27 to 28 in. This combination is

suitable for the average man. When new the bow will draw

5 lb. or more above these figures. For clearness, only the upper

limb of the bow is shown on the drawings. The lower limb is

similar but slightly stronger. It should be 7/16 by 1½ in. at a

point 14¼ in. below the center line; 3/8 by ¾ in. at a point

24¾ in. below the center; and 3/8 by 9/16 in. (instead of 3/8 by

½ in.) at a point 1 in. from the very end.

The stave, as it comes from the dealer, has been shellacked

or varnished to prevent checking. Remove this coating from

the back—the side away from the archer as the bow is held in

position to shoot. Plane and sandpaper the wood just enough

to provide a smooth surface. Stretch a fine piece of unkinked

copper wire tightly down the center line of the stave, mark dots

at regular intervals, and connect the dots, using a long T-square

or other straightedge and a sharp, hard pencil.

Lay out cross lines as shown on the drawing and mark the

widths by dots. Connect these dots with straight lines, giving a

rough idea of the back of the bow. Since the sharp shoulders

and angles are unsightly, change them free-hand to graceful

curves along one side, then trace paper templates in order to

reproduce the curves on the opposite side.

With drawknife, spokeshave, and finally a pocketknife or

scraper and garnet paper, work to the lines marked on the back,

keeping the cuts at right angles to the surface of the back.

Run straight lines along the edges of the stave from the center

The completed bow bends

perfectly, shoots far,

and hits hard. Robin

Hood himself never had

so scientific a weapon.

This illustration shows

the bow drawn back al-

most to the "full draw"

Bows are among the oldest weapons

in the world, yet an amazing thing was

only recently discovered about them.

Through mathematical analysis, labo-

ratory investigation, high-speed pho-

tography, and painstaking field tests,

it was found that the famous English

long bow, after which practically all

target bows are patterned, does not

have the most efficient shape. Its beau-

tifully rounded limbs are a delight to

the eye, but the best cross section for

a bow is something much simpler—just

a plain rectangle. This discovery led

to the development of the modern

American flat bow, one easily made

variety of which is described here.

OUTDOOR SPORTS

THE NEW

out to the tips to mark

the thickness of the bow,

following the dimensions

on the drawing. Both edges

of the stave should be

marked. Now mark the

profile of the riser at the

grip, dipping it boldly into

the run of the belly at

each side of the handle.

If the stave did not come

with a piece glued on to

form the handle, you will,

of course, have to cut a

suitable block of hardwood

about ½ by 1 by 8 in.

and glue it on.

Set the bow in the vise,

belly up, and shave off the

wood above the lines just

drawn. For the deeper

part of the cut near the

tips, a drawknife may be used with caution;

but nearer the handle where the cut is shal-

low, a spokeshave and small block plane are

safer. When the bow has been worked to a

rectangular cross section over its whole

length, except at the riser, which is rounded,

you are ready to test it for curve.

This work has probably consumed an eve-

ning, and you are obliged to lay the bow

away until you have more spare time. Be-

fore you do so, rub the whole bow with shel-

lac to prevent any possible checking or

absorption of water.

You now need what is known as a "tiller"

for testing the bow, as well as a temporary

or working bowstring and a shooting tab for

protecting the fingers. The tiller is a piece

of scrap wood about 7/8 by 3 by 30 in.,

notched at 2- or 3-in. intervals as shown to

catch the bowstring and notched at one end

to fit over the handle of the bow. As the tiller

may be used later on the finished handle, it is

just as well to pad the end jaw with leather.

The tiller serves to hold the bow bent for

inspection during construction and, as it

will be used often, should be carefully and

accurately made.

The string for tillering must be far

stronger than the one ultimately used for

shooting—at least 60 strands of No. 20

linen thread. Lay up twenty strands 18

in. longer than the bow, stretch them

smoothly, and wax them together. Make

two more sets and tie the three together.

With the tied ends over a hook twist each

of the three groups of thread individually

to the right and have an assistant hold the

twist in. Now take all three and lay them

round each other to the left, as if making

rope. The right-hand twist makes them

grip one another and cling together. Put

the string under tension and rub thorough-

ly with beeswax. Work it round and com-

pact by rubbing with a small piece of

leather held between the fingers. Tie a

permanent loop (bowline) at one end and

use a timber hitch to fasten

the lower end to the bow.

Later you will need a

shooting string, and because

a breaking string endangers

not only the bow but the

archer and bystanders as well,

it is better for a beginner to

buy a few strings. When one

of these becomes frayed, take

it apart, study the make-up,

read a bit on the subject, and

try to make one yourself.

You will soon be able to pro-

duce a creditable string.

The notches at the ends of

the bow, or "nocks" as an

archer calls them, are best

put in with a small round file.

At the side, near the back,

the nocks are half round,

slanting across the side to-

ward the grip and flaring

slightly to give room for the

string to change direction as

the bow is drawn. They

should not extend across the

back of the bow as this would

seriously weaken the bow tip.

Slip the loop down over

the upper tip, draw the string

down the bow, and fasten it

at the lower nock with a tim-

ber hitch. Have the string

about 3 in. shorter than the

length of the bow, that is,

measuring from nock to nock.

At left are the back and side views of the upper limb and handle

of the flat bow. Above are sketches showing how the handle and

nocks are finished and how a shooting tab, tiller, and peg are made

AMATEUR CRAFTSMAN'S CYCLOPEDIA

Using an old T-square to mark the lines showing the height of the

belly of the bow. The vise is faced with removable wooden jaws

Testing the curve of the tillered bow on a grid-

iron chalked on the floor. In circle: Using a

spokeshave to cut the belly down to guide lines

line, chalk line, or braided trolling line. The

total length of the grip should be about 4.

in., the winding occupying 3¼ in. of this

space and the balance being covered by

leather circlets. The upper circlet has a

projection at the left of the bow; this

serves as an arrow plate and prevents ar-

rows from wearing the wood as they leave

the bow. Use rather thick leather so it

may be whittled away from the underside

to a thickness equal to the string binding.

The outer edge is trimmed to a feather

edge and the ends thinned to make a neat

joint; then the leather is dampened, glue

coated, and bound in place with narrow

strips of cloth until dry. As soon as the

leather is dry, shellac the whole handle.

The cord may then be painted as suits the

bowyer's fancy, and another coat of shel-

lac applied to protect the color.

Place the bow in the vise and have an

assistant pull carefully on the lower tip

while you pull the upper and slip the loop

in place in the nock. Do not push on the

limbs, for a breaking bow nearly always

throws splinters forward with murderous

force. The string is likely to stretch con-

siderably, and you will have to adjust the

timber hitch several times before you hold

the bow bent to any great depth.

LUSH, velvet, leather, and gimp braid

are also used to pad handles, but cord

affords a firm grip and is very durable.

Once the new bow has been well tested

and has proved itself satisfactory it should

be cleaned carefully. Remove all tool

marks and thoroughly sand it with the fin-

est garnet paper. Thin some white shellac

about fifty percent with alcohol, turn a

little on a soft, lintless cotton cloth, and

rub the bow briskly until the shellac has

dried and a surface begins to show. It will

be necessary to work a short section at a

time and to go over the whole bow several

times to build up a shellac surface. Smooth

lightly with very fine paper or steel wool

and rub with furniture or piano polish

until a dull gloss finish results. This meth-

od builds up a surface so thin that it will

not crack with bending, yet thoroughly

water resistant and beautiful to the eye.

A bow carefully waxed and polished after

each field day soon takes on a fine luster,

and the surface becomes toughened.

If, after a month or so of regular shoot-

ing, the bow is found too strong for com-

fort, it can be reduced to suit.

So far as the making of various types

of arrows, bowstrings, bracers, quivers,

targets, and other archery tackle is con-

cerned, there are several excellent hand-

books and a variety of booklets that give

detailed information.

Keep the bow unbraced when not in use.

Hang it from a peg or lay it on a shelf or

across a pair of pegs supporting the middle

third of the bow. A good bow rack can be

made by driving sharp-pointed finishing

nails from which the heads have been

S soon as you have a bend of some 5

or six in. in the bow, place the tiller

on the handle and hold the bow, back down,

on the floor, steadying it with your toes.

Then pull the string up a few notches on

the tiller with both hands. Have your as-

sistant ready with a piece of chalk to mark

any section which does not bend evenly,

or the whole bow must contribute to the

shot to obtain the utmost efficiency.

Let the bow down, unbrace it—that is,

slip the loop out of the upper nock—and

replace in the vise for scraping at the

spots marked by the chalk. To make sure

that the whole section is reduced evenly,

rub the part to be scraped with soft pen-

cil lead. By scraping the marks away, you

remove a thin layer of wood and will not

risk reducing one side more than the other.

Flat bows bend in a different arc than

ordinary long bows—practically a perfect

arc, slightly flattened in the center opposite

the grip. So slight is this flattening that

the radius of the curve of each limb should

be the same as the length of the draw—in

this case 28 in. If a template like that

on the following page is laid on the floor

and the bow worked down carefully until

it fits neatly within the arcs, you are prac-

tically sure to produce a bow which will

give flat trajectory, good distance, and

little jar. Do not keep the bow at full

draw more than a few seconds at a time.

Generally speaking, the bend should

show first in the center of the limbs, then

in toward the grip, and lastly in the third

of the limbs nearest the tips. Allowing the

tips to bend too early in the work weakens

them excessively and produces what are

known as "whip ends."

Finally the corners of the limbs are

rounded slightly to lessen the danger of

denting. Draw a line 1/16 in. each side of

the back corners and 3/32 in. from the

belly corners and round only to these lines.

Sand with No. 6/0 garnet paper until fairly

smooth and rub on a good coat of shellac.

The bow is now ready to shoot for the

first time. Although it is not essential, a

good practice in breaking in a new bow

is to select arrows considerably heavier

than those to be used later. If heavy ar-

arrows are available, use them for about

200 shots, as this works the bow down

without permitting it to recoil too sharply.

Bitch hunting arrows 3/8 in. in diameter

OUTDOOR SPORTS

are about the right weight for this purpose;

otherwise use cheap birch target arrows.

They can be obtained from archery dealers

or sporting goods stores for so little that

it hardly pays to attempt to make them.

Besides the shooting tab to protect the

fingers, an arm guard or "bracer" is needed

to prevent the bowstring from bruising the

left forearm. The conventional bracer is

made of heavy leather, but a piece of

fiber or thin, narrow strip of hardwood may

be tied on to serve the purpose.

Now tiller the bow again. It will have

lost weight and changed shape slightly,

and will need further correction.

Glue on a thin piece of white pine to

round out the back of the bow. Taper it

in gracefully to meet the back of the bow,

and round it into the sides. A serviceable

grip is made by serving the bow with crab

Slight reductions are made with the

blade of a penknife or a steel scraper.

The wood is first marked with soft

pencil so no spots will be overlooked

Especial care and delicacy are

required in trimming down the

tips or ends of the limbs where

the bow is narrow. The best

safeguard is to test the bend

frequently by using the tiller

Wrapping the grip with crab line. The line

is clove-hitched to a convenient nail or hook

clipped part way into a plaster wall and

slipping over them dowels in which a hole

has been bored. The holes in the dowels

should be a close fit. If the nails are

driven at a slight upward angle and the

dowels are cut to fit the wall closely, the

effect will be that of wooden pins set in the

plaster. If the nails alone were used, the

iron would corrode and leave unsightly

marks on the bow.

SHELF, too narrow to accumulate

other impedimenta and with a raised

edge, makes an excellent place to lay a

bow. It can be provided with a backboard

bearing pegs for hanging other tackle.

If you must keep your bow in a steam-

heated apartment during the winter, place

it in the coolest dry room. Hot, dry heat

soon makes a bow brittle. When storing

the bow, wrap it from end to end in a strip

of woolen cloth, such as an old spiral leg-

ging before slipping it into a bow case. It

should be inspected from time to time,

warmed occasionally, and strung and bent

at intervals during the off season. In short,

it should have about the same considera-

tion that you give your rifle or your golf

equipment.

A flat bow stave with handle riser glued on,

as purchased from dealer; and the knots used

at upper and lower ends of the bowstring

Plik z chomika:

Inne pliki z tego folderu:

Inne foldery tego chomika: