Making a bow: Reflex/ Deflex Longbow

Рет қаралды 92,006

3 жыл бұрын

Building a longbow from start to finish using basic shop tools. This is the complete process using fiberglass and a variety of exotic and domestic woods to construct a bow that preforms well and is durable. This is a similar process to all custom and handmade traditional bows.
#traditionalarchery
#bowmaking
#archery

Пікірлер: 157

@ashthekangal Ай бұрын

Man, that riser looks so awesome! Incredible job on that bow

@Makingitwild Ай бұрын

Thank you

@hawkinatorgamer9725 29 күн бұрын

This is the tempo our bosses expect us to work 100% of the time.

@Andrew38011 2 жыл бұрын

Best bow making video I’ve seen in a while. Awesome skills. Definitely subscribing👍.

@sherwinpalacio3227 2 жыл бұрын

Beautiful craftsmanship.I love your bow!

@raulmorales9967 Жыл бұрын

Nice bow.Thanks for the video.

@IndianaBows 2 жыл бұрын

Nice work! Congrats!

@LB-zz4pc 3 жыл бұрын

Really nice job!

@patrickd9551 2 жыл бұрын

i really like your clamps. Such simple, elegant and effective clamp for bows. And you can never have enough clamps in your workshop :D

@user-ep1tg4qj2y 5 ай бұрын

I have been building bows for about 10 years. I made clamps exactly like the ones in the video. Never seen anyone else use them.

@sgifford1000 2 жыл бұрын

Work of art!

@theweaponscollectiveedge863 2 жыл бұрын

that is a beautiful bow.

@rollingthunder277 Жыл бұрын

Fascinating!

@longboy5639 3 жыл бұрын

That´s beautiful

@knifesharpeningnorway 2 жыл бұрын

Amazing work and bow

@supriadimks9048 3 жыл бұрын

Really really nice bow...my favorite...

@UncleDanBand64 2 жыл бұрын

Beautiful bow👍

@ophiophagus9933 3 жыл бұрын

Gorgeous

@janetlemming3295 2 жыл бұрын

nice job I plan on building my first long bow soon. I liked the way you used the drimel tool to cut thru the glass, I wasn't sure how I was going to do that. Thanx, Rob L

@Makingitwild 2 жыл бұрын

You can get away without cutting the glass first but it gives you that piece of mind that it won’t splinter or lift up. Good luck on your build.

@fabianwippert6178 Жыл бұрын

Nice design!

@karenmurray3098 2 жыл бұрын

very nice bow !!

@davidm8857 2 жыл бұрын

Que maravilla de trabajo es un arco espectacular.

@Greyarcher1 Жыл бұрын

Very nice Bow Man 🤠

@jerrycox2058 2 жыл бұрын

man do you have the shop to work with! awesome job. you are a craftsman for sure.

@Makingitwild 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you.

@MrArchie765 Жыл бұрын

I’m amazed at how fast this gentleman can work!!!

@Makingitwild Жыл бұрын

Super speed. 4X to be exact

@eddieburgett9678 Жыл бұрын

Most beautiful boa I ever had seen

@ee232jensen 2 жыл бұрын

Beautyful work. 👍👍👍😉🇩🇰🇩🇰🇩🇰🇩🇰

@blaircolquhoun7780 2 жыл бұрын

It looks good so far,

@yannhayon2796 2 жыл бұрын

nice job. i preffer the old method without powertools but that is a more modern solution.

@danielesabicas5154 2 жыл бұрын

Bravo!

@demolitionfarm467 Жыл бұрын

I like your clamps man! Put them on Amazon lol very skilled fellow and a beautiful bow man

@ronaldcanzoni9400 Жыл бұрын

Absolutly Amazing !! Enjoy,d Every Minute of it.

@Makingitwild Жыл бұрын

Thank you

@RedmanOutdoors366 7 ай бұрын

Wow very nice 🙂👍

@jameslovelace8828 Ай бұрын

Very nice

@SharpObserver1A 2 жыл бұрын

I like a lot the lack of crap and bullshit, you go to the business expeditiously, congrats, good job, magnificent bow.

@chrisflemlng7352 3 жыл бұрын

Wow, your Rigid oscillates alot faster than mine.... lol. Great video!

@Makingitwild 3 жыл бұрын

It helps when you speed up the video.

@murrayshanaughan2650 2 жыл бұрын

haha

@user-os3nn2tx1z 2 жыл бұрын

Просчитать - невозможно. Все на таланте! С Богом!

@campus. 8 ай бұрын

สวยงาม

@ljubisamilojkovic2219 2 жыл бұрын

Svaka čast za majstorstvo,,,voleo bi da ga imam.

@milanpopovic9132 Жыл бұрын

ko ne bih 😃.

@arysoares9259 2 жыл бұрын

Muito top irmao

@travispham8047 2 жыл бұрын

Love the video. What was your source material for getting the right poundage that you want? Would a takedown be harder or easier for beginner?

@Makingitwild 2 жыл бұрын

It takes a few bows to figure out the poundage and thickness of the laminations. Binghams projects has a chart that will get you in the range but it depends on your limb design. Takedowns are about the same difficulty but add a few steps and time. If it’s your first bow I would say one piece would be better to save some time and if you hit the weight you want you could build a similar one in a takedown. Good luck with your build.

@wadesaunders583 3 жыл бұрын

Nice veneer...would love to have a copy of those riser templates. You make em yourself?

@Makingitwild 3 жыл бұрын

For this one I just cut it out of paper first and copied it onto the riser. It’s slower this way but it makes each bow unique.

@jarridcarter5001 2 жыл бұрын

Did you learn this through trial and error or through some kind of instruction? I'm looking to get into making bows for myself and some direction to start would be awesome! Bow looked great !

@Makingitwild 2 жыл бұрын

The first 6 or so I built with trial and error. They shot just fine but didn’t have the performance I was looking for. After that I had the opportunity to build one with a bowyer and applied what I learned from him and put my own twist to it. I still play around with different designs and concepts. If I could give you advice I would say to just jump in and start building one. It took me 6 years to build the first one because I thought I needed all the tools and wanted to make the first one perfect but it’s better to just jump in and do it even if you don’t have it all figured out. Good luck.

@alexsimon8988 2 жыл бұрын

Interesting build, I've been a hobby boyer for almost 20 years I always enjoy watching other people's methods. The one question I have is about your finish is it a super glue acetone finish I've always used thunderbird epoxy finish and just looking for alternatives.

@Makingitwild 2 жыл бұрын

The superglue is used as a sealer when the wood isn’t stabilized. It works good to fill any pores but most of it gets sanded off. I use Campbells krystal for a finish most of the time. It’s not as durable as thunderbird but I like the way it looks and feels better plus it’s way easier to apply and drys in about 30 minutes. I also like to see other peoples work. Is there a place I could check out your bows?

@alexsimon8988 2 жыл бұрын

@@Makingitwild I'm on Facebook there are a few pictures of my most recent bow that I used to take a doe and 10pt this season. The bow is 49lbs Osage lams. with a maple core, the riser is 18" made out of zebra wood with a purple heart I beam. This is the lightest bow I've ever made , I hade my third shoulder surgery this past spring and doubt I'll go back to shooting anything much heavier. If you would like other pictures let me know. Thanks for your reply.

@jwjenkins421 3 жыл бұрын

I am just building my hot box now. I noticed you used a baseboard heater instead of light bulbs I have a few of those lying around. Did you have to do anything special to make that work? I've built lots of self bows, but I'm just getting into building fiberglass.

@Makingitwild 3 жыл бұрын

The heater is wired into a dryer thermostat similar to the way you do light bulbs. There isn’t much difference between the two other than you don’t have to worry about breaking the bulbs and you can get it more compact.

@wrongfullyaccused7139 2 жыл бұрын

I greatly admire the fact that you built your clamping form out of steel. That took a lot of work, patience and attention to detail. It shows in your final product. Very well done. Your video is one of the more professional I have searched for. I say this as a retired tool and die maker. I noticed you used a torque wrench for the final tightening. May I ask, how many foot pounds did you apply on the final tightening? Keep up the fine work and stay safe.

@Makingitwild 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the compliment. It does take a lot of time to make jigs out of steel but they’ll last forever. I torque everything between 10-12 lbs. I use a cheap Harbor freight wrench so I’m not sure how accurate it is. I wouldn’t use a good one though because it gets glue all over it.

@wrongfullyaccused7139 2 жыл бұрын

@@Makingitwild ; Outstanding. One of my main functions as a machinist was building all kinds of jigs and fixtures. I know what kind of time it takes to design and then execute the build. So, when I look at that jig you built I know the effort that went into it. I truly appreciate the information. Beautiful bow by the way.

@charlesdeshler202 2 жыл бұрын

I see in a comment further down that the form was made by someone else... But my question is..... How in the world can a steel be shaped in such a way and still be squared, smooth and proper? From what I could see..... It's perfect... I love everything about the form and the clamps. The entire build is great!

@bdsmithuga 9 ай бұрын

I didn't know you could use bamboo too make slats! How is this done? I'm surrounded by the stuff. I usually just make backed bows with it, but I'm trying to get into glass bows now. Would you consider making a video?

@Makingitwild 9 ай бұрын

After you split the bamboo like you would for backing you can run it through a plainer or sander to flatten out the nodes and get the thickness you want. I hope this helps.

@kennethkleespie2579 9 ай бұрын

Looks like bubinga and black walnut in the riser nice looking bow

@Makingitwild 8 ай бұрын

Bubinga and some kind of katalox. I use a lot of walnut though.

@kennethkleespie2579 8 ай бұрын

@@Makingitwild I love bubinga in the riser not only does it look great but it’s also a heavy enough wood for shot feel . I would like to see someone use king wood as an accent stripe with it. What are you using for your limb tips micarta or G10 ?

@Makingitwild 8 ай бұрын

@@kennethkleespie2579 I use both g10 and micarta for limb tips. I haven’t had any issue with either but micarta is a little easier to work.

@coolcreamykiwi 2 жыл бұрын

Looks good, why not use a vacuum system for clamping?

@Makingitwild 2 жыл бұрын

Most people use a fire hose to clamp and it’s faster but the style in this video has more control over specific spots. A vacuum system would work but would require a really strong vacuum pump to get the right clamping strength and the bag would need to be odd shaped. It’s definitely doable but I’ve never seen anyone use it.

@DavidGonzalez-ek3zh 2 жыл бұрын

How much for one if your bows 50#. TY Beautiful!

@LT.X380 2 жыл бұрын

👍👍👍

@UTxTheArchangel 3 жыл бұрын

Great work and craftmanship. Do you sale bows as well or just make them? I've never owned a longbow before, but have been browsing around, this turned out so well, it looks better than a lot of the high price longbows on sites like 3Rivers and Lancaster. Top quality work Ty.

@Makingitwild 3 жыл бұрын

I don’t make them to sell only because I enjoy making them and I don’t want it to feel like work. Thanks for the compliment.

@UTxTheArchangel 3 жыл бұрын

@@Makingitwild Understandable. No problem.

@malexandergonzalez4097 2 жыл бұрын

@@Makingitwild hola disculpe cómo le ago para que me realicé 1 arco igual al del vídeo y me lo puede vender un correo, que me mandé pará hacer contacto con usted👌

@MrArchie765 Жыл бұрын

If you’re not selling them, could I please have one of your project bows? I would be happy to buy all of the material in order to make the bow. What you do, I could never do, you are truly an artist and a great builder. It appears that you have been doing woodwork your whole life! I was never that blessed, my dad worked for forty years in a Fridgidare factory and never had the time or energy to do projects like these! Thank you for your video, it is inspirational. I was just kidding about the bow!!!

@ptrgmx7396 Жыл бұрын

Just awesome! Do you sell your bows? You got a website?

@Makingitwild Жыл бұрын

I only make a few a year. Maybe one day I'll start selling them.

@phuongdinhngoc7504 2 жыл бұрын

Tuyệt phẩm 👍👍👍❗

@rubenjungwirth389 2 жыл бұрын

What type of woods and where do you get the fiberglass from? I've had a look online and can't find any but maybe I just don't know what I'm looking for.

@Makingitwild 2 жыл бұрын

You can use a wide variety of woods with fiberglass bows. I like to use woods like maple ash walnut bamboo or similar for laminations. Risers any hardwood will work but the harder the better. You can stabilize it or use an I beam if it’s softer wood. There are two brands of fiberglass most people use. Gordon’s and bear paw. There are a few places to order supplies. For your first bow Bingham’s project is a good place to start. They sell kits that have everything you need. You can also check out Big Jim’s archery, Kustom king, 3Rivers archery, or the Rosewood Shop. Those will have what you’re looking for. Hope that helps. Good luck with your build.

@jamesrich566 2 жыл бұрын

Did you build your own form and clamps , looks fast and strong .

@Makingitwild 2 жыл бұрын

I’ve built a few different styles of forms but the one in the video came from a bowyer that was retiring. I did build the clamp. This style isn’t as fast as the fire hose that’s more common but you have more control of clamping pressure.

@stevemiller2470 3 жыл бұрын

How do you use Minwax Penetrating stain and the Smooth-on epoxy still work? I’ve always used alcohol or water based stain.

@Makingitwild 3 жыл бұрын

I can’t remember when or why I started using oil based stain. I’ve never had an issue with it but I let it dry for 24hrs and clean it until you can’t get any more color out of it. Same as oily woods. I’m not recommending you try it but it works for me. I definitely think water based has less chance of failure.

@stevemiller2470 3 жыл бұрын

@@Makingitwild roger thanks!

@pmitchell3571 7 ай бұрын

What was the blue "glue" you put on the riser?

@Makingitwild 7 ай бұрын

That’s just superglue. It works as a sealer to get in all the pores. Most of it gets sanded off.

@user-ep1tg4qj2y 5 ай бұрын

What do you use to clear coat your bows?

@Makingitwild 5 ай бұрын

Cambell Krystal is what I prefer.

@user-nk1ic2qy9p 3 жыл бұрын

Красивый лук.

@darcwizard8749 4 ай бұрын

I have a question. Where did you buy the fiberglass?

@Makingitwild 4 ай бұрын

I get it from Binghams project, Big Jims archery, or kustom kind’s archery. There are a couple other suppliers that carry it as well. Most people use either Gordon’s glass or bear paw.

@Terpedup925 Жыл бұрын

What size wood do you use for the limbs?

@Makingitwild Жыл бұрын

They are 1 1/2” wide and the thickness depends on the poundage

@David-fv7zg 2 жыл бұрын

If you are ever interested in teaching someone how to make a bow....sign me up!

@wadesaunders583 3 жыл бұрын

Btw...interesting form

@Makingitwild 3 жыл бұрын

Yeah. Not very common anymore but there are pros and cons to that style over others

@wadesaunders583 3 жыл бұрын

@@Makingitwild worked well for you!😉

@francomeier6280 Жыл бұрын

Please, I need the measurements of the mold to know what the undulations are like. would you be so kind as to measure the base of the wood up to the cut? This way I can mark the points and proceed to do it myself

@Makingitwild Жыл бұрын

The highest part of the arch is 3” from the lowest on that one. I’m not sure if that’s what you’re looking for but good luck on your build

@FISHUNTREE 2 жыл бұрын

Beaut

@cedarsavage 2 жыл бұрын

Looks like one of those lams was bamboo? How did you decide the appropriate thickness for your lams per desired draw weight?

@Makingitwild 2 жыл бұрын

That one does have bamboo in it. To get the appropriate weight you just have to keep good records. It changes with the wood species, form, and bow length. Once you have a few bows with the same design you can get a pretty good guess on thickness. That probably doesn’t help much but you just have to build a few.

@cedarsavage 2 жыл бұрын

@@Makingitwild makes sense. Did you use kiln or air dried? And, Are your belly lambs tapered (thickness) or parallel? The only glass bows I’ve built I bought the lams and I feel the belly lams had a thickness taper but I can’t remember for sure.

@Makingitwild 2 жыл бұрын

@@cedarsavage I’ve used both kiln and air dried wood but I haven’t noticed much difference. Maybe I should play around with it and see if it really does make a difference. I use different tapers depending on the weight and bow I’m working on. Most of the time I’m using .002 but it changes sometimes.

@cedarsavage 2 жыл бұрын

@@Makingitwild Thanks Ty, I'll give it a try.

@marcingladzik7267 5 ай бұрын

Hi there,could u explain why do u not use fire hose ? I started built bows myself and got a problem with hoses was looking for other solution and found ur video.Could u tell us a bit more about ur system ? Seems to bu much more sure than blowed tube.

@Makingitwild 5 ай бұрын

The clamping system is an older method than the fire hose. It’s slower to get everything clamped but you have more control. You can make sure things aren’t shifting and can apply more pressure where needed. You can use it on wood forms if you drill holes everywhere you need a clamp.

@marcingladzik7267 4 ай бұрын

@@Makingitwild ok thanks a lot i need to do more test, but this makes sense for me. Thank u

@Hazza57t 2 жыл бұрын

How do you know what thickness the laminations need to be for the draw weight, I'm wanting to make my own bow and don't know where to look

@Makingitwild 2 жыл бұрын

That’s probably one of the hardest parts of building a bow. If you go to Bingham’s archery website there is a chart that will get you in the ball park but every limb design and form will have different results. Even the type of wood will play a role in the draw weight. What most people do is keep good notes from every bow you make so you can use it on the next one. If you plan on making a bow just plan on making more. It takes the same amount of tools to make one as it does to make more. Good luck with your build. I hope it helps. Bingham’s also sells kits for everything you need if you want to go that route.

@hibahprice6887 2 жыл бұрын

@@Makingitwild I don’t think that for one bow you need as many tools and machine tools as for their production .. You can buy lamellas, fiberglass top .. It remains to glue everything and grind

@Makingitwild 2 жыл бұрын

@@hibahprice6887 you definitely don’t need as many tools to make a bow as I use. Really you can get away with a rasp and some sand paper but by the time you put effort into making a form and getting everything together you’ll have what you need to make more bows.

@Terpedup925 Жыл бұрын

Do you have plans for making this bow? Measurements and all?

@Makingitwild Жыл бұрын

I keep an accurate record of every bow I build but the measurements would only be precise if you were using the same form and materials.

@gingernaut2550 Жыл бұрын

I've been watching a bunch of long bow making videos since It's a project I really want to tackle. Why the cling wrap during glue ups? It keeps coming up in videos

@Makingitwild Жыл бұрын

The plastic wrap helps keep the form clean. When you compress everything there is always a lot of squeeze out and to avoid it gluing the bow to the form you need some kind of barrier. People use different things but I’ve found that the cheap Saran Wrap works good. Good luck with your project.

@gingernaut2550 Жыл бұрын

@@Makingitwild Makes sense, I've done a considerable amount of epoxy casting, my go to has always been red tuck tape, but I can see how this makes sense in this application, thanks for the reply!

@Makingitwild Жыл бұрын

@@gingernaut2550 duct tape would work but you would have to wrap it perfectly to not have any lumps that could change the form.

@mikhailmarinov8 2 жыл бұрын

How long was the curing process ?

@Makingitwild 2 жыл бұрын

I leave the heat box on for about 4 hours and turn it off. I don’t take it out until it has completely cooled down. Usually I just leave it overnight.

@joseluishernandez1961 2 ай бұрын

I still want to sign up

@anibalperez2802 3 жыл бұрын

Bonito lazo..pero mejor con una cuerda flemish

@Makingitwild 3 жыл бұрын

A Flemish string is a good idea. They look good.

@wrongfullyaccused7139 2 жыл бұрын

What kind of adhesive are you using?

@Makingitwild 2 жыл бұрын

Smooth on ea 40. Works great but needs to me put in a heat box.

@wrongfullyaccused7139 2 жыл бұрын

@@Makingitwild ; Yes, thank you. I have been wanting to build my own bow for decades but just never managed to find the time. I am retired now and have a long bucket list. Sadly, Hurricane Michael destroyed my shops so rebuilding is taking all my efforts. I knew about the heat box system and have a lot of info on that. Thank you for responding.

@wadesaunders583 3 жыл бұрын

How long is your riser?

@Makingitwild 3 жыл бұрын

That one is 19”

@murrayshanaughan2650 2 жыл бұрын

That looks a great bow. My only question is in the terminology of your description. I don't mean to be pedantic but these days everyone, is getting this detail wrong. I am moved to comment in the hope that we can all get on the same page. That is the traditional page. Traditionally speaking, a bow is described from the handle or riser outwards to the tips. A Reflex Deflex bow when strung has a double curve. Wooden bows often turn out this way when using natural backset. Your bow is not this shape, it is a 'Deflex Reflex' bow. My old coach once described to me a flight bow he made. It was a 'Reflex Deflex Recurve' bow. I knew exactly what he meant as I was reading the description according to the standard. Modern made asiatic horsebows fit that description. The average modern recurve bow, to be fully descriptive is 'Deflex Reflex Recurve'.

@Makingitwild 2 жыл бұрын

You are correct in what your coach told you. Even though it is the wrong terminology people still say reflex deflex. I’m not sure if it’s a regional thing but you don’t hear deflex reflex as often. It’s similar to asking for a coke at a restaurant. Where i live that just means you want a soft drink and not a coca-cola. Some call it soda others call it pop but we all know what it means. Thanks for your comment and hopefully it will clear up some questions if people are confused. I’ll still call it a Reflex/ Deflex even though it is incorrect.

@orvilkeimig3528 2 жыл бұрын

I noticed you didnt do any tillering in your making process. How come this isnt necessary in your process?

@Makingitwild 2 жыл бұрын

I check tiller multiple times through the process but most of it didn’t get shown on the video. I usually don’t have a problem with tillering because I’ve learned the hard way that if you get your lamination right and you have a good limb design it’s not an issue. If you’re working on a bow just make sure your laminations match and your wedges are even and it shouldn’t be far off. I hope this answers your question. Good luck with your build.

@orvilkeimig3528 2 жыл бұрын

@@Makingitwild I think this is also related to the way you built the limbs. I watched a lot of vids of people building the whole bow from a sincle piece of wood, so they need to hollow out the belly of the limbs by tillering. So maybe theres the difference, since you already started out with limbs at the correct thickness... right?

@Makingitwild 2 жыл бұрын

@@orvilkeimig3528 that’s correct. With laminated bow you have more control. When you’re working on a self bow you have a lot of variables outside your control that you have to contend with.

@user-qw7kh4ll3d Жыл бұрын

Are you the same Ty Lee from Mimbres NM ?

@Makingitwild Жыл бұрын

Yes it is

@user-qw7kh4ll3d Жыл бұрын

@@Makingitwild Hey Ty it's Clay Nordwall from our Archery Hut day's ... I was cruising through KZfaq and saw your video on building a bow 🏹 How the heck have you been doing ? I'm still in Las Cruces and doing well 👍 How long have you had your KZfaq channel ? Hope life has been good too and you're staying healthy etc. Take care and looking forward to more of your videos 👍

@Makingitwild Жыл бұрын

@@user-qw7kh4ll3d it’s good to hear from you. I’ve been good. I started posting videos when things slowed down with Covid but I’m not very good at being consistent with it. I’m glad to hear your doing good.

@user-qw7kh4ll3d Жыл бұрын

@@Makingitwild I've enjoyed watching your videos and the research you've done on the area's that you're packing through etc. Ty keep up the good work and continue putting out awesome content and always remember the good old days at the Archery Hut 👍 PS: The Bataan Marathon is up and running at White Sands and I'm planning on competing in it for my six time 👍👍 It will be held March 19th

@Makingitwild Жыл бұрын

@@user-qw7kh4ll3d that’s great. I need to do that again.

@malexandergonzalez4097 2 жыл бұрын

Quiero comprar un arco cómo el que estás haciendo en el vídeo 😃, cómo me puedo contactar con usted algún correo electrónico que me mandé para que me haga 1 y me lo venda esperó hablé español .