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How do chaps, well inspired by some of the outstanding quality catapults I've seen on here which you chaps have made I've had a go at carving one myself, never made one before, however many years back I got into making bows, 3 Longbows and 2 smaller hunting bows. Clearing out my wood pile last week at the back I found a Hazel bough that I put to one side about 6 years ago, just couldn't bring myself to burn it, I'm sure you know what I mean. so I cut this fork out of it and commenced with carving. Like with the bows I really enjoyed the making process, next will be the band set, using Theraband gold. Just got to learn how to shoot then.post-97447-0-65954400-1429642468.jpgpost-97447-0-75775800-1429642477.jpgpost-97447-0-95560200-1429642490.jpgpost-97447-0-51153600-1429642501.jpgpost-97447-0-16556300-1429642521.jpgpost-97447-0-58440500-1429642542.jpg

Edited by chisler
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The longbow in the pic is a laminated Hickory / Hazel, when I first made it 18 yrs ago it had a 65Ib draw weight, over time it has come down to 52Ibs, which is fine for me using it for clout shooting. The other 2 longbows where, 1 Hic & Ash the other a single wood Degame from Cuba, very hard but beautiful to carve. the chap who commissioned it wanted it 75Ibs or above it came in at 82Ibs ok for him he was built like a brick s**t house, to much for me.The hunting bows where both 50" 55Ib single Degame. As mentioned it's the making process I enjoyed the most, I was crap at shooting, put it like this if I had been at Agincourt I would have probably been employed in the washing up tent. If my shooting is the same with a catapult then the local pigeons population has nothing to worry about.

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Really good work man ,i used to make flat bows and shoot arrows ,hand planed ,reed etc ,though i used ,well still have some osage orange wood what i mostlty use ,sold off most of my best back when my kids were little an i needed money . :cray:

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Love the bows.

 

Is the process hard? I have a good supply of yew, in particular I have found a lovely, long, straight knot free piece about 7 inches in diameter for a good 6 foot. Really want to try to make a bow out of it. Does it sound feasible?

Yep sounds like you have the dream piece of yew, no I wouldn't say it's hard, just time consuming. The section through a bow is D shaped, with Yew the white wood is the face (flat part of the D) the red wood is the belly of the bow (round part of the D), with a yew stave you have to follow the grain, if theirs knots in it then you shape round them, not cut into them, they can look deformed due to following the grain. Have a go but be prepared for failure, single wood bows do tend to fail during the tillering process.

atb

Chisler

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