A bow is the first weapon that can throw deadly charges at great speed over long distances. Thanks to this invention, mankind could procure animal skins and meat without approaching them at close range. Actively this type of weaponry was also used in numerous wars many centuries before our era.
Making onions with your own hands is a laborious process that will require a person to follow certain technologies. Only in this case will a reliable and accurate weapon be obtained. From a well-made bow you can throw arrows over long distances with incredible accuracy. At the same time, a sufficiently powerful bow is necessary for hunting to hit game.
To undertake the manufacture of a real hunting bow with their own hands at home is for those people who already have experience in the manufacture of simple bows. However, if you adhere to the instructions presented in this article, anyone can make a powerful weapon.
Hunting Bow Design
To make a bow with your own hands at home, you should find out that this is an ancient weapon that was used long before the era began. So to make it in our time is not difficult.
This product has two main parts: an arc and a bowstring. Real hunting bows fall into two categories:
- Classic. Their peculiarity lies in the fact that the arcs for them have one bend, they are made of a homogeneous material (wood or PVC). As a result, the finished weapon has the shape of the letter D.
- Recursive. Such bows are more complex in design. The arc is made of several components, the finished product has three bends. The result is an M-shaped onion.
Recursive weapons, in turn, are divided into two types: collapsible and non-collapsible. The former are made from a single piece of wood, the latter are assembled from several parts, they are called block weapons.
Previously, several materials were used for the manufacture of onion components:
- wood, which is necessary for the manufacture of the middle part of the weapon;
- animal horns, which are installed on the ends of the bow;
- tendons, which play the role of a bowstring.
This three-component design gives this ancient weapon great flexibility, accuracy, firing projectile power, and elasticity during aiming.
Many people ask the question: how to make a bow and arrow with your own hands? To answer this question, you should find out that modern block bows are made of high-strength materials that have optimal properties. For example, fiber from hydrocarbon or fiberglass, various alloys from non-ferrous metals (aluminum and magnesium).
In specialized stores, many models of this throwing weapon are sold, but you can make a block bow with your own hands at home. This will require certain skills of the weapons master, as well as a little time and patience.
Making onions from wood
The best material for making onions with your own hands is yew, because it was our ancestors who made this dangerous weapon from this kind of wood. It is very difficult to get such wood in our time, so you should find a suitable replacement for this material. For the manufacture of homemade onions, branches are used:
- juniper;
- ash;
- hazel;
- cedar;
- and you;
- larch trees.
To make a bow with your own hands, you need to find a straight rod without cracks and knots. It must be at least 1 meter long.
It is allowed to use several rods of the same length at once, which must be reliably connected to each other with electrical tape or fishing line in several places.
Wood preparation
Many novice hunters wonder: how to make a bow with your own hands? To do this, you need to know that it is better to cook a tree for the manufacture of this weapon in winter at a temperature of no higher than -10 degrees. If you find a suitable branch in the autumn season, then you do not have to search for material in snowdrifts in winter.
The bar must be cut from the tree. The size of the future bow arc should exceed the estimated length of the weapon by several centimeters. This stock is needed because cracks may appear at the ends of the workpiece during drying.
For drying, the wood should be placed for 3 months in a room where the air temperature ranges from 18-25 degrees. The bar should be hung on a thread so that it does not touch the floor.
Corrosion protection of wood
Often people ask the question: how to make onions with their own hands and protect it from moisture? It is not necessary to remove the bark from the tree. The ends of the arc are preferably painted or varnished. Such a coating will protect the product from moisture. If the wooden rod is slightly curved, you can give it the desired shape by placing it above the steam. You can quickly dry the onion branch on the street, placing a rod over the fire. The main thing is to carry out this procedure carefully so that the wood does not burn. True, an arc dried in this way will be fragile and short-lived.
Assembly of onions
When the rod is dried, it is necessary to process it with a planer so that the shoulders (the ends of the wooden workpiece) become flat.
The collapsible bow arc should consist of two separate shoulders that are attached to the handle from opposite sides. The handle of a throwing weapon is made of a bar or cylinder with a thickness of 3 to 7 centimeters. The arc in the central part can always be turned if the grip of the weapon is inconvenient.
Before assembling the bow, make sure that the upper and lower shoulders are the same in diameter and length. Only under this condition the weapon will be balanced, with the help of it the shooter will be able to throw the arrow exactly at the target.
How to shape the arc
During the assembly of the arc, it is necessary to give it the desired shape so that the bow has an M-shape. In order to do this, it is necessary to heat the shoulders above the steam, and then fix them in a bent form on a special slipway, which will fix them in the right position. If you don’t have such a tool, do not despair, because it can be made from a board by fixing it with several thick bars. Keep your shoulders bent for at least 7 days.
When the arc is assembled, it is required at both ends to make incisions. It is in these places that a bowstring will be tied. The notches will not allow the fishing line to move from its place. Next, you need to braid the handle with tape. Then the braiding places need to be treated with glue on wood to ensure reliable fixation of the material. Also, the adhesive can be applied to places where the bowstring is attached.
Ski bow
Often people ask a question: how to make a bow from a ski with your own hands? Such sports equipment as skis is an excellent material for making an arc for projectile projectiles. If you have a pair of skis that is unusable in your garage or on your balcony, then there is no need to spend time preparing arcs from tree branches.
For the manufacture of hunting bow, you can use both wooden and plastic skis. However, the latter option is preferable. Material such as PVC is the most flexible and reliable.
To collect the bow, it is necessary to saw off both ends of the ski so that in the middle there remains a piece no longer than a meter long. The handle for weapons can also be made of skis. To do this, the same trim size (15-20 cm long) should be fastened with glue. Then they need to be processed with a planer to get a comfortable grip.
After all the materials for assembly are ready, it is necessary to secure 2 shoulders to the handle using self-tapping screws. After that, you can tie a bowstring, and then proceed to the first tests of weapons.
People often ask the question: what should be the size of a do-it-yourself bow? The size of such weapons is about 1.4 meters. If the bow is larger, then the power of the weapon may not be enough to launch the arrow.
Compound Bows
Also, many professionals make bows composite, that is, consisting of several different materials. This is a more complex and time-consuming process, but such weapons are made according to the same principles as prefabricated products for throwing arrows. If you follow all the technology of preparation and assembly of the product, a do-it-yourself bow will last a long time.
Making onions from lamellas
To make a bow with your own hands, you can use the lamellas from upholstered furniture. Such elastic elements can be found during the dismantling of a bed or sofa. Their length varies from 60 to 140 centimeters. When choosing the length of the lamellae, proceed from the total length of the bow, which should correspond to the growth of the owner of the weapon.
The thickness of the lamellas is approximately 15 centimeters. If the thickness of the workpiece is much less, glue them together using epoxy glue.
To make the shoulders for the onion, the lamellas need to be cut diagonally. Both parts of the arc should be processed together so that the parts are symmetrical. Next, you need to make a shelf for a bowstring on your shoulders. For this, with a sharpened knife, it is necessary to make grooves with a depth of 10 and a thickness of 5 millimeters.
As a handle, you can use lamella trim. Gathering them together, it is necessary to glue so that the thickness allows you to conveniently grasp the bow.
After the bowstring is attached to the shoulders, it is necessary to grease all the wooden parts of the bow with a stain or ship varnish. After waiting for the coating to completely dry, you can proceed to test firing.
Block onion making
For the manufacture of collapsible onions, you will need to prepare the following tools:
- Sharp knife.
- Hacksaw on wood.
- Plane.
To give the bow arc a sufficient bend, it is best to use a slipway. It can be purchased in a store or made independently from one thick board and four bars. The role of the arc will be performed by a PVC pipe or a wood stick. We also need a strong rope or fishing line for making a bowstring. To prevent the bow from slipping out of your hands during aiming, you need to make a handle. To do this, tie the center of the arc with a thick rope or thick tape.
The base of the arc should be reinforced with a metal frame. To do this, pick up two metal pipes. They have to be put on the ends of the arc so that they fit snugly against the tree. After this, the bowstring should be tied to metal pipes that strengthen the bow frame. During weapon tests, make sure that the arrow is sent to the target due to the strength of the arc, which quickly straightens right after the shot.
Onion shells
Many people are interested in the question: how to make a bow and arrow with your own hands? Ammunition for throwing weapons are sharpened wooden shells - arrows. To make them, you need to prepare wooden straight sticks with a length of 30 to 60 centimeters, depending on the size of the onion. Workpieces must be treated with a file and sandpaper so as not to get a splinter during use. At the base of the arrow with a knife, you need to make a hole 2 mm deep. It is needed to fix the projectile on the bowstring. The opposite end of the boom must be sharpened with a knife.
Boom Upgrade
To weight a projectile for a bow, nails are often used, having previously cut off his hat. After this, it is necessary to hammer a metal product into the front of the projectile to a depth of 1-2 centimeters so that the sharp end sticks out.