Hickory Flatbow Build

Joined
Oct 16, 2017
Messages
717
Location
Upper Michigan
Finally finished this hickory flatbow. I bought the board from menards, and used some antler from another project for the arrow rest and tip overlays. Sealed it up with some bear grease from the bear I shot last fall, and used silencers from a beaver I trapped. I think I’ve said it on here before, one of my big goals is to take a big game animal with a “scratch build” bow, arrows and broadheads. I can’t ever be happy with anything as is, so I’m testing a couple styles of everything before I go out and hunt with that setup. I’ve always been curious about these wide flat hickory bows. I’ve read a lot about them, but most of the longbows I’ve built have been around 1.5” wide, with recurves usually around 1.75”. This one is 2.5” mid limb, with ½” tips, 66” overall and 51@28. I was shooting for 45@ my 27-27.5” draw length. I think I’m a touch over, but pretty dang close, my jig has a positive stop at 28”. Now I’m back down the bow rabbit hole, I’d like to make a few different styles. But, next on the list is some “trade” style points, to haft on some arrows and try out hafting and self nocks. I’ll put a hot link to full step by step video of the build. Check it out, I’m pretty happy with how it turned out.
Click this to watch
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Joined
Feb 18, 2013
Messages
1,135
Location
Texas
I get kinda jealous of guys with short draw lengths when I see stuff like this. I always have wanted a selfbow, but I draw 32" and really don't want a 74-78" bow.

Great work. That bow looks amazing to me!
 
Joined
Feb 20, 2021
Messages
14
Great work. I stumbled through a self bow once. It was a lot of work, but satisfying. That looks great and definitely better than what I put together.
 
OP
C
Joined
Oct 16, 2017
Messages
717
Location
Upper Michigan
Nice work CS.... that’s a beauty.
Thanks. I really focused in on that for this to build. Just to improve that aspect. I'd like to build another straight limb and dial in a little more then move to a sinew backed osage reflex deflex. I've heard those are a little trickier to tiller. I've done glass recurves and r/d but I feel like tillering those is way less complex than a wood bow.
 
OP
C
Joined
Oct 16, 2017
Messages
717
Location
Upper Michigan
I get kinda jealous of guys with short draw lengths when I see stuff like this. I always have wanted a selfbow, but I draw 32" and really don't want a 74-78" bow.

Great work. That bow looks amazing to me!
Thanks. Have you thought about trying a backing? I would think with a rawhide backing you could get away with 69 or 70. Rawhide is pretty simple to put on. If you got a board like this and bought some rawhide I think you'd have well below $50 tied up into it.
 
OP
C
Joined
Oct 16, 2017
Messages
717
Location
Upper Michigan
Great work. I stumbled through a self bow once. It was a lot of work, but satisfying. That looks great and definitely better than what I put together.
Yup they can be a big time suck. Especially if you have to re-tiller a couple times. I've tried to look at re-tillering to drop weight as a chance to work more on tillering instead of slowing me down.
 
Joined
Feb 18, 2013
Messages
1,135
Location
Texas
Thanks. Have you thought about trying a backing? I would think with a rawhide backing you could get away with 69 or 70. Rawhide is pretty simple to put on. If you got a board like this and bought some rawhide I think you'd have well below $50 tied up into it.
I have not thought of rawhide. I think sinew is probably my best bet. Nature's fiberglass basically. I have enough projects to keep me busy for a couple years, but some day I want to tiller out a bend through handle stave and back it with sinew.
 
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