When I call you Sir Richard I mean it You should be called Sir / Master England has a treasure by having you . I hope the knowledge you have never die and passed on to the generations to come
I'm just a recreational archer/hunter and I know next to nothing about making a bow. That being said, this is fascinating and I have an all new respect for your craft!
Argh! Kerbal Space Program music! I was totally going to work on my longbow, and now I want to blow up rockets. Darn you, sir! And thanks for the video!
I like your attitude... That you're willing to post your advice on here... Really useful to me and you seem to cover each issue as I need it, which is either coincidence, or one of us is psychic... :-)
Starlingchaser Many thanks for the kind words, we have plenty of Sinew in stock, glad the videos are coming in handy, let us know what videos you want next.
Yeah, I bought and processed your sinew and it seems better for some reason that the sinew I've used before... Maybe I'm just better at processing... Anything you do improves as you do it more, I've found... NOW, I need decent staves... I've got about one ton of pretty worthless yew in my bedroom. Well, it's nice wood, but not for bows... My words? Not kind, just honest... :-)
very well put together vid, you got your self another subscriber. Although my experiences differ from yours. Ive never found those solid knots to be a problem in yew. I always dig out punky ones and fill them, but those solid knots, I always make them work. cheers
+dick richards Hi, thanks for subscribing. Are you talking about green wood or seasoned wood? Also are you making a victorian bow with knoty wood or a different type?
+Richard Head Longbows i only work seasoned yew, too many surprises when you work wet yew. I generally make shorter recurves, but have made a few longbows, victorian and medieval. Ive always found knots to be even denser wood than surrounding areas, and always make those areas bend. Not sure if the yew that grows in my parts is a little different than yours. Other woods Id leave these areas a little stiff, but not yew.
Can I ask where you get the bowstaves or yew from? And is it something the average bloke on the street could obtain if they wanted to attempt something like this, or is there an alternative easier to get at wood to use?
That’s why they used a bigger thicker trunk with less knots in it , a bit like the way swedes make traditional skis where they split big trunks and have less problems
Helpful video, like others of yours. One question if I may; it seems to cover knots in the belly only, what about knots in the back? For these I have left extra wood if I am thinning the sapwood (though I avoid doing that if possible), and made a swelling in the width of the back so that the fibres can flow around the knot without being cut. Does that seem OK to you?
Thanks for the kind words, glad you like the videos. As we are making bows to sell, I would avoid using wood with problems on the back, though finding perfection is not always possible! Have a go with the method you have described, there is not much else you can do, as I say, other than avoiding materials with these issues. Good luck.
I'm really impressed by your work. Do you know any ways to deal with chrysalis? I 've made some ash longbows recently, they hasn't got any weak spots and they were bending nicely but chrysalis appeared on every bow I made :(
estion, and i need help. A friend of mine and me want to make a yew bow. We already have got very good wood with any knot. But we are too insecure with the thickness of the wood. Is there any standard measure of the wood? and how thick are the endings? and how is there the apportionment of sap wood and hard wood. i know we must not hurt the sap wood. see were too unsecure. could u help me/us?
Valmir von Vesver I would suggest following some plans in a book, there are lots of book about bow making, check your local archery store online to see what they have, the Bowyers Bible is a very concise one.
Hi there. I love your video. It has actually tackled the problem i have bee wrestling with. I couldn't help but notice how nicely your spoke shave cuts composted to mine. I have a draper but it seems a toy in comparison to yours. Would you mind sharing what you use? Thanks
***** Hi, thanks for the compliments. I have lots of different spoke shaves, it comes down to a sharp blade and practice, all the spoke shaves I have can be made to cut well.
Richard Head Longbows hi. Thanks for the reply. I just sharpened my draper and used it for about 30 mins onlybto find the blade already dulled and almost serrated. My stanletly block plane had no signs of use after several hours of frantic scrubbing at some ash. Is there a particular brand that you would recommend to hold an edge longer? I guess stanley comes to mind...
All my yew is pretty horrendous, really, for bow making, because I use 'wild' wood... Any dead branches I find and saw off, so it's all twisted, knotty and wormy. and because of the worms in the sapwood, I have to back a lot of them. Therefore, this is a handy video to upload... You sell deer sinew sometimes and I'm REALLY looking forward to you getting more in stock, 'cos without killing a deer, it's hard to get and I really don't want to kill a deer... I haven't thought of using bamboo... I did buy some deer sinew dog chews online, but they look as if they've been cooked!..... Oh well, I like dogs, anyway.... Got plenty of treats for them, now...
I was wondering why you would bother going to the trouble of leaving the knots proud in the belly of bow, is it just for the esthetics of it? I'm not aware of any structural necessity to do so, I mean if a Knot is loose and over a certain size then maybe use a dutchman repair to stabilize it other than that just smooth it out surely. Of course it's a completely different story when you are talking about the back of a bow as different forces are in play,the knot will be subjected to tension instead of compression. I see that you have backed the stave with bamboo which negates all but the worst of "knot problems", so as I said I was just wondering why.
Bret Smart Hi, knots can easily `break` or `crysal` (compression fracture) so it is best to leave wood around it to stop that area bending, I assumed I explained this in the video, sorry if it didnt come across to you. You only need to plug a knot if the side branch is falling out or ruptures during tillering, to stop it caving in.
Richard Head Longbows I disagree with the first part of your reply, I assumed I explained this in the post, sorry if it didn't come across to you.In particular I disagree with your treatment of the knots depicted in the video, especially the pin knots.But hey, if you want to produce "pimple bellied" bows who am I to stop you. No need to respond!
Bret Smart This process has been the norm for making bows of this type for many many years, I myself have been making them this way for 30+ years, its what works for me and other bowyers, but that does not mean it is the only way or that you have to do the same, I am glad it works for you in the way you make them. Its nice that people are different, thanks for commenting and subscribing, it is much appreciated.
It had a slight Hypnotic Effect.
Unreal show RHL, Yum!
Where has this video been all of my life?? Thank you so much!
Evan Griffith lol, no worries, thanks for subscribing.
When I call you Sir Richard I mean it
You should be called Sir / Master
England has a treasure by having you .
I hope the knowledge you have never die and passed on to the generations to come
Wow, thanks!!!
I'm just a recreational archer/hunter and I know next to nothing about making a bow. That being said, this is fascinating and I have an all new respect for your craft!
Adam Whitlach many thanks.
Thanks for the demonstration video. Perfect pieces of wood are few and far between.
No problem, Glad you like it, please subscribe if you haven't already
Nicely done. Very clearly explained. Hopefully this video goes a long way to show that knots are not a big problem.
Argh! Kerbal Space Program music! I was totally going to work on my longbow, and now I want to blow up rockets. Darn you, sir! And thanks for the video!
Lol, welcome.
Very nice video as always !
Thanks a lot for sharing all this !
Arnaud N No problem, thanks for sharing and subscribing.
I like your attitude... That you're willing to post your advice on here... Really useful to me and you seem to cover each issue as I need it, which is either coincidence, or one of us is psychic... :-)
Starlingchaser Many thanks for the kind words, we have plenty of Sinew in stock, glad the videos are coming in handy, let us know what videos you want next.
Yeah, I bought and processed your sinew and it seems better for some reason that the sinew I've used before... Maybe I'm just better at processing... Anything you do improves as you do it more, I've found... NOW, I need decent staves... I've got about one ton of pretty worthless yew in my bedroom. Well, it's nice wood, but not for bows... My words? Not kind, just honest... :-)
@@Starlingchaser Our Lord has sped the World, giving Us less time to Sin.
wonderful! love your channel, realy beautiful and i subscribed :)
+colorpaper princess (colorpaperprincess) Many thanks.
very well put together vid, you got your self another subscriber. Although my experiences differ from yours.
Ive never found those solid knots to be a problem in yew. I always dig out punky ones and fill them, but those solid knots, I always make them work. cheers
+dick richards Hi, thanks for subscribing. Are you talking about green wood or seasoned wood? Also are you making a victorian bow with knoty wood or a different type?
+Richard Head Longbows i only work seasoned yew, too many surprises when you work wet yew. I generally make shorter recurves, but have made a few longbows, victorian and medieval. Ive always found knots to be even denser wood than surrounding areas, and always make those areas bend. Not sure if the yew that grows in my parts is a little different than yours. Other woods Id leave these areas a little stiff, but not yew.
Love it. Want to try a yew staff. Have used osage orange and hickory. Would also like to try lemon wood.
Hi, glad you like it, yes, give it a go, its a real challenge. Have you seen my bow making website? www.howtomakealongbow.co.uk
Can I ask where you get the bowstaves or yew from? And is it something the average bloke on the street could obtain if they wanted to attempt something like this, or is there an alternative easier to get at wood to use?
That’s why they used a bigger thicker trunk with less knots in it , a bit like the way swedes make traditional skis where they split big trunks and have less problems
Thanks for commenting and watching. Who do you mean by they?
Have you ever used Cyanoacralate on knots? I am a luthier and I have done that on a few of my instruments.
Only on skirting boards.
Helpful video, like others of yours. One question if I may; it seems to cover knots in the belly only, what about knots in the back? For these I have left extra wood if I am thinning the sapwood (though I avoid doing that if possible), and made a swelling in the width of the back so that the fibres can flow around the knot without being cut. Does that seem OK to you?
Thanks for the kind words, glad you like the videos. As we are making bows to sell, I would avoid using wood with problems on the back, though finding perfection is not always possible! Have a go with the method you have described, there is not much else you can do, as I say, other than avoiding materials with these issues. Good luck.
I'm really impressed by your work. Do you know any ways to deal with chrysalis? I 've made some ash longbows recently, they hasn't got any weak spots and they were bending nicely but chrysalis appeared on every bow I made :(
Does this also work with laminates because I've got a bamboo and purple heart stave I can't stand to see a stave anymore
Andrew Smith Hi, the bow in the video is a laminate, it has a backing of bamboo.
estion, and i need help. A friend of mine and me want to make a yew bow. We already have got very good wood with any knot. But we are too insecure with the thickness of the wood. Is there any standard measure of the wood? and how thick are the endings? and how is there the apportionment of sap wood and hard wood. i know we must not hurt the sap wood. see were too unsecure. could u help me/us?
Valmir von Vesver I would suggest following some plans in a book, there are lots of book about bow making, check your local archery store online to see what they have, the Bowyers Bible is a very concise one.
Hi there. I love your video. It has actually tackled the problem i have bee wrestling with. I couldn't help but notice how nicely your spoke shave cuts composted to mine. I have a draper but it seems a toy in comparison to yours. Would you mind sharing what you use?
Thanks
***** Hi, thanks for the compliments. I have lots of different spoke shaves, it comes down to a sharp blade and practice, all the spoke shaves I have can be made to cut well.
Richard Head Longbows hi. Thanks for the reply. I just sharpened my draper and used it for about 30 mins onlybto find the blade already dulled and almost serrated. My stanletly block plane had no signs of use after several hours of frantic scrubbing at some ash. Is there a particular brand that you would recommend to hold an edge longer? I guess stanley comes to mind...
***** I would go for Stanley,yes.
Great vid! How thick is that bamboo?
Thanks! varies from bow to bow, about 3mm
thank you, every time i have tried to make a bow, the knots end up being the death of my creation. i dont know why i havent thought of this.
+gmzaka glad I could help
is that English Yew? or Spain? Italy?
Have you ever made a bow from osage orange??
SamLFisher Yes, you can see our range on the webshop www.richardheadlongbows.com
All my yew is pretty horrendous, really, for bow making, because I use 'wild' wood... Any dead branches I find and saw off, so it's all twisted, knotty and wormy. and because of the worms in the sapwood, I have to back a lot of them. Therefore, this is a handy video to upload...
You sell deer sinew sometimes and I'm REALLY looking forward to you getting more in stock, 'cos without killing a deer, it's hard to get and I really don't want to kill a deer... I haven't thought of using bamboo... I did buy some deer sinew dog chews online, but they look as if they've been cooked!..... Oh well, I like dogs, anyway.... Got plenty of treats for them, now...
Haha. Good luck with your craft. It sounds like a good adventure.
Do you wear a mask for yew dust ?
Yes, and an extractor system.
I was wondering why you would bother going to the trouble of leaving the knots proud in the belly of bow, is it just for the esthetics of it? I'm not aware of any structural necessity to do so, I mean if a Knot is loose and over a certain size then maybe use a dutchman repair to stabilize it other than that just smooth it out surely. Of course it's a completely different story when you are talking about the back of a bow as different forces are in play,the knot will be subjected to tension instead of compression. I see that you have backed the stave with bamboo which negates all but the worst of "knot problems", so as I said I was just wondering why.
Bret Smart Hi, knots can easily `break` or `crysal` (compression fracture) so it is best to leave wood around it to stop that area bending, I assumed I explained this in the video, sorry if it didnt come across to you. You only need to plug a knot if the side branch is falling out or ruptures during tillering, to stop it caving in.
Richard Head Longbows I disagree with the first part of your reply, I assumed I explained this in the post, sorry if it didn't come across to you.In particular I disagree with your treatment of the knots depicted in the video, especially the pin knots.But hey, if you want to produce "pimple bellied" bows who am I to stop you. No need to respond!
Bret Smart This process has been the norm for making bows of this type for many many years, I myself have been making them this way for 30+ years, its what works for me and other bowyers, but that does not mean it is the only way or that you have to do the same, I am glad it works for you in the way you make them. Its nice that people are different, thanks for commenting and subscribing, it is much appreciated.
Bret Smart I wondered the same thing. I always violate knots on the belly
if you think those are bad you should see the ones on my yew stave, theyre horrible:(
*KSP intensifies*