Author Topic: Homemade English Longbow - Hazel ~85lbs  (Read 5318 times)

Offline mechanic

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Homemade English Longbow - Hazel ~85lbs
« on: March 19, 2011, 03:10:03 AM »
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRAU74VMY7A

Hey all, If anyone is interested in this sort of thing check out my video.

This is probably the 50th hazel bow I've made since I was 8yo 20 years ago.

Production time probably around 10 hours all including sanding and waxing. I use a coarse/fine wood rasp and a hammer and splitting wedge. Seasoning the wood takes months, can take up to a year or so to get best results.

Can't think what else to say that isnt mentioned in the video, but if you have any questions please ask. Don't forget you can watch it in 720p HD.

cheers.
« Last Edit: March 19, 2011, 03:15:43 AM by mechanic »
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Offline Gman

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Re: Homemade English Longbow - Hazel ~85lbs
« Reply #1 on: March 19, 2011, 03:20:59 AM »
Do you offer any of these for sale?

Offline Nurminen

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Re: Homemade English Longbow - Hazel ~85lbs
« Reply #2 on: March 19, 2011, 05:05:59 AM »
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRAU74VMY7A

Hey all, If anyone is interested in this sort of thing check out my video.

This is probably the 50th hazel bow I've made since I was 8yo 20 years ago.

Production time probably around 10 hours all including sanding and waxing. I use a coarse/fine wood rasp and a hammer and splitting wedge. Seasoning the wood takes months, can take up to a year or so to get best results.

Can't think what else to say that isnt mentioned in the video, but if you have any questions please ask. Don't forget you can watch it in 720p HD.

cheers.

 :aok

Offline Gooss

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Re: Homemade English Longbow - Hazel ~85lbs
« Reply #3 on: March 19, 2011, 08:25:30 AM »
Way cool.  What does seasoning the wood entail?

You don't take much time to aim.  Is that due to the draw weight?

And you make your own arrows?

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Offline BowHTR

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Re: Homemade English Longbow - Hazel ~85lbs
« Reply #4 on: March 19, 2011, 08:59:22 AM »
Way cool.  What does seasoning the wood entail?

You don't take much time to aim.  Is that due to the draw weight?

And you make your own arrows?

HONK!
Gooss

Most archers that use a longbow, you use the feel of the bow and the target. not so much aiming. its more about feel.
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Offline Ghosth

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Re: Homemade English Longbow - Hazel ~85lbs
« Reply #5 on: March 19, 2011, 09:05:06 AM »
Really good archers don't hold to aim, they are aiming as they draw and as soon as everything comes into alignment they release. It can almost be a zen thing you visualize where you want to hit, you see it hitting that point in your head and your body just does it.


Not that I'm anywhere in Mechanic's class. :)

Offline Beefcake

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Re: Homemade English Longbow - Hazel ~85lbs
« Reply #6 on: March 19, 2011, 09:35:39 AM »
And now we know how Batfink is able to hit anything at just about any range at any angle.  :D
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Offline gyrene81

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Re: Homemade English Longbow - Hazel ~85lbs
« Reply #7 on: March 19, 2011, 10:19:46 AM »
very cool mechanic...takes some skill to do that....where do you find hazel wood? i don't believe i have ever seen it...
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Offline AKH

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Re: Homemade English Longbow - Hazel ~85lbs
« Reply #8 on: March 19, 2011, 10:31:56 AM »
3:56  :noid

Have you read Robert Hardy's excellent longbow book?
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Offline MickDono

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Re: Homemade English Longbow - Hazel ~85lbs
« Reply #9 on: March 19, 2011, 12:53:10 PM »
Surely Hadoukens would be more effective?   :noid

Offline 1Boner

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Re: Homemade English Longbow - Hazel ~85lbs
« Reply #10 on: March 19, 2011, 07:56:43 PM »
Pretty cool video.

You have quite the accent there, you from New Jersey?
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Offline FLS

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Re: Homemade English Longbow - Hazel ~85lbs
« Reply #11 on: March 19, 2011, 10:27:44 PM »
Very nice Bat.

When bows are outlawed only outlaws will have bows.   :D

Offline Becinhu

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Re: Homemade English Longbow - Hazel ~85lbs
« Reply #12 on: March 19, 2011, 11:24:21 PM »
Sounds like a South Central accent to me...although he's not showing his colors...... :neener:
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Offline mechanic

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Re: Homemade English Longbow - Hazel ~85lbs
« Reply #13 on: March 20, 2011, 04:25:02 AM »
Thanks for watching guys.

I may one day progress to a level where I would be happy to sell them, but currently I only do it out of love for the past time.


Seasoning the wood for hazel is very easy. I will shape the wood within a few days of cutting, then rub it with bee's wax and paint over the tips with sealing paint (model aircraft paint works). Then just leave it in a warm, dry place. Forced seasoning can be done in a few weeks if hung over a warm (not hot) radiator. This can lead to cracking though, if dried too quickly. The seasoning will keep happening as you use the bow over a few years. eventualy you will have a very tough and flexible and dry stave. I usualy don't shoot the bows untill a few weeks after cutting them and shaping, or they tend to keep the bend and lose flex.

Arrows are made with a fletching jig. I usualy buy the shafts, flights and tips seperately then build them. Sometimes I use goose feather fletching or drill and grind heads myself but honestly my results are never as good as a shop bought part. Shafts are so hard to make perfectly without a laith. So yes they are sort of homemade, but the parts are all best when bought seperately to make at home.

As BowHTR and Ghosth say, aiming is more of a 'feel' than anything else. The bow becomes an extension of your body when you are comfortable with it. I am really just an amateur who enjoys it more than depends on it.

Hazel wood grows in woodland clearings and along pathways in the UK.

AKH, that clip was filmed at 04:00am and I have no idea what that noise was, dont think it was a car. I was wondering what was coming for a second or two :)
I have not read Hardy's book. Perhaps I should.

Micky, hadoukens would certainly be more effective at close range, but more effort and less stealthy.

This outlaw's accent would be from 30 miles west of London, England!
« Last Edit: March 20, 2011, 06:06:50 AM by mechanic »
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Offline Dichotomy

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Re: Homemade English Longbow - Hazel ~85lbs
« Reply #14 on: March 20, 2011, 09:37:27 AM »
That's frikkin cool fink!!!

When the car or whatever came by I flashed back to Peyton Mannings Saturday Night Live parody 'cops cops' and take off running ;)   Should have nailed one of those pigeons though.  Squab for dinner ;)
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