Simple PVC Pipe Bows

A Do-It-Yourself Guide to Forming PVC Pipe Into

Effective and Compact Archery Bows

Nicholas Tomihama

Simple PVC Pipe Bows

Levi Dream

Copyright © 2012 Nicholas Tomihama

www.backyardbowyer.com

Printed in the United States of America

First Printing in 2012

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by any means including but not limited to mechanical, photographic, or electronic process, or in the form of a phonographic recording, nor may it be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or otherwise be copied without permission from the publisher in writing.

This book is intended as an informational guide. The views expressed within are solely the opinions of the author, based on personal experience. All instructions within this book must be followed with caution, and the author, publisher, printer and all other parties involved deny any responsibility for injury to both body and property due to the misuse of information contained herein.

This book is a description of the process the author takes to make simple PVC pipe bows. The results portrayed in the book are as done by the author and are not indicative of work done by other individuals. While the informations is presented in a clear and concise manner, the author makes no guarantee that following the instruction will yield the same quality work. Nor does the author, publisher, printer and all other parties involved suggest following the instructions within as they carry risk inherent to all forms of archery and the bowyer’s craft.

Bows are inherently dangerous weapons and care must be taken during the use and manufacture of them. No bow is indestructible and every bow, regardless of strength can hurt, maim or kill. Never point a bow at another person, animal or into a place that may not be clear. Only use safe equipment when practicing archery. All minors must be supervised by a responsible adult.

For my God, my wife and my children.

Life’s blessings.

The Lord is good, a strong hold in

the day of trouble; and he knoweth

them that trust in him.

- Nahum 1 : 7

Words of Warning

Dear Reader,

Archery is an amazingly rewarding sport and for many including myself, a way of life. There are many ways to get into archery, many different styles of bow and many reasons to shoot. All aspects of archery should be respected and each is rewarding.

Within these pages you will find instructions and pictures showing how I build simple bows from PVC pipe. These bows are designed to be simple, utilizing only a single PVC pipe for a single bow. Yet while simple, they offer power and performance comparable to bows that require more work and equipment to build.

While PVC is more forgiving and more easily formed into an efficient working bow than any other material, the methods explained here are not automatic or effortless. A PVC bow requires your patience and respect, just like any other bow. Rushing into it, being ill prepared or skimping on methods may result in failure.

Before I immersed myself in building bows from PVC pipe, I shaped and crafted bows from single staves of wood, multiple laminations of wood and bows of wood and fiberglass. Even after building bows for years they aren’t easy. Sure it doesn’t take nearly as much time and I’ve developed a feel for them that makes the most tedious processes go quickly, but they aren’t easy to make in any way.

As a bowyer who has built hundreds of bows, I still have trouble making them all go the way I want all the time. My success rate isn’t 100% and I don’t think it ever will be. I work with several thousand dollars in equipment that makes building a bow in an hour possible. Yet add in the time it takes to let wood dry , glue to set, finish to cure and the constant adjustment required for each bow to reach maturity and it can takes months for a bow to go from raw wood to finished product.

As a beginner with few tools and no previous experience, it can take days if not weeks of work to reduce a stave into a working bow. The process of teaching wood to bend alone can take many hours of seemingly endless toil and adjustment. It’s not difficult work and is definitely worth it, but it is strenuous and tedious work. Even after all this, a beginner with no formal instruction would be lucky to have a bow that shoots faster than 100 feet per second with a matched arrow.

Even after all the work I put into them, my selfbows don’t regularly exceed 150 fps and the fastest bows barely exceed 170 fps. While some of my laminated bows do reach into the 200’s, they are the exception rather than the rule. My first performance PVC bow, which took a few hours of shaping and tweaking before I had any experience with it and no guide on the subject existed, still to this day exceeds 140 fps with a matched arrow.

Over the last year I have received countless testimonial from happy owners of PVC bows they built with their own hands. It isn’t easy but it’s doable and more accessible than virtually any other material for the beginner. With a little practice and patience, bows that rival even commercial bows in performance and speed are possible with few tools, PVC pipe and raw determination.

-Nick Tomihama

Table of Contents

Chapter One - Getting Started

Chapter Two - Tools

Chapter Three - Flattening Jig

Chapter Four - Youth Recurve

Design

Flattening

Recurving

Stringing a Bow

Fine Tuning

Finishing

Chapter Five - Horse Bow

Design

Heat Bending

Forming Nocks

Fine Tuning

Finishing

Chapter Six - Snakey Recurve

Design

Flattening and Recurving

Tapering Tips

Heat Bending

Fine Tuning

Finishing

Chapter Seven - Arrow Rest

Tab Rest

Soft Rest

Hard Rest

Gallery

Glossary

Bonus Track

Poly-Pro String

Garden Stake Arrow

Chapter One – Getting Started

Welcome to Simple PVC Pipe Bows! Thank you for joining me on this journey. Believe me, building bows from PVC pipe is truly a journey. This book is an introduction to a few of the many styles and performance levels of bow that can be made from PVC pipe. Let’s start by getting familiar with the parts of a bow.

PVC Bow Anatomy

The bows we will be building are simple in their parts and function. To get an understanding of what a PVC bow is and how it works, we’ll start with the basic parts of a bow.

A bow is broken into three main parts: the ends, limbs and riser. Starting from the outside of the bow, the nock is the area where the string connects to the bow. There are some variations on this, but the purpose of the nock is always the same. Further in are the bow’s recurves.

A recurve is a tip that curves away from the archer and has the string resting on it when the bow is strung up. Not all bows are recurved and not all recurves are equal. The bows in this book all have what are called static recurves, meaning the tips are stiff and don’t flex while the bow is being drawn.

Further inward are the limbs. These make up the bulk of the bow and are the parts that do most if not all the work. There are two limbs, a top and bottom limb. The top limb is held upwards and the bottom limb is held downwards. The limbs, and the whole bow in general, is broken into two sides called the back and belly.

The back of the bow is the side of the bow that is away from the archer. This side of the bow is under a force known as tension. When the bow is strung and drawn back, it is this side that has to resist being torn apart as it is stretched outwards. PVC is very flexible and can resist tension unless the back is cut or brittle through burning or UV exposure.

The belly of the bow is the side that faces the archer. This side has to resist compression, a pushing force. When the bow is drawn, the belly is literally being crushed by the force of the bow pushing inwards. Since PVC is very dense, the belly can resist large amounts of compression unless there is an uneven spot or crease in the pipe.

The center section of the bow is called the riser. On either side of the riser is what is called the fades. These are the transition from riser to limb and like the name suggests, fade the limb into the riser. If the fades are creased or pinched, the riser could collapse.

The center of the riser contains the handle and arrow pass or arrow rest. The handle is where the bow is gripped and is very near to the center of the bow. The arrow pass is where the arrow literally passes over when the bow is drawn and shot and is usually at or a little above center. Some bows can have an arrow rest or shelf, a place right above the handle that gives a platform for the arrow to rest. If the bow does not have a rest, the arrow is placed upon the bow holding hand.

Now that you know the parts of a PVC bow, let’s see how they work.

How Bows Work

Simple bows like these are basically springs. They work by storing energy when they are drawn back and release some of that energy to propel an arrow when the bow is shot. PVC bows are no different.

The amount of energy that a bow can store and how efficiently it can release it is determined partly by material and partly by design. PVC pipe is very flexible as far as bow materials are concerned. It is also slow to recover. In order to overcome the limitations of material, design is key.

Taking a straight pipe and putting a string on it will put almost all reliance on the material’s flexibility and elasticity. A bow like this will bend almost entirely in the center and will only be able to store and release a small amount of energy compared to the amount put in. This is because only the parts that flex can store energy. The rest is dead weight.

The difference between a bow of uniform strength and one that is gradually weaker from handle to tip. The dark areas represent the distribution of stress in the bow. The darker the area the higher the stress.

As a spring, a bow must be able to flex evenly throughout almost all of its length. If instead of bending in one place, the bow bent in two places, it would store more energy and deliver it more efficiently. A well-made longbow works because the bow flexes for most of its length.

Because a bow is being pulled inward and backward by its string, each limb is under its own set of compression and tension. If the limb is equally strong from its base all the way to its tip, more force will be exerted on its base. If the limb gets progressively weaker towards its tip, the weak tip will flex more than the base. Because the base was already taking more pressure, the progressively weaker limb will flex and pressure will become more balanced upon the whole limb.

Traditionally this was done by removing more and more material from a bow’s limbs going from the bow’s handle to its tips. Another method involves gluing more material in the center of the bow and reducing the amount of material added to the limbs and tips. Another method is to add materials to the center to a bow that naturally flex less than the bow’s limbs. Yet in order to keep a PVC pipe whole, none of these things can be done.

PVC pipe gains its strength from the configuration of its walls. It is a cylinder and its walls are able to resist force fairly equally from all sides so long as the circular pipe is not deformed in any way. If the circle deforms and flattens, the pipe will flex along that plane more readily because the pipe will be weaker in that spot.

By controlling how much the pipe is deformed, the same effect of removing or adding material to a bow can be simulated. By flattening the pipe more at the tips than at the handle with a smooth taper between, the pipe will flex more evenly along its length. This is the key step that allows these bows to perform as well as they do.

Bows that have their flex distributed fairly equally across both limbs will be more efficient, more consistent and much safer. If there is too much strain in one area, the bow is likely to break.

What is PVC Pipe?

PVC pipe is a plastic pipe used in a variety of applications. It was and is commonly used in plumbing and irrigation systems for cold water as well as for drainage. It is also used as a non-metal alternative for electrical conduit and in industry for transporting corrosive liquids.

PVC pipe is made of Polyvinyl Chloride, a thermoplastic created through the polymerization of Vinyl Chloride. It is a stable polymer that is white in color and brittle in its pure form. The best performing PVC pipes are very close to being pure PVC and are white and relatively brittle.

PVC pipes that come in other colors usually contain additives that modify the properties of PVC. Gray and orange pipes are common for electrical conduit and are resistant to UV light. They are also less brittle, able to take more shock at lower temperatures than white pipe. While more tough, they are prone to deform and lose their shape over time, which can affect their usefulness and cause them to collapse over time.

There are several different systems that are used to measure and identify different PVC pipes. In the USA, schedule is the primary system, based on wall thickness of the pipe. Schedule 40 works best for making bows as it is thin enough to take a very fine taper. Thicker pipes rated schedule 80 and above deliver more speed and power but are more difficult to work with due to their thickness.

Pipes made in the USA are also labeled under the Imperial system of measure. 1/2, 3/4 and 1 inch pipe are three commonly used diameters for bows. The diameter refers to inside diameter, so each pipe is roughly 1/4 inch wider than the name suggests.

In other countries, PVC pipe is rated under a system based on pressure rating.

The best way to figure out what pipe to use is to find the wall thickness. 1/2, 3/4 and 1 inch pipes are comparable to the metric 20, 25 and 32 millimeter pipes. Schedule 40 pipes are a little thinner than 1/8 of an inch, or 3 mm. Many places internationally only carry a type of pipe with a 2 mm wall. While bows can be made from these pipes, they will be very weak and prone to collapse or breakage.

Other Plastic Pipe

There are other plastic pipes that can be confused with PVC and are sometimes referred to as PVC though they are not. PVC pipe is common in the USA, though many other countries have banned or restricted the use of PVC and it is difficult to obtain. Here are just a few examples of other pipes. It can be tricky finding PVC pipe as the term ‘PVC pipe’ has become synonymous with plumbing pipe and many non-PVC plumbing pipes are called PVC for simplicity.

Some can be used to make bows, though many of them are unsuitable. Of those that can work, great caution needs to be taken as there are so many variants of pipe that one type of plastic could have many variations for different applications. The bows in this book play to the strengths of PVC and may not play to the strengths of other plastics.

ABS or Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene pipe, which is usually black though can sometimes be found in a white color similar to PVC, is a common alternative to PVC pipe. ABS is sometimes mistakenly called black PVC and if often made of a high-density foam between two layers of plastic. This type of pipe is tough and does not conduct heat very well so it is used often in hot water applications. Foam or cellular core pipe should not be used as it can easily snap. Solid core ABS of a good thickness can be used for bows. It can be found in non-USA counties where PVC has been deemed not pure enough for potable water.

PP or Polypropylene pipe can come is a variety of colors. In many countries PP pipe, which can be white, is sold as a substitute for PVC. It is tough and is used for transporting potable water in residential and industrial plumbing. While PP can make a bow, the struggle is finding pipe thick enough to withstand the strain of tension and compression a bow is under.

PE, PET and HDPE are all names for Polyethylene, HDPE being High Density Polyethylene. PE pipes are very impact resistant and flexible and most are not that rigid. Bows made from PE pipe will typically be very weak and take large amounts of set. There are rigid PE and HDPE pipe that may work for bows, though heating PE pipes can be difficult as they dissipate heat quickly.

Finding Your Measurements

It’s important before making a bow or buying arrows for yourself that you know a few measurements. The first important measurement is draw length, which is the distance you will draw the bow back when you shoot. There are a couple methods to estimate your draw length and give you a general idea of where to start.

First, measure your wingspan. Stand against a wall with your arms spread out on either side and have somebody measure that distance. Alternatively you can use your height, as both height and wingspan are roughly the same for most people. Take this number, subtract 15 or the width of your chest between shoulders, and divide that by 2.

The resulting number should be close to a normal draw, which is limited by the length of your bow-holding arm. Another way to measure this is to hold your arms straight out in front of you with both hands together and fingers pointing forward. The distance between your fingers and chest will be around your length of draw. A similar method is to measure from your armpit to the second joint of your index finger.

This length is based upon drawing the bow to your face or chin. This is a good area to draw to as it brings your eye in line with the arrow and keeps you from overextending. Another way to draw a bow is to draw to the cheek or lower jaw which can add an extra inch or so to your draw length. Either one will work, it’s mostly personal preference.

The best way to measure draw length is to draw a very light bow with an arrow. If you have someone to help you, draw the arrow until you are in a comfortable position, and have your assistant mark where the arrow meets your bow-holding hand. Make sure they are not in front of the arrow when doing this. If you are by yourself, tie a piece of string loosely onto the arrow. As you draw the bow back, the string will catch on your hand and travel up the arrow, marking your draw length.

For example, my calculated draw length is 27 inches. Drawing to my chin, I draw just under 27 inches. Drawing to my cheek, I pull 28 inches. Drawing to the back of my jaw, I pull 29 inches. The bows in this book are laid out for an archer with a 28 inch draw. If your draw length is more or less than 28 inches, add or subtract 1 inch of bow length for every inch of draw.

The next measurement is draw weight, or the amount of force required to draw a bow back to full draw. We will measure draw weight in pounds, meaning a bow that is 40 pounds is equal to lifting 40 pounds when the bow is fully drawn. To measure the weight of a bow, a pull scale can be used to measure the bow at full draw. In lieu of a scale, these tables will give you a rough idea of draw weight at different lengths based on starting pipe lengths. These charts are only a guide and only apply to PVC bows made using the techniques in this book. Be careful. The shorter the bow, the higher the chances that it could fail.

All draw length/weight combinations in gray could be dangerous as they over-stress the bow.

Draw weight is a little trickier to calculate than draw length. Unlike length, draw weight is determined by both the inherent strength and physical condition of the archer. A bow’s weight is essentially the amount of force it takes to pull and hold it at full draw. It’s tempting to start heavy. If you aren’t already used to archery, pick a lower draw weight to start and then work your way up. If you build your first bow long it can be shortened to increase weight.

Draw weight varies from person to person, though a person’s weight is a good general indicator. If figuring out weight for yourself or someone else, here’s a simple chart to get a general idea of where to start.

Archer Weight to Bow Weight in Pounds

Weight of Archer

50-70

70-100

100-130

130-150

150-180

180

Bow Weight

5-10

10-15

15-25

20-35

30-50

40-65

The chart above is very rough, though it is a good place to start. It’s best to make a couple bows and use the one that is most comfortable for you. If a certain weight becomes too light for you, these bows can be shortened to bring the weight up. Just work an inch at a time.

If you are an experienced compound archer, keep in mind that these bows draw differently and should be roughly 10 to 15 pounds lighter than what you are accustomed to. These bows are at their peak weight at the end of the draw. All of their weight is exerted completely at full draw.

Keep in mind that archery, especially during practice, should be more of an aerobic exercise. The lighter your bow, the more repetions you will be able to do and the longer you will be able to hold your draw before getting exhausted. Try not to draw a bow that will tire you quickly as both accuracy and consistency will suffer.

There are particular styles of archery that specialize in the use of heavy bows from 70 to over 200 pounds in the extreme. Such archery requires much training and proper form to avoid irreparable damage to your joints. Be careful and never draw more than you are comfortable with.

Arrows and Archer’s Paradox

Arrows, more than any other part of the three main components of an archery setup, are vital. Without an arrow, the bow is a spring without purpose. The arrow is not just a projectile; it contains all the parts necessary to guide and stabilize it in flight. A poor arrow from an excellent bow will still shoot poorly, while an excellent arrow from a poor bow will shoot well. And an excellent arrow from an excellent bow is a beautiful thing.

When an arrow is shot from a bow, it does not simply fly straight especially if the bow’s handle forces the arrow to one side. When an arrow is released, the rear acceleration from the nock wants to propel the arrow straight. Because the arrow is somewhat flexible, it bends into the handle then deflects away and then back, flexing around the bow. Once the arrow wraps around the bow handle, it flexes back the other way and oscillates back and forth before evening out in flight.

This is a very simplified explanation of archer’s paradox. Archer’s paradox refers to the flex or spine of an arrow. Simply put, the angle an arrow deflects off the handle will be worse at brace and very slight at full draw. The paradox comes into play because an arrow that is spined to match the bow will be accurate even though the arrow is deflected.

As the bow’s handle causes the arrow to fly to the left (for a right handed archer), the flex of the arrow allows it to curve around and begin evening itself out. An arrow’s spine is its stiffness and its ability to resist or accept flexing. An arrow that is the right spine or stiffness will flex enough to bend around the handle of the bow yet will be supple enough to correct itself and stabilize.

The exact effect of spine on an arrow depends on two main factors. First, the closer to center the arrow sits the less paradox there will be as the arrow will not need to flex around a side handle. These arrows can be made stiffer as they don’t need to flex as much. Secondly, different materials react differently in terms of recovery.

There are a variety of arrows that are available in many different materials. One of the oldest and most traditional arrow materials is wood. Wooden arrows are relatively heavy and are somewhat forgiving of spine. While wood works well, it is hard to find consistent arrows made of wood just because wood is a natural material. The most common wood used in arrows is Port Orford Cedar, a softwood prized for its strength and straightness. While wood is forgiving, it is much more likely to break than other materials at the proper spine.

Aluminum arrows have been the standby for many years. They are made of very thin-walled aluminum alloy tubes. While they are manufactured with very close tolerances and are very straight, aluminum arrows are less forgiving when it comes to spine. The plus side is that every arrow in a matched set will be close to being the same as every other arrow. This allows consistency from shot to shot. Aluminum arrows are very durable, and when they break they snap or fold rather than splinter.

One of the newest arrow materials is carbon or carbon fiber. Composed of strands of carbon or graphite suspended in a synthetic resin, carbon arrows are incredibly stiff and light. One of the benefits of carbon arrows is that they stabilize much faster than wood or aluminum. This makes arrows accurate and consistent over a range of spines.

One of my favorite materials if you can get it is bamboo. It takes some work to finish a bamboo arrow and they are often more costly than carbon if made well. Bamboo, like carbon, stabilizes quickly and while individual spine may differ between shafts, they will group well through a range of bow weights and speeds. If you are interested in building your own arrows, check out the bonus track in the back of the book.

When buying arrows, ask for spine charts. Manufacturers usually have charts that let you get a rough idea on how to match an arrow at a certain length and point weight to your bow. When dealing with spine, the longer the arrow the weaker it is and the heavier the point the weaker it is. An arrow spined for 25-30 pounds and then cut down to 24 inches with a light target point is stiffer than an arrow spined 45-50 pounds but 34 inches long and with a 125gr. field point.

If you buy arrows, make sure they are of good quality. Research the manufacturer or maker and if you make them yourself, don’t rush or cut corners. Some archers give up the sport after an arrow breaks. It’s that jarring and frightening. Always inspect arrows before shooting them. Flex them in your hands and if they creak, make noises or crack, don’t shoot them.

The main thing to pay attention to when purchasing arrows is what they are fletched with. Fletching is the arrow’s method of guiding and steering. Feathers have been and are still preferred by many archers as they are very forgiving to shoot and lighter than plastic vanes of a similar size. Plastic vanes can also be used on arrows.

I suggest using arrows fletched with feathers as these bows are shot off the hand or a shelf. Feathers will lies flat when pressed and then spring back when pressure is released. When the feathers pass over your hand or shelf, they fold down and then come back to stabilize the arrow.

Plastic vanes on the other hand don’t fold flat down, they ripple and fold to either side as the arrow passes over. This can cause the arrow to kick off from the shelf, making it harder to stabilize. Over time the vanes can get rippled from repeated use and the rippled vane will affect the arrow’s flight as it gets more and more distorted.

Plastic vanes are lower maintenance and are less likely to be ruined by moisture and mud. Feathers require more maintenance. If they get really wet the web will bunch up and the arrow will not fly as consistently. The feathers will need to be steamed gently and then dried quickly. There are some plastic vanes available that mimic feathers enough to make they work better than other plastic vanes for arrows shot on the shelf.

Strings

Selecting bow strings is an important and often overlooked aspect especially with PVC bows. The string is just as important as any other part of a bow. In order to get the most out of your PVC bow, a properly matched string is vital. Here are a few ideas that will help when selecting strings.

A bow string is what transfers energy from the bow into an arrow. By pulling the string back, an archer loads energy into the bow’s limbs. At the same time, energy is being loaded into the string as well. If the string is too weak and cannot handle the stress of being under pressure, it will break and feed what energy was loaded into the bow back into the bow’s limbs. The string will also try to release its energy and could cause injury.

If a string is strong enough but too stretchy, it will absorb more energy than it should when the bow is drawn. This means that there is less energy stored in the bow’s limbs. When this happens, efficiency is reduced.

When the string is released and the bow’s limbs begin to snap back, the energy that was loaded into them goes back into the string. Since a good string can’t hold much energy, the string begins to put it somewhere. If there is an arrow on the string, the string puts energy into the arrow and the arrow will accelerate. If there is no arrow on the string, the string will feed the bow’s energy back into itself.

If the string is too weak, it will break just as the arrow leaves the bow and any residual energy in the limbs feeds back into the string. If it is too flexible, the string will absorb more energy when the bow snaps back. As a result, less energy goes into the arrow and the arrow travels slower. Once the arrow leaves the string, a stretchy string will give under the residual energy of the bow’s limbs. This dissipates energy and may cause the string to hit your wrist even if the brace height is high.

When selecting a string for your bow, you want to find a string that is strong but not very stretchy. Most commercial recurve strings are made with either Dacron or low-stretch and low-creep materials like Fast Flight and Dyneema.

Dacron is a polyester, low stretch and strong. It does stretch a little, making it more forgiving on the bow while still offering lots of performance. The other blends are designed for speed and consistency. These produce a very strong and light string that uses energy more efficiently and won’t stretch from the weight of a bow.

PVC bows will work with both Dacron and modern string materials. Because modern strings have almost no give to them, string nocks need to be padded with leather or rubber to prevent the string from cutting through the nocks.

There are two different types of string commercially available. The first is called a continuous loop or endless loop string. It is a strong design that lessens string creep and stretch and offers a little more speed. The second is called a Flemish twist or Flemish splice. It is often seen on selfbows and longbows and is quieter though often a little slower than endless loop strings. The string in the bonus track is of this style.

While both have their own strengths, both will work for a string. Really it just comes down to your own personal preference.

Commercial strings are sold either by the length of the string itself from loop to loop or based on a standardized measure for bow length. To find both, you need to measure your bow. Your bow’s effective length, or nock to nock length (ntn), is the distance from one nock to the other. Use a piece of string to measure from one string nock, across the contour of the limbs and to the other nock.

This measurement will be used in place of an AMO bow length or string length. If you find strings sold by their own length, take your bow’s ntn measurement and subtract 3 to 4 inches. While not perfect, this will get your string in the general size range that can be adjusted.

If you are buying a string for a bow before building it, one way to figure out the finished ntn length would be to start with your bow’s starting pipe length. Subtract about half an inch for flattening and then however far away the nocks are from the ends of the bow. So a bow that starts out with a 48 inch pipe and nocks cut 3/4 inches in from the end will be about 46 inches ntn and use a 42 to 43 inch string.

If you do not wish to buy a commercial string, you can use nylon rope and parachute cord as a string. Keep in mind that nylon is very stretchy and can store a great deal of energy. While they won’t hurt your bow, nylon strings will rob the bow of power and speed. To get the most of your new bow, don’t skimp on the string. A paracord or rope string may seem fitting for a PVC bow as a toy and it will perform like a toy.

Using a low-stretch string on a PVC bow will bring its performance to the level of high-quality handmade bows. For instructions on making your own inexpensive yet solidly performing string, check out the bonus track at the end of the book.

Safety and Precautions

While making PVC bows is relatively safe, there are some health and safety risks involved. We’ll go over these and ways to protect yourself and work to prevent injury.

PVC pipe is made of polyvinyl chloride, a thermoplastic polymer. PVC is made from vinyl chloride monomer, which is a dangerous carcinogen. As a polymer, pure PVC is inert and safe, especially in recent years. Some older pipe can release unpolymerized vinyl chloride monomer when heated, so be sure to use pipe that is no more than 20 years old. As a general rule, I don’t use pipe older than a year.

Most white PVC plumbing pipes are composed almost entirely of PVC. There are variations among manufacturers of pipe and it can be difficult to know what is what as pipes are rated on pressure and size, not ingredients. While PVC is safe, chemicals known as plasticizers can be added to pipe to increase flexibility or give the pipe other beneficial properties.

Plasticizers are known carcinogens and some are present in PVC pipes such as electrical conduit and pipes designed for transporting corrosive materials. It is important to be very careful when handling or using these pipes as they can release harmful fumes when heated or worked with tools. Some PVC pipes contain plasticizers on the surface layers of the pipe and not throughout the pipe. It is important to always work in a well-ventilated environment. A quality respirator is highly suggested.

Even PVC pipes that do not contain plasticizers or are stable will release dioxins when incinerated or burned. Dioxins are also carcinogens and are persistent. Never burn PVC when working with it as it is not only detrimental to your health but can also cause the resulting bow to be flawed and more likely to break. As a rule, you should not be able to smell PVC when working with it. Always work in a ventilated area with fresh air and heat pipe gently.

When heated or burned, PVC can also release hydrogen chloride, which can be fatal if inhaled in large amounts. Heating PVC pipe will not release much of it, while burning it will. Avoid burning PVC at all costs.

PVC pipe is a wonderful material, but it does carry potential health risks. I’m not a scientist or doctor, but I wouldn’t work with PVC around infants, young children or women that are pregnant or nursing. I also would not sand, cut or heat PVC without adequate ventilation and protective equipment. Always use a dust mask when sanding PVC pipe.

If I’ve scared you with all this, just keep in mind that PVC is relatively safe, especially compared to other methods of building bows. Many species of wood are irritating or even lethal if sawdust is inhaled. Yew, one of the most iconic bow woods, is highly toxic. Working with solvents and synthetic resins as well as glass and carbon fibers pose a big health and safety risk. Always wear a respirator if working with spray paints or any solvents.

Be careful when heating PVC pipe. Aside from any chemical dangers, PVC pipe that is flexible enough to be formed is also hot enough to cause severe burns. Always use heat resistant gloves to handle hot PVC pipe. Don’t let softened plastic touch your skin and make sure that there is nothing flammable or volatile near your work area. Make sure to not burn or melt PVC pipe as it can stick to you and cause severe burns.

And as with any bow, PVC bows are weapons and should be treated with respect. Any bow can fail, and while PVC bows are more resilient than most, never abuse your bow. Abuse or neglecting your bow could cause it to fail which may injure you and those around you. Always make sure bystanders are a safe distance away and behind you when shooting any bow.

Never fire a bow without an arrow on the string. Never point a bow at another person, animal or object of value. Always unstring your bow and keep it in a cool, dark place when not in use. If you treat your bow with respect and build it, shoot it and maintain it with care, it will reward you with many years of service. Treat it like a fine bow worthy of respect and it will be. Treat it like a cheap toy to be beaten and abused and then fail, it will do that too. The same can be said for any wood bow as well.

Like all-wood selfbows, PVC loses flexibility when it gets cold. As the temperature drops, the plastic will become less forgiving. It can take a great deal of practice before a stable shooting cold weather bow can be made as it takes a feel of the material to get it to perform. If shooting in temperatures below freezing, try to keep the bow as warm as possible. And before shooting, take a couple half-draws to help get the bow used to bending again.

As an additional note, PVC gains speed and power as the temperature goes down. By shortening your draw an inch or so, you can retain the same speed and power as full draw in warmer climes. I find that my range of motion is also limited when it is very cold, so a shorter draw comes naturally to me.

PVC can be broken down, like all polymers, by UV light. Over time, exposure to UV light can cause the plastic to become brittle and it can break if strung or drawn. One way of knowing if a pipe is UV damaged is it will appear yellow compared to new PVC pipe. Regardless of the finish you choose or if you want to show off the raw PVC pipe, UV blocking is important. There are a few quality plastic spray paints and clear coats that have UV blockers. I always apply this under a wrapped or glued on finish and over any painted or dyed finish.

How Do PVC Bows Compare?

This is the million dollar question. How do bows made from PVC pipes compare to other traditional bows? We’ll start with some of PVC’s strengths and weaknesses and compare them to the strengths and weaknesses of other bows.

By far, one of PVC’s best attributes is its flexibility. PVC is so flexible that it can undergo large amounts of stress and deformation before failing. That means that a PVC bow can be made shorter with a longer draw than almost any other material. PVC’s flexibility also helps protect the bow from breaking and when the bow does break it is not as catastrophic as most other materials. In some cases a failure can be reversible.

Unlike most bows which need to be completely rebuilt or have parts replaced when they break, all but the most severe issues with PVC can usually be fixed easily. When a taper-flattened PVC pipe fails, most of the time it folds on itself rather than snap. A fold or collapse can be remedied by heating the afflicted area until the pipe returns to its original shape. Even breaks in a bow are not as catastrophic with PVC as other materials. Most times, a bow that has broken can be repaired with a 4 to 5 inch long sleeve of pipe heated over the fracture.

PVC pipe is resistant to water, many corrosive chemicals, humidity and rot. Unlike many traditional bow materials, PVC pipe bows can be completely immersed in water for prolonged periods without any ill effect. This makes them ideal for use in or near water where many bows could be seriously damaged. A PVC bow can be stored almost indefinitely without fear that the bow will rot, delaminate, soak up moisture or crack from being too dry.

In my opinion, the greatest attribute of PVC pipe is that it is unbelievably forgiving to the bowyer. Making good, high-performance PVC pipe bows is not easy and takes practice, but the learning curve and time spent is less than any other bowmaking technique I know of short of CNC milling. There is something surreal about making PVC pipe bows.

PVC combines many attributes into a blend that is hard to describe. It is hard and has spring, yet is flexible and supple. It is stable and retains its strength in a normal temperature range, yet with a moderate amount of heat becomes like soft rubber. It can be formed and shaped without any tools or forms. Some of my favorite PVC pipe bows were formed completely by hand, without any jigs or tools besides heat and gloved hands.

As far as weaknesses go, PVC is so flexible that it lacks recovery speed to a large extent. PVC is flexible and supple compared to wood, fiberglass and carbon fiber. The less a material will flex while still resisting breakage, the faster it will return to its original position when flexed and released. The fastest traditional bows are often just at the edge of failure whenever drawn. In order to even come close to performing like a more stressed and inflexible material, PVC pipe must be made short to compensate for this discrepancy.

Another downside to PVC is that plastic degrades and fatigues when flexed. It is also subject to being weakened and made brittle from exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light. The shorter the bow, the more it needs to flex. The shorter the bow, the faster it will degrade, though with daily shooting most PVC pipe bows can last for years if they are taken care of.

PVC pipe bows are slow by today’s standards. Many modern recurve bows shoot well over 200 feet per second with a matched arrow. The fastest single pipe bows just barely scratch the 200 fps barrier, with fast bows ranging from 160 to 180 fps and most in the 130 to 150 fps range. Youth and children bows are even slower than that. The bows in this book hover in the 110 to 150 fps range.

While these numbers aren’t staggering, they are amazing to me. One of my early bows was a selfbow made from guava wood. It took a day to strip and split the sapling and 6 months to season the wood enough to start building a bow. Initial shaping and shaving with a sharp drawknife took days. Just tillering the bow from no brace to full draw took two afternoons. Finishing the bow took another couple days for the finish to dry. For all that time and all that work, the bow shot at only 120 fps.

It was an amazing experience and I don’t regret it or the countless other bows I’ve built in that way. For me there still is nothing like teaching a fallen tree to bend and build a bow from a living stave. Yet it floors me that a beginner investing a couple hours of time could easily build a bow that could outperform a wooden bow. Even my fastest selfbows are still below 170 fps, a speed I regularly exceed with PVC pipe.

Stacked against modern bows, PVC bows don’t compare unless you also compare length. The shortest bows are not very efficient, and PVC is on par with most fiberglass laminated bows at equal length. A well made PVC bow will match or exceed most solid fiberglass bows. The main point to remember is that this is a bow you can possibly build in a single afternoon without any specialty tools or years of experience and it will still have solid performance.

Chapter Two – Tools

While building PVC pipe bows isn’t incredibly tool intensive, there are a couple of tools that are needed. At the heart of it, only a heat source, flattening jig and a cutting tool are needed to make a dependable and serviceable bow.

Here are a few basic groups of tools that are very useful as well as some that can easily make the work go very fast. The most important tool, a heat source, can be found in most homes or can be easily obtained inexpensively. All the other tools can be found used or new as well as improvised.

Keep in mind that tools of any kind can be dangerous, so be careful. When heating pipe, work in a ventilated area. It also helps to wear an organic vapor respirator. Always wear a dust mask when cutting or sanding PVC pipe and use gloves when working with heat or sharp tools.

Heat Source

The first and most important tool you’ll need is a heat source. It will be used for flattening and forming PVC. It can also be used to tweak and fix your bow later when its being broken in and adjusted.

A heat source can be just about anything that gives off at least 300 degrees F. The most controllable are heat guns (rated to at least 1,000 degrees F) and cook-tops whether they be gas or electric. Torches, grills and open fires can also be used, but extra care needs to be taken to avoid burning the pipe. Filling the pipe with hot sand or immersing in boiling water work very quickly but these are very dangerous methods.

Cutting

PVC is an easy to cut material, so most saws and tools for wood or metal can also be used on PVC. A saw or PVC cutting tool like the one above will be used to cut lengths of pipe as well as for minor clipping and shaping of nocks and PVC pieces.

The saw at the top is actually a tile saw, a carbide coated metal wire in a hacksaw frame. This type of saw is ideal for PVC as it does not clog and it can be used for everything from cutting lengths, cutting tapers, forming all types of nocks and used as a file for rough work. A rotary tool can be used for similar applications.

Grinding and Shaping

Files and sandpaper are invaluable for shaping nocks, points and tapers. They will even help make quick work of flattening edges of arrow rests and such.

A tile saw or nock file will be used to cut string grooves in nocks. A nock file is simply a rat-tail or round file that is about 1/8 of an inch in diameter. Sandpaper can be rolled up into a 1/8 inch thick tube as a substitute for a tile saw or nock file.

Power Tools (Optional)

Here is a picture of my most-used power tools. The band saw on the left is used for everything a a fine saw could be used for. The miter saw is used almost exclusively for cutting lengths of pipe and occasionally for cutting angles for nocks. The little belt sander does all the rough grinding and sanding work.

While I use these tools often enough to mention them, they aren’t needed. Most of the work I do is done with hand-tools anyway. Always wear a respirator and eye protection when using power tools on PVC as they generate heat and produce fine dust.

Recurve Forms

Recurving, or bending the tips of the bow forward, is simple to do with PVC. While a basic recurving jig could be made, a simple way of recurving can be done with any cylinder of the right diameter. Pots, cans, trash cans, barrels and tires all make excellent forms for getting a good curve in your bow’s limbs.

For the type of recurves we’ll be doing, a form with a diameter equal to the length of tip being recurved is ideal. This allows the recurve to almost curve back towards the bow. This helps maximizes the speed recurves impart. In a pinch, recurves can be set by eye.

Chapter Three – Flattening Jig

The key to getting optimum performance out of a single length of PVC pipe is by flattening the bow into a smooth taper. The key to getting an even taper is the use of a flattening jig. This jig is just one of many variations that can be done.

It’s my favorite style of jig as it allows the pipe to be heated and flattened on the same surface. Using a rigid board also allows the jig to be clamped, allowing for repeatable results every time.

The jig is simple, a longer 2x4 on the bottom with a shorter 2x4 on top. A spacer block in between ensures that the handle section of the bow is thicker than the rest of it. Once a heated pipe is placed in the jig and weight or pressure applied, the angle the spacer block makes ensures an even taper.

The jig itself can be modified and adjusted to make it easier to use. The shorter and longer side can be separated if the single long jig is awkward or takes up too much space. If cutting the jig in half or only building one half of the jig, the jig can work with or without the flattening board. To do this, heat the pipe on a flat surface like a floor or workbench and then place the jig base on top of it, upside down.

Start with a 2x4, 8 feet long. Make sure the board is straight and free of any large knots or holes. Small or dense knots are okay. Cut off one 3-foot length, leaving the other length 5 feet long. The longer board will be the jig base and the shorter board will be the flattening board.

From one edge (it doesn’t matter which), measure 24 and 30 inches. Mark a line at each measurement. You will use these to line the pipe up to the jig when flattening.

Here’s what the board looks like now. The 30 inch mark should be the center point of the board.

Cut four spacer blocks. The shorter blocks should be roughly 3/4 inches wide and deep and exactly 3/4 inches tall. Place these on the 24 inch mark side. The taller blocks should also be 3/4 inches wide but 1 inch tall. Place these on the 30 inch mark side.

Glue the blocks into place. Make sure the taller blocks are on the longer side and the shorter blocks are on the shorter side. Keep them on the inside of the lines.

Here’s the finished base of the flattening jig. It gives a nice solid base for heating and forming bows as well.

To use the jig for flattening 3/4 inch pipe, place the flattening board on the shorter side.

When flattening 1 inch pipe, place the flattening board on the longer side.

Chapter Four – Youth Recurve

One of the main draws to building a bow from PVC pipe is the price. Compared to other methods of building bows, PVC is a much more economical choice in regards to money and time spent. This makes PVC an excellent option for young and beginner archers of all ages.

Designed for shorter lengths of draw and lighter draw weights, this bow is great for young archers just interested in the sport. It is also a good way to exercise and build up to a heavier bow if you are new to archery or are recovering from injury.

This bow is simple in its shape and form while delivering balanced efficiency, power and speed. It is also a very simple bow to build and makes for a great weekend project. It is light and compact as well as smooth to draw and forgiving to shoot.

As is, this bow makes a great backyard shooting bow and is perfect for the budding instinctive traditional archer. By adding a rest and making it center-shot like the snakey recurve, this bow is consistent, accurate and forgiving enough to excel at target shooting and other forms of archery.

Design

The youth recurve is the basis for the other bows in this book. It is also a solid foundation for your own experiments and projects. Since the methods and steps involved in building this bow apply to many different bows this design section will go over these aspects as well as how to adjust this bow design for younger archers or for light weight practice.

Thickness Tapering

The first design element that really sets all these bows apart from being a simple PVC pipe with a string is the taper in the limbs. In chapter one we went over how a bow that flexes in many places is more efficient than one that does not. In a PVC bow, thickness tapering is key.

The flattening jig and the general guideline of flattening the limbs to the same as the bow’s inner diameter do a few subtle things. First, they lower the potential strength of the bow by reducing stress more than is absolutely necessary. If the bow is kept thicker throughout, more power can be obtained.

Yet by weakening the whole bow it is made more resilient and resistant to breakage than if it were being pushed to its limits. This also allows the handle to be made considerably thicker and therefore stiffer than the rest of the bow. This helps lower handshock and virtually eliminates the chances of the handle breaking by moving the point of weakness away and into the limbs.

This method of flattening also sets the stage for any additional adjustments. A bow straight off the flattening jig will work much like a longbow with almost all of the bow working. From here the bow can be made thinner or thicker in places to increase or draw out strength allowing this simple form to be modified into almost any historical or imagined configuration.

Taper flattening also has the benefit of stabilizing the bow. A fully round pipe cannot maintain true recurves for very long because it is dimensionally stable. This means that any force affects the whole structure equally. By flattening the pipe, one plane is made stronger than the other. While a flattened PVC bow will flex easily up and down, it resists side to side motion, giving the bow a stable base for recurves and making side to side bends possible.

And when it comes to getting the most in terms of speed and performance, a recurve is a great advantage.

Recurving

A recurve is a curve in the tip of a bow away from the archer. A true recurved bow is one that has the string rolled over onto the tips of the bow at brace. A bow that looks like a recurve but does not have the string rolled over the tips at brace is not really a recurve but a reflexed bow.

Recurving a bow does a few things. But first, there are two different types of recurve, working and static. A static recurve holds its shape and does not unfurl when the bow is drawn. A working recurve will actually unfurl when the bow is drawn back and the tip may appear to have lost its recurve while at full draw.

A static recurve will not flex when the bow is drawn, stress is concentrated lower towards the bow’s limb. A working recurve will flex when the bow is drawn, reducing overall stress and causing the limb to elongate.

A static recurve works like a lever. The string rolls off of it during the draw and then rolls back onto it when released. This rolling action increases speed as the string returns to rest on the limbs and then the tips roll. A static recurve that keeps limb contact with the string at all times will be very quiet.

A working recurve works like a spring. The bow stores energy at two separate times that can overlap. The first happens when the string lifts off the recurves as the tip unfurls. Once the string is clear of the tips, the rest of the bow follow, storing most of the bow’s energy. When the bow is fired, the limbs snap back to rest and then the recurves give a little extra boost as they snap back to rest. Because of this slapping action, working recurves can be a little more noisy and the string could possibly cause cracks from striking the limbs repeatedly.

While working recurves can be done with PVC, they are quite tricky to get balanced and smooth in the draw. Static recurves are much easier to do with PVC than most other materials. It’s a combination of the last few inches of limb not bending anyway and the 90 degree curve of the static recurve that keeps it non bending.

A recurve will do a couple things to a bow. First it shortens the effective length of the bow and puts the bow under more strain at brace. This means that the recurve sort of ‘pre-loads’ the bow with energy. This can make a bow heavier and faster.

Recurves also make drawing a bow easier. Short bows can be uncomfortable to draw because of the angle the string makes when you hold it at full draw. Recurves help keep the string angle a little wider, making them more comfortable on the fingers. This also helps your consistency because a hard angle can cause string pinch on your fingers. This can make the string hang up on your fingers when you release, fouling the shot.

Changing Draw Weight

This bow is fairly low weight, though it may be too much for some to start with, especially younger children. By using 1/2 inch pipe instead of 3/4 inch pipe, a lighter version of this bow can be made. It will be around 20 pounds at 28 inches and as little as 5 pounds at a 22 inch draw.

Another option for lowering weight is to lengthen the bow. The longer the bow the less stress it is under, though it will also carry more weight and be less efficient. While less efficient, it is more important to make a bow that is safe. If you can achieve the same weight with a longer bow it is safer to choose the longer bow.

Increasing the weight of a bow can be done by either shortening the bow or going up to the next pipe size. Every time you shorten a bow, its chances of breaking or failing goes up. Different pipes can take different levels of stress. The snakey recurve in chapter 6 is a good example of this. That is why the safe length for 1 inch pipe is about a foot more than 3/4 in pipe.

Build Overview

This bow that we’re making is great for teens or women, though most men will find it a good starter bow to figure out the finer points of making a PVC bow. Even the snakey recurve, a hunting-weight bow, is based on this design.

We’ll start with a 48 inch long Schedule 40 PVC pipe. After flattening and applying static recurves, the bow will end up around 30-35 pounds at a 26 inch draw. At a 24 inch draw this bow will be roughly 25 pounds. At a full 28 inch draw, this bow will get around 40 pounds which is a good starting weight for most larger men.

The tips or string nocks on this bow are simple and called pin nocks. Pin nocks work great and allow commercial string nocks to fit onto the bow. Just keep in mind that the static recurve keeps the tips of the bow pointed up and down at full draw. A string could slip off a bow with pin nocks that isn’t recurved or at least flipped forward in the nocks.

As far as finishing goes, this bow will be covered in duct tape. Duct tape, while it can be tacky (both in looks and to the touch), makes a great covering to protect your bow. If a bow is going to be potentially dropped or scraped, duct tape can help to keep any scratches from getting to the plastic underneath. It’s also a great way to customize the look of your bow and is something kids can do that doesn’t involve harsh chemicals.

The bow itself should end up at around 46 inches ntn, 47.5 inches unstrung. When strung it should be 43 inches from tip to tip. It will use a string that is 42 to 43 inches long depending on your personal brace height. Without further ado, let’s get started.

Start with a 3/4 inch schedule 40 PVC pipe. For this bow without modifications, the pipe will be 48 inches long. Mark the center of the pipe.

Here’s the center of the pipe. Mark 2 inches away from the center on both sides. This will be your handle and set the boundaries for flattening.

Mark 6 inches in from both ends. This will set how far in the recurves will go. 6 inches is a good measure for bows shorter than 55 inches and 9 inches for bows that are longer.

With the bow marked, begin heating one half of the pipe from past the center mark to the tip to prepare for flattening. One method for heating, which works well for any stationary heat source like a stove top or an open flame, is to pass the pipe slowly over the heat source.

Keep the pipe moving to avoid burns. If burns do form, leave the area to avoid exposure to fumes. Always keep the pipe moving as even slight burns could break the bow.

Another method, which works well for directable heat sources like heat guns and torches, is to pass the heat source over the pipe. Done over a poor conductor of heat like wood, it has the added benefit of heating the pipe faster as less heat is lost to air.

Pass the heat source over the pipe, turn the pipe a 1/4 turn and repeat.

Once the pipe starts to droop like this, it is getting close to being soft enough. At this point, be very careful as touching the soft pipe can cause painful burns. If you need to handle the pipe, use heat resistant gloves or a hot pad.

Keep heating the pipe until you can flatten each section with hand pressure.

Once the pipe is soft enough that every section can be flattened with light pressure, it is ready to be placed in the jig. Line the outer handle mark, the one 2 inches from the center of the bow, with the line on the jig. Make sure the pipe is straight.

Quickly place the flattening board onto the pipe. The flattening board will start at the center mark of the handle in order to maintain an even taper. If the pipe is soft enough, it should take only fifty pounds of pressure to flatten. This can be done by standing on the flattening board or using clamps. While the clamps in the picture are hand clamps, screw-type clamps allow more pressure to be applied.

After the pipe has been allowed to cool, remove the flattening board. There should be a steady taper from the center of the bow to the tip. If there are any uneven spots or the back looks wrinkled, reheat the limb and clamp it again.

From the side, this is the proper taper. The tip should be noticeably flatter than the handle in a smooth taper. If the bow is completely flat or the tip is thicker than the handle, the bow will be too weak and may break. If this happens, reheat the limb and re-flatten. The very ends of the tip should just touch together. The rest of the bow should be completely hollow.

Sight down the limb of the bow. Most times, the limb will be a little crooked. Find the area that is bending the most. In this case, it’s the section near the center on the handle side.

Heat the crooked area of limb gently and evenly. The pipe will become slightly pliable before it begins puffing back up to its original shape. Right when it is soft enough to bend, flex it gently against the curve to straighten the limb. If the limb does start to deform, place it back into the flattening jig after ensuring it is straight.

This amount of crookedness is acceptable. PVC is very forgiving of slight imperfections. It is not important for the handle to be straight now as that will be fixed next. Just make sure that the limb itself is mostly in-line with itself.

With both limbs flattened, pass the handle section over your heat source. Heat the entire handle section plus one inch over on each side evenly until the pipe returns to its original shape.

Once it is soft enough, the handle will revert to this shape. It may take a little time, but just keep the pipe moving and don’t hold it in one spot for too long. Burns in the handle will weaken the bow and may cause it to break. Gentle heating here is important.

Once the handle is flexible, press the handle from the sides while the pipe is on a flat surface like a board. This gives the handle a more comfortable grip while also strengthening the handle and reducing its ability to flex. Keep pressing and moving as the pipe will want to spring back. Once it begins to set, check it to make sure it’s shaping up properly.

From the belly side, you can see the difference in width from the handle to the limbs. The four inch handle section should be fairly uniform with a gentle taper for about an inch on both sides. The handle should be about 1 inch wide.

When pressing the handle into shape, be sure to keep even pressure and not press too hard at the edges of the handle. You want a smooth transition from handle to limb like the picture above. If there is a sharp crease here, the handle could fold when the bow is strung up or drawn. If there are any creases or if the handle does fold over, just re-heat the creased section gently and re-form it. Re-forming pipe will not weaken it if done gently.

Once the handle sets but the plastic is still slightly soft, sight down the bow like this. If the handle wasn’t straight or if the limbs were twisted before, you can correct this now by flexing the handle gently until the limbs line up.

Here’s the bow after flattening and handle shaping. From here we will form the recurves. If you want a bow without a recurve or want to try your own variations on bow shape, this is the base shape to build upon. If strung up now, the bow would be a forgiving and sweet shooter.

To form our recurves, we will need our heat source and a form. For this bow a 6 inch diameter pot will be used for the 6 inch long recurve.

Heat the tip from the end to the six inch mark. Keep heating until the tip begins to droop slightly. Stop heating the tip and let the heat soak in to prevent the tip losing its flattened cross section.

Bend the tip of the bow around the form by holding the tip against the form and pulling the bow around until the marked are touches the form. The plastic will very hot, so a hot pad or heat resistant glove should be worn.

Alternatively, the tip can be clamped into place if the form you are using is hollow. This allows greater control over the curve. If the tip is not bending smoothly, gentle heat can be applied while the tip is on the form. Notice how the outside curve of the tip is slightly concave or sloped inward. This will help keep the string from slipping off the bow when the bow is strung and shot.

Repeat on the other limb and then sight down the bow. The recurves should line up with each other. If they do not, gently heat the base of the recurve and bend it from side to side until the tips line up across the bow.

Here’s the bow recurved and ready for nocks. Take some time to make sure that both recurves are identical. They should each be roughly 90 degree curves. At this point the bow will look a lot like a steel curtain rod.

Lay out the nock. This style of nock is called a pin nock and is a simple way to allow a commercial string loop fit over the wide tip of the bow. The pin is 3/4 of an inch long and 1/2 an inch wide. The nock needs to be centered or the recurves won’t line up properly when the bow is strung and the limbs may twist.

Cut the nock free with a saw. This tip was cut with a PVC cutter and finished up with a file. Once the pin nock is cut out, sand or file the string contact edges to help keep the bowstring from fraying.

On the belly side of the nock, file or sand two grooves to help the string track better.

To improve the look and performance of the bow a little, cut or grind the edges down to a point. This is about as much material as you want to remove, as the tip will lose strength if the edges are cut through too far.

You can see the gap from where the edges of the pipe were cut through. This is about as far as you should go or the nock may snap or collapse permanently.

Finish up the nock on the other limb and then the bow is ready to be strung for the first time.

There are many ways to string a bow. Because of how short and how radically recurved these bows are, the step through method is one of the safest methods. These instructions are for right-handers, so if you are a lefty, reverse the directions.

To begin, loop the lower string loop onto the bottom nock. Brace the back side of the lower recurve against your left leg, holding the inside curve of the other recurve in your right hand and the string loop in your left.

Step over the bow with your right leg and brace the back of your knee against the handle of the bow.

Hold your knee against the bow’s handle while pushing the bow limb forward with your right hand. Bring the string loop up to the nock, preparing to slip it onto the bow.

Twist your upper body slightly for increased leverage, flexing the bow inward and downward. Slip the string into the nock and make sure the string is tracking along both recurves evenly before releasing pressure.

Once the bow is strung up it will be at what is called brace. The distance between the string and bow handle, or brace height, will be anywhere from 6 to 8 inches. As you shoot your bow, you will find the brace height that best suits you.

Looking at the bow while at brace, one limb will usually be bending more than the other. This limb will be the top limb, as the lower limb needs to be slightly stiff.

Here’s the bow at a full 26 inch draw. At this length the bow will pull approximately 30 to 35 pounds. Notice how the limbs even out when the bow is drawn and the string is still just resting on the ends of the recurves.

Here’s the bow at 28 inches. While it is capable of being drawn this far, it is overdrawn. You can see that the string is fully off of the tips and the limbs seem to be almost stretched out. At 28 inches this bow pulls around 40 pounds.

Here’s the bow at a higher brace, just to bring out the limb imbalance. You can see that the right limb, which is the top limb, is bending more than the other. This is what the bow should look like. If one limb is bending much more than the other, it can be fixed by heating the weaker limb and letting it puff up enough to match the other limb. Check out the next chapter for fixing this problem.

Sight down the bow at brace to ensure that the string tracks straight down both recurves and through the center of the bow. Both recurves should still line up at brace. If they don’t, file the string notch a little deeper on the side that the string is leaning towards.

The string loop should sit evenly and level on the nock. Round the shoulders of the nock so that the string loop wraps smoothly around the nock.

The string should track down the center of the limb on the recurve. If your recurve is not concave but is rounded and the string keeps slipping, you can file or sand a shallow groove down the center of the recurve so the string can track properly.

Enjoy your youth recurve! Once it’s been strung and shot the pipe will permanently flex and set into this slight deflex. The bow can be used as-is or can be finished and have an arrow rest put on it. A spray of UV resistant clear coat will help keep UV damage at a minimum if you don’t wish to finish it up.

Either way, it’s a good idea to shoot the bow at least a hundred times or so before completely finishing it up so that any adjustments and fixes can be made first.

A quick and durable finish perfect for youth bows and bows that may get thrown around is duct tape. It comes in a variety of colors, so let your imagination run wild. This is also a great way to personalize your bow. This is just one possible way of taping a bow. The back of the bow has one strip of tape running from the bases of the two recurves.

The belly of the bow is covered in two separate strips and the handle is covered in one strip. The bow is decorated with alternating black and silver tape bands. As a side note, be sure to use heavy duct tape as very thin tape will peel off and tear apart with time and use.

The tip is covered in thin strips of tape to work around the curves and into the nock. A flexible tape like cohesive bandage or vinyl tape helps to smooth out this area nicely.

The black band to the left is on the upper side of the handle. It is wrapped five layers thick to protect the bow from arrow wear. The arrow will pass over the tape rather than gouge into the side of the bow. The other strip is just there to add symmetry to the handle.

Chapter Five – Horse Bow

Archers on horseback have been feared for thousands of years. Mounted archery has shaped nations and cultures around the world. Today, a modern interest in horseback archery has increased the need for a bow suitable for students of this ancient art.

Simple in its design and made of only PVC pipe, this horse bow is a great bow for training in the use of a traditional Asiatic recurve bow. Like many bows preferred for mounted archery, this bow has a rounded handle, can be made without a shelf and can be shot on either side of the bow.

This bow is just one style that lends itself to archery on horseback. It is short and compact yet draws and releases smoothly. Its recurved tips are shaped like traditional siyahs with a string bridge that helps the string track and prevents any accidental unstringing.

Even if you don’t have a horse, this bow is a good introduction to short bows. It is smooth drawing up to 30 inches and shoots consistently.

Deflexing

A deflex is a bend towards the archer. While a PVC bow may gain some deflex naturally, bending deflex into the limbs from the beginning has some effects. First, the inner limbs have to do less work to get the bow strung and pulled to full draw. This forces the outer limbs to flex more than they normally would.

Combined with recurves, a bow like this overcomes the loss in efficiency that deflexed limbs can cause. Deflexed limbs are also more forgiving to shoot and help to cut down on hand shock even in very short bows. Without recurves, a deflexed bow stores less initial energy. Where reflexing and recurving load a bow with energy when braced, a deflexed bow cuts down the amount of energy in the bow at brace.

In general, deflexes draw stress away from the area they are applied. A handle that is deflexed is under little stress and is very stable. Combined with reflexed limbs, a bow like this can be drawn smoothly with little stack and have almost no handshock.

Reflexing

A reflex is a bend away from the archer. A recurve is essentially a type of reflex. A reflexed handle puts the bow under more stress. It draws stress toward the center of the bow, making for a bow with more handshock while greatly increasing speed. A bow with a highly reflexed handle and no recurves can be just as fast if not faster than a recurved bow with a handle that is not reflexed.

Reflexes generally increase stress where they are applied. If a reflex is applied to the limbs of a bow, the bow will already have some energy pre-loaded into it. While this won’t give the bow an extra boost at the end of the draw cycle like recurves do, it will increase speed.

Siyahs and String Bridges

The reflexed composite bows of Asia which have become known collectively and perhaps mistakenly as horse bows are the basis for this bow. Most of these bows had static tips of wood, often reinforced with horn and bone. Some were recurved, some were reflexed. Either way, these stiff tips added speed by acting as levers and concentrating stress towards the middle of the limbs.

These tips are known as siyahs or bow ears. While they varied in size and length, they all served the same purpose. Some were quite extreme and required aids to keep the string aligned and on the bow while the bow was strung and shot. On some bows, a large string loop would straddle the siyah and stabilize it. On others, the string would run down the belly side of the siyah.

If the string contacted the belly side of the siyah, the constant striking could damage the bow. And even slight torque on the bow could cause the bow to unstring itself. String bridges are pads of various materials that serve to solve these problems.

Some are simple pads designed to protect the bow’s limbs. Some help keep the string aligned while at brace and after the shot is taken. Yet others are designed to cause the string to snap into place rather than roll smoothly onto the siyahs.

Build Overview

Based on the youth recurve, this bow starts out a little different. Instead of a 48 inch pipe, this bow starts with 50 inches for the added draw length. Other than that, the base of this bow is flattened and recurved in the same way.

We will be deflexing both limbs evenly and then reflexing the handle. This will give the bow a smoother, more efficiently working limb set for a longer draw. The recurves and the reflex in the handle will help pre-load the bow and add speed. This also keeps the string taught at brace, which makes nocking easier.

The tips of the bow will be formed into stiff siyahs that have string bridges formed into them. The stiff siyahs will allow part of the tip to be cut away and shaped to form the string bridges. A lighter tip will help bring up speed and lower handshock. The string bridges will keep the string tracking along the siyahs and also hold the string in place to prevent any accidental unstringing even if the bow is thrown or dropped.

We’ll be painting and dying the bow. To replicate the look of an Asiatic composite bow, which often had animal horn on the belly of the bow, the belly will be finished with dyes to mimic the look of horn. The back will be painted with spray paint and finished with a web pattern reminiscent of reptile skin.

The bow itself should end up at around 48 inches ntn, 49.5 inches unstrung. When strung it should be 44 inches from tip to tip. It will use a string that is 43 to 44 inches long depending on your personal brace height. I suggest a slightly higher brace height to help lessen paradox and make nocking easier.

The horse bow starts out with a 3/4 inch PVC pipe, 50 inches long. Flatten and recurve the bow in the same way as the youth recurve in the last chapter.

Starting with the flattened and recurved bow, find something curved to exert pressure on and a heat source. Each limb will be heated and curved into a gradual deflex.

Starting from the handle, heat a two inch section up just until it gets soft enough to bend without collapsing the area.

Take the heated section and just barely flex it towards the belly side. Continue heating and bending the bow every two inches. Stop right before reaching the base of the recurve.

The bow should end up looking something like this. If the bow is placed on a board back side down with the tips of the recurves touching the board, the tips should line up with the handle.

You can see how the tips line up with the handle. Get the curves as even as possible. Later on they can be adjusted and balanced.

Heat the handle gently, concentrating the heat within the four inch handle. When the handle is soft enough to flex, bend the bow forward toward the back of the bow, imparting some reflex.

The tips of the bow should extend about four inches in front of the handle. The handle should be comfortable to hold and not flexed too far forward.

Now that the main shaping is finished, the nocks will be reshaped. From here the bow’s nocks could also be shaped like the youth recurve or the snakey recurve.

Heat the end of the bow up so that about 2/3 of the tip puffs up to its original shape.

While pressing the very tip together sideways with a hot pad or heat resistant gloves, bend the recurve against the form. Use the same form that was used to create the recurve.

After the recurve cools, mark the tip of the bow 1/2 an inch from the forward edge. Draw a curved and sloping line 1 and 1/2 inches down. This will form a nock small enough for a string loop to fit on.

Cut along the lines and then sand the edges smooth. Make sure to keep the edge on the bulge sharp as it will become a string bridge after some shaping.

With a round file or sandpaper wrapped around a dowel or arrow shaft, grind a groove into the belly side of the bulge. The groove should be deep enough to cut into the inside of the pipe for 1 and 1/2 inches. The whole groove is 2 inches long.

Measure 3/4 inches down from the tip of the bow and cut a 1/8 inch diameter groove for the string to sit in. It should be fairly deep so that the string stays in place at full draw.

With fine sandpaper, sand the outside edges of the groove and round all sharp edges on the nock.

Gently heat the edges of the groove until they are pliable. Press them to the side, opening the groove up so that the string will rest in the groove and return to the groove after the bow is shot.

The bulge should now be about 1 inch wide. This will catch the string and return it to the string groove. It will also protect the string, keeping the bow from accidentally unstringing itself.

Here’s the bow at brace. The string just sits in the string grooves. The top limb is noticeably weaker than the bottom limb, which will help the bow even out at longer draws.

At a full 30 inch draw the limbs are much more even. The limbs look a little over stretched and the bow pulls 35 to 40 pounds. This bow is well suited to anchoring below the jaw.

At 28 inches, the bow pulls 30 to 35 pounds. It is a lighter weight bow, allowing for a smooth draw while still being very short and maneuverable.

At brace the top limb is noticeably weaker than the bottom. This is the limit of how unbalanced a bow should be.

One way to correct an imbalance is to look at both limbs of the bow. If one limb is thinner in a spot, it will be weaker. Here is a thin spot.

Gently heat the thin spot until it begins to puff up. With a wet rag or towel, press on the heated spot, making sure it comes up to a thickness equal to the opposite limb but not too thick. This method can also be used to fix collapsed or folded limbs.

After any limb adjustments, sight down the bow to make sure the recurves line up.

After being strung and shot at full draw, the bow will settle down to its final shape. The tips should stay ahead of the handle for a little extra speed from the bow.

Sand the belly of the bow to remove all markings and lettering where the faux horn belly will be applied. Start with 80 to 100 grit sandpaper and finish with at least 220 for a smooth but slightly grippy surface that will hold the finish.

Apply a strip of masking tape the width of your faux horn belly from the base of one recurve to the other.

Here’s the masking tape applied to the belly of the bow. Lining the tape up perfectly on the handle may be difficult, so extra pieces of tape may be needed to smooth it out.

Following the manufacturer’s instructions, apply a dark base coat to the entire bow. In this case, a flat black. A dark base coat will help block out UV light and will also help keep the bow warm in sunlight, which will help prevent breakage.

In order to create a faux snakeskin effect, stretch a fine mesh fishnet stocking over the bow. You may get some strange looks buying the stockings especially if you are a guy. Explaining that it’s for a project may get even stranger looks.

When the stocking is simply stretched over the bow, the mesh is long and thin. It is also loose in places.

By pulling on the belly side of the stocking, the mesh is widened to form diamond shapes. The mesh also holds tighter to the surface of the bow.

A strip of tape sticking to itself through the mesh or a clip of some kind can hold the stocking under tension while the bow is being painted.

Secure the stocking on the belly side of the bow in enough places to put a good amount of tension on the stocking on the back of the bow. Try to keep the tape or clips within the boundaries of the masking tape so that the bow can be painted all the way up to the tape.

Spray the top coat on the bow, careful to keep the spray directly above the mesh to avoid obscuring the lines. The top coat can be any color. Here it is a dark green for a very subtle effect and to keep the bow warm and elastic in sunlight.

Remove the stocking after the top coat is dry to the touch. Make sure to remove it before the paint fully cures or the stocking may peel some paint away.

Here’s a close-up of the finish.

Now it’s time to start on the belly of the bow. Peel the masking tape from the bow, careful to get all the adhesive off the belly.

For the faux horn belly, you will need black and brown shoe polish. Liquid works best as it dries into a flexible film and does not crack and peel like solid wax polish can. Optionally, a low-powered heat source like a heat gun on low or a hair dryer will quickly dry the polish between coats.

Wipe the belly of the bow down with a damp cloth to clear off any dust that may get trapped under the finish and make it bumpy.

Apply a coat of black shoe polish. Allow the polish to dry, or use the heat source to gently speed up the process.

Horn can come in many different shades from honey to jet black, so continue applying coats of polish until the bow is a good color.

Once the belly is dark enough, apply one coat of brown. This adds depth and character to the black dye and really makes the finish stand out.

Once the paint and dye are completely dry, spray the whole bow down with clear coat or oil-based clear finish. This will help protect the finish as well as keep the shoe polish from scratching off as easily.

This bow is very subtle, especially on the belly. Making a lighter belly with a dark base coat or dark belly with a light base coat will give more contrast and help the faux horn stand out.

By varying the amount of stretch in the stocking, different patterns can be made like the wide mesh on this tip created by overstretching the stocking.

The variation in tension between areas that were taped and the intermediary spots gives the illusion of movement and depth to the finish.

Chapter Six – Snakey Recurve

One of the most unusual styles of selfbow is the snakey bow. These bows test the skill of the bowyer as they begin with wood that is crooked and wavy. They follow the curves and bends of the tree they were cut from and the result is often stunning.

Snakey bows range from light waves to sharp bends and turns. Some have handles that are angled. This gives the handle an ergonomic cant and moves the handle to the side while still keeping balance from tip to tip.

Bows like that are accurate and forgiving, because like their modern cousins with cut past center shelves, these bows allow an arrow to rest on the center line. They are also rare and very difficult to build. Yet because of the ease in which PVC is shaped with heat, replicating even extreme curves is straightforward.

The snakey recurve has just enough sideways bend in the handle that it is truly a center shot bow without having a shelf cut into it. This design is ideal for the target archer and bowhunter as it is accurate and forgiving. At 45 to 55 pounds of draw weight and under 4 and 1/2 feet long when strung, this bow is ideal for both stalking on the ground or perched in a treestand.

The different string angles that are formed depending on how close to center the arrow is. The first and second pictures of each of the 3 sequences is the bow at brace. The third picture is at full draw.

Off Center, Center and Past Center

One of the most important aspects when dealing with the accuracy of a bow is arrow spine. Spine, or the stiffness of an arrow, affects how much an arrow can flex. When it comes to spine, it is important because of archer’s paradox.

Look at the illustration above. The bow on the left is indicative of bows like most PVC bows and selfbows that require an arrow to curve around the handle. Archer’s paradox comes in to play here.

When a bow like this is at brace and an arrow is nocked on the string, the arrow is pushed away from center by the handle. When the bow is drawn, the angle the arrow makes diminishes. The point goes from way off-center to right next to the handle.

When aiming, the arrow appears to be right next to the handle. This is where archer’s paradox comes in. When a matched arrow is fired from such a bow, the string drives the arrow into the handle and then deflects it off the handle only to flex back and continue oscillating from side to side, following the path of the string. Since it’s the string that drives the arrow, the arrows tries to follow that path.

If an arrow is too stiff, it will deflect off the handle and go off to the side of the bow it is placed. With a right handed archer, this is to the left. If an arrow is too weak, it will wrap around the handle of the bow too far and end up traveling to the right (left for left handed archers).

Because the difference in angle between brace and full draw is so extreme, the amount of flex needed to compensate is also extreme. In order to lessen the effects of paradox, many bows have shelves or rests cut into the bow to bring the arrow closer to center.

The second picture shows a bow that is aligned to center. This means the side of the handle lines up with the string. An arrow placed on the bow will make a very slight angle off of the center line. When drawn, the arrow gets very close to being flat along the center line. When the arrow is fired, there is little correction needed. This means the arrow does not have to be perfectly spined.

In the third picture, you can see the arrow lines up straight along the handle both at brace and at full draw. An arrow fired from this bow, which is actually aligned so that the arrow rests on the center line, will be affected the least by archer’s paradox. The arrow can freely move along the line the string forces upon it, flexing only to compensate for the rear-thrust the string imparts. Arrows for this type of bow will typically be stiffer than arrows for an off center bow.

Snakey Limbs

There are few ways to bring a bow into past center alignment, allowing an arrow to sit on the center line. The first is to cut a shelf out of the bow, allowing the arrow to sit along center. The problem with this is that a solid PVC pipe bow cannot handle the stress this causes without being reinforced in some way.

Different methods of making a bow centershot.

Another method is to flex the bow sideways until the arrow clears the side of the bow. This is a techniques used on selfbows, though being out of alignment could cause PVC to fold sideways over time. At the very least, the PVC would try to correct itself and most of the effect would be lost. A snakey bow can accomplish this by retaining center alignment and not compromising the integrity of the hollow bow.

Snakey bows often resemble snakes with their serpentine curves. The severity of the snakey curves and their placement can alter the center line of the bow. Some snakey bows are just like any other bow with the curves not adding any significant advantage. Some have curves in or near the handle section that affect how center-aligned the bow is.

By replicating the side to side motion of a snakey bow, the handle can be canted sideways, allowing the arrow pass to sit just past center. When an arrow is placed on this bow, it sits at center. The bow is not weakened by cutouts or reinforced in any way. The bow also keeps this shape because the limbs still line up and are aligned through the center of the handle.

Tapered Tips

Since the majority of a PVC bow’s strength comes from its shape, the center portion of flattened sections is largely dead weight. By cutting a long V out of each end, the two ends can be brought together to form a new bow tip. While they can be reinforced with adhesives or by wrapping, the tension of the bowstring is usually enough to keep these tips together.

Tapering tips like this does not significantly weaken a bow as long as it is kept to around 6 inches on 3/4 and 1/2 bows and 9 inches for 1 inch bows. These tips make a bow a little faster as a good amount of dead weight is taken away from the ends of the bow. They also give a bow a more pleasing and traditional looking outline, a nice contrast from normal PVC bows which taper from narrow at the handle to broad at the tips.

Build Overview

This bow has a mixture of features that make it an excellent bow for hunting and fishing as well as target and field archery. It is the strongest bow in this book and also the most accurate.

It starts with a 58 inch long 1 inch schedule 40 PVC pipe. The same basic flattening as the youth recurve applies as well as recurving, though with a 9 inch form rather than a 6 inch one. The finished bow will end up around 45 to 55 pounds at 28 inches and can accommodate draws up to 30 inches.

The base will be shaped to form curves that will push the handle past center. This in turn will make this bow a centershot bow, giving it amazing accuracy and consistency. The curves also help blur the outlines of the bow, enhancing its camouflage. Tapered tips add to the bow’s appearance and speed.

A faux snakeskin finish will be applied to the bow using spray paint. The finished bow should be around 56 inches ntn and 51 inches tip to tip unstrung. It uses a 52 to 53 inch string and is around 52 inches when braced. Because of the extreme recurve, it is actually longer at brace than unstrung.

This short length makes it a very maneuverable bow while still capable of smooth draws even with heavier weights. The static recurves keep it fairly quiet and make it quite fast with a heavy arrow. The snaked past center arrow pass also allows for accurate shooting of heavy, unfletched fishing arrows.

Start with a 58 inch length of 1 inch pipe. Measure and mark the center just like the youth recurve. The handle is also 4 inches long.

Mark 9 inches in from both ends as a boundary for the recurve. 9 inches is a good length for bows over 55 inches in length.

Heat and flatten the pipe. The heating will take longer as the pipe is not only longer but also larger in diameter. Use the taller flattening blocks on the longer side of the flattening jig,

Heat and flatten the handle sideways against a flat surface. The handle should be around 1 and 1/4 inches wide.

When tapering the tip of a recurved bow, it is a good idea to lay out the taper lines on the back of the bow before the tip is recurved. The bottom of the V is the same 6 or 9 inch line for recurving. For 3/4 inch bows measure 1/4 inch in on the tips and for 1 inch bows measure 5/16 of an inch.

Heat the entire tip of the bow up to the recurving line and then recurve the tip over a form. In this case it is a 9 inch diameter pot.

Here is the flattened and recurved 1 inch bow. This bow can be used as a base to make heavier and longer versions of the youth recurve and horse bow.

To begin a tip taper, mark the back side of the recurve with a long V. The top edges are 1/4 inches from the edge on 3/4 inch bows and 5/16 inches from the edge on 1 inch bows. If the V was marked before recurving, make sure it is still even and centered.

Cut the V outline out of the recurve, making sure to cut straight through. File and sand the edges smooth to prepare for gluing.

Heat the bottom of the V just until the two sides of the tip can be pushed together. Glue the two edges together and let the glue completely cure. Heavy bodied PVC cement works very well for this. Follow all instructions on PVC glue and make sure to wear a respirator when working with solvents. Plastic epoxy putty a cleaner finish.

Once the glue is cured, sand the tip smooth and round the nock end of the bow. Heavy-bodied PVC cement is good for filling gaps. Epoxy putty can also be used.

Measure 3/4 inches down from the end and cut string grooves at a 45 degree angled down towards the belly of the bow.

On the belly of the bow, file or sand the string grooves to help the string track. The string grooves should be only deep enough for the string to stay put without cutting through the pipe.

Now that the tips are finished, begin the snakey curves by heating 1 inch outside of the handle on both sides. Bend the limbs back slightly to give the bow a slight deflex off of the handle.

To determine the angle of your first curves, hold the bow at a slight angle like this for right handed archers. For left handed archers, reverse the direction. A good angle is one where an arrow would clear the upper portion of the handle and barely touch the bow if the string was running straight up and down along center.

Here are the first curves. Heat one inch out from the handle gently until the bow starts to puff up. Then start flexing it gently until the plastic stretches. Going too fast could tear the plastic as the curves are fairly extreme. For left handers, the curves will flex in the opposite direction.

Sighting down the bow, both limbs should be parallel to each other, connected by the handle going at an angle.

Place a mark halfway between the handle mark and recurve mark. Bend this area in the opposite direction of the handle curves.

Sighting down the bow you can see the curves so far. This last set of curves should bring the tips back past center but not by much.

The final curve is very slight, just enough to bring the recurved tips back in line with each other.

Sight down the bow and make sure the recurves line up straight with each other and the center of the handle. If you can imagine, the recurves need to line up as if the rest of the bow was inline with the tips.

The three main curves on one limb. For a more natural look, heat a slightly larger area for every curve to make the bow look more like a crooked sapling.

The snakey recurve is now ready to be strung for the first time. Go back and make sure that both limbs look equal in thickness before stringing. Be careful while stringing. If the recurves don’t track right when stringing, remove the string immediately and adjust the tips.

The bow at brace. From the side, it should look just like a longer version of the youth recurve. The limb that flexes more than the other is the top limb.

The bow at a full 28 inch draw. Notice how the string is just resting on the nocks at full draw and the limbs form a smooth and continuous arc.

This bow pulls 45 to 55 pounds depending on how short the snakey curves make the bow.

The curves can make checking the balance of the limbs tricky. Look at both sides of the bow before making an adjustments as the curves can play tricks on your eyes.

The main issue with the snakey recurve is getting the recurves lined up perfectly. In this picture, the string is being pulled out of alignment by the limb closest to the camera. If the bow were shot now, the risk of the string slipping off the bow is very high.

Heating the base of the recurve and flexing it slightly to the right allows both recurves to track properly. This also brings the string in line with the center of the bow. If the recurves are uneven in the other direction, flex the recurve to the left instead.

Here’s the main point of the snakey curves. When an arrow is on the bow at brace, the handle is flexed far enough out of center alignment that the arrow rests right on the center line. This allows the bow to be much more accurate with stiffer and lighter arrows.

Enjoy your snakey recurve! Here it is after being strung and shot. It’s a bow powerful and fast enough to be used for hunting as a selfbow would. It also makes a good target bow with its past-center handle. For target shooting, starting out with a 60 inch pipe will give you 35 to 40 pounds of pull. The bow will be more forgiving to shoot at that length.

Here’s another shot of the bow showing off its curves. The amount of side to side curve PVC can handle really sets it apart from many bow making materials as far as forgiveness is concerned.

Spray the entire bow with a base coat. For warmer weather, your darker color will be the base coat. In colder weather, the lighter color will serve as the base coat.

Stretch the stocking over half of the bow and the handle. Tape the stocking in place from the belly side of the bow and on the handle.

To better replicate the look of snakeskin, stretch the stocking sideways until the gaps are almost squares but still slightly elongated diamonds.

An interesting effect can be obtained by deliberately twisting the stocking in places. This gives the illusion of movement as if the bow is covered in real skin.

Spray your top coat lightly over the bow a few times. Make sure to spray straight down so the paint does not get under the stocking and fade the lines. Keep the very edge of the bow the color of your base coat.

Let the paint dry. Once this limb is dry, repeat on the other limb. The picture doesn’t give justice to how unique and eye-catching this finish is.

Once both limbs are dry, spray top coat onto the entire belly of the bow. Care should be taken to avoid getting paint on the back and sides of the bow.

The finished bow from the back side. This finish makes the bow look less like it’s covered in snakeskin and more like it is made of two snakes stuck together.

From the belly side.

When placing an arrow rest on this bow or shooting off the hand, I make sure to place the arrow where the handle is past center. This will allow the arrow to sit directly in the center of the bow. It makes this one of the most accurate all-PVC bows made with a single pipe.

Chapter Seven – Arrow Rest

An arrow rest is a platform that allows an arrow to sit in the same spot on the bow every time. A rest or shelf also keeps the arrow in place while the bow is drawn and shot, protecting the bow hand and offering more stability. While not needed, a rest can help increase consistency and allows for good practice while also making a bow safer to use.

We’ll be going over three simple rests that are built onto the outside of the bow. The first one is very thin on the handle, allowing for a more streamlined grip. The other two are built up on the side of the handle and increase the overall size of the grip.

An arrow rest can be a great tool for the beginning archer to help build consistency and confidence. A good rest can also protect the hand without a glove against the brush of the arrow over the hand. This can be a deterrent for some potential archers.

Tab Rest

The tab rest is a simple tab which protrudes from the side of the handle just below the arrow pass. It is glued onto the bow’s handle and is very streamlined unlike the other rests. It also creates a space for the hand to fall right below it for more consistent hand placement.

One of the benefits to the tab rest is that it allows a wide rest without taking up a lot of space or making the bow’s handle wider. It can be used on any bow and is great for putting a rest on both sides of a bow for right and left handed shooting.

Unlike the other rests, the arrow is directly above the bow hand. It serves more as a finger guard than anything else. By making the rest longer or shorter it can be adjusted from being a simple index while the arrow is mainly shot off the hand to being a true arrow shelf that will hold the arrow to the bow even with the bow held vertically.

This is my personal favorite rest for horse bows as it provides excellent hand and arrow placement without getting in the way. For young children, this rest can be modified with a longer shelf that actually curves back towards the bow like a C with enough space at the top for an arrow to slide under. This allows arrows to be placed on the bow easily but keeps them from falling off, which can be frustrating for young archers.

Start with a length of PVC pipe the same diameter as the bow you are making a handle for. Measure and mark 3 and 1/2 inches in from the end and 1/2 an inch from the end. The width of the strip is 1/4 the circumfrence of the pipe.

From the end, mark two lines across the pipe, breaking it into four sections. One piece of pipe will yield four tab rests.

Cut the pipe along the lines to make four separate pieces. Cut the pieces from the base of the pipe. Pick one section to become the tab rest.

With a file, sandpaper or grinder, grind the tab down from the inside edge until the tab has a nice taper from thick at the top to thin at the bottom. Taper the last half an inch of the bottom to make it rounded and smooth.

Round the top and bottom of the tab. Rounding the top of the tab will help keep it from catching on things while still providing a wide shelf for an arrow to rest.

Heat the tab at the 1/2 an inch mark and then flex it into a right angle in the direction of the outside. Your bent tab should look something like this.

Place the tab on your bow. The portion of the tab that sticks out should be in line with the place where your arrow goes. For right handed archers shooting three fingers, this is on the left side of the bow. For left handed archers, this is on the right side of the bow.

The rest should go 1 to 1 and 1/2 inches from the center of the bow. Shoot the bow a few times with the tab taped on, just so you can adjust it to where it is comfortable.

Once you’ve found a comfortable placement for the tab, paint or clear coat the outside, visible surfaces. Then glue the tab to the bow with any tough, flexible and waterproof adhesive like hot glue, epoxy or silicone sealer. Clean off the excess and when the glue sets the bow is ready to go.

To help smooth the transition between bow and rest, give a cleaner appearance and increase grip in the handle, some sort of handle wrap can be applied. A 5 inch length of 1 and 1/2 inch heat shrink tubing makes a comfortable handle wrap.

Once the heat shrink is in place, gently heat it with some heat source until it begins to shrink. Start from one side and keep the handle moving to avoid melting or burning the tubing. Once shrunk down, the tubing makes a quick and attractive handle.

The finished tab rest. For added silence and protection for the bow, a leather or cloth arrow pass can be glued on. For this see the end of the hard rest section.

Soft Rest

One of the simplest ways to add a rest to a bow is to wrap or tape a soft pad onto the handle of your bow. This pad can be made of just about anything soft and flexible. Cloth, leather, vinyl, plastic and tape can all be used.

This version is done in duct tape to match the youth recurve, but just about any material can be used. The rest needs to be attached to the bow with a wrap. If using a non adhesive-backed handle wrap, the rest will not be permanent. To make it permanent, a thin layer of contact cement or all-purpose adhesive goes a long way.

This style of rest is forgiving with many types of arrows and keeps the arrow off the hand. It is flexible, which means that the rest will add cushion to your handle grip. It can also be adjusted and removed easily.

When setting a more permanent rest like the hard or tab rest, the soft rest can be a valuable tool. It can be placed on the bow and then moved easily to adjust its position. This allows for fine tuning before permanently attaching a rest or shelf onto the bow.

It’s also a great rest style, especially if done with leather or cloth, for shooting a new bow before finishing if you don’t want to rest an arrow on your hand. It’s a great rest for any stickbow without a cut shelf as it won’t mar or damage any existing finish.

Begin with a strip of material. Leather and vinyl rests only require about 2 feet of material, 1 inch wide. With duct tape, cut multiple shorter 1 inch wide strips, as many layers will be needed. It’s also easier to deal with a little duct tape at a time.

Fold about 1/2 an inch of material down and then keep rolling until the resulting bundle is 1/8 of an inch thick. After that, fold down double the bundle and keep rolling until the new section is 1/8 of an inch thick.

Keep rolling and moving down until the top of the rest is at least 1/4 of an inch thick. If you want a more secure base for your arrow to rest on, keep rolling until the rest is a good width.

Place the rest onto the bow. For right handed archers using three fingers, place the rest on the left side of the bow as viewed when shooting. Reverse that for lefties. The rest should sit 1 to 1 and 1/2 inches up from center.

To secure the soft rest to the bow it needs to be wrapped down. Take a strip of material the same width as your rest and tightly wrap the rest down, starting from the top and ending at the bottom.

Tape works very well for this as does sport tape and any adhesive-backed handle wrap or bandage. If using a material without adhesive, tuck the loose end under the last wrap, pull it tight and cut the loose end.

The finished soft rest. Notice that the arrow is thicker than the rest itself. As long as half of the arrow’s diameter is smaller than the rest, it will work.

Hard Rest

Like the soft rest, the hard rest goes on the side of the bow and offers a place for an arrow to rest. Depending on how wide the shelf surface is, this rest can be a full shelf or simply an assist for shooting off the hand. Like the tab rest, it offers no padding on the shelf. This can be fixed by gluing padding onto the shelf and arrow pass.

It adds some body to the handle and can be adjusted in length. If made the length of the handle, it will add more width to the handle throughout. If made shorter, it can serve as a place for the hand to return to every time, increasing your consistency. If you have a snakey bow, this rest makes the handle more uniform, removing some of the slant in the handle.

We’ll also go over how to wrap a handle in leather or vinyl. It can add comfort and warmth to the bow as well as keep the center of the bow flexible and warm in cold weather. This same method of wrapping a handle can also be extended to wrap the entire bow.

If you want an arrow index point and not a full shelf, heat the rest before gluing and press it down to the shape of the handle. That way the rest will only be 1/8 of an inch thick. Sand the edges flush and glue in place.

Start with a 3 inch length of pipe the same diameter as your bow. Mark a line from 1/2 way down one end to about 1/8 of an inch on the opposite side. You should end up with a wedge shape. For a more streamlined rest, cut down to 1/4 rather than 1/2.

Cut the wedge free and file or grind the top edge down so that it is at a right angle with the inside of the rest and then round the bottom from 1/8 of an inch to a smooth transition.

Place the rest onto the bow. If the handle is not going to be wrapped or a cleaner transition is needed, wrap a piece of sandpaper around the handle, abrasive side out. Place the rest onto the handle and rub it across the handle until the inside of the rest matches the contours of the handle.

Glue the rest in place with a flexible and waterproof glue. Make sure the rest is on the left side of the bow for right handed archers and on the right for left handed archers. The top of the rest should sit 1 to 1 and 1/2 inches above the center of the handle.

To wrap a handle with leather or vinyl, start with a 5 by 6 inch square of paper. Wrap it around the bow and trace where the edges overlap. Cut along the traced lines. Transfer that to a piece of leather or vinyl.

Finally, fold down 1/2 an inch of material at the top and bottom and glue it in place with contact cement or waterproof wood glue. This will give the finish wrap an attractive and smooth edge.

Mark the outside of the leather, 1/4 of an inch from the edge, with two marks per inch. This can be done by measuring, using a leather stitching guide or a fork of the right prong spacing. Most forks are closer to 4 per inch, so just ignore half of the marks. Use a leather punch or awl to punch holes every half an inch.

There are many ways to lace leather. This was done in an over-under fashion like lacing a shoe. I used a leather shoelace from an old boot. The leather for the handle came from an old couch. Proof that recycling can be very rewarding. The leather is fixed with a little bit of contact cement on the belly side of the handle.

Finish the lacing by either tying an overhand knot or tucking the loose ends under and gluing the lucked ends in with superglue.

To protect the bow and help muffle some of the sound from the arrow passing over the bow, glue an arrow pass onto the bow. It is simply a rounded triangle of leather or vinyl at least as tall as double your arrow’s diameter. A similar pad can also be glued to the shelf itself. For even greater silencing, a piece of felt or short fur can be glued on instead.

The finished hard rest. This particular rest was done on a 1 inch bow, so it looks a little oversized. To make the rest more streamlined on 1 inch bows, start the wedge at 1/4 of the width of the pipe rather than 1/2. The rest is much more streamlined on 3/4 inch bows.

Gallery

Not all snakey bows need to be centershot. Some, like this one, are mainly for aesthetics. This one is a little closer to center than a completely off center bow, though that wasn’t the main purpose.

The finished snakey recurve at full draw.

The snakey recurve can also be made without the snakey curves to make a larger version of the youth recurve. This is a great bow for archers already accustomed to shooting longer bows.

The finished horse bow at a full 30 inch draw.

An arrow on its way to the target, fired from the snakey recurve. You can see the fletching in the air about halfway to the target.

The finished youth recurve at full draw.

Glossary

ABS - Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene, a plastic used often for plumbing applications as it is clean. It is also tough in cold temperatures.

Aluminum - A light and tough alloy of metal used often in modern arrows.

Anchor Point - The place where an arrow is drawn to before release every time.

AMO - The Archery Manufacturers and Merchants Organization, an old name for an organization that has set many standards for archery equipment.

AMO Length - The length of a bow as measured according to AMO standards. It also refers to a string that properly braces a bow of a labeled AMO length, regardless of true bow length.

Archer - A practitioner of archery, a user of the bow and arrow.

Archer’s Paradox - The effect caused by an arrow flexing while leaving the bow after release.

Arrow - The projectile used in archery, fired from a bow.

Arrow Pass - The place on a bow where the arrow is placed and passes over when fired.

Arrow Rest - A shelf or similar device that holds an arrow onto the handle during the draw cycle.

ATA - The Archery Trade Association, the current name for the AMO.

Back - The side of the bow that faces away from the archer.

Belly - The side of the bow that faces the archer.

Bow - A weapon that uses springlike limbs to propel an arrow.

Bowfishing - Using a bow to harvest fish above and below water.

Bowhunting - Hunting game animals using a bow and arrow.

Bow String - A strong and ideally inelastic cord that connects the tips of a bow and allows a bow to fire arrows.

Bowyer - A person who build bows.

Brace - Either a bow when it is strung, or the act of stringing a bow.

Brace Height - The distance between the handle of a bow and the string when the bow is at brace.

Carbon Fiber - A lightweight material composed of carbon fibers in a matrix of resin that is very tough and used in modern arrows.

Centershot - A bow that is incredibly accurate by reducing the effect of archer’s paradox.

Collapse - A condition where a bow folds in an area due to lost strength.

Composite Bow - A bow made up of different materials fixed together.

Compound Bow - A modern bow that uses a system of cables and pulleys or cams to increase efficiency.

Compression - A crushing, pushing force that the belly of a bow undergoes.

Deflex - A bend in a bow that goes away from the archer.

Drawing - Pulling a bow back in order to store energy and preapre for the release.

Draw Length - Either the maximum length a bow can be pulled to or the length an archer pulls their bow to.

Draw Weight - How much force is required to pull a bow to full draw, usually measured in pounds.

Dry Fire - Also called a dry release or dry loose, it is drawing and releasing a bow without an arrow on the string.

Fiberglass - Glass fibers in a matrix of resin, a tough composite used regularly for both modern bows and arrows.

Field Archery - Shooting at targets of unknown distances in a field or open space.

Flatten Taper - A taper in a pipe or cylinder formed by flattening one side progressively more than the other, forming a smooth taper.

Fletching - The feathers or vanes that stabilize and arrow in flight.

Flex - The amount something is capable of bending.

Handle - The center portion of a bow that the archer holds.

Heat Gun - A device that uses a heating element combined with a fan or blower to deliver hot air.

Horse Archer - An archer who shoots from horseback. Also known as a mounted archer.

Horse Bow - A bow used on horseback. Usually refers to shorter Asiatic composite bows.

Laminated Bow - A bow made of different pieces glued together. It may be pieces of one material or many different materials.

Limb - The flexible arms of a bow.

Mounted Archery - The sport of shooting a bow from horseback.

Nock - Can refer to the point on a bow where the string attaches, the notch at the end of an arrow where it attaches to the string, or the act of attaching an arrow to the bowstring.

Nock to Nock- The length of a bow measured from the bottom of one nock to the other.

Off Center - A bow that does not allow an arrow to rest near the center line of the bow.

Off the Hand - Shooting a bow without a rest, the arrow rests on the bow hand.

Past Center - A bow that allows an arrow to sit perfectly centered because the bow is aligned off to the side of center.

PE - Polyethylene, a common plastic used for food and water storage as well as piping for potable water.

Poundage - Another term for draw weight as measured in pounds.

PP - Polypropylene, a tough plastic used for ropes, plumbing pipes and joints that need to be flexed repeatedly without failing.

PVC - Polyvinyl Chloride, a common plastic that is used for many different purposes such as clothing, construction and plumbing. It is hard and brittle in its pure form.

PVC Pipe - Plastic piping used for plumbing, drainage, wiring housing and transport of corrosive fluids.

Quill - The hard, fingernail like main shaft of an arrow, also called the rachis.

Recurve - A curve in the tips of a bow that face away from the archer. A recurve is a type of reflex. Can also be a bow that is recurved.

Release - Can be the act of firing a bow by letting go of the string, a style of letting the arrow go or a mechanical aid for drawing and releasing a bow.

Reflex - A curve in a bow that faces away from the archer.

Riser - Center portion of a bow that contains the handle and arrow pass. It fades into the limbs on either side.

Selfbow - A bow made of one material, usually of wood.

Siyah - The static tips or ears on an Asiatic composite bow.

Spine - The measure of how much an arrow can resist bending and flexing.

Static Recurve - A recurve that does not move or bend during the draw.

Stave - A single piece of material used to make a bow, usually a strip of wood.

Stickbow - A bow, regardless of material, that does not make use of sights or other aids. One exception is the use of an arrow rest or shelf. Called a stickbow because it’s “just a stick and a string”.

String Bridge - A place on a siyah where the bowstring sits and tracks.

String Length - The length of a string from loop to loop. It is usually 3 to 4 inches shorter than the bow’s ntn length. Not to be confused with AMO length which is the approximate length of a bow.

Taper Flattening - The act of flattening something with a taper in thickness from one end to the other.

Target Archery - Shooting at fixed targets at known distances.

Tension - A pulling force that affects the back of a bow.

Thickness Taper - The taper in thickness in a bow limb.

Traditional Archery - A term that usually excludes compound bows and other modern mechanical bows while including longbows and recurve bows. The term can range from the use of only natural material equipment all the way to solely man-made materials as long as compounds aren’t used.

UV Light - A form of radiation that can damage polymers by breaking bonds. It can cause plastic polymers like PVC to discolor and grow brittle over time.

Web - Also called the barbs of a feather, the main body of a feather that consists of individual branches that connect together.

Working Recurve - A recurve that bends or unfurls as the bow is drawn.

Bonus Track : Part One – Poly-Pro String

Commercial bowstrings are great if you can get them. The normal materials for strings like Dacron and Fast Flight are also great if you can get them. If not, there are some options for building your own bowstrings from material found in most hardware stores.

Polypropylene twine, also called Poly-Pro or PP is a very tough material. It is used for many purposes, most commonly for light tying and binding. It is not as good as polyester Dacron or Fast Flight, but it is fairly low-stretch. Most stores carry it in twine form, thin enough to be made into a bowstring with two strands. Each strand needs to have a breaking strength of at least 180 pounds.

If you cannot find polypropylene twine, look for polypropylene rope. Most rope can be stripped down to the individual strands and those can be used. These instructions also apply to any other string material. In a pinch, most waxed dental floss and Dacron fishing line will work. If using a thin thread, make sure to start with two bundles that together make a roughly 1/8 inch thick string.

Polypropylene twine comes in different strengths. A breaking strength of at least 180 pounds per strand is best.

Take the length of your bow nock to nock, subtract 3 inches and then add 22 inches. Cut two strands of twine this length.

With a firm grip, pull the twine over beeswax or string wax. Keep pulling the strand through quickly until the wax heats up and begins to soak into the twine.

The strand on top has been waxed. The wax will allow the string to hold itself together and will lessen wear and tear during use.

From one end, measure 12 inches. This will become the top loop. Hold both strands together at the 12 inch mark.

While holding both strands tightly with one hand, twist the strands with the other. I like to twist them counterclockwise. Twist them equally until they bunch together.

After twisting enough times, the strands will start kinking and may start folding on themselves.

Hold the base tight and twist both strands together in the opposite direction. Here the strands are twisted clockwise. Don’t force the twist or the string may unravel.

Continue twisting the individual strands and then twisting the main string until you have 4 inches of twisted rope. This will give you a 2 inch loop.

Fold the rope over so that the loose ends match up to form the top loop.

Match the loose ends up. Press and wax the two bundles together.

Make sure all the bundles are untwisted before waxing them together so that the loop will not unravel itself.

Just like twisting the two original bundles to make the loop, twist the two bundles below the loop counterclockwise separately and then together clockwise.

Continue twisting until the loop is secured. Apply wax as you go to help the string hold together.

Twist about an inch past the end of the splice. This will keep the loop from unraveling in the next step.

Take one of the long ends of twine and twist it counterclockwise. A quick way to do this is to place the twine on your leg and press down with one hand. The loop is on the left.

Roll your hand backwards. This will cause a counterclockwise twist on the left of your hand an a clockwise twist on the other.

Keep twisting the string until it just starts to bunch up. Try to put the same amount of twists into each strand.

Stretch both strands out and measure 12 inches from the end.

Repeat the same steps as before to make a second loop.

Finish the loop. Once the final twists have been completed, you’ll notice that there will be a portion of string with a gap where the twists are different.

Open the string up like this. From here we’ll be able to make the twists equal.

Grip one strand from the side where the first loop is.

Pull your hand across the string while gripping tightly. The twists will move from one side of the string to the other.

Once the twists are all equal, give the string a few clockwise twists to keep the strands together. At this point the string needs to be stretched. Either put the string on the bow and shoot it or hang the string from one loop and suspend a weight from it. Leave the weight overnight.

To help protect the string from fraying and to tack down any loose fibers, coat it with wax. Once coated with wax, rub the string with a piece of paper to smooth the wax.

Enjoy your finished string! For added reinforcement, wrap the area where the arrow and your fingers go with heavy thread or tape.

Bonus Track : Part Two – Garden Stake Arrows

Building your own arrows can be exciting. There is nothing more satisfying than shooting arrows you made with your own hands out of a bow also crafted by you. That said, arrows are not easy to make. A good arrow is much harder to build than a PVC bow and requires much more tuning to fly right.

A good arrow must be able to withstand not only the forces of flex in the air, but the impact of striking a target. Any weakness in the arrow and it could break. When arrows break during the shot, they could easily shatter. These pieces could hit your eyes or embed themselves in your skin. A broken arrow could even drive into your hand where it will need to be surgically removed and may ruin your hand permanently.

When building a safe arrow for a variety of bows, I often use bamboo and cane. If you don’t have bamboo or cane growing in your area, most hardware stores sell bamboo or tonikn cane garden stakes. When carefully selected, straightened, tempered and finished, these arrows are strong and can be shot through a variety of bow weights without much loss of accuracy.

Start with some bamboo garden stakes. You want to look for bamboo or cane stakes that are somewhere between 5/16 and 3/8 inches thick. Reject any that are cracked, burnt, rotted or look green. Bamboo and cane should look brown or yellow in color.

Figure out how long you want your arrows. The two shafts on the bottom are already straightened and cut out. At this point, just get an idea of where the arrow shaft will be cut. We’ll be marking the shafts now but not cutting them yet.

The thicker end of the cane or bamboo will be front end. The front should be marked at a node or the thicker portion of the bamboo for strength.

The thinner end will be the back or nock end of the arrow. Try to pick a section of bamboo where this end falls on or near a node as it will stronger than if from the middle.

Remove any stems or leafy coverings from the bamboo. Gently cut small branches and offshoots toward the node to keep them from stripping the rest of the bamboo

Here’s what the resulting node should look like.

Sight down the ends of your shafts, concentrating on the areas you marked. You can see that they are not straight.

Like PVC, bamboo gets soft when heated, but keep in mind that you only get one or two chances. Heat the area between nodes first.

Once it is heated enough, it will flex. Straighten it and keep straightening until it cools and sets.

After all the sections between nodes are straightened, start working on the nodes.

The nodes require more heat to bend them easily, so the bamboo may get a little toasted here.

Just be careful to not overheat the nodes as they could split and splinter like this. Throw away any arrow shafts that are splitting or cracked.

When straightening nodes, it helps to rest them against a pad or towel over your knee. That way you can press the node into the curve of your leg for more leverage.

Here are the straightened shafts ready to be trimmed.

Cut the shafts down to length along the lines marked. A good way to cut bamboo is to saw all the way around rather than straight through. This helps prevent splintering.

The resulting cut will be clean along the tough fibers of the bamboo. The ends can then be sanded smooth.

Sand each node. Some light sanding with a piece of sandpaper backed with a block of wood works well.

Either sand the nodes just until they are smooth or sand them till they are flush with the rest of the shaft. The nodes should not affect arrow flight.

Once the shafts are sanded smooth, apply your finish of choice. If you completely flatten the node areas, a lacquer or poly finish will help keep the nodes from splitting.

If gluing on commercial points and nocks, glue a small dowel into each end an inch deep. This will help reinforce the ends of the arrow.

We’ll start fletching by making a simple feather clamp that will help you glue feathers more consistently. Start with a length of 3/4 inch pipe, 6 inches long.

Heat the pipe and flatten it completely between two flat surfaces.

With a file or sandpaper, grind away one edge until the inside of the pipe is exposed.

The feather clamp will work with or without a spring clamp. Simple finger pressure will hold feathers in for gluing.

After applying a thin line of craft cement, superglue or fletching glue. Press the feather onto the shaft, holding it until the glue sets.

Your first feather should be aligned with the side of your nock so that this feather will stick out from the bow when on the string.

It should be perpendicular to the nock groove.

Arrange the other feathers 120 degrees away from the first.

Be sure that your feathers all curl in the same direction before gluing as this will affect flight.

If you don’t want to buy pre-cut feather, you can cut them yourself. Start with the wing or tail feather of turkey, peacock, goose or other large bird.

With a sharp knife or razor blade, split the feather along the center of the quill. Work carefully as the knife may pull to one side and cut the quill.

Pick one side of the feather to use. If using multiple feathers from a bird, make sure each is from the same wing as this will affect arrow flight.

Cut the feather to your finished length. I prefer 4 to 5 inch feathers for bamboo and wood arrows.

The quill will be thick and wide at this point. Clamp the feather in the feather clamp and carefully cut the quill down.

Be careful while cutting the quill as it’s easy to make it too thin. The quill should be smooth and uniform in size now, around 1/8 of an inch wide.

Your feathers are now ready for gluing. If you are cutting them by hand, it is easier to do when the feathers are on the shaft.

When working with full-length feathers, I like to use a modified feather clamp cut down to the length of the feather. This allows you to get the length exact on each feather.

Apply the feathers just like the pre-cut feathers. The back of the feather should be around a inch from the bottom of the nock.

Depending on how you cut the back of the feather, you may want to fletch the shaft lower.

Trim the feather with a large pair of scissors. If leaving the ends of the feathers full like this, make sure there is enough room for your fingers to grip the arrow.

Apply the nocks onto your arrow if you haven’t done so. Most commercial nocks need an 11 degree taper.

Alternatively, use a nock file or tile saw to file a groove into the end of the arrow for a nock. Bind just below the nock with thread or tape.

Most glue-on points require a 5 degree taper.

Since bamboo arrows are hollow, duplex nails can be sharpened and then glued into the front end of the arrow as a point.

Enjoy your new arrows and happy shooting!

If you’ve ever wanted to build a wooden bow, check out

The Backyard Bowyer : The Beginner’s Guide to Building Bows