A while back someone said they'd like me to do an archery build thread, and I said ok and then did nothing for months. It just so happens I am making another bow so I figured now was the time to do this.
Some basics: The world of archery shares MUCH with the world of cars. There are many ways to measure a bow, many different designs, many different uses, etc... There is also a wealth of misinformation, and no shortage of people who will argue that you are wrong, because that one bow they made (which they can't produce) proved it. Just like that Civic with the D16 that made 400whp on stock internals that someone's cousin has, ya know, the one that beat that corvette going through the drive through at BK?
Step 1: tools. There are many ways to make a bow, and as long as your method works, I won't argue. You'll want some hand tools, though power tools will make things faster (read: wreck things faster). If you have no tools, you'll probably want a rasp (i suggest a surform rasp), some small round files, maybe a block plane. It's surprisingly cheap and easy to make a bow, it's arrows that cost you. There are a few specific tools you will need to buy/make, and i'll tell you how when we get to that. the main one is a tillering board/stick, which is just a board with some notches in it. If you can make anything, you can make one of these.
Step 2: wood. You can make a bow out of most hardwoods. Standard lore says you need yew or osage, but that is wrong. Don't listen to anyone who says that. Yew and osage can make great bows, but a maple one can shoot just as well. different woods have different properties, and the design must change accordingly, but in the end most of them work.
What you should do (for a first bow) is head to a home improvement store and get a 1"x2"x6' (in reality 3/4" x 1.5") maple or red oak board, S4S (surfaced on 4 sides). On S4S wood you can inspect the grain, and you should get the straightest, most flawless grained one you can find. No knots, no run off, no figure (if looking at maple). If the grain is a few degrees off of parallel, it's probably fine. The most important thing is that the fibers that make up the wood run from one end to the other, and not at some skew angle to the surface. The fibers do not match the rings perfectly, but if the ring lines are straight on all sides, you're probably safe.
If you are heading to an actual lumberyard and have a wealth of hardwoods, the same wood selection rules apply. Don't go for wood with V's in the grain, no knots, etc... You can branch out from maple and oak. Look at hickory in particular and hard maple (they have it separated from soft maple). White oak is a good bet, too, as it is nearly unbreakable. Avoid the others for now. Ones like cherry can make some fantastic bows, but are more likely to blow up on you.
Old lore also says you can't use kiln dried lumber. This is also total B.S. The books that once said this have been updated. Trust me. Most of the top authors in the field have since collaborated on a series of 4 'bibles' of bow making, and those say kiln dried wood works just fine. I have made quite a few from kiln dried wood and they still work.
Step 3: design. There have been as many bow designs as there are cultures who used them, which is almost all of them. Most cultures with longstanding archery traditions settle on a bow design that is almost invariably the best for their situation, taking into consideration the climate, intended uses, materials available, etc... The following design is intended to make a bow for a beginning bow maker and user. It is intended to be easy to make, and have a basic level of safety built in. You can modify it after you make it for more speed if you like, and i'll tell you about that later.
Take your 1x2x6' board and figure out with side will be the back and which will be the belly. When an archer is shooting, the back of the bow faces away from the archer, and he will be looking at the belly. observe:
(accidentally hit add post, will continue in a bit)