MDM: Master Bowyer Part 3

Well, other than a leather wrap on the handle, I have finished my selfbow. It ended up being a 60# draw weight at 28" of draw. I am very happy it didn't turn out to be a 30# bow! It doesn't take much extra scraping off the belly to end up will a 30#'er. That's why I worked so slowly.

I started sanding it with 80 grit sandpaper and progressed all the way to 400 grit. Then I used #5/0 steel wool and finally "boned" it with a small glass vial. It's as hard as polished bone dried in the Sahara for 40 years! I put six coats of boiled linseed oil on it and finished with two coats of paste wax.

Finally, I hand-made a Flemish bowstring with 14 strands of Brownell B50 bow string material. I served the ends and center with diamond-braided serving thread that was 0.022" diameter.

I shot the bow yesterday for the first time. It shoots well. Minimal hand shock (means I did a pretty good job on the tillering), fast and straight. Got to get used to shooting a bow with no sights on it. It's not that easy!

By the way. I'm taking donations of leather!


The unfinished bow during tiller using a long string.

I signed the bow on the belly of the lower limb. 60# at 28"!

The finished bow shown at full draw with its new Flemish string.

Finished bow at full brace.