Archery is a very interesting sport. It is rooted in antiquity. Thousands of years ago, the bow was the only type of small arms. In recent decades, this type of ancient art has been restored as a sport. It is not necessary to engage in it, you need to purchase the necessary equipment in a special store. A homemade bow can be no worse than a sporty one, if done correctly. In addition, the manufacturing process will surely bring you a lot of pleasure and, possibly, even allow you to get a number of useful skills. How to make a bow will be discussed in this article.
First, we will determine what kind of this “weapon” you need. The direct form of the onion leads - it is easiest to make and use. The design consists of two shoulders located below and above, and a handle located in the middle; there is also a place where they put an arrow.
The species of wood from which homemade onions are best made are ash, white acacia, maple, yew, elm and some other types of wood. The main thing is that the material from which the device will be made is straight-layered and does not have serious flaws - knots, cracks, etc. Next, after preparing a piece of wood, cut out a body for future onions from it; at the same time, do not forget to cut the handle in the middle. This work is best done with a rasp. After you made the case, it's time to make the bowstring. To do this, you first need the simplest preparation - a wooden block with two hammered nails at a distance from the stretched bowstring of your future bow. The distance between them should correspond to about 150 cm. You will need a special thread - linen or dacron. The length of the bowstring is determined approximately like this: subtract 4-5 cm from the length of the bow. Fasten the free end of the thread (without tying) on one of the nails and wind it in a circle. In the standard case, 4-5 turns are enough. There should not be any slack, the tension is uniform. Then cut the thread and tie the ends of the future bowstring together. Next, you will have to divide it into two strands. The middle of each of them must be tightly wrapped with kapron thread. Then wrap the ends of the strands. As a result, you should get two loops at the ends of the bowstring. It is important that the length of what you get allows you to put it on the body of the bow. Carefully put the bowstring over the bow body. To do this is not so easy. Firstly, you need to make sure that the bowstring is correctly fixed in special grooves. Secondly, the distance from it to the handle should be approximately 19-21 cm. Check if the shoulders of the device are symmetrical. It is advisable to measure the string tension with a dynamometer. Next, you need to attach the ledge guiding the flight of the arrow. Its length should be 2-3 cm, and its width should be 1 cm. You can make a guide protrusion from polystyrene foam or from a piece of wood. Its shape should be semicircular; it must be installed at a slight slope so that the arrow does not come off.
In general, we answered the question of how to make homemade onions. Now consider how to make arrows. They are made from dried wood. Suitable pine, birch or spruce. The tip must be solid metal. Lead or tin is definitely not suitable for this purpose. Do not forget to carefully cut through the groove for the bowstring from the back. This should be done exclusively by the diameter of the rod. The boom flight must be stable. To do this, use stabilizers - for example, attach feathers to her back.
Experienced archers know that homemade bow and arrows are not all they need. There are also devices that protect your hands. To prevent skin peeling from the fingers during shooting, special aprons are used for fingers. So that when flying, the bowstring does not hit the skin of the wrists or forearms of the left hand, use leather gaiters worn on the left hand.
If you follow all the above recommendations, a bow made with your own hands will be no worse than a sports bow. Good luck