Preparing the Materials
Making archery bows begins with choosing a piece of dry wood that is about 1 m in length and free of knots and twists. The wood is cleaned if necessary with a brush or steel wool. Depending on the specific bow specifications, the riser, or handle, is cut with a band saw to the specific dimensions. The limb laminate pieces--the small sections that make up the limbs--are also cut to the predetermined length.
Assembling the Pieces
The laminates are placed into a bow oven (a box used to heat the bow) to warm. Epoxy or glue is applied to the laminate pieces after warming and stacked together. A pressure hose is used to press the laminate pieces together. Then the laminate pieces are wrapped with a clear wrap and placed into a bow form--a device used to compress the bow limbs into the desired shape.
Drying and Final Touches
The bow form and laminate pieces are placed back into the bow oven for six hours to allow the glue and epoxy to cure. Then the bow is removed and taken out of the bow form and a sander is used to finalize the shape and smooth any rough edges. Wood is shaved off the inside of the limbs to make it the same diameter all along its length. The bow is checked for any twists, and notches--about 1 to 2 inches deep--are cut in both ends of the limbs for the bow string. Final sanding is completed to smooth all surfaces and paint, color or other overlays are applied. Once the bow string is installed, the bow is ready to shoot.
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