Red oak bow

It started as a red oak 1x2, with and exceptionally straight grain. Several hours of cutting and scraping later, it bent evenly along it's length. Then I bent the tips.

After staining it, I glued on these bone tips I had fashioned out of small peices of moose bone I had lying around, to keep the string from rubbing on any sharpish corners.

The two darker bits are plugs, covering holes I drilled to attach the handle more securely, when I started having doubts about how securely the glue would hold.

When I recurved the ends, I wasn't quite fast enough. You have to steam them forever, then get them out of the steam and into the form in a blink of an eye. I might have been too slow, or not steamed them long enough, but at any rate, the belly of the bow cracked a little under the strain. I will likely put some re-enforcement on them before I try to shoot it now.

Here is the whole deal at once and strung. Pretty, eh? I made the string from some waxed linen cord I purchased, and twisted up into a proper string. I don't know if I really trust it, but it was fun to make.