Poor Folk Bows
Bow building for poor people and apartment dwellers
Brought to you by: SAM HARPER
Build alongs and stuff
Red oak board bow build along This is a tutorial showing how to make a cheap bow with a minimum of tools. If you've never made a bow before, this is a good place to start.
Bow woods This is a list of my opinion about various woods I've tried in bow limbs.
Finishes This is a list of my opinion about various finishes I've tried.
How to make a cheap and easy hot box
English Longbow build-along This was my first attempt at an English longbow.
Another English longbow build-along This was my second attempt at an English longbow. I like this one better.
How to make a Flemish bowstring
Bamboo-backed ipe bow build along I suppose the information in this one would be just as useful if the belly wood were Osage or bamboo.
Fiberglass laminated bow build along This is probably not the best build-along I've done, but it's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.
Violin build along This is my first violin and is posted more for your entertainment than for your education. Please keep that in mind.
Updates
May 24, 2012
I posted a video on YouTube today showing how to make a quick and easy spine tester.
May 18, 2012
I added a Frequently Asked Questions section to hopefully cut back on some of the email I get. But don't feel bad about asking questions if you have them! So far, I've been able to respond to all of my email.
March 7, 2012
I finally got some tools to continue my violin build along, and I posted a few pictures on page 4.
January 29, 2012
I uploaded a video on YouTube showing how I pack my bows to ship them.
July 14, 2010
I uploaded the new web page my friend, Tonya, designed for me. She did all the graphics and everything, and she designed seven different logos I can change out whenever I feel like it. I haven't decided whether I should upload the corresponding pages for the build alongs or not since the build alongs already have lots of images, and I don't want to slow them down. What do you think?
June 19, 2010
Yeah yeah, I know. When am I going to do that arrow build along I keep talking about? Well, here is a build along by Sulphur, from the the leatherwall who does it pretty much the way I do it. And then there's my youtube video.
June 13, 2010
You are welcome to copy, redistribute, repost, or whatever you want to do with the content of this web page EXCEPT that I ask you not to sell any of the information on this web page, attribute any of it to yourself or your cat, or attribute any of the changes you make in it to me.
June 5, 2010
I posted two more videos for youtube. One is myself and my daughter shooting some bows I made. The other one shows how I make bow stringers.