Bowyering

It is a stormy day outside, with a Summer thunderstorm putting on a bit of a show. A good time to sit down and set pen to parchment, as it were.

I have been pursuing the skills of bowyer, fletcher, and string maker for a bit now...in fits and starts up to this point, but it hasn't gotten far from the priority list.

With the arrival of several awaited tools and some awesome blueprints for a medieval style crossbow, it has taken the high ground with a vengeance.

I have begun tillering the first of my hickory longbow staves. I shall be recording the event for the edification of my fellow Rangers throughout Endor. It is to be hoped that I shall come up fortunate in this first endeavor and produce a functioning bow in the 45# @ 28" draw range. If it does not look too horrendous when done I will add some horn nocks to the tips. I have linseed oil for the wood, hemp cord for the grip, and of course, arrow shafts and building supplies for the rest. I have not yet decided if I will attempt any decoration...I probably will as I am simply that way, but we will see.

Additionally, I have a complete set of blueprints, as I said before, for the making of a medieval style crossbow. I have a tutorial as well, and a source for the metal bits necessary for completion. I would forge them myself but my forge is still in storage and probably will be until I move out of here. Hence the leatherwork and bowyering; I can do them here.

Initially I will go for a good target crossbow, once I have the pieces here. If that comes out well enough I will do a second in the hunting range. While local Sheriffs won't allow me to hunt with one here, there are other areas and being able to make them properly also means another item for trade as well. Which of course means I will have to work on making bolts for said crossbows.

Today I received a new tillering cord..and promptly found the old one whose loss prompted ordering a new one. Naturally. I also received my cabinet scrapers and they have already proven useful. Horn nocks arrived too; horn is getting hard to find, at least the sort that is best for this, and is getting expensive too.

As soon as the spine tester is done I shall begin making arrows for my sons and fellow Rangers. I lack a proper grain scale but I have a good grams scale and I can do simple math. A grain scale, non-electronic, is on the list of things to procure, along with a bowyer's 'bench' equivalent. I may someday make a proper wooden bowyer's bench, but living in an apartment would make it rather more trouble than I want so for now a more vise-like and very portable tool that does the same is what is on the list. With that I can not only shape stocks and staves, but carve them right out of a billet of wood.

Also in the future are composite horse-bows. I have already built a home steam box for this purpose so when I get to the point where making one of these seems possible, I will be ready to go. I do tend to look ahead a bit..or dream ahead, more like. ;)

The Summer season of rearing young is nearing its end and the Autumn season of the Hunt will soon begin. Oromë grant me some success in my endeavors in this regard.

All projects, including the pack I mentioned before, will be recorded in process for the edification (or derision) of my fellow Rangers. ;)

Nai i-Valar tiralyë

Eledhwen