Bow and arrow

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Detailed study of a recursive bow

The bow and arrow is a ranged weapon system consisting of an elastic launching device, a bow, and long-shafted projectiles, arrows. It can be used for hunting and as a weapon.

Materials needed

  • Long piece of wood, dry and dead (but not gray or cracking) hardwood (such as oak, lemon tree, hickory, yew, black locust, teak, ash, juniper, or madroño) of around 1.8 meters (6 feet) in length. The piece should be free of knots, twists or limbs, and should be thick at its center. The wood pirce should be somewhat flexible. A bammboo shaft can be used, like young bamboo, but it must not be too thick. Green wood (recently harvested) can also be used as a last measure, but should be avoided because it does not provide the same power as dry wood.[1]

Crafting instructions

Bow

Before shaping the bow, one must determine its handhold and limbs, which in turn are determined by the wood's curve. Every piece of wood has a natural curve, regardless of how small. To determine its curve, place the wood on the ground, holding it in place at the top with a hand and lightly pressing against its middle with the other. The wood will swivel so that its natural belly faces you and its back faces out. Make marks 7.5 centimeters (3 inches) above and below the center point of the bow. The part within the marks is the handhold, while the limbs are everything outside of them.[1]

To shape the box, place its bottom end on a foot a hand on top of it. Press outward with the other hand, with its belly facing you. You want the bow to be thickest (strongest) at the handhold. An excessive amount of pressure exerted on the back of the bow can cause it to break even with the slightest damage, so be careful to only carve from the belly.[1]

Use a knife to cut notches that begin at the sides and curve around toward the belly of the bow and in toward the handhold as they go. There should be one on each side about 2.5 to 5 cm (1 to 2 inches) from each end of the bow. Beware not to cut into its back, and do not make the notches deep enough to compromise the strength of the tips; make them just deep enough to hold the string in place.[1]

The next step is to choose a material for the string. As the power comes from the wood and not the string, the latter should not be stretchy. Finding a suitable string might be difficult stranded in the wilderness, and it may be necessary to try different materials before finding one with the necessary strength. Some bowstring material possibilities are the following:[1]

To string the bow, You will need to tie a loose loop with asecure knot at both ends of the bowstring before slipping it over the lower bow's limb, and then upper. Make the string slightly shorter than the length of the unflexed bow, so that both bow and string are taut.[1]

To test the bow, hang the bow upside down by the handhold, from an object like a tree branch, and check that you can pull the string downwards with the arm fully extended out from shoulder, as far down as the distance between the hand and the jaw. Pull downward slowly, making sure that the limbs bend evenly and carving away wood as required.[1]

Arrows

Traditional target arrow (top) and replica medieval arrow (bottom).
Material

The wood used for the arrows should be dry and dead, and they should be formed from the straightest sticks that can be found. Each arrow should be about half as long as the bow, or as long as the bow can draw back. The following items can be considered:[1]

  • Green wood can be used for arrows if enough time is given for it dry out naturally. Placing the wood over fire may cause it to ignite.
  • Goldenrod and Mullen are some strong and straight plants for arrows. They can be found in fields.

To shape the arrows, the woord needs to be cut smooth around its circumference. It can be straightened by gently heating the shaft over hot coals, while avoiding to scorch or burn the wood, and then holding the arrow straight while the wood cools. Carve a nock (a small notch in the back tip of each arrow) to accommodate the bow string.[1]

Arrowheads

The simplest arrowhead is simply a carved point on the front of the arrow shaft, which can be cut and sharpened with a knife, and then hardened with fire by heating it gently in coals, taking care again not to burn or scorch the wood. Other arrowheads can be attached and can be made of stone, glass, or bone. Chip the material carefully into a point using a small rock or hammer attaching it to the arrow's tip. This can also be done by notching the wood, inserting the arrowhead into the notch, and later lashing the arrowhead to the wood with a string or cord.[1]

Fletchings

Fletchings improve the arrow's flight, acting similarly to rudders on a ship or small plane, guiding the arrow through the air for better accuracy, and have a similar effect to a glider, greatly improving the arrow's flight range, but the are not necessary and are somewhat difficult to master, meaning that if the weapon is meant for survival, fletchings are not a priority. Feathers can be used as fletchings, either gluing them onto the back ends of the arrows or by splitting the backs, sliding the feathers in and wrapping them tighly with a thin thread around the fletching. The thread can me made from one's own clothes and with the latter method just about any other material can be used as fletching.[1]

Dependencies

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 "How to Make a Bow and Arrow", Wikihow, Retrieved on 11 April 2022
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