I don’t hunt with them because I’m a veg, but I guess it’s nice to know that I could in the unlikely event that shit completely hit the fan in a way that necessitated that. It also just feels good to do something with my time that actually makes me feel human.

I’m sorry I don’t know what community to post this in. Feel free to correct me accordingly.

  • TransComrade69 [she/her,ze/hir]
    ·
    4 years ago

    c/anprim when?

    That's really cool though! I'm not exactly well versed in wood work, so how long does it usually take to build one? How do?

    • domhnall [he/him]
      ·
      4 years ago

      Thank you! It depends on how pretty I want it to be when it’s finished and the type of materials being used, but I can probably have a functioning laminated bow shooting in about 25 hours or so of work spread over a week or two. But that’s using modern heat-curing epoxy and kiln-dried wood, which saves a lot of time.

      If I wanted to make a legitimate primitive bow with all natural materials that would last a long time, the labor time would be about the same, but one typically needs to wait 6 months to a year to let the wood properly air dry. It’s also common practice to reinforce it with animal sinew to prevent breakage, and that usually takes a few months to fully cure, depending on conditions. I’ve actually got a bow like this planned. Maybe we’ll have a c/anprim for me to post it on by the time I finish it.

      One could also make a survival bow out of a freshly cut sapling in a few hours, but it would lose its strength quickly, because green wood likes to hold the bend over time.

      • domhnall [he/him]
        ·
        4 years ago

        Here's a very cool video basically showing what I described in my second paragraph: https://youtu.be/Fq0-dAC5lZE

        • domhnall [he/him]
          ·
          4 years ago

          Or better yet, I could listen to Noel Grayson talk about bowmaking all day. I’d gladly pay him to do an ASMR track for me to sleep to: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6dMgUugIBSA&t=220s#dialog

      • russianattack [he/him]
        ·
        4 years ago

        do you use traditional material for the string as well? i've watched a lot of youtube videos on this, fascinating stuff.

        • domhnall [he/him]
          ·
          4 years ago

          I don’t yet. I’ve only made them with b55 Dacron, which is just a strong nylon material. But I’ve got a spool of hemp cord here on my desk that I hope to try making a string out of.