My bro and I have been making self bows for some 15 to 18 years now. We started off by buying the set of 3 "Bowyer's Bibles". With these books and the information they provide, your first bow can be successful just as our's were.
; We've used Yew, Osage (Bodark), Ash, Hickory, Oak, Lemonwood, Maple and including moose sinue backed plains Indian bows. Moose sinue is nicer to use than deer sinue, due to it's length and the amount you get from just one moose.
: Weights have run from 15 pound kid's bows to 65 pound hunting bows for large game. Styles ranged from the sinued short bows, to a full 72" at a low 53 pounds in a long maple laminate slim flat bow, to Pyramid shaped bows that were popular in the Queen Charlotte Isands of BC. Most of our bows run in the 48 to 55 pound range, 60" to 66" in length. I haven't an pictures handy right now, but will post some later.
; Time to make a bow depends on how fancy the 'customer' wants it or how we 'feel' at the time of making it. I built one "D" section Oak Cherokee bow, 68" long at 58 pounds, finished with tallow that I was shooting 4 hours after I started. Other times, I've taken 6 hours to make a bow and 2 days to apply a good weather resitant finish.
; If making bows from short staves joined at the handle, there's the epoxy curing time needed - 48 hous for a complete bond. Laminated maple or hickory backed bows require up to 40 or more clamps and 48 hours curing time, so time spent depends on the bow.
; It's a very worthwhile hobby or business if one is so inclined. Unfortunately, arthritis and other problems rear up to reduce or pevent continued bow making for some of us.