No matter what shape broadhead we make, if the volume is 1.07 cm3 we will get a weight of 130 grains. Knowing this allows us to put everything into a single equation that will allow us to design an infinite number of trade points. Here is the equation we will use:

V = (((X•Y)+(A•B))•Z)•16.388

V is the volume required from Table 1, Z is the thickness, 16.388 is a conversion factor, and the other variables are the dimensions of the trade point seen in Figure 1. All measurements should be made in inches except the volume, which is in cubic centimeters, that’s what the 16.388 conversion factor is for.

Let’s look at what variables we already know or want. For instance, I wanted a cutting diameter of 1.125”, the cutting diameter is 2•X, and so X will be 0.563”. Variable A is determined by the diameter of the arrow shaft, I chose 3/8” for this example.

I guessed on a 5/8” deep tang for B. The stock material I used for this was 16-gauge plate steel with a thickness of 0.051” (Z). I decided that I wanted a finished point of 125 grains and made an assumption that I would lose 5 grains of weight when cutting the bevels in, so I will target 130 grains. Plug all your data into the equation and solve for Y. 

1.07 = (((0.563•Y)+(0.375•0.625))•0.051)•16.388

0.0653 = ((0.563•Y)+(0.2344))•0.051

1.28 – 0.2344 = 0.563•Y

Y = 1.857”

 Now we have all of our dimensions for our broadhead, but you may ask yourself if this actually works. The dimensions from the first example for the 125 grain finished head (130 grain for losses) are below.

X = 0.563”

Y = 1.857”

A = 0.375”

B = 0.625”

Z = 0.051”

Using the above dimensions, I stamped out a few of these points with a shear press.  The average weight of these trade points before putting the bevels on was 134 grains. The finished heads with beveled edges, although not 100% sharp, weighed in at 126 grains. I’d say this works pretty darn well. By virtue of luck I was four grains over in the roughed out stage but beveling took off a little more than I anticipated, leaving me with a trade point one grain too heavy. If using the same material and design I would use eight grains compensation for beveling instead of five.

Remember that the thicker the material you use, the more weight you will lose in beveling. If I were to use material that was 1/16” thick (0.0625) I would guess that around 10 to 12 grains compensation for beveling would be a good place to start. By varying the dimensions and the thickness of the material used, as well as the type of material used, there is an infinite possibility of shapes that can be produced. It is a good idea to make only a few points of a new design to check the finished weight before you produce a couple dozen. This way you can make small adjustments to the design to correct for variances in density. Keep in mind the game laws of your area.

 When designing trade points, this equation can be very versatile in whatever way you need to use it. The above calculation I did was just one way to get to the end result. For instance, say I have material that is 1/16” thick (Z = 0.0625”) and 23/64” shafting (A = 0.359”).  I want a 145-grain point (V = 1.2 cm3) that is 1.9” long (Y = 1.9”). I would like a cutting diameter of 1” (X = 0.5”). Putting this information into the equation reveals a tang length of 0.62” (B). This example did not take beveling into account. The point I’m trying to make, pardon the pun, is that any one of the variables can be used as the unknown. This allows you to design trade points to whatever weight, length, thickness, etc. that you want. 

If you run into a situation where you just can’t get things to work out how they should, you have a couple of options. If the point is too light you can wrap metal wire on the shaft, directly behind the head, to add weight. If your head ends up heavy you can cut off a slight amount of material at the back of the head from the corner of the tang to the edge of the blade at a slight forward angle, see Figure 2.

Make sure to keep the overall blade symmetric and don’t do the reverse of this, which would leave you with a barbed head that is illegal in many if not all places. When attaching a point to the shaft a small hole could also be punched or drilled in the head to allow for more secure attachment, either with a rivet or sinew. Time will tell what designs will hold up to extended use, and what materials will yield the best points. No matter what materials you choose, using this technique will give you an accurate way to design and produce reliable trade points. As much as we all hated math class in grade school, now we can finally say that there is a good use for it. Happy Hunting.

Thoughts On Going Pro

An Insider’s Look At The World Of The Pro Bowyer

JIM GODDEN

One of the really nice things about traditional archery is that it is supplied by a cottage industry. Thankfully, for the most part, the industrial revolution forgot about the bowyer’s trade. A quick look through Traditional Bowhunter Magazine and you can see almost a hundred small companies offering unique, custom-made bows.  As part of my business day, I read a selection of archery forums. One of my favorites is TradGang. It was there, in an innocent enough thread that the idea for this essay came about.

The individual who wrote the post was asking for opinions on starting a bow making business. The gentleman was looking to start part time and go from there. I was surprised and a little discouraged by the large number of negative responses he got. Th e general attitude was that making bows for money was too difficult, too risky, too costly, and best left to the professionals. He should stay away or lose his shirt.

If you are reading this, it’s a good chance that you probably make bows already or are planning to do so in the future. Anyone who participates in a craft or hobby for fun has probably considered the idea of trying to earn some money with their skill. What could be better? To do something you enjoy and to get paid for it. Of the many practitioners of the craft building bows for themselves or for friends, most have at some point entertained the idea of hanging out a shingle and going pro.

Let’s imagine that the person who posted his question on the Internet was here, relaxing in one of the captain’s chairs across the desk from me. He’s a little troubled by the response he’s gotten so far but he makes a fine bow and he wants to see his craft grow. There’s a nice fi re going in the woodstove, a thermos of coffee flavoured with a dram of sourmash is at hand. Let’s see what advice we can come up with.

You should start with a business plan. It will allow you to decide what you want to accomplish and will determine the degree of success you are looking for. You might see success as selling a thousand bows a year and becoming fabulously wealthy. Or you might see success as selling just enough bows to fill up your spare time and make a few dollars on the side. If you are seeking financial support or a business loan you’ll need to produce a formal business plan. There are plenty of good how to articles in print and on the web on writing a plan. These include templates and have good tips on writing a solid document that will help you be successful in getting financial support.

A plan will also get you thinking about the risks involved. All businesses assume risks.  This need not be a negative thing. Taking risks makes life a little more enjoyable. As long as you are not being reckless or acting irresponsibly, living on the edge with a little risk in your life will make things seem a little more fun, make you feel a little more alive. That’s why folks go to Las Vegas, or head up the mountain with a storm brewing, or hunt bears with a longbow from behind a shrub.  The saying goes, “no risk, no reward”.  Generally this rule is directly proportional, in that the bigger the risk the bigger the reward.

What you’ll need to do is find a balance of risk and reward that suits your situation and you feel comfortable with.  Two of the main risks involved with starting a bow business include loss of money and loss of interest. Loss of money is obvious. If you start a business, you’ll need to provide capital. If it all goes south you will lose that money. Financial hardship is no laughing matter and the impact on you, your family and friends is something that requires serious reflection. If you are going to be in business, you’ll definitely need to learn to “roll with the punches” when it comes to loss. All businesses experience loss and setbacks from time to time. You’ll need to accept this with a straight face. Look at your business as a series of challenges that need to be overcome. You can’t win them all and the odd battle will be lost on the way to winning the war.

Loss of interest stems from advice I got once long ago that went, “don’t make your hobby your living”. I found this to be true. I’ve worked as a commercial diver and a hunting guide in the past. Diving as a job completely ruined my enjoyment of sport diving, and I haven’t been in the water in years. Luckily, I saw what was happening to my attitude towards hunting and stopped guiding in time.

Any job, no matter how enjoyable can become just that, a job. Most of us participate in hobbies or crafts to relax away from work. If your hobby becomes your job, what will you do to relax? In a way, loss of interest is a serious risk, as you will have lost the enjoyment of doing something you love, which, unlike money, cannot be replaced.  The rewards of running your own business, on the other hand, are huge. Making money of course is the obvious one, but there are many, less mercenary rewards. Being self-employed is just plain cool. Like a lot of bowyers my morning commute involves heading downstairs to my basement shop or office.

I’m my own boss and can be flexible in my work schedules. I can take time to hunt or fish or whatever, whenever I need to. It fosters a low stress, enjoyable lifestyle. You’ll develop a sense of discipline as well, you’ll come to realize that even as your own boss, you still work for your customers and you need to motivate yourself out of loyalty to them.  Perhaps the greatest reward found in the bow business is the job satisfaction that comes from seeing your work appreciated and used well by your customers. Like any craftsman, you’ll never please everyone. You’ll have your critics and field your share of complaints, however when a customer calls to say how much he loves his bow and how well he shoots it. All of the negative is forgotten and it all becomes worth the effort.

Legal Issues

There are two main ones, business registration and liability insurance.

I‘ll avoid specifics on these as the differences in legal requirement from state to state, province to province, and between the US and Canada is great.  Generally you should register your business with whatever level of government you need to in your area. Doing so will legitimize your business and give you credibility as a craftsman. It’s fine to be a shade tree bowyer but most serious shoppers like to deal with legal and reputable businesses. Besides, registering a business, especially a sole proprietorship or limited partnership is easy and usually inexpensive.

Liability is a word that scares most of us.  More so in the US than here in Canada where the legal definitions of liability are greatly different.  Before you sell your first bow, consult a lawyer. Sit down with him and have him explain your responsibilities and your rights with regard to liability as it applies to your business and your region. Again, speaking generally you’ll need to protect yourself with some form of business liability insurance which you’ll need to factor into your costs.

Financing and Costs

This will depend on your degree of commitment.

You can sell ten bows a year and still be successful if that’s what you aspire to. In fact using your bow making business to supplement a previous income or as a part time job makes tremendous sense. Don’t expect to make a ton of money at this. My friend Rodney Wright once said, “If you want to make money in your bow shop, make furniture…” When you think about it just about anything you could make is in more demand than traditional bows. But you’ve probably already figured out, we don’t do this for the financial gain alone.

You’ll need to get capital from somewhere to get started. We’ve already talked about producing a formal business plan and using it to secure a business loan. You could also self-finance, which is common in small businesses.  In my own case I was planning to start this business well before I retired from the military. I saved and paid cash for my tools and outfitted my shop in the three years before I left. The beauty of this is that I own the shop outright and if it all goes south and I never take another bow order I can use the shop to start another business.

An alternative to getting a formal loan or a line of credit is to use self-credit which is basically a high limit credit card to cover some of your business costs. Be careful, it takes a fair bit of discipline to manage this kind of credit, and it’s easy to get into trouble.

I mentioned earlier that calculated risks are the spice of life. The “calculated” part is to have a back up or bail out plan in place. Failure is a very real possibility. Despite the best intentions of many people businesses fail every day. In my own case I have two back-up businesses planned and ready to go should the bow making fail. I also have potential employment lined up if it should come to that. If you are planning to make bows part time your back up plan might be as simple as not quitting your day job. The basic advice here, cover your bases and try not to burn any bridges as you go.

You will need to take the long view. The established bowyers that we all know, and that you will be in direct competition with, have been doing this for twenty or thirty years or more. Expect to struggle early on. It is not the type of business that you can “get in, make a pile, get out” of. Reputation and longevity are big sellers in the bow marketplace and neither can be gained overnight.

Keeping Track

Accounting is one of the least popular aspects of running your own business, but it needs to be done. Luckily, in a small craft based business the economics are pretty simple and can be reduced to a simple “money in, money out” formula.

One of the greatest benefits to being a business owner is the tax advantage. It can be a little complex so you may want to hire an accountant at tax time. Your accounting job through out the year will be then reduced to basic, yet accurate record keeping. You’ll need to learn the use of spreadsheets or ledgers. You’ll need to establish a system of invoices and work orders as well. Nothing is more unforgivable than losing track of a customer’s order. Computer skills cannot be overlooked in the running of any business.

If you are uncomfortable behind a keyboard and monitor it’s best if you learn.  Look at it as one of the many skills you’ll need to acquire. There is more to being a bowyer than making bows.

Advertising

You make the best bows in the world. If no one knows about you, it will limit your potential.

Word of mouth advertising is the best and cheapest and you should take every opportunity to spread the word. How much you advertise will depend again on your level of commitment.  If you are working part time, making a small number of bows, you may get by without advertising. On the other hand, if you want to take your business to the next level you’ll need to advertise. Print is still king though internet advertising is a close second. Pick a magazine or two and place an ad, it will go a long way.

It’s not cheap and expect this, along with business cards, brochures, and promotional items to be one of your biggest costs.

Marketing

Marketing is closely tied to advertising. It is the presentation of you and your product.

I got good advice a while back from a friend who runs a business making custom furniture, he said, “sell yourself first.” It’s true; there are lots of folks making bows, all of which are pretty much alike when you think about it.  Your marketing job is to convince the potential customer to let you make his next bow.

To this end you’ll need to do the shows. If you can’t afford to, or can’t make time to get to the big national archery shows at least do your local outdoor show circuit. Don’t forget the related, craft, hobby, and woodworking shows as well. You’ll be out working hard to sell yourself and your bows. If you are shy or introverted and don’t enjoy that sort of public contact you may find this difficult. Look at it as another of the many skills you’ll need to become a successful bowyer.

I was a soldier for most of my adult life and have never sold anything. Sales are a science unto itself, and for me learning about it was a big eye opener. One of the best things I did was attend an outdoor show with an experienced sale professional. A very close friend of mine is successful at selling cars and we went from booth to booth and she pointed out what were good and bad with each vendors set up and selling skills.

If you can, get out to the shoots at the archery clubs. John Dillinger was once asked why he robbed banks to which he answered, “That’s were the money is”. You are going to want to go where the archers are. Most clubs welcome vendors at their shoots. Do your research, make the calls and head out and set up your booth. You’ll make many new friends and contacts and if you have time you might get in a good round on the 3D course.

You will be well served with a website. If you are a Luddite like me and can’t conceive of setting one up yourself, you’ll need to hire (or coerce) some one to do it for you. Luckily there are plenty of folks doing this. The initial start up costs may seem high but the ongoing maintenance fees are low. Do your due diligence and hire someone who understands your business and what you are trying to do.

Look for web designers who work with artists or crafts people. Apart from simply passing on info about you and your product they will try to give your site a unique “feel” which ties in with what we discussed earlier about selling yourself.

A website makes a small business into a big business. It makes a small local shop into a multi-national. It will open your business to the entire world. The size of your potential marketplace becomes so big as to be almost inconceivable.

Accessories and Branching Out

You’ll never guess what the giant furniture store IKEA sells the most of. It’s the little tea light candles that come in a bag of 50 for a dollar. There is great business sense to having a diversity of product. This is especially true when you do the shows, where it’s a good idea to have “small ticket” items to sell off the table.

If for no other reason than to cover the cost for your booth or buy lunch. You can hook up with a wholesaler for accessories or you can raid the clearance tables at other outdoor shows. Avoid selling junk though; you want to be known as a serious craftsman. Anything you sell should be seen to be in support of your bows. You’ll quickly lose credibility as a bowyer if you try to sell shoddy dowel arrows alongside your fine bows.

Arrows will most likely be the accessories in biggest demand, which makes sense, as you need arrows for the bow. Your customers may as well buy them from you as from someone else. If nothing else, learning the fletcher’s craft allows you to sign your business correspondence as “Bowyer and Fletcher”.

Shooting accessories and leathercraft will also be in demand. Leathercraft and traditional archery really seem to go hand in hand so you may want to learn this skill as well. Or you could hook up with local leatherworker and sell his craft in your shop. You can also get factory made leathercraft from wholesalers that you can mark up and sell.

The possibilities are endless when it comes to retailing archery accessories, especially if you connect yourself with good wholesale outlets.  You’ll need to be mindful of how far you want to go with this though. Do you want to cross the line from bowyer shop to full service archery shop?

Some would argue that the fully stocked archery supplier, who also makes bows, is the ultimate end state for our type of business. Consider the very successful Three Rivers Archery or Ron LeClair’s well-known shop.

Conclusion

The woodstove has burned to coals. The thermos is done. We took a break a while back and filled a couple of glasses with more sourmash and they’re empty now too. My friend is a little less discouraged. I suggested that he should by all means go for it. He’s not about to sell the farm and start building bows though. I’ve cautioned him to take a careful, planned approach. I made it clear that the business aspects of being a bowyer are in some ways as important as the skill of making a fine bow. I also counseled him to have a sound back up plan or a good bail out plan because failure does happen. Along with this I said, go ahead, take some risk. But only as much as he feels comfortable with, especially if he has dependents. It’s one thing for a single man to risk it all and lose it all. It’s a totally different thing for a man with family depending on him for their well being.

If you’ve given more than a passing thought to going into business as a bowyer, there’s a good chance that you have the skills already in place. A college student assembling electronics in his dorm room became DELL computers. Henry Ford started making bicycles then tinkering with engines in his little shop outside Detroit.

A friend of mine cruised around the world in a 40-foot sailboat, without doubt an amazing and rewarding accomplishment. His advice was, if you feel you are ready and can do it, don’t delay too long. Life has a way of derailing your plans and there is no disappointment keener than unrealized dreams or ambitions.

The Short Hunting Bow

How To Design And Shoot A Short Bow

One of the problems of hunting with a traditional longbow, whether self or wood/ glass laminate, is its lack of maneuverability in confined spaces. The latter and most of the former are designed most often with a stiff handle/riser in the middle portion of the bow, thus necessitating a bow almost a foot longer than it has to be to avoid excessive stress on limbs and the resulting loss of durability. A few styles of self bows such as whole stave “D” bows and short self bows that flex into the handle margins are the exception to the rule. The “D” bow, whether English or American, is generally quite long and, though suitable for an open range situation where longer shots may be needed, it is at a disadvantage in close quarters.

Obviously, a bow of 48” to 54” is more maneuverable than one of 64” to 70”. So, in this brief article I will discuss a short bow advantageous to one who hunts from blinds, tree stands, and brushy confines on the ground. Also, I will give some guidance in the use of short-draw bows.

Specifications for a Serviceable Short Hunting Selfbow

1. Material: Osage Orange stave of 55”-60”of at least 2” of useable width.

2. Style: Short bow that flexes into the handle margins.

3. Finished N—N length: 52”.

4. Finished width in handle: 7/8”—1”

5. Finished width 2” above and 2” below handle: 1 1/8”—1 ¼”. Finished width adjacent to nocks: 5/8”.

6. Nocks: Pin type, 3/8”W by 5/8” long (overlaid with antler or horn, if desired).

7. Taper the limbs with slightly convex sides (easier to tiller that way).

8. Tiller the belly of limbs so that the taper runs 1 ½” under the handle cover toward the center of the handle, leaving a smooth transition to the center inch of the handle (which must remain stiff).

Because the handle is narrower than the bow 2” above and below it, the entire handle area will be slightly thicker than the adjacent bow limbs when the bow is finished. Nevertheless, the bow hand must detect a hint of flexure when the bow approaches the full draw position.

Regardless, little or no flexure should occur at bow handle center.

9. Finished draw weight: 50# minimum, 60# maximum.

10. Finished draw distance: 25” min., 27” max.

11. Finished bow should be backed with a deer rawhide (no cowhide or other heavy hide, please). Before backing, you may opt to lightly sinew the back for added durability. I prefer the use of hide glue for both sinewing and backing. Apply these over the raw wood, which has been scratched (longitudinally only) with 40 or 50 grit sand paper. Do sinewing and backing as two operations separated by at least 72 hours (or at least until the first is thoroughly dry). By the way, I use plain Knox gelatin for hide glue, 1 package per 4 ounces of water, slightly viscose and warm but not hot.

12. Bowstring: Flemish, Fastflight, 12 – 14 strands, 50 inches before twisting. Use some other string material if you prefer.

See figure 1 for bow design and layout

Discussion

This picture (pic of bows) shows some photos of two short bows I made from small diameter tree bow blanks that I purchased from Gary Davis (Rattlestick Bows) in 2005. These are compared to a typical osage longbow. Since this type of bow can flex over most of its length, it is convenient to use true arcs to assess one’s tillering progress during construction (See Anderson Arc Board, in “Pursuing the Arc” TBJ Vol. 2, Issue 2, Summer 2006.). Getting the greatest percentage of the bow length to flex smoothly is very important to bow performance, durability, and dependability for any wood bow, and it is critical in short bows.

Now, let’s look at fitting the bow to the bowman. I am slightly over 6’ tall with fairly long arms (shirt size 18/36” sleeves). I can pull a bow to 29 or 30 inches, if I stretch. However, I am more comfortable drawing a long bow to 27” because of my particular stance and anchor point, so that is where I shoot. My shortest bow is 49 ¼” N – N, 50# @ 23”, and I can shoot it reasonably well, also. Nevertheless, I am more comfortable shooting my 52” bow at a draw length of 24 or 25 inches. A shooter with shorter arms than mine might choose a slightly shorter bow, unless he had extremely wide shoulders (then he might even need a 54 or 56 inch bow, especially if his normal long bow draw length was 29” or more). He would probably need a short bow that he could safely pull to 27”. I do not believe that any short wood bow of 56 inches or less should be drawn beyond one half its length, and then only if it flexes into the handle and to within 4” of the limb nocks.

As a rule of thumb, I would estimate that the average archer could learn to reduce his draw length by 10—15 percent to accommodate shooting a short-draw bow. Thus, a shooter with a 28-inch longbow draw length should be able to shoot a short bow with a 24 or 25-inch maximum draw length.

Shooting the Short-Draw Bow

Several adjustments must be made by the shooter in order to adapt to a short-draw bow. These will not seem comfortable to him at first, but they encompass the body’s natural response to necessary changes in habit. With a little practice you will be able to accommodate easily to these changes.

This picture presents three sketches looking down from directly above the archer.

Figure 2a shows a field archer’s stance, with the bow practically vertical, the head erect, and the bow arm and shoulders almost in a straight line. This stance produces a maximum draw length.

Figure 2b shows a typical instinctive shooter’s stance. Here, a larger angle exists between bow arm and shoulder alignment. The head is leaned forward somewhat. These differences produce a shorter draw length than the field archer stance would produce. Also, the bow is canted somewhat to the side.

Figure 2c depicts a short-draw bow shooter’s stance. In this stance, four adjustments have been made, each of which effectively shortens the archer’s draw. First, there is a greater angle between bow arm and shoulder alignment bringing the bow ½” to ¾” closer to the face of the shooter. Second, the shoulders are “bunched” by lifting them toward the neck and bringing them toward the sternum, which shortens the draw by perhaps an inch.

This necessitates the lowering of the pull arm elbow somewhat. Third, the bow arm elbow is crooked a small amount to bring the bow another inch closer to the face. Fourth, and importantly, the anchor point is changed as follows: Instead of the usual middle finger at the corner of the mouth anchor, the large joint of the thumb is tucked into the hollow of the cheek forward of the jaw muscle and the fingers pulling the string are eased forward 1 ½” to 2” beyond the mouth.

Now, adding up 1 through 4, we have 3/4” + 1” + 1” + 2” = 4 ¾”. This is best case, and worst case would be at least 3”. These are certainly adequate to facilitate shooting any short-draw bow that is appropriate for the shooter.

Advantages of a Short Hunting Bow

1. Superior maneuverability in brush, blinds, and tree stands.

2. Peripheral vision can keep track of position and location of limb tips better than with long bows.

3. Draw and shooting stance is more compact (stealth is easier).

4. Accuracy (bow control) is good on close shot typical of blinds and tree stands.

5. Performance (speed and penetration) equals or exceeds long bows of the same draw weight.

6. Lighter weight, easier to carry.

Disadvantages of a short-draw bow

1. Shooter must practice to adapt technique.

2. Not as “forgiving” as a long bow.

3. Requires more strength and concentration to control an abbreviated draw (bow arm and anchor point stability).

4. Due to the above three, longer shot consistency not as good as with a longbow.

5. Due to the generally lower brace height, choosing the correct arrow weight, length, and spine are critically important.

Concluding Remarks

If you plan to build and shoot a short bow for next deer season, I suggest that you finish the bow during the summer. Get your arrows selected and begin practicing by August, or at least six weeks prior to opening day. Do not switch back and forth between the short bow and a favorite longbow or recurve, but stick to the short bow and master it. If you can shoot a group of three arrows within a 5-inch diameter circle at 15 yards with any consistency, then hunt with the short bow this year. Better yet, if you can hit a deer target vitals at 15 yards, using one arrow and no practice shots, for three consecutive times one hour apart, you are ready! From the time you begin shooting the short bow, use it exclusively. Don’t even touch a long bow until hunting season is over.

If you can master a short bow, particularly a short-draw bow, then you have found a better close confines hunting bow. Don’t forget to send a photo of your bow and your trophy buck (or whatever) to TBJ; also, I’d be interested to know what you think of hunting the short draw bow.

All of the above bows are approximately 50# draw weight. The top bow is 68” N-N and 50# @28”. The middle bow is 51” N-N and 50# @ 25”. The bottom bow is 49 ¼” N-N and 52# @ 24”.

All three of these bows perform the same regarding cast and accuracy at close range (10 to 15 yards) for an experienced shooter. At longer range (20 to 25 yards) the longbow is easier to control and, therefore, it is more accurate.