Q&A for How to Make a Bow and Arrow

You should aim for around an inch. Don't go too thick because you want it to have a slight bend, but if it's too thin it will snap. Woodlands are great for finding a good bow.

If you mean the arrow, it's to harden the point of the entire thing. If you mean the bow, it's the same principle, it's to make it harder and more durable.

Duct tape, animal furs, feathers, even streamers could be used.

Quite bendy. Not super bendy, or there won't be as much power to it. However, being too stiff makes it more likely to break if you try to shoot an arrow from it.

It would be roughly 30-55 pounds depending on how you make it. Likely it shoots anywhere from 100 yards to 600 yards, depending on how you make it.

Red oak, bamboo, hickory, Osage, ipe, cedar, poplar, black locust, yew, and black walnut. All these work well for making bows, but it really comes down to what you think looks the best.

Obsiderine is usually sharp enough.The right piece may be as sharp as a razor blade. Use the blunt side as a handle and scrape the wood with the sharp end.

Because that means there isn't a lot of resistance, and you need some resistance for an effective shot.

It needs to be about 4 inches (20cm) from the top when tied to the bottom. That way, it keeps the bow and string taut.

Baker's twine is more focused on crafting, and is only a little thicker than floss. Use something else.

Measure the original string length then place two nails in a length of wood this distance apart. Use dental floss to wind between the nails until you reach desired thickness (maybe 10 to twelve strands). Bind the ends with dental floss to form eyes at both ends, then bind a section in the middle for the arrow nock.

Not at all. 1.8 meters is the length of a longbow. Smaller bows, often used in history on horseback, are usually about 3.5 feet long.

Strings made out of flax, hemp, or silk are among the strongest strings. They have are used on the English longbow, which is one of history's strongest bows.

You can make it with metal, glass, or bone. You will have to mold the shape into a triangle with a small length to attach to the arrow-head, or you can ask a blacksmith to make you a few sets of them to attach to arrow shafts.

You could, but try juta cord or para cord for a better choice.

Make a small cut into the feathered end of the arrow, about 1/2 cm or so deep. This will allow the arrow to slip into the string.

You can try making an arrowhead out of a stick by sharpening the end of it.

A good, straight stick can be found anywhere. You may find some good sticks in the woods or forest. Just look anywhere that has a tree nearby.

Feathers can be found on the ground, or you can buy them.

These can all be found in nature except maybe the yarn. You should be able to find these.

I'm not sure about mahogany. Yew is indigenous to Europe, from what I know.

It should be about 3 feet long but if your draw back length is longer when you draw the arrow back it should be about an inch from the tip of the arrow.

Maybe, but gluing could make it less durable, and then you're relying more on the glue than on the wood and your own skill.

just slit a hole on the top, where it fits into the bowstring, and wrap some binding material onto the wood and arrow head.

Fishing string is cheap, but I would recommend braided nylon or cotton/silk.

No, you can't. Yarn isn't strong enough and would come apart very quickly.

Metal string is fine, and it is a preference to some. You can use it but you need it to be a metal string, not wire, and they are not to be mistaken for one another. Until your fingers get used to it they will bleed from continuous use, so make sure you wrap the middle of the strand with something more finger friendly!

Yew and wych elm (or Scott's elm) are in Europe, and historically used to make longbows.

A bandage doesn't have enough tensile strength to propel an arrow. A knife wouldn't work because it's not aerodynamically designed to be shot from a bow and doesn't have enough length to be pulled back; however, in an emergency situation, you could fashion an arrow using a knife's blade, if it's small enough, and some sort of shaft. You'd still need something better than a bandage to use as a bowstring, though.

To make the nocks, use a knife to divide the top of the arrow into thirds. Cut out the middle third.