Making a Bow Horse Here are the drawings and a help sheet to make up a bow horse. There are three for mine and one for Tim Baker s quick bench. His really does not need the explanation that the other does. The quick bench works real well for board bows and for final tillering and scraping. It holds the bow by the handle and you put the tip in your lap, works real nice. He has suggested that you center the top instead of the way I have drawn it so you can hide it as a garden bench. Put a hole in the end to hold a flower pot and then nobody will sit on the end anyway. The other has been around for thousands of years and works real well with logs and staves. I think both are needed but you need a lot of room. I have made most of my benches out of treated lumber and hot dipped galvanized hardware where I can, I leave my benches outside. I have started to make the top clamp out of a treated landscape timber it has a big radius on two sides and works real well. I have drawn up a tiller tree also that I have included. Good luck. If you have any questions or comments or need me to cut a piece for you (small fee) just let me know. Have fun Tim Flood PrimitiveArcher@aol.com 770.499.7369
What you will need to put a bow horse together: Lumber: Hardware: Instructions: 1. 4 pcs. 2x4x8 (treated?) 2. 1 pc 2x6x4 1. 3 pcs, ½ x 7 carriage bolts 6 flats 3 nuts, watch length wet lumber is thicker, Main body 2. 1 pc ½ x 7 ½ carriage bolt 2 flats and 1 nut, Axle 3. 4 pcs. 5/16 x 2 ½ carriage bolts 4 flats and 4 nuts, back legs 4. 2 pcs. 5/16 x 3 ½ carr. bolts 2 flats and 2 nuts clamp foot to clamp upright 5. 4 pcs ¼ x3 lag screws clamp and axle holder 6. 2 pcs #10 x 3 ½ countersunk head screws, table to table leg 7. big hinge with screws 2,2 ½ long and 3, 1 ¼ long (under table) 8. 12 piece of ½ all thread rod with 2 flats and 2 nuts, foot brace 1. Cut all lumber to length 2. Cut angles on back legs (all cuts are at 15 degrees) 3. Clamp main body together and drill the 3, ½ holes where indicated +/- 4. Insert seat piece and drill, insert one of the 7 carriage bolts 5. Insert front leg and drill, and bolt with a 7 carriage bolt 6. Fit up one of the back legs and drill for attachment hardware, the do other leg. 7. Cut the notch in the 2x6 with the best side up. Fir the notch to clamp upright. The clamp upright should be able to move when the axle holder is clamped on! 8. Drill a ½ hole in the 2x6 or use alternate (2x4 with ½ square dado, screwed to bottom) For the straight hole challenged. Drill the axle holder and check fit You can drill holes in the clamp upright later on to use different thicknesses of wood for now just drill one to fit rest of holes. I find it best to have holes near front of upright play with this till you find right place to drill all the holes! 9. Drill and countersink hole for the table leg and assemble with long screws 10. Assemble table with clamp upright and table leg between main body pieces insert last ½ bolt in main body. Tighten when back is flush and height seems right for you.
11. Clamp axle holder and fasten with screws. Make sure the 2x4 is flush with the 2x6 and the axle is removable. 12. When you know where the 2x6 goes, attach the hinge in the back of the 2x6 and the 2x4. You might have to disassemble depending what type of hinge you can find. 13. Drill hole in foot for allthread rod and clamp the upright where it seems right and drill and attachment hardware and assemble 14. Clamp 2x4 clamp the upright and drill for attachment hardware and assemble, I ve been using a 6 piece of landscape timber lately with the rounded edge it will not damage wood Put it where you like it 15. Screw upright rub in place (keeps upright tight) All done!! Neat huh? Tim Flood Tflood3762@aol.com If you run into trouble or need me to cut a piece for you (for a small fee) I would be more then glad to help you.
QTY DESCRIPTION LENGTH MATERIAL ALTERNATE TO DRILLING THROUGH 2 X 6 SCREW UNDER 2 X 6 A. 2 MAIN FRAME 72" B. 2 BACK LEGS 20" C. 1 CLAMP UPRIGHT 32" D. 1 FRONT LEG 20" E. 1 CLAMP FOOT 12" F. 1 TABLE LEG 12" G. 1 CLAMP UPRIGHT RUB 20" X 1-7/8" H. 1 SEAT PIECE 12" I. 1 AXEL HOLDER 16" J. 1 CLAMP 8" K. 1 TABLE 47" 2 X 6 AXEL HOLDER C G D A J I K HINGE piece "J" Title: Dwg No. Bow Horse Date: Drawn By: 6/99 C:\...Bow-Vse Tim Flood E F H B
QTY DESCRIPTION LENGTH MATERIAL 15 DEG CUTS BACK LEGS 2 REQ-D A. 2 MAIN FRAME 72" 2 BACK LEGS 20" B C. 1 CLAMP UPRIGHT 32" D. 1 FRONT LEG 20" E. 1 CLAMP FOOT 12" F. 1 TABLE LEG 12" G. 1 CLAMP UPRIGHT RUB 20" X 1-7/8" H. 1 SEAT PIECE 12" I. 1 AXEL HOLDER 16" J. 1 CLAMP 8" K. 1 TABLE 47" 2 X 6 20.000 47.0 8.75 6.0 1.5 2 x 6 PIECE A PIECE B PIECE A PIECE B 1.88 PIECE C PIECE D PIECE E PIECE F PIECE G PIECE H PIECE I PIECE J X 8' 4 Pcs Req-d BE CAREFUL OF WET WOOD THICKNESS AND WIDTH Title: Dwg No. BOW HORSE CUT LIST C:\...Bow-Leg Date: Drawn By: 6/99 Tim Flood
ALL CUTS ARE +/- CUTS LEG LEG STRETCHER TOP 2 X 12 LEG ASSY. KEEP THIS SIDE FLUSH SCREW THE TWO 14" PIECES TO THE 38" PIECE 3" VICE CLAMPED & PADDED LEG ASSY. TURN OVER AND SCREW TOP TO LEG ASSY. TIM BAKERS QUICK BENCH DRAWN BY TIM FLOOD
8' 2X4 CUT TWO 12" PIECES AND ATTACH MAKE THIS OUT OF A 4X4 AND ATTACH AT EYE LEVEL, 2" FLAT TO PUT BOW HANDLE ON HOOK STRING OR BOW SCALE HERE "S" HOOK CLOSE S HOOK ON TOP PULLEY TOP PULLEY TOP PULLEY 1/4" ROPE BOTTOM PULLEY KNOT HERE BOTTOM PULLEY ATTACH TO TREE OR SIDE OF BUILDING YOU SHOULD ALWAYS PULL YOUR BOW 40 OR 50 TIMES AFTER REMOVING WOOD TO MAKE THE NEW THICKNESS SET IN YOU CAN HOOK A YARD STICK TO THE SIDE WITH A RUBBER BAND AND MOVE IT TO COMPENSATE FOR DIFFERENT HANDLES TIE 1/4" ROPE TO 3/8" EYE LAG SCREW THEN UP THROUGH PULLEY CONNECTED TO "S" HOOK, THEN DOWN THROUGH PULLEY ON BOTTOM EYE THEN OUT TO YOUR HAND PEG OR SCREW TO HOLD PULLEY SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO PICK IP UP ALL TIME SWIVEL PULLEYS WILL MAKE THINGS EASIER DEPENDING ON THE PULLEYS YOU CAN FIND OPEN EYE SCREW AND PUT PULLEY IN EYE THEN CLOSE UP EYE, I LEAN MINE UP UNDER THE SIDING AND HAVE PUT TWO PIECES OF REBAR IN THE GROUND INFRONT OF THE BOTTOM CROSS PIESE TO PULL AGAINST TILLER TREE 8/99 TIM FLOOD
drill small holes so nail can be adjusted for different string length Bow Weight Stands of B-50 20-45# 12 45-55# 14 55-70# 16 9 8 7 6 48 50 52 54 56 58 60 62 64 66 68 70 72 74 3" 8" Put 2 nails at this end Put 20 nails at this end Made from 2 x 4 30" long Put marks at 3" for length of braid for loop and 8" for where to start the twisting from the end 5 4 3 2 1 0 Flemish String Jig Drawn By: Tim Flood