Making a Form

• 1). Design the form of your bow. This will be what you want the profile of the bow to look like. Keep in mind that the string will bend the bow. You want the profile to be what the bow should look like unstrung.
  
  
• 2). Copy your design onto plywood. Cut it out using a band saw. Keep both of the resulting parts.
  
  
• 3). Narrow your form down to the width you need it to be for your bow.
  
  

Designing the Riser

• 1). Design your riser. This is the handle, or grip, of the bow. When designing, keep in mind that the "fades," or the pieces at the extremes of the grip that will fade into the rest of the bow, must taper down to extremely thin measures so that fiberglass can be successfully laminated back over the fade.
  
  
• 2). Copy your riser design to a piece of plywood and cut it out with a band saw. You should have copied the profile of the design.
  
  
• 3). Narrow the riser down to the desired width.
  
  

Laminating the Bow

• 1). Lay a fiberglass strip down over your form. Apply glue.
  
  
• 2). Lay the strip of maple down over your fiberglass.
  
  
• 3). Attach the riser in the center with glue.
  
  
• 4). Attach fiberglass strips going up past the fades to the base of the riser, but do not cover the grip, or what your hand will cover. Glue these down.
  
  
• 5). Clamp the form together, using both sides of the form mold you cut out earlier. If you were careful with your band saw, it should press the laminate into shape perfectly. Let the bow sit for a few days.
  
  

Shaping the Bow

• 1). Remove the bow from the form.
  
  
• 2). Check to make sure everything glued sturdily.
  
  
• 3). Move the bow to your curing box and allow it cure for a few hours.
  
  

Shaping the Bow

• 1). Remove the bow from your curing box.
  
  
• 2). Clamp it in place with a vise. You need to be able to work on it without it moving.
  
  
• 3). File the bow down to the desired shape using your files. You should wear a mask for this, as fiberglass is very bad to inhale.
  
  
• 4). Design "nocks" for the tips and glue them on. Nocks are what will hold the string in place. A small piece of wood with a nock taken out of it will suffice.
  
  

Finishing the Bow

• 1). Wipe down the bow.
  
  
• 2). Sand off any remaining glue or other detritus using your sander or sandpaper.
  
  
• 3). Apply any finish you desire. Spray-ons are the easiest.