Laminated bow
Encyclopedia
A laminated bow is an archery bow
in which different materials are laminated together to form the bow stave itself. Traditional composite bow
s are normally not included, although their construction with horn, wood, and sinew might bring them within the above definition. This term usually refers to bows made of wood, fiberglass, or other modern materials. Such bows may have any side-view profile; the modern recurve bow
is one example, commonly made mainly of fiberglass, and many modern longbow
s and recurves are made by laminating wood.
The technique has many advantages as compared to making a self bow
. It enables the bowyer
to use materials on the back of the bow that are particularly strong in tension, and materials strong in compression on the belly; it is also easier to apply powered machinery to the manufacturing process so as to save time. The bow may be curved during lay-up, so that different bow shapes can easily be achieved. Lamination may make it possible to apply a strong backing to wood that would not otherwise make a good bow. A laminated backing may also save a great deal of time that would be spent following the grain of a natural stave in order to make a self bow
.
Other bow construction techniques include cable-backed bow
and compound bow
.
however is a laminated bow, as is the Korekawa bow from the late Jōmon period in Japan, and the Saami and their neighbours across Northern Eurasia also made laminated bows for centuries. Insulander speculates that these may have been a step in the evolution of the composite bow
. Hijāzi Arabs may also have used a laminated bow.
Bow (weapon)
The bow and arrow is a projectile weapon system that predates recorded history and is common to most cultures.-Description:A bow is a flexible arc that shoots aerodynamic projectiles by means of elastic energy. Essentially, the bow is a form of spring powered by a string or cord...
in which different materials are laminated together to form the bow stave itself. Traditional composite bow
Composite bow
A composite bow is a bow made from horn, wood, and sinew laminated together. The horn is on the belly, facing the archer, and sinew on the back of a wooden core. Sinew and horn will store more energy than wood for the same length of bow...
s are normally not included, although their construction with horn, wood, and sinew might bring them within the above definition. This term usually refers to bows made of wood, fiberglass, or other modern materials. Such bows may have any side-view profile; the modern recurve bow
Recurve bow
In archery, the shape of the bow is usually taken to be the view from the side. It is the product of the complex relationship of material stresses, designed by a bowyer...
is one example, commonly made mainly of fiberglass, and many modern longbow
Longbow
A longbow is a type of bow that is tall ; this will allow its user a fairly long draw, at least to the jaw....
s and recurves are made by laminating wood.
The technique has many advantages as compared to making a self bow
Self bow
A self bow is a bow made from a single piece of wood. Extra material such as horn nocks on the ends, or built-up handles, would normally be accepted as part of a self bow...
. It enables the bowyer
Bowyer
A bowyer is someone who makes or sells bows. Bows are used for hunting and for archery. The development of gunpowder and muskets slowly led to the replacement of bows as weapons of war which decreased the importance of bowyers. Someone who makes arrows is a fletcher.-History:Historically, a huge...
to use materials on the back of the bow that are particularly strong in tension, and materials strong in compression on the belly; it is also easier to apply powered machinery to the manufacturing process so as to save time. The bow may be curved during lay-up, so that different bow shapes can easily be achieved. Lamination may make it possible to apply a strong backing to wood that would not otherwise make a good bow. A laminated backing may also save a great deal of time that would be spent following the grain of a natural stave in order to make a self bow
Self bow
A self bow is a bow made from a single piece of wood. Extra material such as horn nocks on the ends, or built-up handles, would normally be accepted as part of a self bow...
.
Other bow construction techniques include cable-backed bow
Cable-backed bow
A cable-backed bow is a bow reinforced with a cable on the back. The cable is made from either animal, vegetable or synthetic fibers and is tightened to increase the strength of the bow. A cable will relieve tension stress from the back of the bow by raising its neutral plane: the border between...
and compound bow
Compound bow
A compound bow is a modern bow that uses a levering system, usually of cables and pulleys, to bend the limbs.The limbs of a compound bow are much stiffer than those of a recurve bow or longbow. This limb stiffness makes the compound bow more energy-efficient than other bows, in conjunction with the...
.
History
Laminated bows were rare in most of the world before modern waterproof glues became widely available, almost unknown before about 1900CE, and outside Japan and Northern Asia they have never formed a significant proportion of traditional bows. The modern Japanese bowYumi
is the Japanese term for bows, and includes the longer and the shorter used in the practice of kyūdō, or Japanese archery. The yumi was an important weapon of the samurai warrior during the feudal period of Japan.-History of the yumi:...
however is a laminated bow, as is the Korekawa bow from the late Jōmon period in Japan, and the Saami and their neighbours across Northern Eurasia also made laminated bows for centuries. Insulander speculates that these may have been a step in the evolution of the composite bow
Composite bow
A composite bow is a bow made from horn, wood, and sinew laminated together. The horn is on the belly, facing the archer, and sinew on the back of a wooden core. Sinew and horn will store more energy than wood for the same length of bow...
. Hijāzi Arabs may also have used a laminated bow.
Further reading
- (1992) The Traditional Bowyers Bible Volume 1. The Lyons Press. ISBN 1-58574-085-3
- (1992) The Traditional Bowyers Bible Volume 2. The Lyons Press. ISBN 1-58574-086-1
- (1994) The Traditional Bowyers Bible Volume 3. The Lyons Press. ISBN 1-58574-087-X
- How to make fiberglass-laminated modern bows by John Clark, available from Ausbow Industries
- The Design and Construction of Composite Long (Flat) Bows by John Clark
- The Design and Construction of Composite Recurve Bows by John Clark (2002)
- Design and Construction of Flight Bows, a supplement to The Design and Construction of Composite Recurve Bows by John Clark