The Daohead Collective

Wu-wei erh wu-pu-wei. (Doing nothing but nothing left undone.)

Daohead Crafts His First Longbow, Wu Wei

 Specifications & Materials Used 

Bow: Reverse Handle Longbow (Right Hand) 70" NTN / 41# @ 28" (45# @ 29.5" = Daohead's Draw)

Riser: African Blackwood (Purchased from Exotic Wood Group)

Limbtips: African Blackwood

Limb Lamination Layup (Back to Belly): Gordon Bo-Tuff E Glass UL - Clear (0.040") | Birdseye Maple (0.030") | Action-Boo - Natural (0.120" .002" Tapered) | Action-Boo - Natural (0.120" .002" Tapered) | Action-Boo - Natural (0.100" Parallel) | Birdseye Maple (0.030") | Gordon Bo-Tuff E Glass UL - Clear (0.040") = Total thickness at fadeout (0.480") ... (Purchased from Old Master Crafters, Waukegan, IL)

Glue-Up: Smooth-On EA-40® Transparent Laminating Epoxy Adhesive

Finish: Thunderbird Epoxy Bow Finish (Satin). Wet-sanded (400 & 600 grit) and buffed with 0000 steel wool.

String: 68" Endless Loop: 12 Strands of Dynaflight 97 | Loop and Main Serving: Halo Braided Spectra .024
Brace Height: 7.0" (to belly)
Nock Height: 5/8" (.625")


 DFC (Draw Force Chart)  DFC Graph

 Speed Test 

Speed Test #1: 535gr (total arrow weight) Hildebrand sitka spruce full-length (self-tapered) shafts... 60-64 spine; 3 5-inch helical LW shield-cut fletches; 125gr field points; and, Mercury Indexed Speed Nocks; G.P.P. = 11.8; Chronographed: 535gr at 154 fps.

Speed Test #2: 444-448gr (total arrow weight) Hildebrand sitka spruce full-length (self-tapered) shafts... 55-59 spine; 3 4-inch straight offset LW shield-cut fletches; 125gr field points; and, Mercury Indexed Speed Nocks; G.P.P. = 9.95; Chronographed: 444gr at 168 fps; 448gr at 162.

Speed Test Arrow #2

Speed Test #3: 395-407gr (total arrow weight) Hildebrand sitka spruce full-length breasted (11/32 to 5/16 - 10 inch shaft taper on the point end and 12 inch shaft taper on the nock end) target shafts... 50-55 spine; 3 4-inch straight offset LW shield-cut fletches; 70gr field points; and, Mercury Indexed Speed Nocks; G.P.P. = 8.95; Chronographed: 395gr at 173 fps; 398gr at 171 fps; 400gr at 169; 407gr at 161 fps.

Speed Test Arrow #3

 Bow Pictures 

Layed out for glue-up
▲ Laid out for glue-up.

De-forming
▲ Removing clamps from form after curing.

Bow Name
▲ Bow Name: WuWei (Daoist concept=Actionless Action / Effortless Effort)

Unstrung
▲ Unstrung

Strung
▲ Strung

Riser: Rough (Detail)
▲ Riser: Rough (Detail)

Riser Detail (Strung)
▲ Riser: Strung (Detail)

Riser Shelf (Detail)
▲ Riser: Shelf (Detail)

Riser: Back (Detail)
▲ Riser: Back of Handle (Detail).

Belly of Grip (Detail)
▲ Grip/Shelf: View from Belly (Detail)

Upper Limb (Detail)
▲ Upper Limb (Detail)

Limbtip (Rough)
▲ Limb Tip (Rough)

Top Limbtip (Finished Detail)
▲ Top Limb Tip (Finished Detail)

On the Tiller Stick
▲ On the Tiller Stick (Tillered for 3-Under)

My Sig
▲ The Bowyer's Sig...

Acknowledgments: Thanks for the planning, form, techniques, and wisdom of Mark Putra and Dave Ryan.
Thanks to Steve Baumgart for his help squaring the riser block.
Thanks to John Burton for his help sanding the limbs on his monster industrial belt sander.
Thanks to Rick Welch (& John White) for the inspiration and coaching.
Thanks to the accumulated knowledge amassed (and free for the taking) on the Leatherwall and Pirates of Archery.