How to Make: PVC+Fiberglass Recurve Bow (Mark I) 

I came across your vid by accident and thought I could impart some advice as a traditional bow maker. It's not just about draw weight, bow 'speed' is also a factor. In other words, the elasticity of the material wanting to go from a stretched state to a relaxed state. Different types of wood have different elasticity. I.E. Say I have two bows, one ash and one oak and both are 50lbs. I fire them and get 12" penetration with the ash bow, but the oak bow only gives 6". Even though they are the same draw weight, the elasticity of the ash bow is exponentially higher which translates to a higher arrow velocity. Bow makers perform what's called "backing", which is essentially layering a different material on the back of the bow in order to speed up or slow it down. I.E. sinew speeds it up while linen slows it down. Your fiberglass core is very elastic, however it is being severely slowed down by your pvc which is strong and flexible, but a much 'slower' material. I'd suggest if you want to speed up your bow, add your material to the outside back of the bow rather than the core. Remember, when drawn, the back stretches while the belly compresses so you want slower material on the belly and faster material on the back. Hope this info helps you.

Considering how your builds are advancing one after another, I think a ballista is in order.

5 years later and I’m still waiting for another recurve bow video lmao

Love that propane tank behind the target, that's fuccin' genius mate.

Whichever fan made that recurve is pretty fucking talented

Never figured out a mark II? I'd love to see an improved version

Recurve Tip: When you string a recurve bow, the "end of the curve" needs to be parallel with the string, that is, in line with it. If you lay those two bows down and compare, yours is not bent enough, your string is too long. If its properly strung, that will give you the last bit of power you seem to be missing right now....

thanks for your videos. I love to make homemade projects and this just inspired me to start working on my own bows out of PVC. made my first one yesterday not extremely excited about it but there's more to come for sure.

Pretty good man! You made it much more complex than it needed to be but oh well. Also, and important thing: DONT heat the pipe with the fiberglass rods inside. Heat makes the fiberglass brittle and prone to snapping and causing dangerous situations...

Actually, my grandma builds one helluva pvc bow.

Well, the instructions and video with fast forward make this one of the best PVC bow DIY videos I have seen so far. Thanks.

This is a new proper tecnique, making arrows from pvc👍👍

So many people think that they're first...

Dude, I know this is an old video, but I wanted to make a suggestion - and I hope you see it (someday!). Why don't you mark your arrows with inch ticks using a Sharpie? Then you could just look at the arrow to determine the depth without needing to measure it each time. Just a thought.

No clue if this has been said but one thing that would increase a performance is use a string that has no flex in it. Modern nylon bow strings have no give or stretch and para-chord has a good bit of stretch to it and that takes away from the overall power of the bow. But none the less 5.5 inch penetration is nothing to scoff at. Hopefully any info I can give well over a year after the build can help Mark II. Love your stuff man, I am a fellow craft/creator and I really appreciate the methods you use for doing stuff. Hope you read this and it helps!

I wait very impatiently every hour for new videos to come out. Then when they do, I am so excited.

am i the only one who didnt know aluminum foil had a shiny and dull side

if you use a bow with a higher draw waght you have to use a heavier Arrow

Awesome! You're a good speaker too, not annoying to listen to.

Not bad. I hope he grows his channel in the next couple of years or something.

said you'd put the link to Dan's video in the description, well

wow that subscriber bow is pretty sweet!

I shoot wooden handmade bows myself. Something you might try is shortening the length of your string. Something else you could try is putting in 4 pieces of fiberglass markers instead of 2. I would also add a back to the bow. My recurve bow has a bamboo back.

I noticed near the end of the video that when they two bows were seen side to side, the arms on your bow had a much shallower curve than the one a fan sent you. It's likely that the difference in power, at least in part, is due to this. The easiest fix, as other people have mentioned is a shorter string; that will bring the depth of the curve more towards the fan-made bow. I'm not sure about the idea that making it out of three separate pieces has any bearing, though I could be mistaken; my reasoning is that composite bows are also made from multiple parts buy don't suffer the same decrease in power. Granted, in composite bows the separate pieces of the arms are layered one atop another to increase the draw weight and thus the power of the bow. Still, as long as the three pieces of PVC are securely bonded - which they should be thanks to the PVC cement - it should allow the bow to flex properly. The comment about the arrows may also have some basis and usually you can get the draw weight checked for a fairly low price, if they charge at all (it depends on the person and how they run their business as to if there's a cost). Either way, I'd say it's worth looking into.

Nice bows! I love traditional weapons made with modern materials (has that post apocalyptic styling people would have to resort too). have you perfected your schematic yet, and does the person the made you the original take orders? Thanks for your videos, they're great!

Hey try adding more string tension. This should improve the bows performance. Just a tip.

A recurve bow has tips that curve away from the archer when the bow is unstrung. By definition, the difference between recurve and other bows is that the string touches a section of the limb when the bow is strung. A recurve bow stores more energy and delivers energy more efficiently than an equivalent straight-limbed bow, giving a greater amount of energy and speed to the arrow. A recurve will permit a shorter bow than the simple straight limb bow for a given arrow energy and this form was often preferred by archers in environments where long weapons could be cumbersome, such as in brush and forest terrain, or while on horseback. Recurved limbs also put greater strain on the materials used to make the bow, and they may make more noise with the shot. Extreme recurves make the bow unstable when being strung. An unstrung recurve bow can have a confusing shape and many Native American weapons, when separated from their original owners and cultures, were incorrectly strung backwards and destroyed when attempts were made to shoot them.[1] The unqualified phrase "recurve bow" or just "a recurve" in modern archery circles usually refers to a typical modern recurve bow, as used by archers in the Olympics and many other competitive events. A reflex bow is a bow that has curved or curled arms which turn away from the archer throughout their length.

"like a little white hot dog". Words to live by gentlemen, words to live by.

you should do a collab with joergsvrave from theslingshotchannel one day.

I noticed that the distance between the string and the center of the bow is bigger in the subscriber's bow, than in the one you made. Do you think this affects the power/draw weight?

Eli keep doing what you do You are great at it

The advantage your bow has over the subscriber bow is the fiberglass rods. Plain pvc bows can start to lose power over time because they retain the bow shape from being strung and used. the fiberglass should help prevent that from occurring. Good build at any rate.

Mark II please!

Mark II?

A recurve bow is a bow with limbs that curve away from the archer when unstrung. A recurve bow stores more energy and delivers energy more efficiently than the equivalent straight-limbed bow, giving a greater amount of energy and speed to the arrow

PVC primer is so satisfying

I think it's because the subscriber bow has a higher draw length, so it doesn't need a higher draw weight for the same ammount of power.

the pvc shrinking due to the heat gun - dont factor that in to the rest of the bow. thats just backwards thinking. all you have to do is have the piece be an inch longer than you want on each end, and then after it cools, see where its at, and cut off the excess from each end, so that way you have the 3 inches left on each side.

Finaly a good looking PVC-Fiberglass bow.

The key to a recurve bow is an aggressive deep curve on the recurve part. The goal should be that the bow is pulling on an end perpendicular to the pull all the way through drawing back. The more your recurve faces inward like a straight bow, an exponential amount of energy will be lost for the same draw weight.

+ZNAProductions hurry up and make Mark II.

How hot is the pvc when malleable it is safe to touch for a second or two?

hey mr. Eli you should do a camping special where you go camping and make weapons, ect from just the tools you have on your campsite ^ ^

My friend I too am a bit of a pvc expirimenter and I just wanted to suggest using dust masks when working with PVC. Your body cant get rid of it so any you inhale just stays there for ever.. meaning 2000 years after you are dead there will still be a little chunk of pvc! :) Hope this idea helps you!..

So, the fiberglass doesn't go through the curve? I think you might not get the benefit of the recurve, then.

In case of zombie apocalypse, expect me to be knocking at your door.

your vids have a nice adventurous and fun vibe to them. keep it up.

Also light weight limbs(low mass) snaps back faster resulting in more arrow speed. By adding fiberglass rod you made the limbs heavier. Fiberglass rods work better in a no heat round pvc bow as it keeps it from collapsing at the handle

LAST! YES! LOOK AT ME NOW MUM!

I know this sounds obvious and douchey... but why don't you just ask the subscriber?

The best thing I have ever seen was that look of sheer confusion, and Dan's laugh at the confusion.

As GrimGram stated,we want you to make a ballista after this!!!

+BackyardBowyer is your man for PVC bow build guides. He even has a few books on it I believe.

for those who will use PVC glue dont try to smell it or you will drop to the flour , my father use that sh1t , hes a plummer and he used to glue PVC pipes , the first time i smell the can i almost fall to the ground and my nose lose sensitivity for like 2 days , TAKE CARE ...

I think that this is how the bow of the customer is one piece so better flexing and therefore has greater speed

+Red Rook already got at this, but I figured I'd go into it a little more. I think I may have an answer for you about the difference in performance. You made an absolutely wonderful bow, you really just made a neat long bow rather than a recurve bow. The curving in the bow's ends doesn't come from shaping, those curves come from the natural tension created when a bow is pulled backwards from it's resting position which would resemble a strung long bow without the string. As I'm sure you know, the power of the bow comes from it's potential energy (PE) due to the tension the bow string forces on the bow at rest. That energy is exacerbated by you pulling the string and then released when loosing. With true recurve, there's significantly more PE because the bow isn't trying to straighten (more or less), it's trying to revert to it's original curve shape. This may lead to the bow being "faster" as others mentioned because it's journey is beyond a 180 degree or 5 and 175 degree rest but more like a 20 and 160 degree rest (if not more). I'm not sure a true recurve is possible with PVC material; I would worry it would be too much stress for such a weak material. However, you may be able to accomplish it! I truly enjoyed watching the video, and congrats on your wonderful weapon!

Why not invite the sender of the bow to instruct you on recurve making?

why not just follow a BYB tutorial? he seems to be able to make bows more powerful than those without any fiberglass core.

I loved this, you should make more bow vods

Thanks for taking the time to show us how to make the bow it was most interesting, one thing I would point out is that your targets at the end didn't have the same stability and that the added movement in the top target would absorb some of the kinetic force of the arrow which in turn would give a false result for comparing the two bows power try putting them side by side for a fairer test

tf? leafyishere?

Obi Wan Kanabo?

um hey Eli just wanted to tell you that i have made my first pvc bow and arrows all inspired and learned from you i really hope you read this it means a lot to me and keep up the awesome videos.

Lol this song has been stuck in my head all day.

he looks like leafy except with a reseeding hairline

that was such a bad test at the end

no idea where you came up with the idea of making bows out of pbs but it is great. think you for sharing these videos.

You made a valiant effort. To me that's very inspiring, your next one I am sure will turn out more to your expectations.

who else wants to do this but dont have the fucking materials?

I would say using a para-cord string is the first problem. Para cord does stretch. b-50 Dacron string can be bought at places like bass pro. There are several videos online on how to make it. Even back yard bower has one. Good video

The power In a recurve doesn't come from the bending of the riser like a long bow, but from the curve in the limbs. That's why adding the fiberglass didn't do much for it as far as power goes. It does make it slightly sturdier though.

I love your honesty. Great job 👏

Hey Eli, I think the reason the arrow is flying funky is because it's either to stiff or to flexible. You may want to try using different kinds of arrows as some of them are meant for higher or lower draw-weights.

If you want to add some flare to your bows you can use "furniture grade" pvc. It comes in various colors.

Also, Pro tip while connecting two ends of Pvc with the primer and glue make sure you twist the Pvc in opposite directions to ensure a nice tight fit.

"LATER NERDS" I was laughing so hard!

Guys, shooting at the same time means one of the arrows hits first and its easy to see one is hitting a moment before the other and that one is rocking the target, thus the second to strike doesn't get a clean hit.

You have good taste in music, I think I have majority of the music you have in your videos already in my music playlist :D

Please make a new and revised re-curve bow video. I loved the video, but would also love a better one (or a build on the fan-built one).

For the guy who made the PVC bow and found it did some strange things, here is the reason. I you look at the recurve you were sent you will notice that the centre of the string is a lot closer to the handle on your bow that the other. Open your hand to its fullest strech and place your thumb on the grip ( handle) of the bow, the gap between the handle and your little finger should just touch the string at this point and that is the correct distance between string and grip when the bow is strung. The other thing was that when you strung the long bow , or non recurve bow you should put the bottom of the bow in the curve centre of your left foot if right handed or right if you are left handed. Now with the firstbtwo fingers of your right hand, put them behind the string loop, pull atbthe grip and push with the right hand, with a well waxed string the loop should slide up until it drops into the string notch that you cut, doing it the way you did it is likely to get you a broken centre with the other half through you thigh, very painfull. When you loose a bow string your draw hand should stay just were it was when you let loose the arrow, this will improve your sighting beyond belief, my grouping is usually all the arrows in contact with each other in the target, that is on a good day without too much wind. But none the less I was impressed with the end job of making the bow, it looked tidy and had a good draw weight.

You should make a wooden bow some time. It is quite hard, but a laminated bow looks so great that it might be worth a try.

I approve if this bow! well done my comrade!! Can't wait for a mark 2!!

A recurve bow actually doubles the power of the draw weight so that is why the smaller one is shooting so powerfully.

You did pretty good on that bow

Very nice job, looks way cooler than any of the bows I've made so far. I really like the idea of having the limbs made out of the bigger pipe. So far I've only put on bigger pipe as the siya on the tips of my limbs. I too have had trouble getting a pvc-fiber-glass bow to increase significantly in penetration performance. But if I'm not mistaken, you're using field tips. For penetration tests you should probably use sharp tips, but of course, don't do anything that'll damage your arrowhead, not worth it.

I'm not an expert, but I beleive that the subscriber bow has more power with a lower draw weight is because of the proportions. Your bow was much longer, but had the same size curve as the subscriber bow, therefore, you might have to have a larger curve on your bow.

Man I love to see you and your videos bro.... keep it up buddy

wow... that was a very great video and i am going to try making this very soon

draw length is longer with the light weight bow than the heavier bow thus allowing it's penetration. meaning you have to pull the heavy bow further back in order to get deeper penetration with the heavy bow with the fiberglass arrow. also to get even deeper penetration with the heavy bow you need heavier arrows. heavy bow, heavy arrow. light bow, light arrows. hope this helps if you get this

The heat reflector is very creative

That subscriber bow is probably magical

Hey Eli. You should make some sort of bow powered by rubber. Maybe mounted to a wooden handle and oversized.

Guys, an arrow over or under spine tends to effect left or right on the target. Your nock to rest height must be off plane to get an arrow striking the target with a vertical deflection. An arrow of improper spine may make effect worse. Tuning your bow results in strait strikes on target and deeper penetration .

Very cool ! Keep us updated !

you might try a stiffer arrow out or your bow. the lower spine causes it to bend more than it should and you will get some funky angles and less penetration

that guy got swag with dat sideway hat m8.

You should make caltrops for your next video. Cheap and easy to make.

You should increase the brace height of your bow i.e unstring it and twist the string a bunch, which will essentially shorten the string just a little bit, and string it back up with the twisted string.

The recurve bow gets its power from the recurve, not the limbs. That's why you have the same amount of penetration with a lower draw weight.

I learned that if u want to pipe to cool down faster...have a friend with u and have them use a spray bottle full of water to spray the pipe once it is in place so it cools and hardens faster