How to Make a Hun Bow

Place the 5-feet by 4-inch board on a firm surface. Find the exact center of the board and place an "X" on this spot. This "X" will be the center of the grip area. Mark off 5 inches below the "X" to indicate where the grip of the bow will be. This will give you an upper limb of the bow, which is longer than the lower limb.

Decide which side of the board will be the belly of the bow. If the board has any knots, the side with the knots should be the belly of the bow. If there are no knots, it doesn't really matter which side you choose. Mark out the width of the grip area of the bow. The bow should be 2½ inches wide, measured from the belly of the bow.

Draw a basic profile of each limb on the wood. The limbs may be different lengths, but the idea is the same for both limbs. The limbs should curve from the grip forward and back towards the belly of the bow. Draw out your limbs so they stretch the entire length of the bow.

You must now draw out the ends of each limb. These should point forward at a 45-degree angle. Achieve this by essentially moving the end of the limb profile from one corner of the board to the other. This will give you a bow profile where the tips of the bow jut sharply forward. This is one of the defining characteristics of a Hun bow.

Darken your pencil line. Use the jigsaw to cut out the profile of your bow just outside your pencil line.

Use the rasp and file to round and shape your bow. Use whatever technique you're most comfortable with, provided your bow is 5/8-inch thick at the gripping area and 3/8-inch thick everywhere else. In addition, the width of the bow should be 2½ inches at the grip and a half-inch at either end. Continue shaping your bow until you achieve these dimensions. Set your bow aside for the moment.

Cut a curve into the wooden board measuring 2-by-4 feet. The curve should extend the entire width and length of the board.

Put the pot of water onto the stove and bring it to a boil. Submerge one limb of the bow in the boiling water for three to four hours. The limb should be pliable enough to bend after this time.

Bend the limb of the bow and clamp it to the curve in the board. This will deepen the recurve of your Hun bow. When clamping, make sure the ends of the limbs are still forward of the grip of the bow. It is very difficult to change the limb once it is set, so make sure you're happy with the curve of the limb after it's clamped. Leave the limb clamped to the board for two or three days until the wood is dry and the curve is firmly set.

Repeat steps 8 and 9 for the other limb of the bow. You will notice that the limbs of your bow are not equal. This is intentional and helps increase the power of the bow.

File two notches into the bow, one in each end. These notches are the nocks of the bow and will hold the nylon bow string in place.

Sand the bow smooth and varnish with the varnish of your choice. Consult the manufacturer's directions to determine drying times.

Apply a liberal amount of glue to the grip and wrap the leather strap around it. This will make the grip more comfortable to use. Allow the wood glue to dry completely according to the manufacturer's directions.

Tie one end of the nylon bow string to one nock of the bow. Pull the string taunt, causing the curves of the bow to deepen once again until the ends of the bow line up with the grip. Tie off the bow string to the second nock and make sure the tension feels right. You may have to fiddle with the tension a little bit before it's perfect. When it is, secure the bow string and use your Hun bow.