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Home > Books > The Essentials of Archery > Making Lemonwood Bows: Horn and Fibre Tipped Bows
Making Lemonwood Bows
Horn and Fibre Tipped Bows

Horn or fibre tipped bows are made exactly the same as plain ended bows. The only difference is in the tips. The traditional shape of horn tips is shown on Plate 2—"Cow Horn Tips". The top has a scroll and the bottom is pointed. Stag horn tips are pointed while fibre and aluminum tips are shaped as shown on the same plate. Cow or Steer Horn and Stag Horn Tips have tapered holes, and the ends of your bow must be tapered to fit them. With the wood rasp and file, taper the ends of your bow, so that they fit perfectly inside the horns. Five foot bows take a horn with a 3/8" hole, 5'3" and 5'6" takes 7/16" holes and 6'0" bows take horns with ½" holes. The holes in fibre and metal tips are usually 3/8" and are bored straight. The illustrations on Plate 2 depict this and show how the ends of the bow should be worked to fit these various tips. It is well to both glue and pin the tips to the bow. A very small hole to take an 18 gauge brad is large enough, and the brad should go right through and be filed off even with the sides of the tip.

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