Mead Longbows

Bamboo Horse Bow

User Manual

Mead Longbows, LLC. P.O. Box 98 Science Hill, KY 42553

Bow Kits come in many options from ready to use limbs to complete kits ready for assembly.

Please understand that if you ordered a U-Finish Bow and/or one of my kits/limbs, short of being there with you, I have done all I can to ensure your success. Take your time and be safe! If you have any questions before starting, don’t hesitate to ask. If it seems like a daunting task, no worries I am here to help!

I want you to have the bow you dreamed of having and using. So whether you ordered a U-Finish bow or a DIY kit, for a small fee, you can send it back to me and I will finish it for you. There is no warranty, refunds, or returns on U-Finish Bows, kits, or limb orders. If you break it or damage it during the process, I am still here to help. Contact me and we can work something out. I want this bow to last a lifetime for you.

Some of the proven options for glues and bindings to use are as follows: modern -industrial hot melt , high strength epoxy, Titebond glue, fiberglass wrap, synthetic binding material such as polyester and nylon, natural materials such as animal hide glue, sinew for bindings, rawhide, and waterproofed by covering with snake skin, fish skin, or birch bark then finished with spar urethane coatings.

When you're dealing with bamboo, leave all of your wood habits and assumptions at the door. The only things it really has in common with wood are that it grows from the ground, and that it's hygroscopic.

Regardless if you purchased a completed bow, a rough kit or are building one from scratch using my plans, this manual will help you properly care for your bow. With proper care and maintenance, your new bow will last you a lifetime!

My bow look may have changed slightly overtime as I am always trying to improve them. If your bow looks slightly different than the photos in this user’s manual - no worries. These rules still apply.

WARNING: It is your responsibility to read all instructions, warranty and disclaimer information before stringing or shooting your bow. Failure to do so may result in injury or property damage and will void warranty.

This manual is to be followed for all bows purchased from Mead Longbows. There are specific guidelines and rules within pertaining to the U-finish bows, Finish bows, and Sinew composite bows. These are not what one would consider a wood self bow, and should not be treated as a self bow.

How we ship

We take great pride in our products, and want you to be happy with your purchase for years to come. We have carefully selected and tested packaging to make sure your Bow kit or finished bow will be safe and sound while in transit to you.

If you purchased one of our bow kits, it will ship in a USPS Priority Mail tube as shown below;

If you purchased one of our fully functional b ows, it will ship in a strong handmade plywood box. Like the express tube above, its triangular shape will protect your Bow and at the same time prevent items from being stacked on top of it during transit that could potentially cause damage to your bow. The fact that it is also made out of plywood provides yet another level of protection. It is also designed specifically for the size of your bow. No extra room for it to bounce around during transit.

To open gently slice the tape on the side of the box as shown in the photo below. The end will hinge open.

Before you get started, a word about moisture

When first receiving your bow it may be best to let it acclimate to your environment and return to a good moisture content. This is only critical if it spent several days traveling to you. It is a piece of unprotected nature and will react different in unstable temperatures/climates. I ship them out at good moisture content. Keep in mind the time of year in which you ordered your bow. Even though my bamboo resist it, most all bamboo likes to absorb moisture faster than other “wood” especially in an unfinished state. Bamboo is extremely hygroscopic! So keeping it in an ideal controlled climate is best. When it arrives to you in the mail, if you are there to immediately open it and see if is warm or hot to the touch - if so then it probably had a rough time traveling through extreme climate. In this case it is best to let it sit for a few days in a controlled environment. What is a climate controlled environment? Well that would be a room that is controlled by air conditioning and/or heat to stay at a normal acceptable temperature 60-75 degrees F. The relative humidity is the most critical factor. A relative humidity of between 35-50 % is acceptable and is what it should be in all houses/dwellings with heat/air year round. If you get higher than 65% mold begins to form wood begins to expand and fill with moisture - if it gets lower than a certain humidity things begin to dry up, shrink, and crack. So damp basements, cellars, attics, garages, shops, cars, etc is a no no. I store my bows/your bows in a horizontal rack, in my living room which has ac/heat and a dehumidifier to ensure the correct temperature and humidity is always met. Think about it, wood moves, it expands and contracts in different climates. Do you want your bow expanding and contracting? This is why instrument makers have strict guidelines. Special care goes into keeping a mandolin or guitar in good shape for generations… treat your bow with the same respect. Trust me I am not alone in this, composite horn bows have crazy changes that go on in extreme climates and take special care throughout the seasons to ensure they are always ready for action. They also can cost thousands of dollars. I am not asking for much, just treat the piece of nature I am sending you with a little respect and it will perform for you as it should until the day comes you cannot shoot a bow anymore. Note: Bamboo is actually part of the grass family! So I guess you could call this a grass bow! (See below for stringing instructions) On its trip to you, if it took several days or was delayed in customs, it may have picked up moisture or it may have dried out more. Sitting in a postal truck, or on the runway waiting to be loaded, etc...if it was in extreme heat the glue joints could have been compromised and need to rebond/re-cure. This will at least take 24 hours for full cure. If your home is kept at a reasonable temperature year round and around a stable 50% relative humidity then it should be fine in a 5-7 days. It will acclimate to that environment. Just because you have air condition doesn’t mean your humidity levels will be sufficient. They vary from room to room even with central heat and air. You might want to invest in a hygrometer (humidity monitor) they also tell you the temperature of the room. They are like $9 at Wal-Mart. This is a pretty good investment. Way too moist equals slow heavy bow that will take on unwanted string follow (the bow will permanently lose performance, ability to cast arrow as it did when first made). BAMBOO is actually better on the SLIGHTLY drier side 5-7% mc is ideal. A room/place kept around 45% humidity at comfortable temps (55-75 degrees F) is ideal...but as long as it’s kept somewhere around or below 50% relative humidity it will be just fine.

I personally build them in my shop and if outside conditions are not correct the bow will spend a week to 10 days in my climate controlled bow rack before it gets shipped out to a customer. Bows should never be stored in hot places or by ANY heat source. Avoid non-climate controlled environments as much as possible except of course when using your bow outdoors. It is also smart to avoid unnecessary direct sunlight. Just remember it is not a piece of fiberglass. If any of this sounds crazy to you, I understand but trust me it is worth it and very much justified. This bow is kind of a composite hybrid...and needs some special care. All primitive weapons do. Take a look at some other "care guidelines" from primitive self bow makers, longbow makers, yumi care, composite horn bows, and you will see my rules for care are right in line with theirs. Get a finish on it as soon as possible to prevent drastic moisture content changes. This will also adhere the thread bindings down to the wood and keep them from fraying. The more your bow is exposed to nature in an unprotected state the more chance there is that the bow may be damaged. Note: Keep in mind the bamboo rind has blemishes, sometimes a lot! You may be tempted to sand them down, etc..Leave it alone! I would not send out a bow that I wouldn’t hunt with myself. These blemishes are no problem and only add character, and if messed with, could weaken the structure of the limb. I don't care too much for how pretty my personal finished bows look. I use them to hunt with and I’m pretty sure my prey doesn’t care how they look as well. I wanted a compact, fast, quiet, and deadly bow. Performance was my goal and main focus. But the great thing about this bow is that YOU get to add an artistic touch and personalize or "beautify" it. If you do - I WANT PICTURES!!! PLEASE! I will show it off! I love seeing others creative side. If you harvest an animal with it I want to see those pictures as well!

Stringing your Bow

After unboxing your bow you will find the string in there somewhere. Pick it up; The string will have a nock point on it. Hold it by this nock point and the shorter side of string is the top. Top (UP) of your bow is indicated by a black triangle/arrow on handle.

String it up using my step thru method (see my YouTube video below if unsure) taking care not to torque/twist limbs and that handle belly is centered on back of thigh. Do not use a bow stringer.

Stringing Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iSNaCWsaSA

Stringing the bow can be done starting with string completely off of bow as well. Make sure to remove all or most of twist out of the loops before placing into string groove. Just place bottom loop in bottom siyah groove follow my step thru technique as demonstrated in video and place top loop in top siyah string groove. Step back out of bow and wallah, your bow is strung. String is made to a specific brace height (my horse bows are usually set around 4 inches). If you ever have to make another string, keep it set at that height.

1st figure out which is top and bottom loop on bowstring.

Place string loop in one groove. Put that end down and while holding the other string loop in one hand and the other end of bow in other hand step through paying attention to hand and shin position. This is critical placement when stringing and unstringing your bow to prevent damage to bow. Handle should be centered on back of leg.

Gentle even flex is all it takes to place string into other groove.

Always check tiller of your bows limbs when being strung

Here is a video demonstrating this - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDpAZNBo9bg

Shooting your Bow All bows provided by me will have some sort of indication as to where your grip should be on the bow. If held at a different place this could cause more strain on one of the limbs and cause damage to that limb. ALWAYS grip bow at this spot whenever drawing string and shooting. (See black line and hand placement) I measure a bows draw length from the back of the bow to inside the nock of the arrow.

See my shooting video on how to properly hold/grip a primitive bow. With proper primitive archery form you will be able to enjoy all the performance this bow can provide. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIrIQELGXGI

ALWAYS shoot the bow with top limb up. The black triangle indicates the top limb. Nock the arrow on string as shown and let rest on knuckle of bow hand. Always use the arrow provided as a indicator of proper draw length. Each bow has a max draw length which was selected at time of purchase. If you do not remember what draw length your bow was made for please contact me. The arrow provided is made slightly longer. Do not draw further or you may end up damaging the bow or have an arrow in your hand. If you buy or make other arrows be sure to have them at proper length to avoid overdrawing the bow. Performance will vary depending on shooting style and skill level. I shoot instinctive, and once at full draw use a quick release. There really is no pause or hold when I shoot. You will find my style resembles most instinctive archers .

Applying a finish

It is best to let the bow acclimate to a controlled environment before applying a finish. If it absorbed any moisture from the air on its trip to you, it will need to lose that moisture first before applying finish. While it is acclimating you can fine sand those siyahs! Make the string grooves real smooth, no sharp edges! Try hard not damage the thread bindings while sanding. Now if you so choose, it's time to decorate the back of your bow with some artwork or camouflage. (I have a video on this too) Then it's time to apply a protective finish. My preference is satin spar urethane - either wipe on or spray can works great. (Satin or gloss is fine) 2-3 coats will do it. Let this dry THOROUGHLY. The thread bindings will almost become translucent, it takes a little more urethane than you would think, but the end result is a nice protected binding area. Then after the finish has thoroughly cured lightly coat it with beeswax or paraffin wax. (Every nook and cranny) Just rub the wax on it. Then buff it. To get wax into the string grooves I usually cut some wax shavings and rub them in. You do not need to use heat to apply the wax. Just a quick rub down and you’re good to go. Apply the wax once a year for the life of the bow. Enjoy your bow! If you follow my bow "rules" and how to care for your new bow it will last generations! If you don't, it may not last through the day. It is not a piece of aluminum or fiberglass. It needs special care...all primitive weapons do. Remember that before you just hand it off to someone to try out. I have a bow that I made and following these same rules I have shot it more than 20,000 times and it is still awesome just like the day I made it!

Important bow information Rules and Care

-Primitive Archery is very different- If you are just now switching from a compound or “high wrist" style recurve, your draw length may or may not be noticeably shorter with a primitive style bow. There are a few reasons for this. First, the amount of effort required to draw a self bow over a compound causes a tensioning of muscles and a hunched posture rather than an extended posture. Secondly, depending on the handle style some self bows need to be shot with a "flat hand" or "broken wrist" rather than the "high wrist" form. Lastly, the depth of the bow handle thru the grip area can be about half of the normal compound or contemporary recurve, which means you just aren't pushing so much handle out in front of you. These combined differences will cause the average shooter in some cases to have a primitive bow draw length sometimes up to 3 inches shorter than a compound or even a recurve. Some it will not affect. Note: Understand that these horse bows are designed for up to a specific draw length and draw weight. These bows are not to be drawn beyond their designated draw length. Be careful not to allow other people to shoot your bow unless they have an equal or shorter draw length and never let anyone dry-shoot (dry fire) your bow. When first using your bow if it is tillered to a draw length shorter than you are use to when using modern bows then don't guess on whether or not you are drawing it to the correct length specified. Be sure of it. One simple way is to take an arrow and measure from the bottom of its nock where the string would sit and measure from there out to the specified draw length of the bow and put a mark or piece of tape right there. This way you have a definite way of knowing you are not surpassing the bows specified draw length. Then all you have to do is get comfortable with it and find an anchor point or area on your face that you can remember the draw length of the bow from there with practice it will come natural. Keep in mind that self bows will usually favor lighter spined arrows. This also depends on your draw length and arrow point weight. This will take some time to figure out what weight and what spine arrow will fly best from your bow. Once you have it, just replicate that arrow. If I provided you with a matched arrow, you are ready to rock! Wooden Self Bow Rules and Guidelines: 1. Don't ever dry fire bow Before shooting, brace it and let settle for few minutes. Then draw it half way for about 20 reps then 3/4 then it's ready for full draw. With my horse bows you must use a slightly modified step thru method to string the bow. See my video link above. Do not use bow stringers.

2. Brace height may be specified on the particular bow you purchase. In most cases on the horse bow I prefer a low brace height for optimum performance. (4 inches) This is measured from belly center of handle to string. Never store bow braced. Always unstring it when not in use.

If I provided you a handmade flemish twist or endless loop string it may untwist some if you let it slip off the bows tip. If this happens your string length will change and when you go to put it back on and string the bow your brace height will have changed and this will throw off your nock point, accuracy, the way the bow shoots, etc...So try not to let that happen or if it does just twist it back to the correct length. Or contact me. Wax bow and string at minimum once a year to protect finish and string from moisture. I recommend a Beeswax or paraffin wax. Keep a close eye on string wear and be sure to replace the string before it breaks. Store it in the most average climate you can. Whatever is comfortable for you is best for the bow. Never too hot or too cold or wet, not in direct sunlight for too long, etc. Wood will always absorb moisture even with a protective finish on it. Wood is wood, or grass in the horse bow case - you can only slow the changes in moisture content down. Store it horizontally on a rack in a room that is climate controlled (bedroom, den, family room, etc). 35-45% relative humidity is ideal.. When using horse bow in cold weather rub down the limbs with a soft rag or towel to warm them before stringing and using.

3. Never ever pull it past stated draw length! Ever! It may break or take on permanent set (bend) and lose the ability to cast an arrow as it did before. I personally never let anyone shoot my personal bows unless I carefully measure and instruct them on my bows draw length first.

4. If your bow is sinew backed keep in mind the draw weight may change in different extremes of humidity. Wood absorbs moisture no matter what finish is applied. My finish and with your upkeep of waxing is about as protective as it gets but even still it will allow some moisture in and out. Sinew absorbs moisture as well so weight will go up or down depending on relative humidity. You will only possibly notice a difference in extremes. There is nothing wrong with your bow, it's just really humid that day. The good thing about a well made sinew bow is that it will recover even if used in humid weather. An all wood or bamboo bow used for prolonged periods in humid moist weather may not recover, and may be damaged permanently. Will most likely still shoot, you will just notice a significant drop in performance.

Note: Bamboo horse bow will lose and gain draw weight throughout the year as well.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q- “ Can I use different arrows with this horse bow?” A- “Yes as long as they are of correct length to prevent an accidental overdraw. They will also need to be of correct spine or they will not fly proper out of bow.”

Q-“I have a splinter on my Bow, after I used it. Can you fix this and is it covered under warranty?” A- “This is a clear indication that the bow was either overdrawn, or allowed to reach extreme moisture content changes. This is dangerous and you should not shoot the bow in this condition. Please see the Care and Use section of this manual as well as the warnings on overdrawing your Bow. This would not be covered under warranty however it may be repairable. Please contact Mead Longbows for a cost estimate on the repairs.”

Q - “ Can I use different styles of release with this horse bow?” A-“Absolutely! Just follow rules outlined here and use common sense if using a mechanical release. It could cause damage to string.”

Q- “ Can I use a different string style and material for this horse bow?” A - “ I have only tested the synthetic material provided, dacron b50, linen, and silk. Take proper precautions on the serving areas I.E. string loops where they sit in grooves make them nice and thick with a good soft serving material.. Any style of string is fine as long as the special loops are taken into consideration, and the best style of string if making your own I have found to be endless loop style. “

Q- “ Can I sinew back this bow, or add other backing material? Can I alter the handle or siyahs? ” A- “You can do anything you like to the bow, it is yours. But keep in mind any alterations done will void warranty.”

Q- “Draw weight is actually to high for me, can I take material off of limbs to weaken the bow?” A- “ No. See question above.”

Q- “What happens if I was hunting, and get caught in a rainstorm?” A- “No problem as long as it had a good finish on it. Unstring it ASAP, and just get out of the weather as soon as possible. Once indoors dry it off thoroughly, and set it in a controlled temperature and relative humidity. Depending on how wet the soaking was it may take days or weeks to completely dry. “

Q- “My arm is getting slapped by the string when I shoot the bow can I change the brace height?” A- “No. If your arm is getting string slap then you are holding, and using the bow incorrectly. See my video on how to shoot and use an armguard to keep loose sleeves of shirts out of strings way. I set the brace height exactly where it needs to be on all bows, whether a horse bow or longbow.” Warranty

All warranty claims are between the purchaser and the manufacturer. I take pride in every bow that I make which is why I offer a 1 year warranty with every finished bow purchased. If anything happens as a result of faulty craftsmanship or faulty materials we will replace the bow, or repair it at no cost to you. Shipping costs is the customers’ responsibility. The faulty bow must be returned for inspection. A thorough inspection will be done by me and the result of damage is decided by me. Not following the Instructions and important bow care rules as emailed to you will void the warranty. If you need another copy of these rules please contact us. Your bow must have receipt of proof of purchase. All returns must be approved first, so email us before sending it back. When returning your bow, you will be responsible for paying your own shipping and packaging costs and ensuring that the bow is packaged securely. There will be no warranty if the bow is lost or damaged during the return shipment. We suggest you insure the package and use tracking info.

To sum it up. the following conditions will void your bow’s warranty:

• Change of ownership. • Damage caused by dry-firing. • Damage as a result of incorrect storage. (“Extreme heat or moisture conditions” internal moisture content and presence of mold/mildew will be checked when received as a return) • Bowstring failure due to negligence of bowstring maintenance. • Prolonged stringing times. • When any alternative stringing methods other than specified are used to string or unstring your bow. • Any alterations to the bow handle, limbs and tips. • Damage caused by excessive over-drawing other than specified.

It is Very important that you follow these guidelines or you may end up with a broken bow or an injury. If your bow breaks due to negligence on your part, then the warranty is void. I can very easily tell if a bow has broken due to being overdrawn. There are simple test I can do to know if the bow spent time in a poor climate. It is not all that hard to figure out what caused bow damage. If you abused it or did not follow the bow rules and damage resulted then do not expect warranty replacement. But if after I inspect the bow if it was due to faulty craftsmanship on my part then under warranty I will repair or replace guaranteed. All of the bow care and use guidelines are to be followed for any bow you receive from Mead Longbows - finished or unfinished.

Have fun and be safe!

I have a youtube page with some instructional videos under Mead Longbows. Watch the video below.

https://youtu.be/RIrIQELGXGI “How to shoot a bow and arrow primitive archery”

Be sure to subscribe to my channel to receive notifications on new instructional videos made by me. Of course always feel free to contact me with any questions.

Before starting if you have any questions, please email me @ [email protected] I'm here to help! I want you to be successful with your primitive archery goals!

On behalf of myself, and my family, we thank you for your support,

Dave Mead

President & Bowyer Mead Longbows, LLC. Home of the fastest all wood DIY bow kit! "Patent Pending" meadlongbows.com