I was thinking I want to make a bow and hatchet, but I really know nothing. I have been looking around at web pages but haven't found anything really useful, mostly only a bunch of advanced stuff. Does anyone have any basic instructions for making either?

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Originally posted by malaria:
I was thinking I want to make a bow and hatchet, but I really know nothing. I have been looking around at web pages but haven't found anything really useful, mostly only a bunch of advanced stuff. Does anyone have any basic instructions for making either?

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I had instructions for making a bow and arrow, but I don't have any drawings and unfortunatly would take forever to explain in a post, not to mention probably confuse the hell out of you.

A hatchet or "Camp axe" is a nice tool to have around. I will teach you to make one.

Recipe 1: The easy way
Obtain the following:
Big huge axe
Saw

Simple way, just cut the 3 foot 6 handle to about 14 inches long, and there is your heavy hatchet.

Recipe 2: Clawhammer strip down
Obtain the following:
Claw hammer (get the one that feels right)
Hack saw
Solder iron
solder
flat piece of steel
metal file for shaping steel

This one will double not only as a hatchet, but also a prybar. A miniature fireman's axe! Now were talking!

The round part that is used for hitting, bashing, nailing, or destroying, is what we'll be playing with. Cut a slit into that part, just deep enough to leave your piece of steel 1/2 inch to stick out. File your steel piece into a blade. Put your blade in the part mentioned above. Solder your blade to the rest of the hammer. For extra reliability, shave the round part to blend in with your blade and solder it more. Examine your new hatchet before you test it out. If the blade is slanted, then your screwed...

Test it out by softly swinging it at a piece of wood. Don't maul the wood, just a soft swing. Then swing harder, repeat until you reach where you'll swing naturally. And be careful, knights used them and swords for a reason...

Have a nice day...