Der Schuss daneben: Pfeil und Bogen

The Orientation

But it’s certainly more impressive when the children explore the topic of bows, arrows, and targets on their own.

To use a bow and arrow effectively in our part of the world, we need a target. Simply drawing a few rings on a piece of cardboard is a bit too easy—let’s try using a real straw target instead.

Materials

• Depending on the radius of the target, about a quarter to half of a small bale of straw
• Approx. 100 m of string
• 1–2 paints with a brush
• For the stand:
• 3 roof battens, each 2 m long
• 1 roof batten, 20 cm long
• 3 x 1.5 m of sturdy string
• 3 nails, hammer
• 2 screws, 4 mm x 6 cm, including nuts and washers, plus the appropriate wrench

Time required

• approx. 1.5 hours

It’s helpful to have a partner when doing this work—especially when working on the straw disc.

Procedure

For the straw disc, it’s best to work on a flat surface (table). Using a handful of straw, form a “sausage” about 10 cm thick, which you continuously secure around the disc you’ve already started with string. Make sure to pack it tightly. This means the straw sausage must be firmly compressed.

When finished, the disc should be about 1 meter in diameter and about 10 centimeters thick.

The Stand:

As shown in the sketch, the three long roof battens are connected at the top. Wing nuts allow the stand to be easily folded together. The string attached to the feet prevents the legs from spreading too far apart. When assembling, make sure the target is tilted slightly backward at the top. A short piece of string serves as the suspension.

Two M4 screws connect two legs each, allowing for space-saving storage of the target.

The Exciting Arc

Materials

• 1 ash slat, 1.5 m (approx. 3 x 0.7 cm)
• 1 slat, 1.2 m (approx. 3 x 0.7 cm) 
• 1 slat, 0.9 m (approx. 3 x 0.7 cm) 
• approx. 10 m of strong string
• 2 m of sturdy string
• a fine-toothed saw or a sharp knife
• 1 nail or 1 screw

Time required

• About 1.5 hours

Instructions

Make the bow yourself by stacking the slats on top of each other. Make sure the three slats share a common center. If you tie the slats tightly together with string at two—or better yet, four—points, the wood will be able to absorb the tension later on.

Finally, carve a notch at both ends. Tie the tension cord securely at one end. At the other end, attach a loop. This loop is knotted into the tension string so that the bow already has a slight pre-tension when the string is attached.

To serve as an arrow rest, screw in a screw or hammer in a nail slightly above the center—the hand holding the bow should position it exactly in the center. These should protrude about one centimeter to the side.

The Pointed Arrows

Material

• hazel twigs about as thick as a finger 
• a sharp pocket knife
• Hemp twine
• Foundry tin
• Fire pit and fire-resistant gloves
• A pot or (enameled) pan
• Goose or chicken feathers (as straight as possible)
• Wooden board or piece of soapstone

Duration

• About 1 hour per arrow

Procedure

First, we’ll focus on the arrow shafts:

Green hazel twigs, about one meter long and as thick as a finger, form the basis of the shaft. Cut it to the desired length and attach three feathers to the thin end using a small amount of fine string or thread. Make sure the feathers are evenly spaced around the shaft.

For the tip, we use a tin arrowhead. These are easy to make. First, carve the shape of the future arrowhead into a flat piece of wood or soapstone. Beginners can simply cut a tall, three-sided pyramid out of the wood. To attach the tip, an extension is added to the base of the pyramid (see also sketch). If you’re up for a challenge, try using two wooden pieces that fit together to create any negative mold you like. (Don’t forget the pouring spout!) An arrowhead is about 6 centimeters long and has a maximum diameter of 1.5 cm at its thickest point.

Heat about 20 g of tin per arrowhead in a pan. As soon as the tin has melted, carefully pour it into the prepared mold. If you add a little flow agent (available at specialty stores) to the tin, even the finer details of the mold will be reproduced. When using the bowl-shaped mold (simple version), make sure the surface is as flat as possible.

Once the arrowhead has cooled, carefully remove it from the mold. Use sandpaper, a file, or even a coarse stone to smooth the surfaces and sharpen the edges.

Finally, the tip must be attached to the arrow. To do this, make a cut a few centimeters into the thick end (front) of the arrow shaft so that the tip fits straight in with its extension. Tighten the hemp cord firmly to press the wood around the arrow shaft and secure it.

Alternatively, arrowheads can also be made from appropriately shaped stone fragments (limestone, granite, or flint).

Safety Notice

It goes without saying that you should never aim a bow and arrow at people or animals, let alone shoot at them. Nevertheless, the location of the target must be chosen carefully. Keep in mind: even stray arrows or glancing shots are dangerous. Clear instructions on when arrows may be shot and when the target area may be entered are essential. Especially when playing with bystanders (e.g., at a village festival), the presence of a supervisor is indispensable.

• Content and image: Forum Kind, Issue 3/06, pages 21 and 22. Crafts: Bow and arrow, target, Vertüüferli Sünde. © Copyright www.forum-kind.ch
• Author: LoriKeller