How to make a bow

I made my first bow in May of 2004. I remember reading a whole lot of information about it before I got started. It was not all clear to me. Some tutorials would cover things that other tutorials would leave out. I couldn't find any one tutorial that was idiot-proof, and idiot-proof was exactly what I needed. I had no prior experience working with wood at all. I needed details and illustrations.

The first bow I made was a red oak board bow. It seemed like a good place to start because I could get red oak for pretty cheap at Home Depot and Lowes, and it came in the ideal dimensions, which cut out a lot of work. I learned far more from making bows than I did from reading about making bows.

Still, I have wanted for a long time to make the sort of tutorial I wish I could've had when I started making bows. Well, I have finally finished it. Here it is. Go have a look-see, then go make a bow, then come back here and tell me about it. I would like to know how helpful this tutorial was.