Zhou Ziwen packed up the tools and moved the processed eucalyptus tree cores under the eaves in the yard, preparing to continue making the next day.
Making a good bow is not only a complicated process, but also requires a certain amount of patience.
Back home, the Chen sisters have prepared dinner.
The three of them sat around the dining table, chatting while eating.
“Brother Ziwen, is your bow ready?” Chen Qiaoyi asked curiously.
"Making a bow is not that simple. It takes several days to prepare." Zhou Ziwen smiled and shook his head.
Of course, with Zhou Ziwen’s current level of bow making, one or two days would be enough.
Chen Shiying also showed interest: "I remember that the bow you made last time didn't last long, right?"
"It didn't take long last time, but you didn't pay attention. That's all." Zhou Ziwen explained.
Speaking of which, the bow he is using now is a one-handed bow, and the production process is relatively simple.
This time, he planned to make a compound bow, and the production process was more complicated.
But the compound bow is more powerful, has high stability and has a long range.
The one-handed bow is only suitable for beginners.
With his archery level, a one-handed bow is no longer suitable.
After dinner, Zhou Ziwen did not continue working. Instead, he accompanied Chen Qiaoyi and went for a walk outside. He also went to the guard team to help train the dog.
When it got dark outside, they returned home hand in hand.
In the evening, after washing, Zhou Ziwen and his sister-in-law exercised together.
After his sister-in-law finished exercising and fell asleep, he went to the yard next door to exercise with Shen Zhaodi.
When Shen Zhaodi was tired from exercising, he returned to his home and fell asleep with his two sisters in his arms.
No words for a night.
Early the next morning, Zhou Ziwen got up as usual.
After breakfast, Zhou Ziwen and the two sisters gathered at the production team.
After the meeting, Zhou Ziwen took a brief walk around the mushroom planting base.
Seeing that nothing happened, he said hello to the two sisters, then returned home and continued making bows and arrows.
He first whittled the core of the eucalyptus tree into the required bow shape, and then polished it carefully to ensure that every part was smooth and thorn-free.
Then prepare animal tendons, wood glue, horn pieces, etc.
Animal sinew is used to make the bow string and the reinforcing layer of the bow body to provide the bow with elasticity.
Wood glue is used to bond various parts of the bow body to ensure the strength of the bow.
The corner pieces are used at both ends of the bow body to increase the stability and strength of the bow.
Speaking of which, Zhou Ziwen asked Wu Dagang for help in finding this piece.
If there was exactly one pair in the production team of this thing, Wu Dagang and Zhu Youde talked about it, and they exchanged it after a few work points.
This thing is of no use in the first place. If it weren't for fear of being gossiped about, Wu Dagang would have given it to him.
But a few work points are nothing to Zhou Ziwen.
In order to avoid trouble, he would rather divide the work.
After preparing the materials, the next step is to process them.
The first step is to make the bow body. He cuts the core of the eucalyptus tree into the desired bow shape, then divides it into two halves, ready to add horn pieces and animal sinews in the middle.
Then he whittled the angle pieces into the right shape to ensure they fit snugly at both ends of the bow.
Then use wood glue to glue the corner pieces to both ends of the bow body to form the main structure of the bow.
Finally, add animal tendons to the middle part of the bow body. These tendons will be stretched and bonded to the corner pieces to increase the elasticity and strength of the bow.
The bow string is a key part of the compound bow, and Zhou Ziwen chose tough animal sinew as the material.
The next step is to deal with the bowstring part.
This part is also very critical.
He will clean the animal sinews, remove the grease and then dry them.
After the animal tendons are dry, the animal tendons are then woven together to form a strong bowstring.
Take care of the bow string, and then fix the bow string to both ends of the bow body to ensure that it will not slip under tension.
Once these are done, the bow will be basically ready.
But there are still a few steps to be done next.
After the production is completed, Zhou Ziwen needs to adjust and test the bow to ensure its optimal performance.
One is to adjust the bow shape, by adjusting the curvature of the bow body to ensure that the bow can maintain a stable shape when fully drawn.
Then he tests the draw weight by trying to pull the bow string to feel its tension and make sure the bow tension meets his requirements. Finally, there is the test firing, which is done in a safe environment to check the flight path of the arrow and the performance of the bow.
After these are done, all that is left is decoration and maintenance.
After the bow body is made, decorations such as gems or metal pieces can be carved or inlaid on the bow body.
Then there is paint protection. Apply a layer of protective paint on the bow body and bowstring to prevent water and moisture from corroding.
When these are finished, a beautiful bow will be finished.
However, due to time constraints, when the Chen sisters came back from work, he had just finished finishing the bow body, and had not had time to do other things.
In the afternoon, Zhou Ziwen continued to make bows.
Because the mulberry wood has just been cut back and still has some moisture.
In order to speed up the process, he chose to bake the wood to remove the moisture.
In one afternoon, Zhou Ziwen had almost finished adjusting the bow.
In the end, only the decoration and maintenance were left without time.
But the main body of the bow has been completed, and the rest can be done slowly tomorrow.
The next day, Zhou Ziwen got up early.
After waking up, he opened the idle panel and took a look.
【Wu Qinxi LV10(983/1000)】
[Medical Skills LV3(1723/3000)]
[Dog Training LV10(508/1000)]
[Cooking Skills LV10(207/1000)]
[Planting LV2 (1993/2000)】
【Growing Mushrooms LV10(351/1000)】
[Bow and Arrow Production LV7 (175/700)]
[Management LV5 (395/500)]
[Fishing LV4 (343/400)]
[Feng Shui LV0(432/500)】
【Breeding LV0(297/500)】
In the panel, Wu Qinxi is just one step away from reaching full level.
According to time, it looks like tonight.
Then there is the planting skill, which can be upgraded with only 7 points of proficiency, which only takes seven hours.
In addition, skills such as management, fishing, and Feng Shui will only take a few days.
With anticipation, Zhou Ziwen got dressed, came to the yard, and started to move his body.
People feel refreshed when happy events happen, and Zhou Ziwen was in a good mood for the rest of the time.
The two sisters didn't know why he was so happy, but seeing him happy, they became happy too.
After breakfast, Zhou Ziwen went to the mushroom planting base for a walk.
Seeing that nothing happened, he returned home and continued the final decoration and maintenance work on the bow.
He first carefully polished the bow body to ensure that every part was smooth and delicate, and then began to think about how to decorate it.
Zhou Ziwen decided to decorate the bow body with some simple patterns, which would not affect the bow's performance but also add some beauty.
He used a carving knife to carefully carve some traditional patterns on the bow body, such as cloud patterns, thunder patterns, etc. These patterns are not only beautiful, but also imply auspiciousness, representing strength and speed.
After the decoration was completed, Zhou Ziwen began to maintain the bow.
He chose a special wood maintenance oil, which can penetrate into the interior of the wood, protect the wood from moisture and humidity, and also keep the bow glossy.
He dipped a soft cloth into an appropriate amount of maintenance oil, applied it evenly on the bow body, and then wiped it gently until the maintenance oil was completely absorbed by the wood.
A maintained bow is not only stronger and more durable, but also feels more comfortable.
During the maintenance process, Zhou Ziwen also paid special attention to the maintenance of the bowstring.
He chose a special bow string oil, which can protect the bow string from wear and extend the service life of the bow string.
He dipped a thin brush into bow string oil, applied it evenly on the bow string, and then gently rubbed it with his fingers until the bow string oil was completely absorbed by the bow string.
A bowstring that has been maintained is not only more flexible, but also more durable.
After completing the decoration and maintenance, Zhou Ziwen tried firing the newly made compound bow again.
He fully drew the bow string and aimed at a tree hundreds of meters away. Every time he let go, the arrows hit the target accurately with a sound of breaking through the air.
Looking at the outstanding performance of the new bow, Zhou Ziwen showed a satisfied smile on his face. (End of this chapter)