Making PVC Siyahs for Flattened PVC Pipe Bows

I've been building a few bows with PVC siyahs, so here's a video showing how I make simple siyahs for PVC pipe bows from PVC pipe. While wood siyahs are beautiful, PVC siyahs are simpler to build and can be easily adjusted with heat even after the bow and siyah are joined. They also are completely waterproof and I feel they add to the coolness factor of an all-PVC bow.

In the video I'm using schedule 80, 1/2" PVC pipe. This type of siyah works really well for 3/4" and can work in 1" as well. It is about as stable as most wood siyahs. The same method also applies to schedule 40, though siyahs made from that will be less stable. Schedule 40 works great for lighter bows or shorter siyahs.

   • Flattened PVC Pipe Horse Bow With Wood Siyahs   Here's a playlist for a horsebow with wooden siyahs. These PVC siyahs work well in this style of bow.

I'm working on a video showing a slightly different method of shaping the bow core that requires less adjustment and allows for easier tillering.

Thanks for watching and enjoy!

The heating trough is a channel with aluminum foil over it to reflect heat. In this case the trough is made of two 2x4's joined at a 90 degree angle.

   • Making an Adjustable Flattening Jig for PV...   - The adjustable flattening jig.