Nicole's Bow

[Lombard]

That is a beauty sir, you have mastered the craft.

String Stretcher, in the read only forum at this link, you will find your answer, http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,17294.0.html

[HatchA]

Can't say anything that's not already been said... 

That is a beautiful bow!  The lines/limb geometry are incredible.  The tiller braced and drawn is spectacular.

I think I know just what you mean when you talk about "over exercising the limbs" between stock removal - think I did that with my first bow and it ended up too light.

I've seen some pic's of bowyers scraping wood while the bow is braced.  How many bowyers here use this method in large amounts when working on final tiller?

[Gordon]

Thank you for the compliment Mike. I decided to give the hat a day off.

Thank you Ron. She's a sweetheart to shoot. I think Nicole will like it.

Thank you riarcher.

Thank you Frank. It is always good to hear from you.

Keenan, you are much too kind. I do hope Jeb and Nicole are pleased with their bows.

Thank you bowkee.

Thank you Charles. The "no set" method of tillering is described by Steve Gardner in the Traditional Bowyers Bible Volume 4.
You can also find a description in the link that Lombard provided above.

Thank you Dana - I hope so.

Thank you for the compliment Cooper.
 
Thank you Roger. I enjoyed looking at your gallery of work. You are one very talented artist!

Thank you George - that means a lot coming from you.

Thank you Tim. I used to think you had to exercise the limbs a good deal to register the wood removal. I'm not so sure about that after using Steve's method.I still run all my bows through a stress test after they are tillered and that includes long periods of being braced.

Thank you for your kind words barebo. I am quite particular about the finish on my bows. I suppose I got that from my father who was a master cabinet maker and would never settle for anything less than perfection. I’m not as obsessive as he was, but something rubbed off. Achieving a nice finish does not require as much work as it may seem. What is required is a bit of discipline and attention to detail. I remove all readily visible tool marks by the time the bow is first braced. The bow is completely sanded to 100 grit by the time it is within 2 inches of final draw length. At 1 inch I take the bow outside and in natural light inspect it carefully for any minute tool marks. After removing these, I sand to 150 grit. When I hit weight, I take it outside one more time to remove any tool marks from the sides or belly that may have been introduced during the final stages of tillering. Then I sand to 220 grit, stain, sand again, stain again, rub, and then apply the finish. One more thing, small tool marks are best removed with a good scraper – I use a sharp knife.

Thank you for the nice compliment sailordad.

Thank you Lombard, and thanks for finding that link.

Thank you Hatch. I’ll often scrape the belly while the bow is braced in the final stages of tillering when I am making fairly small alterations.

[Rich Saffold]

Looks great Gordon.

[OldBow]

                                  Another Great Bow Gordon....but I gotta Ask..........wheres the Hat..........

That's a Bow of the Month Winner Hat. Gordon's got a bunch of them.
Got this fine weapon bookmarked for March Self Bows, too.

[El Destructo]

I know what it is Don.... ....I was just ribbing Him about not wearing His Pretty Boy Floyd ...Gangsta Hat........

[mullet]

 That's pretty Gordon, I've made one from Hazelnut, I wish we had it here.

[cowboy]

Another beauty Gordon! I like the cap, they feel good on your head don't they . You aughta try shooting an arrow at the bullseye, quick draw the sidearm and put a hole in the bullseye right before the arrow hits it.... now that'd be a trick .

[Blacktail]

WOW,i really like it...great art work there...the funny thing is that...i haven't see you wear a baseball cap...looks mighty fine on you..john

[barebo]

Gordon; Thank you for sharing the finishing sequence - I think that just a wee bit of the master craftsman has rubbed off indeed!!!
I always tried to impart in my children that anything worth doing is done well, no matter the task. I actually have come to the mindset that if there are some tool marks, it's an indication that it is truly a "handmade" bow. Upon seeing your and other examples, I may practice what I've preached, and spend some more time making a bow with higher standards. The time spent to go the extra mile really shows in the finished product. Thanks for the inspiration!!!

[Gordon]

Thank you Rich.

Thank you Don. I do enjoy wearing the hat.

That ain't no gansta hat Mike, it's a Tyrolean hat.

Thank you Eddie. Hazelnut is pretty common, but you probably won’t find it in Florida.

Thank you Paul. That would certainly be quite a trick, but it will be a long time before I can pull something like that off with a handgun – I shoot a bow much better.

Thank you for the compliment John.

Barebo, I agree completely that anything worth doing should be done well. And you don’t really need tool marks to know that something is hand-made – there are plenty of other clues.

[Pappy]

Beautiful bow Gordon,Tiller and tips are sweet and I love the color,very nice work.
   Pappy

[Okie]

'nother beauty Gordon. Well done.

[Mark Anderson]

Absolutely stunning, graceful and looks to be a sweet shooter. I love the color too.
Mark

[Gordon]

Thank you for the nice words Pappy.

Thank you Okie.

Thank you Mark. I like a darker colored bow myself.