Stave to bow

[John K]

Was it stored inside ? An inch wide is pretty narrow for a 55-60 # bow.

Hickory will soak up moister like a sponge, i keep mine inside when i'm not working on them, over the heat/ac vent.

Good luck !

[stickthrower]

It has been stored inside.  And when I finish working on it, it comes back in the house.

Well, for my first bow, it may end up being a bow for my wife instead of me if it is too narrow to be a 50-60 lb bow.   

I have been wanting to get her into shooting, so this could be a way I guess.

For a 50-60 lb bow, what width should I be looking at having the bow at?

Thanks

[John K]

I'd start at 2 inches and go from there, i think it's better to have to much than not enough. You can always take wood off, but it's pretty hard to put it back on. Not sure why you got so much set ? 

Good luck and have fun !

[stickthrower]

Well, then this will be a bow for my wife.  I told her and she just laughed.

So, now I need to cut it down to her size.  So, another question:  What is the easiest way of figuring out a draw length?  I know that her draw will be shorter than my own, but need to get that figured out.

I am going to be heading down to make a tillering stick tonight, and then start work on tillering.  At least for my first attempt.

I will try to get some pictures of it as I go.

[barebo]

I have a 100 plus year old drawknife, and can rip 3/4" kindling slivers out of a hickory stave OR....shave "whiskers" with it. I keep mine sharp as bleeder blades. My technique is simple -- as mine is a "handle bar style" versus the straight model, I simply grasp the main body on the curves between my thumb and forefinger, and the other fingers rest behind the wooden handles. I can control the degree of bevel / cut and dictate how much pressure I apply like this. Try literally "standing" the blade of the knife on end and with slight downward pressure, slowly pull it toward you - even allowing the cutting edge to angle away by turning your wrists toward you. Basically, this dragging motion is in effect a seriously large scraper. Once you get a feel for the knife, you'll find that it will perform (it does for me at least) several tasks. Practice on a scrap locked in a vise. Learn the tool and it will become a useful one. Once I have a bow to floor tiller, it get's finished completely with the knife, and of course final sanding with paper. Good Luck !!!

[stickthrower]

Okay, here are a few pictures of the bow on the tillering stick. 

It was a quickly made tillering stick with some spare wood I had here, and I made the notches with my table saw and just cut some thin cuts wide enough for a string.  I grabbed some rope that I had for hunting, but I also found out that it stretches nicely, so I need to go out and get the string for a lawn mower or something that won't stretch on me.

Looking at the pictures, it looks like the one limb is still stiffer than the other.  I have removed wood on it a couple times, and it still seems to be too stiff.  Do I just keep slowly working the wood off until it gets to be bending equally? 

Thank you all so much for your help on my first bow!  I really appreciate it!

Nathan

[attachment deleted by admin]

[barebo]

About 4-5" from the stick on the right limb, you'll see that there is a lot of bend compared to the left limb, and both in general. You need to make pencil marks on the belly on both sides of that bend a few inches further out, and do not remove any more material until you've thinned the left limb, and the outer portion of the right. Remember that you're looking for a smooth continual bend. Don't get to anxious, and pull it farther now, or you'll induce an early set. You'll have to scrape a little, and put it back up - take a good look, pull it slightly longer, and repeat - likely MANY times. If you try to rush it, it will show.  You'll be surprised at how little thickness the finished limb will have, but the key is to remove small amounts several times and check it after each removal. You've got a good foundation going - take it slooooowww!!!

[Pappy]

Good advice barebo. Follow that stickthrower and you will be fine,slow and easy.  If you get a hinge in Hickory it is hard to recover so take it easy and watch for areas that are bending more.
   Pappy

[mox1968]

try flipping the tips a little should give it a bit of zing!!

[gstoneberg]

Not to hijack, but is there a How-To on flipping the tips?  That's a new one for me.

George

[sailordad]

dude looks like ya got a hinge in the making ther on the right limb
ya want some help?
i dont usually,more like never,make an offer like this
ya wanna come over with that stick and i'll try and help ya
not that i am an expert but i have made a few bows,not many as of late cause ive got rocks on the brain 
but i would be wilingto help ya out.

[stickthrower]

Sailordad,

I would appreciate any help you would be willing to share!

Send me a message when you have some free time that you would like to get together, and I will let you know my schedule.

Thanks!

[barebo]

Having Sailordad show you the ropes will put you ten million words in posts ahead of the game. I wish that I had someone make me an offer like that when I started !!! Sailordad - that's just one Helluva offer and you get "hats off" for the gesture. Good Stuff happening here !!!

[George Tsoukalas]

Just some comments about dknives. I've never used my drawknife with the bevel down. I can take of gigantic chunks of tiny shavings of wood just by varying the angle of attack. Stick, If you are using a knife now, don't. Put it down. Also you have to watch it with boards. If the grain is wrong you'll destroy the stave with a dknife. Turn around and remove wood from the other direction. I'd be using a surform or rasp now. Pretty quickly I'd go to a scraper like tool. Now about the bend in your stave. Too much bend in the handle area. Begin to get more bending mid limb on. A lot more. Jawge

[barebo]

I agree 100% with George -- I believe the drawknife was designed to be used bevel "UP"!! But......some guys use it down with good results for them. I wanted to explain how I use mine in effect as a scraper - I was doing it last night on my first Hop Hornbeam bow.
With steady hands and a feel for the wood, I can literally make shavings fine as hair. Of course it took ruining some good wood early on to get to where I am now.