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that first straight edge

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Hillbilly:
If you want a straight bow, use straight wood. Ash or hickory can usually be found in nice straight-grained pieces, but most other woods don't come like that very often. If you make a straight bow out of a crooked stave, it will likely either break, warp, or twist badly. You can fudge a bit, but the first three rules of selfbow making are (1)follow the grain, (2)follow the grain, and (3)follow the grain. A 14' bandsaw works great for roughing out staves. I do like Pat said, find the centerline, lay out the outline of the bow just cut down the lines. A bow doesn't have to be perfectly square, plumb, level, and straight, you're not building furniture. You're going to have to cut the bow to shape sooner or later, making a perfectly square, straight 2x2 out of the stave just adds an unneccessary step and more work.

DanaM:
Isn't there a chapter or section in TBB about stave reduction stratgies?
It seems to me straight grain = cut it like a board. Snakey = hand tools and follow the wood(grain)

billmac don't over analyze have fun ;D if you have access to wood try some different things. experience
is the best teacher. I learn just as much from my failures as my successes. My first bow pulls 10# LOL
I'm on #15 now still learning but gettin better. When ya put hours in a bow and it comes out different than ya pictured at first yer disappointed then ya get mad, then ya vow to do better! Oh yeah did I mention always have fun eh ;)

DanaM

GregB:

I agree with Hillbilly and Pat. We've popped a line but only on hickory and ash out of the woods I've worked with. I've always had to follow the grain with osage and hornbeam with the centerline, then work off the center line to lay out bow width, handle etc. If the string doesn't cross the handle, then tweak with dry heat to align the tips to center through the handle.

Learning to do this, and work with the wood in its natural state is part of the proper learning experience. Attempting to violate the wood grain in order to have a straight stave is the wrong way to go about it, and will cause problems possibly resulting in a broken bow. ;)

Coo-wah-chobee:
 Agree with all the above advice. "Follow the grain" like Hillbilly said and others, imo no matter what the wood is. By following the grain yu will accelerate your learning curve. It may seem frustrating at times...................bob 

jamie:
with tough grained woods i dont even touch the tree if it has the slightest twist in it. this way i use my chainsaw to split the wood . i only do this with hickory and elm.  as for getting a straight edge on a bandsaw you should invest in a book on jigs or bandsaws. jigs take time to make but once you learn what could be done with jigs they are well worth the effort. one tip i can give you is to make your first cut over sized. its much easier to cut truer lines on smaller pieces of wood. also dont even think of cutting staves with the radial aside from shortening. its a good way to lose a limb. learn everything you can about the bandsaw its the most complicated tool to set up but its also one of the most important tools in the shop. peace

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