Tools

[sharpend60]

I know this subject has be posted before but that what keeps internet forums moving so...

Who uses what tools?

I myself only use hand tools and am slow a molasses in January. I get quite frustrated when I break an awesome character stave Ive put 10 or more hours into. But thats how it goes... Ive got no space to get mechanized and not sure it would feel 'right' using a band saw and drum sander on wiggly ole stave, but then again I never have. I don't even have space for a tiller tree and cant stand the tiller stick, I use the mirror. I am a bit envious however of being able to bust out a bow a week but anyway...

Who uses what tools and why?

Hatchet
4 way rasp
Shinto rasp (doesn't leave tool marks, I hate tool marks)
Knife
Small round rasp (for nocks)
Small chainsaw file
A ton of sand paper

[ken75]

well ...im pretty slow too  i build primarily board bows with an occasional stave
roughing out............bandsaw
trapping.................horseshoing rasp
reducing belly (untill floor tillered)..stationary disc sander with 40 grit
finish tiller .......... pocket knife scraper
nocks.........chainsaw file
finish sanding ........palm sander and hand sanding
steaming ........turkey fryer

[bubby]

like Ken I use a bandsaw to ruff in, if it's a pyramid I do the belly cut on a table saw, farriors rasp, 4 in 1 and chain saw rasps, take the saw marks out with oscillating belt sander with 36 grit, and I do my scraping with a painters multi tool, hand sand to finish, Bub

[ricktrojanowski]

Axe and wedges. Splitting
Drawknife. Debark and initial ring chasing
Carving drawknife. Final ring chase
Bandsaw. Roughing profile
Shinto. Final profile work and initial limb taper
Nicholson, card scrapers, and Torges scraper.  All the way to final tiller

[Stickhead]

Since I'm cheap and fond of my fingers, I stick to hand tools:  hatchet, wedges, hand sledge, drawknife, rasp, pocketknife, vice, clamps.  That's about it.

[snag]

How about the good ol' "Gizmo"?

[gstoneberg]

I use a draw knife for ring chasing and limb shaping all the way to floor tiller on my osage bows if I can.  Sometimes knots make the draw knife too dangerous and in those cases I go to floor tiller using an oscillating spindle sander.  Always use the sander to shape handles.  From there on I use an old butcher knife as a scraper.  Do a little sanding towards the end.  My ancestors didn't remove all their tool marks so I see no need to either if the bow is for me.  More careful on one for somebody else.

George

[Matt S.]

Hatchet/Surform - roughing out
Surform/Rasp - Rough tillering
File/Sandpaper - Final tillering
round file - nocks
palm sander/sandpaper - sanding

[johnston]

shurform..farriers rasp...coarse wood rasp...draw knife...many different files...sandpaper.

Got aggravated last weekend when the bow i was making took a bunch of set early...my fault of course. Took another board and went all the way to knocks with the drawknife.
And that bow shoots.

Lane

[bolsjedyr]

Pretty slow here too - Prefer to relish in the process of listening to the wood talking (and we all know that trees take a loooong time of saying anything - just think about the "ents") 

Anyway... I mostly just use handtools:
Hatchet, handsaw, vixen file (a must-have, leaves virtually no toolmarks) small round file for nocks, scraper and sandpaper are my main tools for the woodwork on my bows.
Then there's the glueing and finishing, but that's another story.

[Will H]

Chainsaw, Hammer and wedges for staves
10" straight draw knife for chasing rings
Bandsaw and Ferriers rasp for rough out
Nicholson #49 for floor tiller and handle shaping
4" Nicholson rat tail file for nocks
Nicholson #50 and cabinet scrapers for final tillering

[bubby]

yeah I use a gizmo as well, Bub

[eflanders]

Tablesaw, bandsaw, planer, various rasps, sanders, files and scrapers.  I also use Eric's gizmo too.  I only make all-wood laminated bows.