I've built 3 board bows, this is my first self bow...I cut this tree down last summer, and a few months ago split it and took it over to Gus' who helped me hatchet it down to about 3" square...
A few weeks ago I chased it down to one ring with my draw knife, before I knew I didnt need to, but I figured I needed the practice anyway... The back of this is lumpy and bumpy and all sorts of squirley.
Yesterday I got it down to almost floor tillered, well, I thought I got it f/T until I saw the pics...funny how my mind plays tricks...
I am using only a shark tooth rasp to do first shaping and a 4 way to do everything else, and paper of course later. It takes longer but I always mess up when I use power tools.
68" TTT, 4" handle, 1.5" fade, a little less that 2" wide at fade til 1/3 up the limb where it tapers/follows grain to 1/2"tips, and the last 6" will not bend.
I am looking for 45ish# @ 28". I am going to build the double post tiller jig someone has on here to tiller it down. and final tiller by hand with your guys' help...
I will keep posting pics so you guys can walk me through this, and I put red tape on one end so you guys can differentiate the two, I'll keep it there until its tillered so yall know what its doing.
First shaping...
Not quite there...
theres two lumps right near the tip...
Bigd knot on the static tip part so I'm not too worried about it.
and a dark line that runs from the tip to a little past the tip fade.
These are a couple inches from the handle fade
Lemme know what yall think?