stave help

[csa1976]

I am starting my first bow ever and have a few questions.  My plans are to make a hickory flatbow. First of all i cut my stave alittle narrow with the band saw and was hoping 1 3/4 wide would be ok instead of my 2 inch wide original plan.  Secondly i put shellac on the back to keep it from checking and wanted to know what i can use to take it off without damaging it.  Third and most importantly

[Pat B]

Generally 1 3/4" is wide enough for a hickory. How long is your stave?
 You can wipe the shellac off with denatured alcohol but unless you plan to stain the back you can paint over the shellac or even add a decorative backing over the shellac.

[csa1976]

Accidently posted before i was finished.  Thirdly my stave has a slight twist and i wanted to know how i could fix it? Should i get it to bow form and then fix or fix as stave form.  All comments are welcome and thank you pat for already replying.

[csa1976]

Stave is 79 inches long

[Pat B]

Don't worry about the twist. Selfbows perform fine with a little twist.  You can remove the twist with heat(dry or steam) if that is what you want to do. I'd wait until later in the process when you have less wood to heat and straighten.
  For a 28" draw you could go 66" to 68" and 1 3/4" wide.

[csa1976]

Thanks.  Should i try to compress the fibers on the back with the shellac on it or should i even worry about compressing fibers.

[Pat B]

Is it a tree stave or board?  If it is a tree stave and you removed the bark to expose the back you don't have to do anything to it. 

[k-hat]

What Pat said.  Listen to him, he knows a little about this bowmakin stuff

Be sure and post your progress, there's plenty of help to go around on the forum!

[csa1976]

Hey Pat it's a tree stave and i did pull the bark off.  Had probably 50 of them but lost alot over the summer with wood wasps eatin them up.  I learned a valuable lesson and started cuttin in summer and removing bark then.  Have about 20 good ones now.  i'm going to leave shellac on the back since I don't need to compress fibers.  Also what would be you suggest on handle design.  5 inches long and 1 inch thick and 1 inch wide?  Also thanks again for replys and i will be posting pics of it as well as questions along the way.  Looking forward to the bow making process as well as getting to pick the brains of some bowyers who can help me on the learning curve. Thanks Again

[Pat B]

There are 2 schools of thought here, one is an assemetrical design. For that mark off the center of the bow. From that center point go up 1 1/4" and down 2 3/4" for a 4" handle. Then 1 1/2" to 2" for the fades then out  the limbs. This will make the lower limb slightly shorter.
  The other option is a symetrical design and my choice. This design helps me read tiller better as I'm building the bow. For this, find your center, go up 2" and down 2" for a 4" handle with 1 1/2" to 2" for the fades. I prefer a bulbous handle. To make that draw a 1 1/4" circle at he center of the handle and a 1" circle at each line that determines the handle. Now draw a line from the fade(1 1/2" to 2" beyond the handle) to the outside of each of the 1" circles and from there to the outsides of the circle at the center. This should give you an reverse hourglass (sort of) shape for the handle.
  Another option and probably more traditional is to make your 4" handle 1" to 1 1/4" wide and 1 1/4" to 1 1/2" deep. From the ends of the handle, flare out to the end of the fades where your limbs begin.
  Hope this helps.

[csa1976]

I started to work my stave down yestetday and got the handle width to the thickness i wanted.  I then cut the ends of the stave to the length i wanted it and then once i came back to work on it about 30minutes later i noticed the ends where starting to check.  Why in the world would this happen if its already seasoned?  Also how thin should i work the limbs to before i start tillering?  Should i taper the thickness of the limbs from handle to nock or should they be about the same thickness all the way to the end.  Thanks for any help.

[Pat B]

Even seasoned osage can check when wood is removed because you are exposing it to the elements. Checks are generally not a problem(mostly cosmetic) as long as the checks don't run off the side.I keep spray shellac on my work bench all the time and reseal the back and ends anytime wood is removed.
  I never measure thickness. I begin removing wood and tapering the thickness, checking by floor tillering until I get about 4" of tip movement. Then I go to a long string(only slightly longer than the bow) and check that both limbs are bending evenly and together. If all is well I will continue reducing the thickness and will go to a low brace when I get 6" to 8" of tip movement and both limbs are still bending evenly and together. Getting a good bend early in the process will help insure that you don't take too much weight off before it is time to. Reducing weight is a simple process if everything else is good.
  On a true pyramid bow the limb thickness it even throughout the limb and your tillering(taper) is from the sides. Most bows have a back profile and the tiller should reflect that back profile with a thickness taper from fades to tips(MOL). This thickness taper depends on the the back profile.

[csa1976]

Thanks again Pat for being so helpful and answering my questions.  I'm about to start working the limbs down and should get some pictures here soon. 

[csa1976]

i've got the limbs down to approx. 5/8 thickness and 1 3/4 inch wide and have got them to bend as im floor tillering.  i'm new to this so don't really know what i'm doing unforunately.  should I go ahead and taper limbs to nocks and then tiller or what?  Where should I start tapering limbs 10 inches from nocks?  How wide should nocks be?  Thanks

[JW_Halverson]

Boy, the bug done bit you good and deep!  Hey guys!  We addicted another one!

At this point, it's a kind of a step backwards, but find yourself a copy of The Bowyers Bible.  In fact, if you found your way to this website, you can click on a link here somewheres and order yourself a copy.  In fact, you may as well get it all over with and buy the whole darn four volume set.  I get the feeling you will be buying them all eventually, anyhow.  There is so much good information in the first volume that explains how things work.  And if you are like me, once you under stand how and why something works, you never really forget it. 

In direct answer to your questions, 1/2 to 5/8 inch wide tips would do you just fine for now.  Start your taper just about anywhere in the 6-12" from the tip area.  You take a little wood off, then pick up the bow, set your eyeball down next to the handle and look down the limb to the tips.  It's kinda like looking down a pool cuestick to see if it's straight.  But in this case you are looking for the curve.  It's also a lot like  looking at sports car or a bikini hanger, you will know when the curves and the angles are right.