Using measurements

[WillS]

Hi guys, quick question that I was pondering earlier!

I've literally just started making bows (only made two so far) and I'm using measurements found online from various places to mark out the dimensions before roughing out etc. 

Is this the normal, traditional way to make bows?  It seems like a long process, marking out center lines, working out tapers and drawing taper lines back while following the centre line as it waves about and so on.  If the more experienced bowyers on here don't use measurements, or pencil lines etc how is it done? 

Is it just a case of years and years of practice, knowing how thin the tips should be, how thick the handle should be and so on?  The main reason I'm asking is that so far I've only used Yew, but have an amazing selection of Ash to work on now and obviously the dimensions change for every piece of wood, and every type of wood. 

I feel like I'm missing something, such as ways of roughing out tapers and thicknesses efficiently without having to mess about with rulers and straight edges and calculating tapers from un-straight lines etc.

[Carson (CMB)]

I use pencil lines to guide me, but I dont use a ruler or straight edge to guide my rough pencil lines.   Some experienced bowyers use calipers, straight edges, jigs and the like and other bowyers dont.  I feel it is a personal preference rather than one way being traditional or normal. Others might disagree.   As far as getting comfortable with choosing your design specs, as opposed to copying other successful bow designs, I think that takes experience and good judgement, and yes each wood species and each stave is different. 

[SLIMBOB]

  What your describing sounds about right.  I mark the center line from end to end, following the grain.  Mark out each end of the limb, find the center and draw the handle and fades, then mark the edge of the limbs from the fades to the tips.  The front view is completely drawn out.  I then shape it to my marks.  I will at times leave the handle and or the tips wide for lining up the string, but it's pretty well shaped to finished dimensions otherwise.  Once that is done I only make one set of marks on the sides of the limbs for thickness taper.  It's just a line draw down each side of the limbs that I take the belly down to quickly, leaving it plenty thick.  From there I work it based on how the limbs are bending without any kind of marking.

[WillS]

Great replies, thanks for that guys! I think I go overboard with my markings, but then being a complete beginner I like being overly cautious!  It's good to know I'm not wasting too much time though, by drawing out dimensions rather than cutting/shaping by eye.

[Pat B]

Building bows is a slow process. There are folks that can build bows in just a few hours but that is the exception. After almost 30 years of building wood bows it still takes between 20 and 40 hours over a long time to build a successful bow if everything else goes well.
 When I build a bow I first fine the center of the stave lengthwise. I then mark out the center line of the bow from side to side following the grain of the stave. From this point I mark out the outline of the bow's width and cut it to shape. This is when floor tillering comes into play and it is primarily, IMO, to see how ballenced or not the limbs are. At this point I never bend the bow at floor tiller more than 4" to 6". Once the bow is floor tillered and the limbs are close to each other it is time for long string tillering.
 You want your long string only slightly longer than the bow at this point. Put the bow on the tiller tree and check out how it is bending.
  As far as the thickness of the limbs, that will depend on the wood you use, the length of the bow the weight you desire to achieve and a few other things but going slow, studying the bend well and removing wood in small incriments with plenty of exercising to help educate the wood to bend will give you the best chance to build a successful bow.
  After I achieve floor tiller I use only a rasp and/or scraper to complete the tillering process. The only other tool I use in the process is patience. IMO, that is the most important tool in your bow building kit.
  Chances are your first bow will not be successful. In the fraturnity of wood bow building this is the norm and you should try not to get discouraged in the process. You are in good company and the rest of us have been through it and are here to help you as you need it.