Jigsaw..good or bad idea?

[Bishop]

I am working on my first red oak board bow i am at the point where i am removing the excess wood on the belly taper, now i should preface this by saying i have not done any real woodworking since wood class in high school and my tool inventory consists of enough tools to work on my car and fix a few things around the house, i dont even have a suitable workbench with a vise, yet. after doing one side with my Stanley Surform i was wondering if a jigsaw might be a suitable tool for removing some of the excess wood? they are reasonable and easy to find in my local hardware store.
thanks
Bishop

[Shooter]

I dunno about using a jigsaw, Bishop. Never tried it over here, but I expect it'd be really hard to control the cut from the edge of the board.

A block plane and 4-way rasp would be cheaper and they do make quick work of tapers

[Bishop]

you know, i was standing in Home Depot a couple days ago with a small block plane in my hand debating on buying it..lol...a plane makes a lot of sense and i can see having more control with it. thanks
Bishop

[Dane]

I swear by my planes - love that tool. I use a block plane a LOT, for bows, and for other tasks (a basic little Stanley). I like the small block plane far more than my large bench plane, as a matter of fact. I want to try a Japanese plane, which shaves wood on the pull, instead of the push.

Dane

[Bishop]

my wife is at the store right now picking me up a stanley block plane.. ... i watched a custom furniture maker on tv once that used a lot of Japanese tools. He had some beautiful small hand saws and a odd looking thing he referred to as a Japanese plane that cut on the pull. the tools were almost as beautiful as the furniture he made.

[koan]

Ive always used my small block planes on the pull, never seen anyone push one before?? Pretty much just used them doin trim work in houses tho. But then..im left handed so I dont think right. ...Brian

 

[Aries]

Pretty much my primary weapon for wood removal during the tapering, and tillering process of my bows is a 15 or so inch two sided rasp, one side very coarse, the other soft enough not to leave gouges in the wood. I believe this was initially a horse shoer's rasp.  A great all around tool either way  Ty