Author Topic: Small little "bow form" making problem...  (Read 1303 times)

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Offline toomanyknots

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Small little "bow form" making problem...
« on: July 07, 2013, 03:05:42 pm »
I guess it is probably a little more of an annoyance than a problem really. I have been making simple wooden forms to clamp bows to during glue up, made from 2 x 10s or so 2 x 12s, with a strip on aluminum gorilla glued to, to avoid the bow being glued to the form. These have worked best for me and gave me the best glue lines, verses the other ways I have tried , which are innertubes and forms where you bind the stave down on. I am thinking this is because I am using tb3 to glue the blank together. What has been giving me a bit of a headache is getting the form cut out perfectly 90 degress everywhere. I know it seems simple enough?  ;D I have been cutting out form on my bandsaw roughly and than finishing up with my farriers rasp. I was wondering what would be a better way? I was thinking a spindle sander would work to get the cut 90 degress?
"The way of heaven is like the bending of a bow-
 the upper part is pressed down,
 the lower part is raised up,
 the part that has too much is reduced,
 the part that has too little is increased."

- Tao Te Ching, 77, A new translation by Victor H. Mair

Offline swamp monkey

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Re: Small little "bow form" making problem...
« Reply #1 on: July 07, 2013, 03:29:38 pm »
When I do glue ups, I proceed in this order, draw knife, spoke shave, block plane if needed, then a cabinet scraper. 

Angles are not an issue unless I really butchered the profile.

Take that for what it is worth.

Offline Pat B

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Re: Small little "bow form" making problem...
« Reply #2 on: July 07, 2013, 03:59:24 pm »
I use a drum sander on a drill press to square up the surface of the forms I make. A spindle sander will work too.
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Dances with squirrels

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Re: Small little "bow form" making problem...
« Reply #3 on: July 07, 2013, 07:26:27 pm »
I too use a drum sander on my drill press. I double check that the drum is square to the table before I begin.
Straight wood may make a better bow, but crooked wood makes a better bowyer

Offline bowhntineverythingnh03743

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Re: Small little "bow form" making problem...
« Reply #4 on: July 07, 2013, 08:02:55 pm »
If you start with a 1/4 inch thick plywood or MDF and then get the shape you want... trace it onto your 2x10 and then cut it out on the band saw. Then screw the pattern back onto the 2x10 and use a pattern bit on a router. That works slick and I have used it to make all of my fiberglass forms. Just another thought I guess...

Offline toomanyknots

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Re: Small little "bow form" making problem...
« Reply #5 on: July 07, 2013, 08:18:01 pm »
Sweet, thanks for the suggestions guys...
"The way of heaven is like the bending of a bow-
 the upper part is pressed down,
 the lower part is raised up,
 the part that has too much is reduced,
 the part that has too little is increased."

- Tao Te Ching, 77, A new translation by Victor H. Mair