Started my 2nd. bow and posting progress please help.

[hedgeapple]

try this I think it has all the info you need, bub http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,35312.0.html

Bubby, that is a great How-to link.  I used it when I was building my red oak trade bow.  Thanks.  However, I had one issue.  When I'd use the handsaw to cut the excess belly wood off, cutting down from the handle to the limb. I would cut to far; usually on the side away from me.  By the time I would sand out the tool marks the bow would be too light.  I did that on bows.  It's not the fault of your instructions.  It's my inability to saw flat with a hand saw.

What I did on my 3rd attempt, was to stop cutting with the circular saw 2 inches farther out than your guide line suggested.  Then I used a bandsaw to finish cutting the excess belly would off by running it on out the circular saw line and taping up the riser.

[bubby]

sounds like you got it to work for you, it's not the end all do all for a build, just how I do some of mine, i'm glad you were able to make it work with a minor tweek, I always draw a cut line on the side to cut and cut from that side, and stay away from the belly in the kerf

[hedgeapple]

I did well cutting the wood out left by the circular pattern of the saw blade.  It was just cutting down toward the belly to remove that excess strip that gave me fits.  haha  Hind sight is always 20/20. I should have just put a thin shim down the saw line between the belly and the wood that was being removed.  That way the saw would have cut the shim not the belly of the limb.  duh!

Anyway, I have 2 perfectly good red oak board bow blanks to back with maple or red oak in the future. 

[BryBow]

Ok bubby, I took everyone's advice and decided to go with the pyramid again. I need to get it right. Seeing as I have my own Big Jim recurve, I am going to try and build this 25# at 26.5" for my daughter. This build takes its measurements from your build along bubby.

I have several questions and then the pictures. I want to layer some woods for the knocks. Rock cedar, red oak and then black walnut. Any thoughts on this?

I still need to shape the riser and am wondering if I should put a shelf on her. Heaven knows there's enough riser to do it. Any suggestions other than the bubby build along?

Here's the pics.

Before ripping the limbs on the table saw.









After ripping the limbs on the table saw and roughing in the fades on the bandsaw.

[JacksonCash]

I like the fades so far, wish I'd had a bandsaw to do mine. That was a hell of a lot of work with the rasp!

[BryBow]

Thanks Jackson,

Yes, all those tools make it allot easier but I bet you have a better appreciation for your bows when your done.

I saw on your blog where the riser on your 1st. Bow broke. Did you figure out why it broke? Looks to me like you just cut it off an finished it, is that correct?

Why did you back your wife's bow? Did you back your bow?

[hedgeapple]

The fade from handle/riser down to the limb seem a little abrupt to me.  And the first pic after you post you have ripped the board with the table saw, the left limb right at the fade looks thinner than the rest of that limb.  It might just be the lighting.  Be careful of the area of the limb right out of the fade.  This area gets the most pressure when you're drawing/tillering the bow.  It's easy to get a hinge/crystal there.

[BryBow]

The fade from handle/riser down to the limb seem a little abrupt to me.

They are at 45 degrees. How many degrees more should I angle the fades into the limbs?

I checked the limb thickness from the fades to the tips and there is no variance.

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http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,5129.0.html

[JacksonCash]

Thanks Jackson,

Yes, all those tools make it allot easier but I bet you have a better appreciation for your bows when your done.

I saw on your blog where the riser on your 1st. Bow broke. Did you figure out why it broke? Looks to me like you just cut it off an finished it, is that correct?

Why did you back your wife's bow? Did you back your bow?

I had like, zero fade in my handle. It fortunately broke along the shoddy glue line that I did, so I took the piece off, carved it down to  a much slimmer piece, and glued it right back on. So far it hasn't broke again, so I think it can flex enough with the bow.

I backed the wife's bow because I wasn't 100% sure of the maple board I selected. I figured with a nice piece of hickory it would durable enough. Truth to tell, I wouldn't do it that way again. It was a pain, and very difficult to get the piece glued up properly. If I had a better work space than the kitchen, it would help.

My bow was backed with linen, which I am thinking about adding some paint to. I don't like the yellow color the linen turned when it absorbed all the wood glue.