thought this might help a few of those i have traded vine maple with.
tools of the trade: hatchet, heat gun, Nicholson 49 rasp, farriers rasp, cabinet scraper, measuring tape. 1/8th file, and of course a couple draw knives, one sharp one for wood removal and the other dull to remove the bark.
picked out this mutt. this was a neutral growing stave i cut the spring before last while scouting the creek for steelhead
the good ol dull draw knife makes easy work of removing the bark
stave is 66" long, finished bow will be 64" NTN.
cleaned up the back with some 150G
and start laying out the bow.
once the center of the bow is lined out running a string from one end to the other, just to get a good idea how the string will most likely fall down the bow.
it falls a little the the right. not i prefer it if the string hugs the side that the arrow rest is on so this makes it easy to decide which limb is the top and which is the bottom.
1" up from the center and 3" below center give a good 4" handle. the reason for this when the bow is drawn the center of the bow rides the the crotch of the hand.
i like the to freehand the center line following the crest of the stave.
laying out the rest of the handle and the fades. the middle of the handle is 1 1/2" wide and the top and bottom is 3/4" wide and the fades length is 2 1/2" and 1 5/8"wide(wide dimensions now this way if there is a need to do some side tillering, that option is available)
then from each end of the stave ill make marks, so that the the tips (1'' in from the ends) are 1/2" wide.
then i like to free hand the width taper
all layed out and ready to be roughed out into the shape of a bow
