Band saw tiller

[Stick Bender]

Hi Fellas  I know bow making is not a timed event  but with only 3 hours a week free time I figured I would try to speed up the process a bit this is probably a subject that's been covered before but figured I would add some things I discovered I have used this process in the past for making furniture legs but fine tuned it for bows , I was amazed at how you could take off micro shavings once every thing was tuned up , I changed my blade to a 3/8 ,8 TPI & adjusted it so if you breathed on the blade it would contact the rear guide and the same for the side guides  ,I drew thickness lines on the stave and tilted the saw table at a angle cut both sides and put it back flat and shaved of the middle & when done took a few swipes with a scraper plain & checked it with calipers it was almost dead flat ,I will try next week end to take it to floor tiller using this process , I was wondering what other peoples experiences with band saw tiller where ? 

[Stick Bender]

More pics

[JonW]

I do pretty much the same. Final tiller on the belt sander.

[ajooter]

I really am a fan of a ferriers rasp with the coarse and medium sides.  With a stave clamped to my bench i can eat through some serious material fast.  I understand not having the time as well though.  I would worry about ruining a good stave myself...but thats me.  You seem like you have found a system that works for you and thats all that matters!

In the future if i have the space i may get a higher end bandsaw to reduce staves down some.

[bjrogg]

I just use draw knife, rasp, emory cloth on a file. It allways seems like I spend more time putting bow on and off tiller tree than removing wood once it's floor tiler'd.

[Stick Bender]

Well I know one thing using the rasp,scrapper & other hand tools is a lot more fun & relaxing, Ajooter you right one little slip & your done luckly I only had 2 cups of coffie before I started it almost seems sacreligious to me doing it this way but as a new bowyer I figured it would keep me moving a head on my tillering skills .

[ajooter]

Sam harper uses an inflatable drum sander.  That thing looks like a dream to tiller with if ya wanna save some time!

[Del the cat]

The more experienced I get the closer I can get with my roughing out on the bandsaw. I still err on the side of caution, better a tad thick than a tad thin.
I sometimes get to the ooooh, I've cut that a bit close... have I overdone it? but I find it's just ok.... whew
Del

[DC]

I already have more bows than I can use so I don't really need to speed up production. I still use the bandsaw to get close to floor tiller though. I'm just out there to fill the hours and a nice sharp scraper is a pleasure to use.

[crooketarrow]

 I've made my bows totally by hand from day one 24 years. Draw knife, rasps, sand paper. I like to think I put a little heart,soul and sweat into my bows. If only for me. Cant see how anyone can put anything into there bows by plugging the band saw in. You might  has well by a plain ed down board.

  Not trying to crack on you but your missing out on a lot,lot of wood working experience. Lot of just learning about wood,bows, yourself.  We all never have enough of ant of that.

  And if you only have 3 hours a week to have for yourself. I don't care how you live but 3 hour's son you need to change your life style. I lose that long to short timers a week.

  Hell I don't come home for 3 days lots of sometimes. If I told my old lady I'll be back in 3 hours she'd hit the floor when I slammed the door leaving. NOTE PHONE CALL I'M GONE.

   SORRY CAN'T SEE ANYTING PRIMITIVE IN A BAND SAW. Couple Indians setting around the camp fire. Two get in a fight over who's next in line for the band saw.

  SORRY I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING PRIMITIVE IN PLUGGING IN A BAND SAW.  None of this matters to anybody but you. Have fun your way.

[wizardgoat]

I don't have a bandsaw, but I'd use one if I had one no doubt.
I have a couple sharp hatchets, and I use those to get to a heavy floor tiller, then rasps, scrapers, paper.
I sure had some funny looks at the classic a couple years ago, using a hatchet being surrounded by bandsaws.

[Stick Bender]

Wizardgoat that's a amazing way to make a bow I have herd of guys chasing a ring with one to ,I met a guy in Peoria Il. Last year that had a really nice yew bow with a sinew string & when I asked him about it he said he made it out of all stone tools ,I asked him if he was a member here he said he wasn't  because most people here use steel tools & Dacron strings , croketarrow  no offense  taken  I agree with you just thought I would give it a shot & your right I need to change my life style  4 more years & retire

[BowEd]

First year in making these bows I used a hatchet/draw knife/farriers' rasp/scraper/sandpaper.Made 18 of them.Learned a lot.A buddy of mine said you can make em even faster if you had a band saw.Roughing out that is close to floor tiller.He was right.Even got a spindle sander which I really like for handles and a small belt sander.But I still like said by Del rough out oversized always usually.Then hand tools still from there.
Where a band saw helps me a lot is when I get a bunch of split hedge staves on the yard and I want to reduce them quick and take bark and sapwood off so they can dry for the future.I use a 3/4" 3tpi timberwolf blade on a 2 stage speed Grizzly band saw.Cuts those 6" thick hedge staves easily.I can see how your way works for you though.Your furniture making experience helping you.With me though like you said too if I drink too much coffee and get shaky I could very well have an oooops moment......lol.

[Pat B]

A band saw is one tool I'm happy I have. It has saved lots of blood, sweat and tears in my wood bow building career. I use a bandsaw to reduce a stave of excess wood  and to cut the stave into an oversized bow blank of almost floor tiller stage but I'd never and would never use any power tool to tiller a bow. A few reasons why...
1) I've come close on a few occasions and beyond on one or two of ruining a perfectly good piece of well seasoned bow wood trying to speed things up.
2) The process of building a wood bow with only hand tools is way more rewarding to me....and
3) I really enjoy the process of building wood bows the way I've always done it and the use of power tools beyond where I use them just doesn't do that for me.
  Each person here on PA has a level and method that is comfortable to them. I can appreciate that but I got into wood bow building to help me get away from the fast pace of modern life. This has helped me develop patience and has given me the self confidence I was lacking in the past.
 To each his own!
 

[bradsmith2010]

I have tillered bows with a band saw and experimented with it quite a bit when I first started,,
now I don't feel I can go any faster with the band saw than I can with a good sharp farrier rasp,, and I feel I can see what I am doing better with the rasp as well,, if I tillered with the band saw then I have to even it up with the rasp,, if I tiller with the rasp, then I don't have to even it up,, so actually I think it saves me time  with the rasp,,, no doubt that roughing one out with the saw is time saving,, but the tiller I think the rasp wins,,   working with the rasp forces you to follow the taper as you turn the bow from side to side,,in the end I think it gives you a better tiller,, the better you get at tillering you more you realize there is no easy or faster way,,  I have owned all kind of sanders etc,, and I still prefer to tiller with a rasp,,,I have more control,,, and I like that,,