Attempt 8 blew up again

[Ryan Jacob]

Well, gonna be a while before I get pics but I’ve learned 3 things.
1. Don’t let your 6 year old brother try, guy smacked the back of the bow with a machete a few times
2. Interlocking grain don’t mean squat when there are 7 rings showing through the back
3. I need to find a better debarking and splitting tool than some flat head screw drivers

[Mafort]

Draw knives. Ebay and 3 rivers have them for a decent price

[bjrogg]

My most used tools are draw knife, ferries rasp and French scrappers.
Bjrogg

[Pat B]

First, why does your 6 year old brother have access to a machete?
2nd, boards will have grain violations so only pick boards with a minimal amount grain violation.(see George's site)
third, screw drivers are not bow building tools. They can be used in some applications but rarely.
Antique/thrift shops have good, old draw knives for about $20. A wood rasp, a small ax and a cheap pair of scissors(disassembled makes a great scraper) is a way to get appropriate tools for not much money. The wood rasps and small ax can be found at antique/thrift shops too.

[goomba]

My splitting wedges are made from scrap oak
wood that I had. They work fine.

[stuckinthemud]

I get the rough outer bark off wirh a rasp then use a sharp knife held vertically as a scraper to take off the inner bark. A lot of the guys let the bark pop off as they tiller the bow and some use a power washer ro take off the bark

[Pat B]

Depending on when the tree is cut the bark will pop right off or be stuck and have to be difficult to remove. From the time the leaves come out until just before they fall off(the growing season) is when the bark will pop off. During the dormant season, after the leaves fall off the inner bark is becoming wood.

[ccase39]

I find draw knives at estate sales, pawn shops, etc cheap all the time. If you find an old one don’t sharpen it.

[DC]

This ain't always true. I've only seen three draw knives in the local second hand/thrift shops and they wanted more than $50 for them. Seems everyone around here thinks they are antiques .

[ohma2]

First, why does your 6 year old brother have access to a machete?
2nd, boards will have grain violations so only pick boards with a minimal amount grain violation.(see George's site)
third, screw drivers are not bow building tools. They can be used in some applications but rarely.
Antique/thrift shops have good, old draw knives for about $20. A wood rasp, a small ax and a cheap pair of scissors(disassembled makes a great scraper) is a way to get appropriate tools for not much money. The wood rasps and small ax can be found at antique/thrift shops too
Pat B x2

[Pat B]

Habitats For Humanity and Humane Society thrift stores here have all sorts of tools, old and new. You can find old tools at yard sales too. With spring coming there will be lots of yard sales. Look in the local news paper's classified for old tools. There are lots of options if you look.