Starting Small (finished Firewood pictures)

[superdav95]

I got firewood bending a little. I call this vice tillering. I clamp limb in vice and reduce my tips. Then I get outers bending a little. Then I tapper thickness towards handle checking bend by pulling tip with my hand and watching my bend.

Bjrogg

thats awesome Bj. i do the same thing!  the benefits of keep the handle blocky early on.

[bjrogg]

I like my vice tillering method Dave.

It saves me a lot of steps walking over to my tree. Not saying this is my recommended way for a beginner but it’s how I do it.

I usually don’t make a tilling string. I vice tiller until I think I can get it strung low brace. Then I make a string and add twists to get it to proper brace height later.

I had to take my wife to doctors in city yesterday.  Before I left the shop the night before I made a little custom wood filler.

I saved some of the dust from filling my red cedar.

Bjrogg

[bjrogg]

One limb was slightly narrower on firewood. I’m probably going to be narrower than this when I finish shaping it but I decided to fill it in.

I liberally soak my area with glue.

Then I sprinkle dust over it. Let it soak and then press it into place with my fingers.

Then I repeat process

Then I put another coat of glue over top and let it cure.

Yesterday afternoon I filled it off.

Bjrogg

[bjrogg]

Pictures

[bjrogg]

Then I shaped my tips.

I decided to try red cedar. Might be a little softer than I like, but a good place to experiment

Bjrogg

[bjrogg]

I made a string for firewood and my tips didn’t really line up. Normally I’d leave them wide and then adjust them to make string line up but I’m just working with what this one gave me.

I put it back on caul and tweaked it a little. I think it looks good but I don’t want to flex it yet.

Here’s kindling and firewood

Bjrogg

[Pat B]

Nice, inspirational build, Brian and I think that "firewood" is a perfect name for her. 

[superdav95]

Yes indeed inspiring.  You make it look easy.  I know you have a lot of experience that allows you to make this look easy so for those watching and following along remember to plan ahead and take it slow on such knarly pieces if starting out.  It takes a special kind of Boyer to make a bow out of such pieces and may offer great options for those who don’t have premium staves or even decent staves.  This thread is a great example to show that scrap knarly pieces of wood can be made to bow.  The message I take from this build here is that if your availability to good bow wood is low then these pieces could be used to learn a ton about making self bows.  Thanks again for posting Bj. 

[bjrogg]

Thanks Pat. Still hoping it doesn’t end up firewood. lol


Thanks Dave . You are certainly a very experienced and skilled bowyer to. I know you know how much time it takes to document stuff like this and I very much appreciate the build alongs you do to.

I’m still trying to stress the point that this whole experiment is to show how you can learn and practice your skills on scraps.

I have gained a lot of experience. Most of it from playing with scraps. It gives you the confidence to try things you are afraid to try on your good wood.

I’m not so much trying to show how to make a bow from scrap wood. Although it certainly is an objective and looks like a decent chance of pulling it off. Even if we didn’t succeed in making a bow we have gained a lot of experience.

When it comes to making your bow. Especially your first couple I suggest giving yourself the best possible chance of success.

Get as good of a piece of wood as you can.

Don’t try to short

Don’t try a radical Design

Practice your skills on scrap

Bjrogg

[bjrogg]

I decided to play with kindling while waiting for firewood to acclimate.

I didn’t trust my handle splice yet. I could feel it flexing and I knew that dovetail joint wouldn’t take much of it.

Sure enough it failed.

I removed the artificial sinew and could see the dovetail joint did fail but the Osage shavings I glued on belly held good.

I decided to try another experiment.

I cleaned up the joint a little and then soaked it with thin super glue. I did it all without removing the Osage on the belly. Wouldn’t recommend it, but it’s a good place to experiment. I worked the super glue in then put the joint together.

After it dried good I filed it flat. Dry fit two Osage shavings to back of my splice.

Then sized all glue surfaces liberally with tb2 and wrapped the whole sloppy mess up very tight with artificial sinew.

I’m cautiously optimistic that this might work. Going to let it sit for at least 24 hours. The tb2 seems to dry slowly under my waxed sinew.

Bjrogg

[bjrogg]

While I’m waiting to play with my scrap wood.

I process stave number 4.

Looked almost impossible before I started. This was a nice knot free, straight log. But it has very thin rings and most have had a lot of limbs rubbing against it. I had to go down a ways to get to a good ring.

First I split off my sapwood

Then I found a good ring in the lowest damaged area.

Then I went to one end and sealed last night.

This morning I split some more off.

I have this one coming my way now.

Not sure these are worth it but my cousin got this log for me and I know he would really like to see me get some bows from it.

Really good cardio workout to

Bjrogg

[superdav95]

Awesome Bj.  Ya I had my brother in law over a while ago and was helping him build a bow.  He later got a functioning bow in the end but commented how difficult physically it was.  He said he was sore for a week.  I told home to pace himself as he would be using different muscles that he normally did t use.  It is a workout for sure if using hand tools.  Getting a good sweat going whilst roughing out a stave is definitely cardio!   😁

[bjrogg]

Yes I can feel how much better shape I’m in now than I was in January.

I first couple days I was feeling it. Now I’m pretty good. Do stop and sit quite regularly, but not bad for almost 63.

I did get firewood on my tree.

The right limb has three kinks in it. Almost tempted to put it on my caul again. It sure made the left limb look better.

Bjrogg

[bjrogg]

Here’s firewood on my tree for first time.

I like the left limb.

The right one just plain looks ugly. Part of it is from the kinks in the unbraced profile. It just makes it look like a hinge where the deflex kink is about six inches right of the handle. It might be bending a little more than I like there to. It’s hard to tell looking.

My fingers tell me I’m close. My eyes are screaming a hinge. I’m watching for set in unbraced profile but it seems ok so far.

30 @  25”
Bjrogg

[bjrogg]

I did cycle an arrow through her. 

Spine is to heavy but didn’t do to bad.

Bjrogg