Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: ccase39 on November 12, 2015, 09:22:53 pm
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This is my first go at a self bow. I got this nice hickory stave and have time tomorrow to get started. It does have a little bend to it so I was wondering how I get my center line down the length of the bow. Im guessing I cant just find dead center and hang a string off each end as it wont follow the grain exactly.
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Narrow the handle area, steam it for half an hour and clamp it a hair past straight.
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I just start at one end in the center trying to stay on the crown and hand draw the center line, then lay the bow out from that. After roughing it out to bow dimensions I do all the tip alignment and any other straightening it needs with dry heat. :)
Pappy
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I took the wood off around the handle and steamed it. I could not get enough pressure on it to bend it a little in the opposite direction but I did get it clamped straight. While clamped I drew out my demesions roughly. I figure when I eventually unclamp it it will end up straighter than it was but not perfect. I will rough it out but leave plenty of room for error so I can clamp it again when it's at a more manageable size.
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Get it all down to a floor tillered stave first before trying any heat corrections
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What Blackhawk said.later on I use this method with a heat gun in the handle area.
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perfect. That is exactly what I am going to do thanks guys.
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For a new guy straightening the stave first eliminates a few potential pitfalls of waiting until it's floor tillered.
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For a new guy straightening the stave first eliminates a few potential pitfalls of waiting until it's floor tillered.
Im not going to go all the way to floor tillered. Im just going to see where it is when I unclamp it and may take just a little off the sides and belly before steaming it again. I havent done any wood removal yet except the handle as you recommended. I thought of a better way to get it clamped I may try tomorrow also. That picture gave me a couple of ideas. If anyone else has some quick pics they have taken of whole staves when they were clamped it may give me some better ideas.
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Use the same method as shown to straighten it. Leaving the rest of the stave thick just gives better leverage and clamping surface area.
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As shown I place a wet rag under the heated area to protect the back from scorching and use a block of soft wood to prevent denting and thick leather for the same reason at pinch points.
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Got it. I removed the clamps this morning and it's as near perfect as I can see. I put it on the rail of my porch and put a riser block between the stave and railing. Basically as it is in the picture.
Thanks so much!
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Another question, when I roughed it out and got it cleaned up I notice that I seemed to have put a little twist in it when I had it clamped. Can I correct the twist using the same process?
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Got it. I removed the clamps this morning and it's as near perfect as I can see. I put it on the rail of my porch and put a riser block between the stave and railing. Basically as it is in the picture.
Thanks so much!
Mwahahaha! Success!
Another question, when I roughed it out and got it cleaned up I notice that I seemed to have put a little twist in it when I had it clamped. Can I correct the twist using the same process?
If it is more than 45 degrees twist, I would say get close to floor tiller and then heat and correct the twist. Otherwise, ignore it!
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Looks like the stave was already slightly twisted and straightening it has just drawn your attention to it. It's not really necessary to get it all out but you can just take it out with dry heat while you are heat treating, which is recommended.
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Thanks guys. It's looking pretty decent I think for my first. It did come out a little underweight at 40lbs @ 27 inches. I will probably back it with snake skin unless rawhide may add a lb or so to it. It did take a lot of set or string follow. Can I remedy this? What causes it? I have not had it happen with Osage slats
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Wait, it's done?
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not all the way. I still have to tweak the tiller, handle shaping, arrow rest and final sanding. I had a lot of free time today. If I had slowed down it wouldnt have come out so light.
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That's too bad. Looked like a great stave. Have you read up on Hickory?
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Let's see some pics of it bending. Cheers
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That's too bad. Looked like a great stave. Have you read up on Hickory?
A little. I know it's supposed to be strong and does take more set than Osage. I got it to floor tiller and took to much off because I made the mistake of judging the thickness by sight. I didn't take into account the fact that my other bows have been backed with bamboo so the belly is much thinner. Is it too late to flip the tips a bit? Also I put it on the scale again and now it's pulling at 45. I don't know if I didn't tare the scale or what.
I will post pics tomorrow when it's light.
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Yes ,i would recurve the tips and also heat treat.i think the key to heat treating is having the proper bend an proper thickness prior or the harden wood gets rasped away.
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Hickory is known for absorbing moisture more than other types of wood. That stave was cut at least 3 years ago. What is the RH there? You might try putting it in a hot box and seeing how that changes the weight. If you don't have a hot box try a car on a warm day or somewhere else dry and warm.
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Hickory is known for absorbing moisture more than other types of wood. That stave was cut at least 3 years ago. What is the RH there? You might try putting it in a hot box and seeing how that changes the weight. If you don't have a hot box try a car on a warm day or somewhere else dry and warm.
It is VERY humid here. We are below sea level pretty much surrounded by marsh and swamp. I really liked the feel of working with hickory. It is cool to experience how it behaves compared to other woods I worked with. After it sat for a while the tiller looked more even than it did earlier when I stopped working with it.
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Sounds like you need a hot box. Hickory likes to be very dry.
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I just looked it up. 75% humidity right now. I have a food truck and am temped to turn the ovens on and leave the hood vent off and put it in there.
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here is where I left it. Its obvious that I need to take some off of the left side as we see it in the picture on the computer screen. I want to be careful so I dont lose anymore weight. Would you start scraping about 3-4 inches above handle on left limb? It is pulling fluidly.
crap they are sideways let me fix
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You really need to slow things down. When you see hinges and flat spots at brace or short draw don't keep pulling back thinking they will go away or be fixable later.
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Both limbs are too stiff coming out of the fades and the left limb has a hinge developing about 3/4 of the way out. I would get those inner limbs bending and doing their share of the work and then finish fine tuning the tiller. Even if you come a good bit under weight, the experience of getting the tiller correct will be more valuable to you with the next bows. No better experience learning to tiller than by doing. I've always learned more from my mistakes than my successes. Keep it roll'in!
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I'll spend the day working near the fades with my scraper. Pat, thanks for hanging in there with me.
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Ok I spent the day using my cabinet scraper near the fades. It is bending a little better there. I also worked on the hinge a little but wanted to stop here and see what anyone thought. Should I keep working on the area near the fades and worry about the hinge after that?
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Hi,
seems to be too stiff at the right limb fade out to mid limb.
Slow down and scrape it very little
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Thanks! I'll get some work in on it today.