my first snakey bow please help.

[wvbowhntr]

I am getting ready to start my first snakey bow I was wondering if anyone had any tips on how to lay out the bow to get an even taper when the limbs snake?

[brownhillboy]

I don't really have any experience with one to tell you how, but I can tell you that TBB4 has a chapter on character bows that would be very helpful if you could get your hands on it.

[Timo]

I lay out a good center line down the limbs and then measure from that, at 2" increments. Depending on what kind of limb taper you want,just keep your measurements equal,from limb to limb.  Then connect the marks.You can fudge them later if needed.

[mspink]

try drawing a straight line with a yard stick down the edge of the limb, if the bow is real snakey this line may come close to the top at points and close to the bottom at others but if the line is straight all the way down this can help with the tiller, you can tiller the line to the bend you want your limb to be

[Dano]

You have to follow the grain in the back of the stave, this will dictate the center line, and then you can do as Timo suggested. Just drawing a straight line from tip to tip is a recipe for disaster.

[mspink]

i should have paid attention when i read, what i wrote can help with tiller and i was talking about a line on the edge not the back but as they said following the grain is best for layout on the back, sorry for misreading, and for thickness taper timo seems rite on

[aaron]

can you post a pic of the stave? i establish the center line of the bow first by following the crown on the back side of the  stave.   so, if you imagine looking at the back of the bow, you would  draw the center line along the highest part of the crown of the bow- the ridgeline, if you will. project this line through the bow to the belly and mark the center line  on the belly. (assuming that you have the belly side of the stave flattened),. now that you have the center line on the belly, decide on your width, and how it will taper. starting at the center (handle) mark your handle width by measuring out from the snakey center line. then move out towards the tips, marking the sides of the bow equidistant from the snakey centerline at whatever width you have decided on. . leave it plenty wide at first. as you shave down the sides, you will get a feel of where the grain runs. if your taper is good, then your tool will cut smoothly from handle to tip, not snagging on any growth rings. mark the center of the bow, then mark every 6 inches on both limbs out towards the tips. mow check the width at each mark to ensure that corresponding marks are equally wide.....
right, and the straight edge line on the edge comes in later as a fool proof tillering technique for rollercoaster limbs, as mspink implies, but first, lets get the sides laid out

[NOMADIC PIRATE]

As long as you do a good job tapering the limbs, side to side snakes a farely easy to tiller,  ......up and down kinks are a totally different cup of tea

[Pappy]

I got 3 out of this stave ,I think you can get an idea of how they were laid out from the picture.
Get the center line following the longitudinal grain and then like Timo said just measure off that line
depending on how snaky it is .I usually go in about 2 in. increments if it is really snaky.You can cheat a little,I do a lot by eye.hope this helps.
   Pappy

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[Pappy]

So you don't get mixed up.The first picture is of 2 laid out side by side.It was so narrow I laid them out and cut the center line to separate them with the band saw,I was afraid to try and split them.
   Pappy

[woodsrunner]

I don't know about everyone else, but I use 10 gauge wire. I use it like a flexable ruler,first I bend it along the side so it takes on the profile of the snake. then I lay out my width at handle and tip and If I'm leaving the limb full width to mid limb width at that point and the use my snaky ruler to help lay it out. Don't know if it will work for you but it does for me.