I like walking around, looking at the trees and bushes, really. I don't really like asking people wheter I can cut their stuff. Noone makes bows round here, people look at me like I'm nuts if I ask the if I can cut their tree to make a bow from it.
I love starting out, staring at some log for an hour, laying out a bow. Then, should any splitting be involved, and there usually is, that makes me a little tense usually, cause you just never really know. I love axing it out, to hammer away and sweat and really make that wood fly.
Then I do the contours of the front profile with a rasp, I really cherish this, this is where that thing gets a face, so to say. Then I absolutely HATE to rasp out the thickness taper, really. Thats the part I put off and start a new bow instead. Needs to dry first anyway, thankgod.
Once I've gotten it to bend really and start tillering it's all fine from there on. Shooting in is great, get to know my new bow, remember the log it was and feel what I've made of it. Sanding can get lenghty, but its really something nice if you can have a conversation meanwhile.
I'm always really excited to put on the first coat of wax or oil, to see the wood really flame up and shine, that is for me the moment I've been heading for. After that, it can dry in peace, I'm probably already at some other bow anyway.
