Laying out snakey bows ???

[hedgeapple]

Is there a simple way to lay out the taper on a snakey portion of a limb?  Here's what I do:
Draw the taper of my bow dimensions as if it were to a straight taper/straight limb.  Then I mark the drawing off in inch increments, maybe as small as 1/2" in more snakey areas.  I measure the width at each grid line and transpose that dimension to my stave.  It's pretty time comsuming.

[PEARL DRUMS]

I have a simple way. First find the high spot on the stave and follow it with a light pencil mark, it should follow the grain on its own almost, and should be near center most of the time. Remember to follow the high spot from end to end, not just on the ends. Mark center and lay out your grip and fade according to the grain there. Mark your parallel limb length. I have circle stencil I use now. I start at whatever diamter I want to rough it to. Say 1 5/8". I center that 1 5/8" circle over my center line at the fades. Then stencil those same size circles with 1/2" gaps between them until I hit my parallel limb mark. From there I follow the same center line every 1/2" again, only this time I drop a diameter each move. So in this case I would go 1 1/2, then 1 3/8, then 1 1/4 and so on until I reach the tips, I end up 5/8" usually. Then I go back and free hand connect the high spot on each circle, this gives you the same exact pattern the grain follows as a front profile, that is if you got your high spot right to start with. Really study that "center" line or high spot line before you attack with the stencil. The bows profile being perfectly matched depends on it.

[Danzn Bar]

Dave,
Thanks dave and pearl...........I was thinking of the same question.  I'm at that point on a osaget that's just a little snakey.  I just eye balled it.  looks like there is a better way.
Thanks

[hedgeapple]

Thanks Pearly.  I'm following the center grain, But never thought about the circle stencils.  I was wondering why I had those in my shop. I'm off to give it a try.
Dave

[SLIMBOB]

Neat trick!  I just usually free hand it which leaves too much room for error, leave it wide and fix it as I go.  Likes it!

[George Tsoukalas]

I put on a pair of reading glasses and draw a line following that vertical or lateral grain. Then I measure 1/2 on either side of the line. Like this. Jawge
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/layout.html

[hedgeapple]

Thanks everyone for you advice.

Peary, I use the stencil trick.  I had to tweak it several time to get it to work for my stave.  I kept the same width 1 3/4 to midlimb, then a double taper to the tips.  I had more little circles than I had limb length. haha  So, I used every other circle to 3" from tip and sayed with the 1/2" circle from there.  It definitively got me in the ball park.

[Fred Arnold]

  I'm with Jawge on the reading glasses and PD using circles and following the crown top side. And to double check the top crown I like to even out the belly depth and check the run of the grain from below.

[hedgeapple]

Good advice Fred.  I do that also.

[seabass]

Dave,i use the circle stencil.i got mine at staples.i start with a freehand center line.i then mark half way up each limb.i then figure out how wide i want my limb to be from the fade to mid limb.then i go from the next smallest circle all the way to half inch at the tip.the stencil has a center mark that you keep on the center line that you have drawn.it is great on snakey staves.if you need a pic,let me know and i'll get you one after work tomarrow.

[hedgeapple]

Seabass, I actually had a stencil.  I bought when I first started building bows.  I saw tutorial that used them so I had to have it.  Never really used it til today.  I really liked them for this application.  Since I had more circle than limb length, there were 2 variables I felt I could use.  1 skipping every other circle  2. move the circles closer together than 1/2".  Next time I will move them closer.  I might still try that even though it looks pretty good right now.

[osage outlaw]

Hey Dave, do you have one of Mickey's Bowyers Rule?  If you don't, I can bring you one when I come down.

[hedgeapple]

I don't know what a " Mickey's Bowyers Rule" is, so I don't think I have one

[bcbull]

Lay the centr liine out follwing the grain then follow it w the stincle fool proof just gotta tweak it to get circles spaced right i always go bit over size ya can always clean it up later but cant put wood bk on lol Brock

[twisted hickory]

pearly,
What do you mean by "high spot"? I might learn something here.
Thanks
Greg