Moontree locust

[DLH]

This is a bow I started up at Dave's (hedgeapple) back at his get together in March. I cut the nocks in it tonight and that was fairly difficult I thought my biggest problem was getting them to line up right I just hope its something that comes with practice. Here is the one I got finished I have the other end cut with the handsaw haven't filed it out yet though. They look terrible to me hope to improve on the next ones I cut. Here are some pics I plan on keeping this thread updated periodically like my other one too.







Thanks,

Daniel

[osage outlaw]

File a little on each side and keep checking them as you go.  It might be easier to keep them even that way.  You can adjust it as you go.  If you go with the pin nocks they are easy to even up.

[Joec123able]

Yea I dread cutting the Knocks because I try to get it as symmetrical as possible using a rat tail file helps get them more symmetrical Or drawing the nocks on first helps

[BOWMAN53]

I hate filing nocks, they suck lol.

[hedgeapple]

I agree, I dislike cutting nocks, also.  Mainly, cause I suck at it.  This is a technique that has helped me a bunch keeping them even.  It's a bit time consuming, but probably less time consuming that fixing a botched jog. 

Mark a 45 degree line on the side of the limbs tip.  Make sure to extend your pencil mark a little on the back and the belly. Flip the bow over and use the extended marks on the other side of the limb to line up your mark for this side of the limb.  I then use an Exacto craft saw to cut into this line.  I flip the bow over again and use the craft saw to cut into that line.  The I use a triangle file to cut a deeper wider groove in the saw mark.  I flip the bow over again and use the triangle file to cut a deeper, wider groove on that side, watching to make sure I keep that grooved lined up with the one on the other side.  Now I grab my rat tail file to cut the string groove deep enough so when I reduce the tips later on, I won't have to do this process again. I don't roll the cut all the way to the center of the belly though.
Once more I flip the bow over and use the rat tail file on that side, checking every 10 strokes or so to make sure my file strokes are still lining up with the one on the other side.

I do that same process on the other tip.  Yes, it's a lot of clamping and unclamping the bow from the vice, but my nocks are lining up much better these days.

Blackhawk, might have the best idea: Just thin your tips to 1/4 and put a tip overlay on the back, cut one groove and call it done.

[chamookman]

I agree with the above - a couple of pencil marks and constant checking (side to side) will save MANY frustrations. Bob

[BowEd]

Yep Dave...that's close to the way I do my nocks too.Pencil angle marks first then keep checking from top and bottom view to make sure they align evenly.On half inch deep wood I like to have a distance difference of 1/2' from top to bottom or like said a 45  degree angle.With a 5/32" file it can take me over an hour to get them right at times.I have a friend who uses a dremel tool but with power tools you can take off too much too quickly if you don't watch it.It just takes practice that's all.

[crooketarrow]

 You all should dislike it you should enjoy build all parts of a bow.  Knocks put you own presonal touch to a finished bow. Fileing in and shaping the  knocks one of my favoret things to do. I love to carve faces,rattle snake head in the upper ,rattles on the lower. I don't  start out with anything special in mine. I t just comes to me as the bow takes place. Sometimes I even carve a face in the upper fade. It comes natural to me I love all careing from wood to stone I love doing it all.
   You'll get better with time and bows you build.

[crooketarrow]

 I forgot to ask.
  I've built bows from every wood I could get my hands on at one time or another. Never heard of a MOONTREE locust.
  In lighten me.

[dbb]

I usually just  "nick" the corners where i want the groove to start and end and sort of "connect the dots"
Works for me.

[osage outlaw]

I forgot to ask.
  I've built bows from every wood I could get my hands on at one time or another. Never heard of a MOONTREE locust.
  In lighten me.

It's a black locust bow He was working on at the moon tree gathering

[DLH]

Sorry about that crooketarrow forgot to mention that little detail guess that does make it confusing. I tried to use a 45 square to draw my lines but it didn't work how I planned I could tell by looking that they wouldn't line up. So I ended up making a mark 1/2in down and an 1in down and connecting them from back to belly it seemed to be close to the 45 square but each side was more similar. It did take a lot of unclamping from the vice but I still manage to screw it up hopefully the other end will go better.

[hedgeapple]

Daniel, my first several nocks looked just as bad or worse.  And even now, they are sometimes off.  Just file the high nock down to match the lower one and the lower up to match the higher.  You're groove will be a little wider than needed, but so what.  When a string is in them no one will notice.  When I need to "clean up" this mistake, I use a larger rat tail file and work it like I stated up.

[JonW]

Measure down from the tip a halfinch and draw a straight line. Measure down from the tip three quarters of an inch and draw a straight line. Connect the two lines diagonally. Pretty easy this way.

[TRACY]

I pencil them in and always adjust as needed. Keep a loop handy to fit it on the grooves if necessary. My first ones were filed in backwards and ended up with double string grooves on my first bow . Just keep it simple and use a round file, pencil, and string loop and you'll do just fine Daniel.

Is this the "nipple" bow from Moontree?


Tracy