Bowyers 10 commandments??

[Badger]

  Something I like to do but not sure it would fall under a commandment or not, a lot of guys consider it a waste of time. I like to clean a stave up real good before I even decide what I am going to make out of it. I usually take the full length, clean up the sides square and smooth chasing the twists and turns following the grain, then I clean up the belly and then I chase a ring. It just bugs the sh---t out of me when somebody wants to saw a bow out of a stave they have no idea what they are even dealing with. This is a stage I really enjoy for some reason. I call it keeping myself oriented to the stave for lack of a better phrase.

[smoke]

For me, the First Commandment is: Thou shall not be in any kind of hurry.  (Haste does indeed make waste).

[Badger]

For me, the First Commandment is: Thou shall not be in any kind of hurry.  (Haste does indeed make waste).

  That should be the first and most important.

[BOWMAN53]

thou shall not burn thy bow whilst heat treating.

[SLIMBOB]

To badgers point, once I begin scraping the belly with whatever tool, I then rasp out any rough spots and sand it smooth before I string it and check the tiller. If the tiller is near perfect, I don't mess it up by rasping and sanding again, changing the tiller and taking more weight off. That can be an endless loop.

[SLIMBOB]

I'm not sure I have ever thought of this in terms of "The Ten Commandments" of bow making, but I like the idea. The first commandment for me personally, is to walk away if I'm not sharp. I can recognize it. The closer I get to the finish line, the more important it becomes. I will set everything down and pick it up the next day with a renewed sense of purpose, greater cocentration and more energy.

[Del the cat]

1. Always take off half as much as you think and make the bow at least 2" longer than you think you need.
2. When doing any bending or heat treating spend at least as long thinking about it and jigging it up as you do heating.
3. If you are not pig sick of the heating process you ain't done it long enough!
4. Leave the tips wide and the grip full width until you are well past brace height and the string line has settled.
Del
Bonus commandment! (when in doubt, leave it and have tea and toast! or you local equivalent )

[Del the cat]

I'm not sure I have ever thought of this in terms of "The Ten Commandments" of bow making, but I like the idea. The first commandment for me personally, is to walk away if I'm not sharp. I can recognize it. The closer I get to the finish line, the more important it becomes. I will set everything down and pick it up the next day with a renewed sense of purpose, greater cocentration and more energy.

Yup I like that one. Could add... never work on a bow 'cos you feel you ought to... do it when you want to.
That's my excuse for not finishing the one I started at the Classic
Del

[Badger]

Del, I like the number two, I hate to admit how many times I have put something in the steamer and while it was steaming start putting together my jig. When I take the time to do a trial run first and then heat or steam it always comes out better.

[SLIMBOB]

I made a bow for a fellow a while back. Custom made to his specs. Cash money. Hated every minute of it (except for the cash money part). I want to work on these when I can enjoy it, not when I need to or have to. No thanks.  So no disagreement from me on the "when you want to" time frame. Totally agree.

[JW_Halverson]

9 Thou shalt not fully draw the self bow of thy neighbor.

This implies that I can string it, short draw it, take it to archery tournements (out of town of course), take pictures of it on my cell phone, spend time at his house with it when he is out of town, and generally cause untold mayhem!

[Badger]

I made a bow for a fellow a while back. Custom made to his specs. Cash money. Hated every minute of it (except for the cash money part). I want to work on these when I can enjoy it, not when I need to or have to. No thanks.  So no disagreement from me on the "when you want to" time frame. Totally agree.

  I don't mind giving bows away but I hate building a bow for someone. The longest trip I have ever taken was from my house to the post office, I hate shipping. I do bows strictly to relax. I realize there will be times I need to do this but I keep it at a minimum.

[FRITZ 86]

Great stuff, guys! As a newbie with only 4 or 5 under my belt. I have definitely learned to walk away if i'm not sharp and enjoying myself. Me rushing= a cluster****!!!

[Don Case]

If someone wants a bow make them buy from the rack Way less stress.

[bubby]

in a post one time Patb told me never work on a bow in a bad frame of mind, that's about the only thing I stick to