Author Topic: Holmegaard build along  (Read 118156 times)

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Offline adb

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Re: Holmegaard build along
« Reply #60 on: February 02, 2008, 03:56:21 pm »
After all the cutting is done, I can see how the stave bends. How much belly wood to remove is something I've learned with experience. With osage & hickory, I know it's going to be a very strong combination, and removing 3/8" is no problem. Right off the saw, this stave is almost floor tillered!!

Unfortunately, that's it for today. The lovely lady standing behind me is my Mother. Yesterday was her 69th B'day, and she's come to our home (from a couple hours drive away) to go out tonight for a family dinner. So, time to be a host!!

I'm very pleased thus far. Things are going well. These are two really nice pieces of wood... staright grained. Hopefully, tomorrow, I can start the fun part... tillering!! From here on, no more power tools. It'll be hand tools only, to the end. Usually from this point, I'll round most of the edges, to reduce my chances up picking up slivers, starting with the hickory back.

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« Last Edit: February 02, 2008, 04:13:49 pm by adb3112 »

Offline Ghost Dog

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Re: Holmegaard build along
« Reply #61 on: February 02, 2008, 04:00:12 pm »
Oh yea, it is starting to look like a bow! Very cool.
With a fine osage selfbow, my elkhide quiver filled with cedar arrows fletched with turkey, and with the invitation of the forest, I am about as happy as a man can be.

Offline adb

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Re: Holmegaard build along
« Reply #62 on: February 02, 2008, 04:04:13 pm »
Hey, Bob
Yes, it's actually starting to look like a bow!! Bending a bit, too!! The fun part is coming.

Offline DanaM

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Re: Holmegaard build along
« Reply #63 on: February 02, 2008, 04:25:06 pm »
Your mom looks totally impressed ;) ;D
"Prosperity is a way of living and thinking, and not just money or things. Poverty is a way of living and thinking, and not just a lack of money or things."

Manistique, MI

Offline adb

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Re: Holmegaard build along
« Reply #64 on: February 02, 2008, 04:42:52 pm »
Yah! She kinda looks like she's expecting an explosion! My Mom is a great Lady. She's very full of life, and outgoing... a really happy person. Not serious like the expression she has on behind me! She doesn't have much interest in bow building! She's waiting for me to take her furniture shopping! Gotta go!

Offline Justin Snyder

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Re: Holmegaard build along
« Reply #65 on: February 02, 2008, 09:30:20 pm »
Good use for the shoe too. Justin
Everything happens for a reason, sometimes the reason is you made a bad decision.


SW Utah

Offline jwillis

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Re: Holmegaard build along
« Reply #66 on: February 03, 2008, 12:17:04 am »
Yeah, that pic of you and your mom is priceless.  I can hear it now... "the  ;boys with their toys."   ;DJim

Offline adb

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Re: Holmegaard build along
« Reply #67 on: February 03, 2008, 09:25:36 pm »
Hi, Everyone
I made some more progress today. When we left off yesterday, the profiles had all been cut on the bandsaw. So, the bow is all squarey and rough. The biggest job from here, is to make everything all roundey and nice!!
I should offer a word on my working set up. I have a 5" vise mounted on a pedestal, so the top of the vise is 38" off the floor. I don't take credit for inventing this... I first saw it on Mickey Lotz's website. Long story short... it works great.

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Offline adb

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Re: Holmegaard build along
« Reply #68 on: February 03, 2008, 09:28:48 pm »
So, next step is to use my rasp to smooth all the bandsaw cuts and burn marks from all surfaces, making the edges nice and round, and even. I start with the bow on edge, working the side profiles. Be careful to keep your 2" taper profiles even.

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Offline adb

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Re: Holmegaard build along
« Reply #69 on: February 03, 2008, 09:34:19 pm »
I'm very careful to always work from the hickory backing INTO the belly wood. Never work from belly to backing... you may lift the back, or raise a splinter, ruining the bow. Also, when working the belly side, work from the fade UP into the handle, or distal non-bending limb. Never work down into the belly from the handle, you may create a hinge.

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Offline adb

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Re: Holmegaard build along
« Reply #70 on: February 03, 2008, 09:37:33 pm »
After I've smoothed up all surfaces, I usually sand the edges a bit with a sanding block. I like to really smooth the hickory backing edges. This mostly keeps me from getting splinters! At this point, I haven't done anything with the nocks.

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Offline adb

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Re: Holmegaard build along
« Reply #71 on: February 03, 2008, 09:43:12 pm »
This portion took me about 3 hours. No need to rush. Smooth things up, keep your tapers and fades even. After this work, I moved to the nocks. Pin nocks are easy. I like them. I think they're a lot easier to keep straight, and in line. From the rough outline cut on the saw, I even up the side depth. I also round it from belly to back. Next, I use a 1/8" round file to set in grooves, bringing them to a point on the belly side.

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Offline adb

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Re: Holmegaard build along
« Reply #72 on: February 03, 2008, 09:45:41 pm »
I just keep shaping them, until they look pleasing, making the grooves a bit deeper.

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Offline adb

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Re: Holmegaard build along
« Reply #73 on: February 03, 2008, 09:49:08 pm »
When I think I'm getting close, I like to lay a string down in the nock, to see how it's fitting. On the hickory side, DO NOT violate the backing!! I don't do anything. The pressure from the string will dent it just a bit. If you file thru the backing, it will weaken the nock.

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Offline adb

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Re: Holmegaard build along
« Reply #74 on: February 03, 2008, 09:53:22 pm »
When you're done one nock, flip the bow around, and make the other one exactly the same. Look at them both, compare, and make them both even.
At this point, I've been watching the floor tiller, and working the limbs on both sides. I can feel it flexing a bit more. Time to put on the long string, and see how she really bends!!
My idea of the "long string" is one which is basically the same length as the bow. Not braced, but no string hanging down. These are the first pics of her bending on the tiller tree. I've worked the limbs by hand, pulling them gently about 50 times, working the bow only about 6 - 8". The last pic is of the bow statically drawn at 20". I leave it just long enough to take a quick pic!! It's nice to shoot a pic, and then you can sit back and analyze it at your leisure.

For first time up on the tiller, it looks pretty good!! It certainly has that "Holmegaard" shape. It looks to me like it's bending pretty hard right out of the first fades, so I'm going to leave that area alone.

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« Last Edit: February 03, 2008, 10:00:21 pm by adb3112 »