bowyery tools

[loon]

Should I get a spokeshave or hand plane for, say, shaping a handle? Or trapping the back? Or just thinning or tapering wood faster than with a scraper?

[PatM]

A rasp.

[loon]

I have a shinto rasp, it's a bit slow for some things..

I hammer with a chisel sometimes but it is loud and somewhat hard to control

[Pat B]

You can do all that with a rasp and scraper. I've spent a lot of money for bow building over the years and I still just use a draw knife, farriers rasp, #49 rasp, chainsaw file and a scraper with the #49 and the scraper only after floor tiller and scraper only for final tiller. I never had luck with a spoke shave except on yew and ERC and for the bows I build a plane has no place on my work bench.

[loon]

I see, thanks

[Del the cat]

I like a spokeshave myself, I'v just got a cheap one, which I've tuned up a bit (videos about tuning 'em up on Youtube) and I get the blade good and sharp.
Slightest sign of tearing wood and I reach for the rasps.
Del

[Siyah Later]

I have a cheap spokeshave that I bought for $5 on eBay.  It actually works really well.  It cuts a really nice thin shaving.  I use it for rough tillering, when a draw knife is too aggressive and a scraper is too slow.

[DC]

Make sure you know how to sharpen your scraper. A good sharp scraper will take wood off almost as fast as a spoke shave. I've measured the shavings and my scraper will take off .010" shavings.

[Drewster]

2X what DC said.  A good spoke shave will work on some wood configurations, but a properly sharpened scraper and the correct rasp for the job will always work.  A scraper is an amazing tool when correctly sharpened.

[Jim Davis]

Some of think a long handled paint scraper filed to a sharp edge works well. Takes a much bigger shaving than a card scraper and is easier to use.

For me, it's band saw, rasps and then scraper. Sometimes I will use my spoke shave a little on the sides of the limbs. I also use a broken sanding belt to round the handle and sand the fades (hold the back of the belt down with my thumb while pulling the belt with my other hand. It's great fro concave surfaces.)

Jim Davis

[loon]

thanks Jim, that sounds good
so I guess, my next tools will be a long handled paint scraper, draw knife and hatchet
...and maybe another rasp, the bigger shinto or a ferrier's..

I just rub/burnish the edge of my card scrapers with a nail punch, creating a burr. after filing it. Good enough?

My next projects will be:

reducing up to 3/4" of thickness and a little width on my Mead Longbows 'horsebow' kit handle
Maybe some shaping of tepeliks (horn bow bending blocks) (fir), or making new ones from pine
long red oak D bow

[DC]

thanks Jim, that sounds good
so I guess, my next tools will be a long handled paint scraper, draw knife and hatchet
...and maybe another rasp, the bigger shinto or a ferrier's..

I just rub/burnish the edge of my card scrapers with a nail punch, creating a burr. after filing it. Good enough?

My next projects will be:

reducing up to 3/4" of thickness and a little width on my Mead Longbows 'horsebow' kit handle
Maybe some shaping of tepeliks (horn bow bending blocks) (fir), or making new ones from pine
long red oak D bow

If your scraper takes a nice even curl and you can actually feel it cutting it's probably good. If it just skates along and takes very fine fluffy shavings it needs work. I just about ruined a good yew stave with a spoke shave because it worked so fast. But that wasn't the tools fault

[George Tsoukalas]

There are buildalongs on my site where tool use is discussed.
http://traditionalarchery101.com/
Jawge

[ajooter]

You can do all that with a rasp and scraper. I've spent a lot of money for bow building over the years and I still just use a draw knife, farriers rasp, #49 rasp, chainsaw file and a scraper with the #49 and the scraper only after floor tiller and scraper only for final tiller. I never had luck with a spoke shave except on yew and ERC and for the bows I build a plane has no place on my work bench.

Same here minus the yew and erc...haven't gotten a chance to play with either of those woods yet.  I do have a Swinton rasp that does work well flattening a limb but I can accomplish the same with a rasp.

[arachnid]

All the highly experienced bowyer have given the advice, but here's my 2 cents. Living in an apartment building, I don't have excess to big power tools. So for my, the spoke shave is one of the most useable tools. I use it to remove wood, shape the profile, handle and tip and since I like to make BBI's- it's one of the best ways to flatten bamboo for backing. I got a cheap spoke shave from Ebay- easily one of the best purchases I've made. Just keep it sharp. Along with it I use a large rasp (I guess a farrier's would be best) and a scraper.
Hope this helps.

Dor