birthday present

[paulc]

Spend a really nice fall afternoon playing on the new stave horse my wife got me for my bday.  Works really well and reducing a staff with the draw knife was really enjoyable.  The wood is hickory that has been cut for a year.  Any suggestions on a simple first bow from scratch on my own design?  The stave has a bit of a kink in it so one end jags pretty hard to the side.  Left side lines up where the right side should line up.  The limbs currently are 1" think back to belly.  No other reducing done yet.

Peace, Paul

[paulc]

1st pic

[paulc]

pic 2

[bjrogg]

That's a very thoughtful wife. Nice birthday present. Did she figure that out herself? Or did someone have to drop her a hint? Either way nice.
Bjrogg

[Pat B]

Take the limbs parallel out about 8" then taper to 3/4" at the tips. You can reduce the tips more later. Now, start reducing the belly until both limbs bend evenly and together. Post lots of pics of your progress and ask lots of question. Good luck.   

[Weylin]

That's a nice looking shavehorse! I like the grain on it.

[Mounter]

Very cool man! Hbd...

[Pat B]

That is a nice shaving horse. I have one similar with the saw horse leg brackets I made years ago from an article in PA Magazine. I've gotten many years of service from it.
Your wife is very thoughtful.

[Hawkdancer]

Great birthday present!  She knows where to find you now !  Happy Birthday, by the way!  Not sure about a simple first self design, though, especially with a somewhat wonky stave!  I had enough trouble following Comstock's basic starter pattern!  Relearned a lot and learned a lot more!  Like Pat said, post lots of pictures and ask lots of questions.  The only dumb question is the one you don't ask!
The wood will take you where it wants to go!
Hawkdancer

[Del the cat]

Nice present
A shave horse certainly makes working on staves a deal easier
Del

[paulc]

Trying a new photo edit app...hopefully this works. Trying to show the curve in this hickory stave.  Need help on what to do. Not worry about the curve or twist? I could maybe bend the handle so tips line up better?
Help please.  Paul

[paulc]

Another pic.

[paulc]

3rd pic, should be of belly

[BowEd]

Dandy looking piece of hickory.Like our shaving horse too.Hickory will steam bend pretty easy.It's more stubborn especially using dry heat  than osage but doable.
The BBS book 2 shows methods to align your tips steaming and with C clamps.Chapter on bending wood page 155 done by Paul Comstock.Pictures and all showing it better than I could explain it.

[Pat B]

I'd wait til I was at or very near first brace and see how the string tracks. That way you have a lot less wood to try to bend plus you might be able to bend a little here or there instead of the whole bow.