Main Discussion Area > HowTo's and Build-a-longs
Hazelnut bow build-a-long (fixed pictures)
Gordon:
I’m going to employ a technique that I learned from master bowyer John Strunk to fix the problem. I will fashion a patch from thick rawhide and affix it to the area of the fracture. This will transfer some of the compressive force from the belly to the rawhide thus relieving stress on the fractured area.
First I cut a rawhide patch about 4” x 1 1/8”. I then bevel the edges on a belt sander.
I soften the rawhide up by soaking in warm (not hot!) water for about 20 minutes.
And then blot the rawhide patch dry with a towel. I coat the now pliable patch with super-glue gel and affix it over the problem area. In this case the patch is longer than I need because it will also serve to build up the handle.
I let the patch dry overnight and then taper the edges into the belly using a small file.
Gordon:
Now that the fracture has been addressed, I can continue the tillering process. The tiller is pretty good but I need to reduce weight. I do this by taking the same number of long and even strokes from each limb, about 5 – 6 strokes. After removing wood I exercise the bow by pulling it to its target weight about 20 times. This ensures that the wood removal is registered otherwise you run the risk of a sudden and unexpected loss of draw weight.
After each exercise session I measure the distance between the belly and string at about 6” out from the handle on each limb. I like the lower limb to be a little stiffer than the upper limb so I strive for about ¼” positive tiller on the top. That means the distance between the belly and string on the top limb is about ¼” greater than on the bottom limb.
BryanB:
Gordon-
Wonderful build along, one of the best I have seen.
Your attention to detail building bows is certainly showing in this tutorial.
I'm glad to see your stave is turning in to such a nice bow.
Pat- work has been crazy, you stave will be on its way soon. Now you have a great guide when crafting your own.
Bryan
koan:
Gordon, this is GREAT!....Brian
George Tsoukalas:
Good job, Gordon. I hate compression fractures. You are right. Being a self wood bowyer means you need to learn to fix problems. Jawge
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