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Roughing out help!

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apg:
Hi everyone. I'm going to be making a 70" English Long Bow, and I've got a piece of knotty (!) English Yew.

I'm confident with tillering etc, and have made a small ELB before, but I'm a bit nervous about beginning the work on this.

How do I find the center line? Do I follow that center grain in the photos, even though it may be a little wonky?

And then the stave it pretty big now, a few inches accross and deep. Is that a hatchet job, or should I be using a draw knife and working it for a day or two until I have a roughed out shape?

Thanks for any advice - I'm really confused at this early juncture.

stuckinthemud:
I'm really wrestling with this same thing as I'm working on my first really long bow. I think that these long bows follow exactly the same rules as 'normal' length bows. Follow the grain, straighten with heat if necessary and use the best tool for the job in hand. For me that means hatchet for as long as possible then plane and rasp then scraper

WillS:
With something like that, just bash a straight line through it.  You don't need to mess about following grain or growth rings or anything, especially if you're not making it super heavy. 

If you WANT a character bow then follow the pith line, but it certainly isn't necessary.

mikekeswick:
No don't follow the pith..but do follow the crown on the back. If the crown meanders then it is important to follow it.
So to start with mark the highest part of the crown on the back, this is your 'center' line. Mark out width from this, allowing extra width at any knots. Reduce to width. Rough in the taper, trying to be as accurate as possible.

aaron:
Yes, "FOLLow the crown" asmike said. Lay down the stave crown up and rest a ruler or straight stick on top. Make sure the stick is level .mark a dot where the stick touches the staves crown. Now move the stick along the stave a fewinches and repeat. After marking the entire length this way, connect the dots. This is your centerline.now, lay out your width out from this centerline. You can rough out with a hatchet if its sharp and you are good.  Also

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