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The ABC's of bow making

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BowEd:
I can see your point.A good brace and a good full draw bend for the design leads to good cast.

JonW:
I guess I start with feasibility. I don't like spending a bunch of time on something that is questionable. Next would be tiller then cast.

BowEd:
I know what you mean when I can get ahold of a very nice looking prospect I can literally rub my hands together in excitement to get at it knowing what the outcome could possibly be from experience.

jeffp51:
Great question.  Lots of ways to answer it.  I would say:

A. Listen to the wood.  Let the wood tell you what kind of bow it wants to be.  Every time I ignore this, I get a broken stave in the corner.

B. Beauty is the objective.  Make what is beautiful to you and don't let anyone else tell you what that is--whether plain and functional or ornate and impractical, or anything else--but life is too short to settle for ugly when you have beauty inside waiting to come out

C. Enjoy the process.  Some bows will break, some will take set, some won't turn out how you hoped, and some will look and work great.  But slow down and enjoy the ride no matter what.

The best advice in bowmaking I ever heard was "it's just a stick"  -- don't remember who said it.

BowEd:
Good sound opinions and experiences.
Reading the woods capabilities is something I do too.More perfect wood will handle more extreme designs while more characterish ones need a more simple forgiving type design.A bow to me is a tool of recreation and commaradery with my friends and also a tool for filling my freezer.Something to be shot a lot.If not by me then by who I make them for.Most of the gratification or beauty I get from bows I make is from these 2 activities besides the bow being made of wood and the beauty of a well tillered bow.There's a reason FG makers like to use wood laminations.I always enjoy making bows.Even with some throwing more curves at a person than others.To stick it out and overcome is my motto.In time and enough bows failures get fewer and farther between while still pushing the envelope.

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