Main Discussion Area > HowTo's and Build-a-longs

Reflex/Deflex Bamboo backed Osage Tri-Lam build-a-long

<< < (2/14) > >>

wytetale:
Now you have to cut your bamboo to length. You can lay your cut Osage plank next to the bamboo and see were the nodes on the bamboo  end up. You want to try and keep the node as far back from the tips as possible. but it don't always work like that especially if you have only one or two pieces to work with. The farther apart the nodes are the easier it is to tiller. I got lucky on this piece I have about 11" between the nodes

wytetale:
Now I am ready to lay the profile of the bow out and then cut it out. Draw a center line, 32" on this one. Now find the center of the width and draw a line. Next I use a string line to get a straight line all the way through the length of the bamboo to the tips. It helps to do it this way if your bamboo has a twist or a bow in it. Now I will draw my limb tapers. From my center line I measure out 4 1/2" on each side and draw a line.That is were my fades will end. This bow will be 1 3/8 wide straight tapered to 5/8" at the tips. Before tillering I will narrow the last 6" of the tips down to 1/2" or a little less. I will post pics tomorrow of what the lay out looks like. the pics came out really blurry today and couldn't use them.

wytetale:
Now to cut out the profile of the bow with the bandsaw. I leave the whole handle section the same width as the fades 1 3/8" I don't lay out any of the riser until it is all tillered out.

When you cut it out leave the line showing so you can sand it  in to the line and have a nice straight taper

wytetale:
Profile is all cut to shape so now we have to get it to the right thickness. Its about 3/8" thick now. We always go about 1/8" between the nodes sometimes a bit less but never thicker than 1/8". First we'll run it across the planer so we dont have to sand as much.

Then take a pencil and draw a line down the whole length of the bamboo about 1/8" from the back.

Now we will sand the bamboo to remove some more of the thickness off of it. We use a 1" belt sander and sand it to the line. we use a real course belt so we can remove alot of the bamboo this way.

Once we have it sanded close to the line we then use the 6" belt sander to even out the belly and get it really flat and right to 1/8" thick. we will keep measuring with a pair of calipers as we are sanding.

wytetale:
Once your bamboo is flat and at the thickness you want, clamp it or press it down tight on to a flat surface to check and make sure that it don't have any little dips or dishes on the edges. You want it to be perfect for a nice tight glue line. . It takes us longer to work the bamboo than it does to lay out the rest of the bow.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page