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Starting Small (finished Firewood pictures)

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bjrogg:
I made a string for firewood and my tips didn’t really line up. Normally I’d leave them wide and then adjust them to make string line up but I’m just working with what this one gave me.

I put it back on caul and tweaked it a little. I think it looks good but I don’t want to flex it yet.

Here’s kindling and firewood

Bjrogg

Pat B:
Nice, inspirational build, Brian and I think that "firewood" is a perfect name for her.  :OK

superdav95:
Yes indeed inspiring.  You make it look easy.  I know you have a lot of experience that allows you to make this look easy so for those watching and following along remember to plan ahead and take it slow on such knarly pieces if starting out.  It takes a special kind of Boyer to make a bow out of such pieces and may offer great options for those who don’t have premium staves or even decent staves.  This thread is a great example to show that scrap knarly pieces of wood can be made to bow.  The message I take from this build here is that if your availability to good bow wood is low then these pieces could be used to learn a ton about making self bows.  Thanks again for posting Bj. 

bjrogg:
Thanks Pat. Still hoping it doesn’t end up firewood. lol


Thanks Dave . You are certainly a very experienced and skilled bowyer to. I know you know how much time it takes to document stuff like this and I very much appreciate the build alongs you do to.

I’m still trying to stress the point that this whole experiment is to show how you can learn and practice your skills on scraps.

I have gained a lot of experience. Most of it from playing with scraps. It gives you the confidence to try things you are afraid to try on your good wood.

I’m not so much trying to show how to make a bow from scrap wood. Although it certainly is an objective and looks like a decent chance of pulling it off. Even if we didn’t succeed in making a bow we have gained a lot of experience.

When it comes to making your bow. Especially your first couple I suggest giving yourself the best possible chance of success.

Get as good of a piece of wood as you can.

Don’t try to short

Don’t try a radical Design

Practice your skills on scrap

Bjrogg

bjrogg:
I decided to play with kindling while waiting for firewood to acclimate.

I didn’t trust my handle splice yet. I could feel it flexing and I knew that dovetail joint wouldn’t take much of it.

Sure enough it failed.

I removed the artificial sinew and could see the dovetail joint did fail but the Osage shavings I glued on belly held good.

I decided to try another experiment.

I cleaned up the joint a little and then soaked it with thin super glue. I did it all without removing the Osage on the belly. Wouldn’t recommend it, but it’s a good place to experiment. I worked the super glue in then put the joint together.

After it dried good I filed it flat. Dry fit two Osage shavings to back of my splice.

Then sized all glue surfaces liberally with tb2 and wrapped the whole sloppy mess up very tight with artificial sinew.

I’m cautiously optimistic that this might work. Going to let it sit for at least 24 hours. The tb2 seems to dry slowly under my waxed sinew.

Bjrogg

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