Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: PaulP on October 18, 2007, 05:47:02 pm
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I am very new; so this may have been answered some time back.
I am in the process of gathering basic bow building tools.
Would I be ahead building or buying a wooden shaving horse or would my shop vise do the job.
Thanks,
Paul
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i use a vise for everything. it suits me fine but I am new to bowbuilding so i would wait till someone else reponds for an answer
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I am very new; so this may have been answered some time back.
I am in the process of gathering basic bow building tools.
Would I be ahead building or buying a wooden shaving horse or would my shop vise do the job.
Thanks,
Paul
Well, considering I don't have a vise or the money, or the space...I'm feeling pretty primitive...I just sit on my board and go crazy. This is also perhaps why I may finish my bow hopefully before I'm too old to shoot it (or crack it tillering :P)
I would assume either one would work great--whatever floats your boat and you are comfortable with, can afford, have room for, etc.
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I would just use a vice to get started then as happens to most people you will get addicted and then it might be time to invest in a shaving horse. If you dont have a vice already I would recommend just using a few C clamps on a rail if possible. Most of the time when starting a bow, thats my first step on getting the general shape before moving on to a vice for tillering and all that fun and time consuming things ;D
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I'm still kind of new to all this, but not totally a greenhorn, and thus far, I have been totally happy with c clamps and those wooden clamps with the screw handles on each side (I forget what they are called). You know, the Uncle Fester clamps, if you remember watching the old Adams Family show. Dates me a bit, I guess :) I do really prefer to work standing up if possible, so clamps suite me fine in that way, too.
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I like the bench and vice. I like to stand up and work. There's a bench on my site. jawge
http://mysite.verizon.net/georgeandjoni/archer.html
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I mounted a vice near the the end of a picinic bench and I stradle the bench seat. I can swivel the vise to the position I want.
Mark
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Everybody has sifferent takes on stuff like this, just boils down to what you like. I prefer a shaving horse for chasing rings, roughing out bows, and such- a lot quicker and easier to adjust. For rasping and scraping, a vise is a bit more convienient. Either one will get the job done. I have a small vise mounted on the end of my shaving horse. ;D
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A lot of great answers; but still difficult to decide.
Paul
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Shaving horse, but I havn't used a vise much at all.
Sean
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Ditto Hillbilly answer, I also use my scraper a lot for tillering, I do this sitting in a chair with the bow in my lap. I prefer sitting when I work, many prefer standing, I like the quick adjustments and turns my shaving horse allows. Steve
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I have both but mainly use the vice mounted on a portable bench.It is kind of like
Hillbilly said it all boils down to what you like or what you get use to. :)
Pappy
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It doesn't take long to shape a stave into a bow. Any holding device is fine.You arn't going to be workng long enough to get tired. I have used every method mentioned some worked better than others. My personal choice is a shaving horse.Ironically, I do not have one at the present time.I will build one soon.
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Build two of them, Matt ol' friend, and I'll buy one of them (reasonably, of course - LOL). That way I might get one sooner (I never get started on one) and also perhaps I might just get to see you one more time, before one or the other of us cashes in our chips - ;D
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Bernie I just may do that very thing. :) I hope you like the horse with the off set head?
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Thanks for all in the information
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I use the both for 2 different things. I use a shaving horse fpr what it is intended to be used for ....shaving. Meaning: nothing beats a shaving horse for chasing growth rings and really roughing in a bow. You can put allot of power into it and quickley get a bow to diminsion with a draw knife and a shaving horse. After the bow is roughed in and I am starting to lay out diminsions and rasping or draw knifing to lines I then move to a wood vise. Easier to do that kind of work standing up and working over the wood and easier to pull the bow out and look at it and such.
SJM
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Matt, I was just picking, but I'd be honored if you saw fit. I wouldn't know (about the liking), as I've never got to use one yet. I used Mike's vise and my portable (clamping) work bench from Sears for my first bow (and the ones I finished). I guess if I learned on a horse that was offset, I'd like the offset head horse fine - ;) Wouldn't ya think? :D
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That brings up a Great Point; where does one find a Shaving Horse suitable for Bow Making?
Thanks,
Paul
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I use a large bench vise for rough work...removing the bark, chasing a ring and reducing belly wood and a shaving horse for the finer work like tillering. Both are useful but either will work for all aspects of bow work. Pat
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Paul, if you are handy there are plans apleanty for building them. I think in the archives here (and How to section archivess of other forums as well). Also magazines have had sets of plans in them.
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I appreciate all the advise. Thanks,
Paul