Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: snag on May 23, 2008, 06:00:51 pm
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I went to the Woodcrafts store in town. Bought a pretty thick scraper and something to hold it in.
Man, you could spend some money in that place! I have the furrier's rasp that wasn't so graciously
given to me. So, I'm looking forward to pulling the stave out and drawing some lines and taking wood
off this weekend. Since it's going to be raining all weekend here in Oregon it seems like a good time
to do it! If it isn't too embracing I will post a picture. ;)
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Good luck Dave. Let us know if you run into any problems. There are plenty of good folks on this site who will be happy to help you.
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Hi Gordon. Yes, I sure will. Thanks, David
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well, i have yet too make a real good bow, but i can deffinently tell ya what NOT to do, :P
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My site may l help you get started. Jawge
http://mysite.verizon.net/georgeandjoni/
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Snag just remember to take your time and pay attention to detail. Thats my prblem I get in a hurry sometimes. Good Luck Joel
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Here's a quote I found in the Traditional Bowyer's Bilble, Volume I, in Jim Hamm's chapter called "Tillering":
"The best way to go at making your first bow is without hope, but with persistence."
How do you like that?
A few lines later, Jim gives us the magic formula: "Take off wood where the limb doesn't bend enough, and leave alone the areas where it bends too much."
There you go: You now have all you need.
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i believe that there is a part in there where it says something along the lines of "take off ten strokes with the rasp off of each lemb, then floor test it. remember, if you ever say to your self, " im just gonna take off 30 strokes and get alot of this wood off", carefully put away your tools, fill a large bucket with water, and stick your head in it." if anyone els knows exactly what im trying to say, post it. its something like that.
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you got it word for word, i think...and he goes on to say, "because you're well on your way to making a 30 pounder instead of a 60 pounder..."
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yeah, i forgot that part. ;)
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Good advice with the take it slllooowww. I have never gotten into trouble by taking it slow and thinking about what I am doing before I do it! Always the other way around. Thanks for the reminder.
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but don't forget this advice by Tim Baker (the last quotes were by Jim Hamm or Ron Hardcastle, I can't remember exactly who):
Tim says once you know exactly how much wood you want to take off and where (to get you to floor tiller stage)...then why wait? Cut it off! Hack it off! Burn it off! Do whatever you have to do to get you to the good part: tillering...the actual creation of a bow from a stick...
Of course, when it's your first bow, you don't know how much is enough...so leave yourself some room for errors...but if you are already a woodworker, maybe you have some good tools and some good skills...
draw your lines and waste no time!
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Great to have you Snag,good luck and be sure and show us the progess.It will be
fun. :)
Pappy
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Remove everything thats not a bow ;) Good luck eh!
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Hey Dave,
I'll be busy with school until about the middle of June, but after that I don't think we're too far apart and you are more than welcome to come down to my shop and fiddle around with bows. Just keep in touch.
Stan
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That's a generous offer Stan. I live in Eugene.
Dana, that's an interesting remark. I was thinking this morning that there are too types of ways to create something....by adding to or by taking away. This will be like sculpture...taking a little away here and then over here...until the bow is revealed that was waiting to come out!
I'm looking at draw knifes now! Is there a maker of these currently that you can recommend?
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I got my draw knife at McMasterCarr.com, been real happy with it.
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all right dave.you will have fun..so what kind of wood are you starting with.later john
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Right on Dave ;) Fill us in on the details and keep us posted. ;) Don't hesitate to ask questions this is a great board with lots of help. Great getting to meet you. Keenan
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Check out antique stores for draw knives. I love old tools, and the old steel was probably better too...
Keith
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Hey Dave,
I'm just down the road in Creswell. Give me a holler after the 15th and we'll work something out.
Stan
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Blacktail, it is a vine maple stave that Keenan and Dave gave me at the Bowbuilding Rendevous in central Oregon.
Knocker it's funny you said that. This morning I had an appt. north of Eugene. There was an Estate Sale sign out by the road. Pulled in and drove down the gravel road to a farmhouse. Walked into the barn/workshop to see table after table covered with tools and gadgets. Unfortunately this man had not been a woodworker. He was into metal and old car restoration. He had a couple of 30's Ford sedans that were fully restored. Fun to look around. I found a rasp w/ a wooden handle that looks pretty aggressive. Thought it might work for taking wood off this stave...for $1 you can't go wrong. Still looking for a draw knife.
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Snag,
Draw Knives are totally overrated IMHO. They're necessary for Osage and other staves that require ring chasing. I have found the the following tools to be the most critical:
1. Farrier's Rasp
2. Bowyer's Edge
3. Nicholson #50 Rasp
4. Pocket Knife.
Good luck with the Vine Maple! Since you live in the valley I highly recommend you also look into some Hazelnut. So far I have found Hazelnut to be the easiest wood to work with.
Keep in touch OK?
Joe
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Thanks Joe for the shopping list! I was given a farrier's rasp and have several pocket knifes. I will look for the other two items.
I have 6 hazelnut staves seasoning right now. I found an orchard that was being cut down for a housing development!!! Wish I had gotten more now. They have been down for one month now. Should be ready after hunting season.
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Snag,
Draw Knives are totally overrated IMHO. They're necessary for Osage and other staves that require ring chasing. I have found the the following tools to be the most critical:
1. Farrier's Rasp
2. Bowyer's Edge
3. Nicholson #50 Rasp
4. Pocket Knife.
Good luck with the Vine Maple! Since you live in the valley I highly recommend you also look into some Hazelnut. So far I have found Hazelnut to be the easiest wood to work with.
Keep in touch OK?
Joe
what is a bowyers edge?
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Glad you asked that Recurve Shooter...I would like to know also. :-\
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It's a fancy scraper hafted kind of like a plane blade except more perpendicular. Dean Torges makes and sells them. It's kind of based on Dick Baugh's Bowscraper. Personally, I love drawknives, they're really versatile and also make a great scraper when turned up perpendiclar to the wood.
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Nicholson #49 & #50. Save your pennies though they are abut $40-50 each without the handle.
Tons of bow wood around Eugene. Vine Maple, Cascara, hazel nut, service berry, hawthorne, yew, black locust, and Ocean Spray.
Good Luck
Bryan
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I'd recommend the #49 but save your money and don't buy the #50
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I looked at some Nicholson rasps at the hardware store. I couldn't see any marking indicating they were #49 or #50???? The rasp I picked up at the Estate Sale is a Sureform. Will that do the same work as the #49 Nicholson?
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A good rasp, one that will last a life time and do the work we ask of it is pricey. Check out Dean Torges' UBR10 http://www.bowyersedge.com/stock.html In my oppinion they are way better than Nicholson will ever be.