Author Topic: Trade blanket bow build  (Read 20201 times)

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Offline osage outlaw

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Trade blanket bow build
« on: August 11, 2017, 06:19:00 pm »
PA has been a little slow lately.  I thought I would do my part by posting some pictures of a bow I am building for the trade blanket at a traditional shoot in Scottsburg, IN next month.  Doing a follow-a-long post will help keep me motivated to finish it up.  This bow blank has been in my house since I roughed it out last fall.  It's a clean, dense piece of osage with some red streaks in it.  As always, any suggestions or ideas are appreciated.


I didn't get any pictures before I started working on it today.  I started off by using a farriers rasp to thin the limbs and take them down to a slight taper. 




Once the limbs started flexing I switched to a shinto rasp and then cleaned them up with a scraper.  It has a little bit of natural reflex.  I'll need to do some alignment work.






The stave has medium rings and is really clean except for one pin knot.  If I do my part it should make a nice bow.






I cut out a new caul a while back.  It has a little more reflex over a shorter form than my old one.  I smoothed it out on the belt sander and then started clamping the bow down.






I would clamp it down, temper a section, and then swap the clamps around. 




Both tips had slight bends.  This one was the worst. 




I got most of it out.  I'm thinking of steaming the tips into some tight recurves.  If I do I'll have to watch the alignment. My heat corrections will relax in the steam. 




I won't be able to work on it until Tuesday.  I'll leave it clamped down until then.




I got a few small heat cracks in the belly.  I'll fill them with super glue and forget about them.  They will probably be removed as I tiller it.




I started out with nothin' and I still got most of it left

Offline Stick Bender

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Re: Trade blanket bow build
« Reply #1 on: August 11, 2017, 06:24:48 pm »
I'm watching this one Clint I like your caul that looks like a sweet peace of hedge !
If you fear failure you will never Try !

Offline Pat B

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Re: Trade blanket bow build
« Reply #2 on: August 11, 2017, 06:33:33 pm »
This is going to be a big help for a few of our members to just be able to see what has been expressed and is now in pic form in a proper order.
 Good deal, Clint. Thanks for posting this.   :OK    :BB
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline BowEd

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Re: Trade blanket bow build
« Reply #3 on: August 11, 2017, 06:53:08 pm »
Nice pics and work step by step Clint on a very nice natural piece of osage.Sweet ratio on the rings too.Good idea too preparing those pieces before hand so they are ready anytime you want to work on them.Like the form your using too getting it all done in one session.Pics will be good for the lucky person who gets it to refer back to later.
Those kind of limbs I have a similar form with a 90 degree side plate on it to straighten them dead nuts as I go along heating.Most times with recurves some tiny corrections are done anyway though.
Working on a dense 20 year old piece right now myself I should of took pics of along the way.
BowEd
You got to stand for something or you'll fall for anything.
Ed

Offline upstatenybowyer

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Re: Trade blanket bow build
« Reply #4 on: August 11, 2017, 08:05:45 pm »
I'm interested to see how much the straightening is effected when you steam in the curves. Once I get a piece of osage aligned and balanced I'm always afraid to steam in curves.

"Even as the archer loves the arrow that flies, so too he loves the bow that remains constant in his hands."

Nigerian Proverb

Offline selfbow joe

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Re: Trade blanket bow build
« Reply #5 on: August 11, 2017, 08:19:01 pm »
Looking nice Clint. Can't wait to see it next month

Offline osage outlaw

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Re: Trade blanket bow build
« Reply #6 on: August 11, 2017, 09:04:18 pm »
Thanks for the comments guys!

Ed, a while back I noticed that when I finished a bow up that I had stored in the house it seemed to hold its reflex better and shoot a little faster.  Keeping the bow blanks at a constant 50% humidity made more sense than keeping them in my garage that fluctuates with the weather.  Last fall I roughed out 20 bows and stashed them in the house.  It's nice to be able to grab a bow blank and start working. 

I had a side board on my old form but I took it off to allow for holey or snakey bows to fit.  When I need to do a hard side correction I clamp a scrap of 2x4 on the side so I can clamp it the direction that it needs to go. 
I started out with nothin' and I still got most of it left

Offline BowEd

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Re: Trade blanket bow build
« Reply #7 on: August 11, 2017, 09:59:22 pm »
Makes sense about the form adaptation when needed.It does make it easier.
I've found that out too about bow blanks inside the house a while before tillering.Been pleased with the results.
BowEd
You got to stand for something or you'll fall for anything.
Ed

Offline lebhuntfish

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Re: Trade blanket bow build
« Reply #8 on: August 11, 2017, 11:11:55 pm »
Looking good Clint! I like to see how others do things.  I really like the shape of the form.  I need to get a copy of your old one some day.  Next bow I work on I will try to leave my tips wide till I get them bent.  They seam to stay in line better from what I can tell.

Patrick
Once an Eagle Scout, always an Eagle Scout!

Missouri, where all the best wood is! Well maybe not the straightest!

Building a bow has been the most rewarding, peaceful, and frustrating things I have ever made with my own two hands!

Online bjrogg

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Re: Trade blanket bow build
« Reply #9 on: August 12, 2017, 03:44:00 am »
Coming along nicely Clint. Is that the caul you had st Marshall? I was noticing the one you where using there.
Bjrogg
A hot cup of coffee and a beautiful sunrise

Offline neuse

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Re: Trade blanket bow build
« Reply #10 on: August 12, 2017, 05:14:20 am »
Thanks for posting the pictures as you go.
You have a clean workshop.

Offline simson

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Re: Trade blanket bow build
« Reply #11 on: August 12, 2017, 07:41:15 am »
Nice buildalong Clint, the bow is coming along good. If I were you I wouldn't steam after the work with the caul and heat treatment. In My eyes steaming is a good idea before, and the reflex you heated in is a good amount. I would leave it.
I'm watching what you do brother!
Simon
Bavaria, Germany

Offline Stixnstones

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Re: Trade blanket bow build
« Reply #12 on: August 12, 2017, 09:32:41 am »
lookin good OO... the build along is a great idea, i for one need some extra coachin
DevilsBeachSelfbows

Offline leonwood

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Re: Trade blanket bow build
« Reply #13 on: August 12, 2017, 10:26:05 am »
That’s a nice piece of osage! Looking great already! Will be watching this threat with great interest! I am a great fan of recurves so I would love to see you do that ;D

Offline osage outlaw

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Re: Trade blanket bow build
« Reply #14 on: August 12, 2017, 11:36:48 am »
Looking good Clint! I like to see how others do things.  I really like the shape of the form.  I need to get a copy of your old one some day.  Next bow I work on I will try to leave my tips wide till I get them bent.  They seam to stay in line better from what I can tell.

Patrick

Remind me and I'll bring you a copy of my old caul.  I got the dimensions from one at Pappy's.


Coming along nicely Clint. Is that the caul you had st Marshall? I was noticing the one you where using there.
Bjrogg

It's not the same one BJ.  This one has a little more reflex over a shorter distance.  I'm curios to see how it performs.


Thanks for posting the pictures as you go.
You have a clean workshop.

In warm weather I work in my garage.  It's not that clean.  I just have a thing about messy floors.  I stop and sweep up every few minutes. 


Nice buildalong Clint, the bow is coming along good. If I were you I wouldn't steam after the work with the caul and heat treatment. In My eyes steaming is a good idea before, and the reflex you heated in is a good amount. I would leave it.
I'm watching what you do brother!

Thanks for the suggestion Simon.  I will look it over and put some thought into steaming the tips.  I recently got a new steam set up and I am excited to give it a second test run.


Thanks for the comments guys.  I'm getting off work a little early tonight.  I might take the clamps off and see what it looks like.  I need to fill the cracks with super glue anyway. 
I started out with nothin' and I still got most of it left