Your Best Rookie Mistake?

[TRACY]

Using a bandsaw. Jim Hamm was correct when he said it takes a lot of time and hard work to get to a finished bow and only seconds to ruin one on a bandsaw.


Tracy

[George Tsoukalas]

Now I remember. Christian Soldiers comments jogged my antiquated memory. On several occasions the tiller WAS good enough but then I decided to make it BETTER! Bang! The mistake was not trusting my instincts. There is more to a good tiller than meets the eye. Further,  as a bowyer I strive to use all my senses in tillering. So far I've only put 3 of 5 to work. Jawge

[SLIMBOB]

I made a handful of Hackberry bows last year.  On a little narrow side split, I was working the belly down on my belt sander....realized I was working the back down on my belt sander.  Damn!

[Carson (CMB)]

Probably the worst rookie mistake was trying to "flip-the-tips" over some coals in the fire on a 30 year old ELB bow that had taken some set.  I had no idea how exceptional that piece of yew was at the time. 

[Carson (CMB)]

Cutting a lot of crooked wood because character bows are cool.  nothing wrong with some character staves, but I wish I had cut some more straight clean stuff when I first started cutting.