Bow making tools

[DanaM]

What brand of rocks are you using Jamie?

 

[adb]

For me:
Table saw, bandsaw,spokeshave, rasp, scrapers, and sandpaper. Usually in that order. Most important? The rasp. Don't buy junk. My rasp cost $100. I cringed at the thought, but it's worth every penny.

[jamie]

stihl , ridged, and stanley

[lonniels]

Thanks for all the responses. I think that spending money at the beginning saves in the end.

[tom sawyer]

Check out bowyersedge.com for the rasp I was talking about.  I got my best prices on the Nicholson rasps at some boat building website, I forget the name.

Jamie, Stanley rocks!  Priceless.

[a finnish native]

a good knife, a hatchet, a rasp some files and sandpaper. no powertools what so ever.

[Kegan]

Thanks for all the responses. I think that spending money at the beginning saves in the end.

You'd be amazed what a little looking 'round flee markets will yield. I found a beutiful, seemingly hand-forged drawknife for $15. I've seen lots of good axes, files and the occasional rasp, all for under $20 a piece, usually closer to $10. Tools are harder to kill then other flee market stuff .

[Electricfrontporch]

Kegan hit the nail on the head. Most of my tools are from the flea market.  I made my drawknife by putting pieces of an axe handle on a scithe blade I got for a dollar.  Its definitely worth looking into.  Some of the older files and rasps are forged from better materials than youll find at home depot.

[The Burnt Hill Archer]

i deffinately agree on the flee market stuff. ive gotten most of my tools from either flee markets or yard sales. i got a really nice scraper set for 3$from a lady at a yard sale whos husband used to make cabinets for a  living. also got a barely used farriers rasp for 2$ just down the road from that one. as for the tools i use: occasionally a table saw for mass wood removal, drawshave/hatchet (the hatchet more often than not), various rasps, a block plane on strait grained stuff, and scrappers.

Phil

[John R]

Not necessarily primitive, but a good schnitzelbank is a beautiful thang.

[Postman]

what's a schnitzelbank? Is that a freezer full of veal cutlets? maybe Uwe could help us out on this... yavol!

[lonniels]

I will have to check out flea markets and yard sales for sure. Maybe I wont have to spend alot of money. Thanks

[carpenter374]

farriers rasp, drawknife, gooseneck scrapers, the 4 in 1 rasp afforementioned is indespensible in my bow tools. cheap too. just use a wire brush to keep your rasps clean. spokeshaves are tricky and the effectiveness depends on the type of wood. they work very fast and effeciently on yew, maple, and oak but harder woods will chatter if the tool isnt set just right.  bandsaws are expensive but they'll turn 6 hrs of work into 5 min of work when you're roughing out a bow. you can get a decent refurbished bandsaw for 400-500 dollars. the refurbishing is done by the factory on most and they still carry the same warranty.

[El Destructo]

what's a schnitzelbank? Is that a freezer full of veal cutlets? maybe Uwe could help us out on this... yavol!

A schnitzelbank is like a Cobblers Bench

[Eric Krewson]

I use a band saw, belt sander, and hand tools.

I only work with osage so my hand tools are a draw knife, #49 Nicholson pattern makers rasp, course half round file, bowyers edge, half pair of scissors(scrapes real well) , various cabinet scrapers and a chain saw file for nocks.

James town Distributors has #49 Nicholson files on sale now at a great price. The #49 is all you need. I have the #49 and #50 but seldom use the #50.