Author Topic: Those of us who teach the trade  (Read 14413 times)

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Offline cadet

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Re: Those of us who teach the trade
« Reply #60 on: January 31, 2016, 02:53:52 am »
By profession, I'm an English and History teacher; I've also spent time as a JNCO in the Army, so am pretty comfortable being in front of a group of people teaching/instructing them.
Informally, I have taught both a few kids and some adults how to make a self-bow from a selected plank.
Small groups are better - and scrounging enough tools and suitable planks together for more than a few at a time is a challenge - and it's interesting watching the rates of progress at certain steps speed up and slow down.
I'd love to say I'm all altruistic and do it for free, but I don't, and do think that a keener, more receptive breed of student self-selects if they're prepared to pay a modest sum for the experience, and I'm compelled to offer the most attentive and professional tuition I can, too.
My own journey was fuelled by a huge amount of reading to try and understand the basic principles and then having a go to apply them - there's nobody locally that I knew of to learn from.
I'm a relative beginner and a rank amateur still, but I can at least offer my own ideas about why I do things the way I do, without being dogmatic and believing that mine's the only successful way.  Being asked "why?" and "how?" by neophytes challenges me to examine, critique, and maybe even change my own techniques and theories.  I enjoy that, and learn from it.

Offline Carson (CMB)

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Re: Those of us who teach the trade
« Reply #61 on: January 31, 2016, 10:00:41 am »
I have taught bow-making to several groups over the last two years. It is a lot of work, but I get a lot out of it.
I just finished up a workshop with six guys this last weekend. It was a great group and all walked away with respectable bows.
Like Cadet, I find that charging a fee helps weed out the riff raff. For some of the local guys that have an interest, but not the time and money to take a class, I find that bow wood and instruction is great currency when I need a hand with a project around the shop.
I enjoy teaching and haven't had my patience really tested yet, but boy it is hard to watch beginners hacking away at beautiful staves. Eventually they get the feel for the drawknife and everything is ok, but it hurts a little to see a clean piece of yew looking like a washboard.
I discovered this last class that when folks are sitting idle, such as when there bow is cooling in the form or between coats of finish, to hand them a stick for a kids bow. I had a couple of students who got really into these as a side project. I have always thought that if time allowed, complete beginners should start with a kids bow. Simply take a little stick and make it bend evenly.
Also, I invested in 6 of Keenan's Stave Masters for teaching. I cant imagine doing it without them now.













"The bow is the old first lyre,
the mono chord, the initial rune of fine art
The humanities grew out from archery as a flower from a seed
No sooner did the soft, sweet note of the bow-string charm the ear of genius than music was born, and from music came poetry and painting and..." Maurice Thompso

Offline DC

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Re: Those of us who teach the trade
« Reply #62 on: January 31, 2016, 01:23:36 pm »
I love the picture of the guy with the handsaw ;D ;D Unless you have a clue what is going on that would really make you wonder.

Offline Hamish

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Re: Those of us who teach the trade
« Reply #63 on: January 31, 2016, 06:56:19 pm »
I just can't help thinking you guys are better than me. More charitable, helpful, and patient. Its one thing helping some kids discover the joys of archery and making bows(that is something really primal), even I can't resist helping out a kid occasionally, seeing the joy on their face.
Its quite another thing teaching adults, for free especially when they have a well paid job.
What other person with a highly skilled job can you go up to get them to demonstrate hard earned trade secrets for free? No one would go up to a Dr, a lawyer, mechanic, plumber or electrician and expect to get free advice, education, or service without a reasonable remuneration.

Offline mullet

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Re: Those of us who teach the trade
« Reply #64 on: January 31, 2016, 08:52:29 pm »
Well, I'm curious, what the heck is doing with the saw?
Lakeland, Florida
 If you have to pull the trigger, is it really archery?

Offline looper

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Re: Those of us who teach the trade
« Reply #65 on: January 31, 2016, 09:02:24 pm »
Well, I'm curious, what the heck is doing with the saw?

The back of a saw makes a fine, albeit unwieldy, scraper. Most of my scrapers are made of old saw blades.

Offline gianluca100

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Re: Those of us who teach the trade
« Reply #66 on: February 04, 2016, 04:55:44 pm »
I have given many classes this ten last years and it has become part of my job (beside forging).
Nevertheless I still enjoy it every time when I can turn bow newbies into addictied bowywers and archers  :D
The only annoying guys are the already mentioned "knowitall" type of persons. Tipically they are masculin and not the youngest  ;D But they are not that numerous and the great most of the scholars are very, very nice people.

regards,
gian-luca

Offline bubbles

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Re: Those of us who teach the trade
« Reply #67 on: February 04, 2016, 11:54:35 pm »
How long does it take for you guys to get a beginner into a shootable bow? I've had a few guys come by and we've done some hickory board bows, but it seemed to take a dauntingly long time to get them from board to shootable bow.  Around 5 or 6, four hour sessions to get them shooting.
A big part is them learning to use the tools effectively, but I feel like I could have knocked quite a bit of time off if werent shooting for a specific weight and been a bit more generous with the roughing out part.

Offline Pappy

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Re: Those of us who teach the trade
« Reply #68 on: February 05, 2016, 04:01:43 am »
bubbles I usually figure on 2 days if they are new and start with a somewhat roughed out stave. My problem is after that my patients runs thin and I usually take over and show them how to scrape. ;) ;D ;D I am truly not a very good teacher, I am more, watch this and repeat. :) ;) I am much better 1 on 1 , when I get several I always try and keep the ones that just don't get it caught up with the ones that do and the slow ones usually don't learn much. :-\
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Offline Marc St Louis

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Re: Those of us who teach the trade
« Reply #69 on: February 05, 2016, 08:56:50 am »
bubbles I usually figure on 2 days if they are new and start with a somewhat roughed out stave. My problem is after that my patients runs thin and I usually take over and show them how to scrape. ;) ;D ;D I am truly not a very good teacher, I am more, watch this and repeat. :) ;) I am much better 1 on 1 , when I get several I always try and keep the ones that just don't get it caught up with the ones that do and the slow ones usually don't learn much. :-\
 Pappy

We are pretty much the same in this Mark.  I don't care for large groups mainly because I'm not a group person
Home of heat-treating, Corbeil, On.  Canada

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Offline George Tsoukalas

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Re: Those of us who teach the trade
« Reply #70 on: February 05, 2016, 09:20:30 am »
I don't know about "altruistic" but I've ruined other hobbies by becoming pro.

So I am happy to report that I am an amateur bowyer. I've never charged for a bow and am careful who I give them to.

I don't do groups. Too complicated.

Having said that be careful who you teach. Set ground rules.

Kids have to have their parents around. Period.

Adults males are fine. For young women though, my wife is around. I have to say that I have never taught a lady bow making.

Jawge

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If you ain't breakin' you ain't makin!