That frugly raw tip overlay pic was great. I do so much want to give that a shot. Do you just get the mating surfaces as flat as possible and what glue do you use? Can't wait to see the bow.
Typically, I use a belt sander to grind the deer antler or cow horn piece flat and to general shape. However, something is slipping in my belt sander and the belt does not turn anymore. So this time I had to do it old school. I clamped the section of antler in my vise and used a finer grade rasp to remove mass. Once it was fairly close to the right cross section and taper, I put a full sheet of high quality 80 grit sandpaper down on a sheet of glass and push the antler across that. Starting with light strokes and adding a little pressure as I go. To check if it is dead flat, I scribble pencil marks all over the flat side and then give it two light strokes across the sandpaper. Any evidence of pencil lead tells me I have a low spot.
To get the bow tips dead flat, I used the 5" circular sanding pad on the side of the table top belt sander, since that still works. You ask why I didn't use that to flatten the antler? Well, those are smaller pieces of work and I have learned that they will slip and cause fingers to mash into the rapidly spinning, highly abrasive 5 inch disc leading to missing skin, fingernails, and bits of bone. Got it? Clear as mud?
Over the last few days, I have been using a can of spray high gloss polyurethane on the bow. I have about eleventeen coats on it and it is looking pretty shiny. Maybe yet this weekend I will get the doeskin grip sown on and the serving on the string and spare string.
