First bow progress check-in and looking for advice

[Kalvek]

Hey Guys! It's been a while since my last post where I introduced myself, but I did finally get started on my board bow.

I wanted to throw up a few pictures just to show where I'm at (not very far along), and ask a few questions as well.

It's ended up taking me quite a while with a saw rasp and sand paper to taper down each corner -- far longer than I expected. Combining that with the little amount of time that I have to work on it in the evenings, and I just wonder if there's a faster way to remove wood without power tools? I have yet to glue on the handle, I need to file in the nocks, and I need to start the tillering process/removing enough wood to be able to start the tillering process. Maybe I'm in the wrong mindset when I'm working on the bow, but I find that after I start getting a bit tired from using the saw rasp I start to get a little frustrated and try to work faster, since I feel like I'm not removing very much wood.

I worry about that mindset affecting the tillering process, since I've heard that even removing a small amount can alter the tiller greatly, and I don't want my impatience to ruin the bow.

I guess what I'm asking here is two-fold: 1. How can I change my outlook to tame this impatience of mine in working on the bow? (I think it might also come from feeling like I'm up against a clock due to limited time) 2. Is there something I'm missing with using the tools I have available in getting the most out of them? I have the Shinto saw rasp, a 4 in one file, nock file (unsure of the diameter), triangle file, handsaw, and a Nicholson woodworker's file (I haven't had much luck with it). I don't have any scrapers or a draw knife, unfortunately, and no power tools save for a drill.

(First picture is the profile of the bow measuring 68 inches end to end. Second picture is the center portion of the bow where the handle is going to go -- the center point is measured with 8 inches allowed for the handle)

[DC]

Do you have a hatchet? It may sound a little crude but it will get rid of the bulk of the wood.

[txdm]

I think you should find or make a scraper. Even a cheap "4-way" paint scraper works.


Use a pencil with a guide to clearly mark off just a little bit of material (like 1/16" down the belly or up to 1/4" for things like the shorter side profile tapers ), and that is your goal to remove for that session. You're not making a bow today, you're just getting it shaved down to that line without making a mistake.

Clamp the stave down securely so it doesn't flex or move as you file. Use the coarse side of the shinto to make deep gouges down the length of the area you are removing, then use the scraper to remove the gouged material leaving it smooth again.

Doing it in phases like that will get you acquainted with using the Shinto, so when you get down to tillering you have a better hand with it. You'll then be using the fine side of the shinto, a regular half-round file, or just the scraper to remove small, controlled amounts.

Tips: For wider surfaces like the belly, its eaiser to use the Shinto rasp to make a "crown" than to go across the whole flat of the surface. With the scraper, go slow and controlled with long passes and moderate pressure, but not so much you could lose control and make a deep gouge.

Good luck!

[sleek]

Just gitcherself a good choppin knife. Only tool you need. 

[bubby]

Get a farriers rasp, $20 and will flat hog wood off!! With a good sharp rasp i can rough out a board bow in 40 mins

[loon]

Get a farriers rasp, $20 and will flat hog wood off!! With a good sharp rasp i can rough out a board bow in 40 mins

Do you recommend a particular one? Or a place to get them?

[mikekeswick]

A farriers shop!
Sorry...I had to say that.....

[bjrogg]

I agree with Bubby. A good sharp fariers rasp can really remove some wood quickly. I ordered mine from our local hardware store. It is made in Brazil but I'm very happy with it so far. I had several other old worn out ones that didn't work. Just because a tool is old doesn't mean that it's good or bad. They were built good but many were used and misused.
      I have always had the ability to see what the end product will look like even just holding the raw material in my hand. I think that really helps me to enjoy the process of getting there. Many projects start out looking overwhelming and even go backwards for long periods of time. It helps me to see the end product in my hand and the steps it takes to get there. The right tools will also help. A good draw knife and scraper are also excellent tools. As said you can remove wood quickly to floor tiller but then to slower thoughtful wood removal is necessary. When you finish your bow and shoot it, you will be so excited you won't want to put it down. Just remember to start another and it probably will be better and take less time to build. Good luck. Keep you chin up your getting there.
Bjrogg

[Steve Milbocker]

TSC or most farm stores carry farriers rasps

[Kalvek]

Sorry for the late reply, I've been busy applying to a few jobs and other general life stuff.

DC -- I actually don't have a hatchet, but if I did, would I use it like a scraper? I can't imagine I would be hacking at the bow stave, since that might cause cracking. Is there a method to the use of a hatchet in shaping a bow stave.

txdm -- I was thinking that as well, but I don't want to spend too much more money on tools if I can help it. I did try looking, but it doesn't seem like local hardware stores like Home Depot, Lowe's, or Ace even carry card scrapers. Does a 4-way paint scraper work on the same principle (i.e. it uses the burr to scrape off wood)?

When you say "1/16 in. down the belly" do you mean that that would be the thickness I would be removing from the entirety of the belly? I'm not quite sure, but I think I would already be at the tillering stage now, since all that's left to do is file in the nocks, glue on and shape the handle, and tiller/taper down the limbs. Thanks for all the tips, though!

sleek -- You mean like a machete?

bubby -- Wow! That's quite the result! It took me roughly 40 minutes per corner that I was tapering down to the nock. I have to ask, when you're using the rasp, do you have the bow stave clamped down and you're using bot hands to apply pressure with the rasp? That might be why it was taking me so long with the Shinto, since I was mostly doing it one handed and my "clamp" was just sitting on the stave on top of an upturned bucket to hold it down (I don't have the room for a proper workspace, so I just work in the corner of my mostly filled garage)

bjrogg -- A draw knife /is/ a tool I would like to get later on when I'm more settled, so I'm definitely keeping it in mind. Scrapers or a farriers rasp are probably what I'm going to have to choose between right now. I did want to ask: I've been hearing about floor tillering a lot, but what exactly is it? How is it done?

Steve Milbocker -- Ah, I think there's a TSC that's actually not too far from where I am! Thanks! Now I just need to find a local store that might carry card/cabinet scrapers to see which is cheaper.

[DC]

A nice sharp axe can be a precision tool. Just don't wail away at it like you were an axe murderer.

[Kalvek]

Would you have any recommendations for a brand of axe that might be best as a woodworking tool, DC? I don't know the first thing about using an axe as a precision tool in any kind of woodcraft, so I'll need to look up some resources on it as well.

[sleek]

I use a Ka-Bar survival figjting knife. A machete would be a bad idea as they are more flimsy and a bit oversized.

[Parnell]

Since I got my Shinto rasp I won't even touch my chunky clunky farriers rasp.  It's more effective and easier to control, imo.  They're not even $20 on amazon.  There is a course side and finer side, as well.  Much better tool, I think.

Good luck!

[Mo_coon-catcher]

If your not using a clamp or vise to hold your material, and I suggest using something you can sit on to be able to use your body weight to hold the material down while rasping. I do that all the time. I have a step stool type tool box that ivput a cloth down and and sit ontop of it having the stave undet my foot to hold it in place. I've made a few bows that way so far. With a farriers rasp this way I could probably take a stave to a tooth putt in an hour of I felt like it. Using a solid vise just speeds things up a bit. If your interested in using an axe or hatchet. I suggest looking into a single bevel carpenters axe with a loose head. The loose head allows you to remove and flip it around to be able to switch the side the bevel is on. They have a flat cutting face and fine angle on the edge making for clean cuts and fast wood removal. I really want one for myself. But just havnt got around to getting gone yet.

Kyle