Osage Bow (that hopefully doesn't take 10 months)

[Pat B]

I usually clamp the handle to the form, belly up and start heating from the fades out. I use a heat gun. I will heat about 6" to 8" area then clamp it and move to the next section. When I'm done with one limb I move to the next one. When both limbs have been heated and clamped I let it rest over night before removing the clamps. With a heat gun held about 3" or so from the wood I move the heat gun back and forth in the area until I start to see color change, clamp it then move on to the next area.

[Marin]

Do I need to heat the entire limb if the deflex is only at the tip?

[Eric Krewson]

We all learned by trying different stuff, think about it and give it a whorl, it that doesn't work try something else.

[Pat B]

Check out Clint's(Osage Outlaw)newest post. He's going from start to finish on an osage stave. You will be able to see what we've been talking about.
 I like to give both similar and even reflex. It will make tillering easier for you to see.

[Marin]

I just looked  at osage outlaws post and now understand.
So I need to make a curved caul if I want a flat profile?

[Marin]

I've just been clamping the stave to a flat 2x4.

[Stick Bender]

Marin if you could pick up a copy of Gary Davis Rattlestick self bow tutorial dvd sold here on PA it's worth it's weight in gold for his form recipes alone plus the DVD would answer a lot of your questions it's a great dvd it was recommended to me and I waited about 6 months to get it and would have saved me a lot of time if I had bought it sooner !

[Marin]

How do you guys make a curved caul? I'm trying to figure out how I might draw out a perfect arc to make it.

[Marin]

Could I just "eyeball" the arc?

[Eric Krewson]

OK, tape the end of a string to the floor, put your 2X4 about 3' from where you taped the string end. Hold a pencil at this point and use the string to make an arc. If the arc is too small move out the string and try again. When you get a nice arc that will fit on the side of the 2X4 mark it with your pencil.

I made all my bending forms this way.

Marin, you are reading way too much into this process, bow making isn't an exact procedure, you have a lot of wiggle room however you do things. All of bow students I tried to teach the craft to who never finished a bow were all afraid of doing anything on their own for fear of goofing up, I suspect you fall into this category.

Eric, over and out.

[Marin]

Does it have t be perfect? I'm having a hard time drawing it perfectly.

[Marin]

Could I draw  two or three straight lines instead of an arc? It would be much easier to draw and cut

[Marin]

Reason I'm asking is I tried to draw the arc with the stirng method, keeping the board 3" away but the arc was too small so I placed the string over a yard away and still got an arc that just wasn't right. Perhaps I'm not seeing something right. Does the arc need to fit the entire limb or could it just be enough to clamp down a part of the limb on?
I know I'm probably overthinking this too much  but I'm just lost a little on this.

[penderbender]

It didn't need to be perfect. You can use shims here and there for more or less reflex. Just rough it out with a saw, and smooth it up with your rasp. You could get a finished bow and trace the limb. Or just eyeball it, to whatever shape you want. You could take a thin price of wood/ metal and flex it to the shape you want with clamps, nails whatever and trace that. Don't think about it too much just try something. Cheers- Brendan

[Eric Krewson]

I wasn't going to add anymore to this thread but, goodness, try 5' then 6' or 8' or whatever it takes to get the arc you need.

I can't remember how long my string was, the 3' suggestion was just a starting point.