How do you shape the fades?

[WhistlingBadger]

I do most of my bow shaping with a draw knife and farrier's rasp for the rough stuff, and a scraper for the final detail work.  But every time I shape the fades, I end up gouging the limb at the end of the fade, and then either have to do a lot of extra work to correct it or throw out the bow. 

What kind of tools and methods do you use to shape your fades without going too far and gouging the limb?

T

[Pat B]

I draw out the handle, fade and limbs then cut it out on the bandsaw. Handles are 4" long, centered on the bow. The fades are usually about 2" long(sometimes longer, sometimes shorter) and taper from the handle to about 3/4" to 5/8" at the limb and out the limb. From this point I use a farriers rasp to smooth the transition and begin the limb faceting for tillering. This faceting goes into the fades. From there I use the #40 Nicholson rasp, a half round rasp which helps with the sloped transition between the handle and fade. This gives you plenty of meat to take off before getting into the final limb thickness. I also keep pencil reference lines along the limbs and fades as guides and replace them as I progress so I can keep the present limb thickness visible as I work.

[ssrhythm]

I know it’s not primitive, but I use a chisel and leave them a bit proud early then use my belt sander.  When I try to use all hand tools, I either leave way too much that requires arm-killing hand sanding or I take em down too much or gouge them causing me to have to remove too much wood to get them smooth for finishing.  Maybe I need better hand tools or sharper hand tools…IDK.  I’d love, just once, to be able to come remotely close to replicating Weylin’s fades; as far as I’m concerned, he is the freaking master of finishing touches and artistic expression. 

[George Tsoukalas]

I tool with the grain and not against it, WB.
I use a hatchet, drawknife, Surform, belt sander, and my pushknife used as a scraper.

[bradsmith2010]

use a light touch working on the fades

[Kidder]

I draw mine with a 7” chop saw blade. I then use a chisel bevel down to carve them out and finally finish them on the roller end of my belt sander. Always being careful not to dig in at the base of the fade and create a hinge and always check that spot thoroughly with my fingers to ensure it isn’t thin before I start tillering.

[Eric Krewson]

I have found if you rasp off the fades from the handle to the limb you will almost always gouge out a depression at the end of the fade, if you rasp from limb to handle this doesn't happen, at least for me. I finish up the fades with an orbital sander, this takes any washboard off that you may get filing across the grain.

Another consideration is making your fade transition to the limb too short and too abrupt; you need some room to blend the handle into the limb.

I make my fades like Pat, long and lean. If I have thin wood in the handle, I add a couple of 1/8" shims between the main handle wood and the limb to ensure the handle won't pop off down the road.

[osage outlaw]

Half round wood rasps will help your fade problems.  I have some that are aggressive all the way down to smooth files.  Use them at different angles to avoid getting the steps in the growth rings that you can feel. 

[Deerhunter21]

Depending on how steep or subtle I make my fades, I use a farrier rasp and my drawknife.

[Pappy]

I do like Clint and finish up with a scrapper moving it at different angles to avoid the steps in the growth rings, also as Brad said, gentle on the fads. I see people use belt sanders a lot on fads and shelves but for me i can make a quick mess with a belt sander so I avoid them most of the time. 
 Pappy

[superdav95]

Nothing more to add to these comments and suggestions really.  Only thing I do as well that helps me is I draw mine on with a 6-8” round disc sander pad.  I then use this reference mark as I file to just about the line on an angle as if trapping the belly.  Then I match the other side of the same limb.  Once I get my angled filing done I put pencil marks across the belly as rasp and file indicators where I need to remove more wood.  This helps me get an even fade.  These reference pencil marks help a lot for me.  You can still round all your edges later too if you want. 

[Mo_coon-catcher]

I use the finer side of my ferrier rasp, cutting up the fade towards the handle. I can get a decent curve and no issues with dips. 

Kyle

[WhistlingBadger]

Thanks for all the input, guys.  I put away my latest failure; might try to come back and rescue it later.  I have one good stave left, a 43" long by 4" wide juniper stave that might make a good paddle bow.  Sounds like I need to get a round rasp, move toward the handle instead of away from it, and as usual, slow down and be more patient.  Osage and Eric, that's some gorgeous work.

Pat, please tell me more about faceting.  I remember reading about that somewhere but it all kind of gets jumbled up in my brain.

[organic_archer]

Once I get about 1/8" away from my lines, I shape everything with a 14" farriers rasp and a Nicholson bastard cut half-round file. When working the sweeps down from the handle, I always work tools downhill from the top of the handle to the limbs and take care not to cut too deep on the widest part of the limbs at the bottom of the handle.

[WhistlingBadger]

Funny story:  I ordered a set of round wood rasps from Amazon.  Yesterday I received my package, and it contained a set of bright pink, see-through lingerie.  Um...Thanks??? 

Somewhere there's a very disappointed young couple on their honeymoon, trying to figure out what to do with these wood rasps...