Went Wood Shopping Today

[islandpiper]

I had a bit of time and a few bucks and my old Suburban "forced me" to turn off Hwy. 22 and head to Acadian Cypress Hardwoods today.    I rooted around in the sheds with Mr. Bob and came out with two nice boards.   One is German Beech and the other is White Ash.   Enough wood in them to make six bows .    Total cost was under $17.00, tax included.   I can't wait now to rough out a bow or two.  Maybe I can steal some time on the job tomorrow.  I'll try to hang onto this thread and post some pics when the chips fly. 

Piper

[cracker]

Hi Piper
   I'll be looking forward to it.Ronnie

[islandpiper]

I sliced the Ash and the Beech into staves, six feet long and nearly 2" wide, got five of them from the two boards with enough "ends" left over I can make something for the wife.  I had the outer stave of the Ash take an "edge set" and decided to use that one first.   I figure I should carve a bunch of bows from what is at hand and not concentrate on the best material yet   So, I laid out the center of the stave, both ways, and struck a straight centerline through the CENTER mark and nearly centered on the ends, as much as possible.  From that I laid out a 12" handle section, and limbs of 1 3/4 " running out 2/3 of the limb, then tapering down to just over 1/2".  Some planing and some spokeshave work has given me a bow blank that will bend nicely when floor tillered.   Not ready to realy tiller it yet, but maybe tomorrow.  So far, no ominous "crackling" sounds.. 

More pics to follow.   I have determined that taking GOOD PICTURES  of bows is tougher than making the bows!!

Piper

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[sailordad]

a 12" handle section,dang dude you must have huge hands

[islandpiper]

Sailordad, small hands and smaller experience in bowmaking.   I noticed in a catalog that riser block blanks for recurves were running about 14" long so I made mine a little smaller......still lots of handle.   Oh, well.........next bow I can make it different.  See, I'm already planning the NEXT ONE, just like all you other addicts!!!   

This one has been fun.   Making the limbs the same dimensions has yielded different stiffnesses and curves when floor tillering.  So, I guess they will be just about the same size and the tiller will be as right as I can make it.  Funny thing, when I sawed out the stave it was straight.  When I bandsawed the belly the bow took some string follow RIGHT AWAY even without any tillering or stringing being done.  Had I used the "wrong" side for the belly, it would have been "anti-follow" and been a better thing, but then the bark side would have been toward the belly.  Hmmm

Anyway, it's all fun and it's keeping me out of the bars and off the street corners.  heh heh heh

My wife is happy I have a new hobby.   How many of you can say that? 

piper

[El Destructo]

show US a picture of the end grain of the Board....then I can tell you if you laid it out backwards or not....and why it curved towards the Bandsaw cut......and I am with Sailordad....a 12 inch Handle...quite a large section of a Bow to be  non-bending

[Pat B]

Are you building a modern recurve?    If not, find the mid point of your stave and draw a line across the stave there. There are 2 ways to go here, either mark 2" above and 2" below the center mark or mark 1 1/4" above and 2 3/4" below the center line for your handle(depending on whether you want a symmetrical or asymmetrical design). Then go out 1 1/2" to 4"(depending on the style bow you want) and this is the fade area; where the handle "fades" into limb. Now, stop there and DO NOT cut out the handle. You need this area to hold the bow as you work on it and a finished handle is not necessary at this point of bow building.
   It is time to draw out the limb shape(again depending on what style bow you want). Leave the last 6" or so relatively thick and wide. You don't need that area finished now either and the tips and handle areas can be used for side to side adjustments later, if needed. Concentrate on your limbs bending evenly and together. That is tillering.
....and don't just let the chips fly. Concentrate on each scrape, each cut, each stroke of the rasp so every bit of wood you remove has a direct, positive result on your final proper tiller.      Pat

[islandpiper]

Thanks for the help, guys.   I just tapered that "long A&^%"  handle so it can bend A LITTLE on the ends, and worked on the limbs a bit, too.   Now, I can put a string on it and began to tiller a little.  Look at it this way, if I wasn't here making dumb mistakes, somebody else would have to do it !! 

This white ash seems to take a set more than the oak i used last time.  Just bracing it, and then taking the string off left me with 2-3 inches of follow.  Would backing it with linen possibly rectify that?  Without making the pull much greater? 

I plan to dig into that German Beech pretty quick and will take your advice regarding the length of the grip, etc. 

Thanks again, piper

[Pat B]

Piper, The linen won't control the set. It would be used primarily to help hold down splinters or slight grain violations.  The set is a product of over stressing the wood. I have the same problem with ash and a few other woods. Take it slow, exercise the stave as you remove wood and don't pull it past the ultimate draw length or draw weight.     Pat

[islandpiper]

And, since it is Monday, I went shopping again today.   I got into the Hickory and bought two full 1 x 4 s and a full 1 x 6, all twelve feel long, for a grand total of $27.  There is possibly one stave in the bunch that will not be useable, but i figure it will make good backing material. 

dang, this is fun. 

piper