Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: PEARL DRUMS on November 21, 2011, 10:31:52 am
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shaping your thickness tapers in while the bow is on your form? I heat in 3" of full length reflex on most every bow I build. Obviously some of the twist comes back, some of the reflex and deflex comes back after you remove clamps. The other day I thought I would try something different, for me anyhow. I left the center and tip clamps alone and worked my tapers in while on form, WOW! That was about as easy as I have ever had it. The tapers where very even and flat right off the bat. It may sound silly, but I never thought of it before. I just unclamped and tipped my rasp and scraper according to the limb twist. Now, I unclamp and it twists where it wants while keeping the perfect thickness taper. Maybe Im just a slow learner and everybody else already does this? Let me know how slow I am! :laugh:
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Each piece of wood has its own preference but hickory likes your plan generally speaking!
Keep it simple keep it fun !!
Guy
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Wow, I expected a few more to say they do the same. It works on all wood Guy. A good taper is a good taper on any wood. Its the #1 reason bows break, or stay together.....in my book anywho.
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I don't use a form PD, so I couldn't comment. I agree that taper problems account for most hinging issues and I'd do better if I paid more attention to it. When I teach people to build bows I watch it like a hawk, but on my own bows I'm less vigilant for some reason and it sometimes costs me. Your idea sounds like a good one to me.
George
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I used to simply clamp my handle area down in my vice and just go to town tipping my tools one way or another trying to maintain evenness. My horrible impatience problem got me to start working a bow that was resting (2 days later) after heat forming. It didn't hurt the integrity of the wood, but the bow came off the form two days later almost perfectly tillered already. That got the ball rolling and my mind working. I start all of mine the same way now. "Knock on wood", I haven't broke a bow in my last 8-10 efforts with various woods.
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Sounds genius to me! Gonna add this to my process, but i guess i need to make a full length form first ;)
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Pearl
some staves have backs that are not so flat ,they can be a little hard to read clamped down , maybe its just Me !!
Guy
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True, some common sense may have to play a role here.
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Add refrex while green useing no heat theres no need for a (fourm Caul) I hav'nt broke a bow it the last 75. Sounds like your building glass bows instead of selfbows.
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If common sense were a requirement, ahh, we would be bowling.
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Oddly enough the method I asked about above worked like a charm on the nasty build along bow I posted. No glass, just osage. Its hard for me to see my taper when the belly is flat and the back goes all over. This keeps it flat and sure makes a good taper easy. Good tapers make good tillers Im thinking.
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It's all ways good to see someone that finds a different approach to doing things that just fits them!
Have fun and enjoy yourself !
Guy
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This is just a thought from an inexperienced bowyer, so take it with a grain of salt. If I had it clamped to a form the whole time I was working the bow down I would be really nervous about my eyes tricking me.When I'm trying to achieve a good taper I need to run the bow through my fingers constantly to feel the taper. I'm not sure I would trust my eyes only when trying to establish a good taper.
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Hmmm, I dunno but I always try to taper while tillering. First with floor tillering and then with a more refined method of tillering.
Tapering by "eye" on the form seems like a short cut. But if it saves you time then go for it. :)
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I have been using a simple (primitive) marking gauge that guides along the crest of the back surface and makes a thickness mark along the side of the stave. 5/8" and 1/2". That way I have thickness guide mark I can hog down to quickly and then fine tune the thickness taper when I tiller. Both sides of the stave are marked related to the back on that side so the thickness automatically rolls with the twists and follows any roller coaster. The gauge thingy is nothing new. Just a revised joiners or cabinet makers marking gauge and it has helped my tillering a lot. I'll have to post it sometime as "tillering gizmo II".
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I must be a little slow BUT I LIKE IT THAT WAY. I had a good friend (CROOKETARROW) a half iroqouis indain that build bows for over 50 years. That I met on a mountain trail draging a buck. About 2 miles back. He looked at my selfbow and I his and we became instance friend. By the time we reached the truck our friendship was sealed.
He as me only use our eyes I don't even lay the bow out with a pencil. To me self bows aren't supposed to be made manuley can't see and indain setting around the camp fire. Passing the stave over saying take is over to the band saw stay on the lines take that gismo along. This is primitive archery right.
I'm only stateing a point build your bows as you like. I DO
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I agree Crooketarrow. I mostly like working the wood without layout of any kind. Using arm lengths and hand widths for measuring. Just using the eye, sighting down the curve as the limb is bending slightly. You can see all the flat spots in the arc that way. Just need a little assistance occasionally training the eye to see a consistent taper on gnarly wood. Those old ones setting around the campfire would be extremely amused or appalled at the twisty, snakey, roller coaster sticks some of us are so fond of these days. They would probably wonder how we expected to feed our families when we can't pick bow wood any better than that! ;D ;D ;D