Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Jodocus on November 15, 2012, 09:08:21 am
-
Hi all,
Anyone make backing-strips by hand? if so, how?
-
Done it once clamped a bit of Ash to a length of 2x2 and painstakingly reduced it with a rasp.
It was slow work, it was for the Ash/Cherry bow, one of the very first entries on my Bowyers Diary
Del
-
Too labour intensive. I broke down and bought a thickness sander.
-
Too labour intensive. I broke down and bought a thickness sander.
I think you should rub it with mud and do charcoal stick figures on it to make it look more primitive ::)
Del
-
i cut them on a tablesaw and then run them thru a planer, Bub
-
A simple cloth(silk, linen),brown grocery bag paper or rawhide all make good backings for security but not performance.
-
not truly by hand and a little sketchy,but i have made them with a skil saw before i got a table variety. i cut 1-1/2 by 15/16 ths thick then laid a 2by 4 flat to support the skil saw ,clamped them together,them clamped the 2 by 4 to a table. drew a line at 3/16ths thick and ripped it.certainly not the best method but it worked many times 4 me.only have enough blade depth to do the job or it will buck.not adviseing any one to try this at home but i am nutty at times. ps this is not a good method,just saying.
-
Too labour intensive. I broke down and bought a thickness sander.
I think you should rub it with mud and do charcoal stick figures on it to make it look more primitive ::)
Del
No, nothing primitive about it... but it sure saves time, and makes wonderful backing strips, ready for glue up.
-
Jodocus,
The manual method, "ouch" slow and painfull.
What I use is a drill with a home made sanding disk that I built from a pice of 1/4 inch MDF. I have to build a thicker one as it tends to track a little bit on the hairy side.
Just take a piece of 1/2" plywood or MDF. I prefer MDF, cut it in a 8" circle and go buy some 8" 60 Grit sanding discs with the self sticky backing. It works.
I then clamp the drill to the saw horse and away I go. :)
-
A hand power planer does wonders.You can get tapering done easily with it too.
-
A good handplane, a rasp and a cabinet scraper will work. I've done some bamboo strips with a drawknife and a cabinet scraper.
-
I agree with Dauntless, a good handplane and a saw and some effort, doesnt take me that long, Thats about all the tools I use, whats the rush if your not making a living from the selling them?
-
I once prepped a bamboo backing totally with hand tools, namely a block plane and toothing plane.