Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: robbsbass on July 07, 2008, 04:18:24 pm
-
Ok I need help. What I thought was going to be a fun project is really starting to get me wondering how you guy keep your sanity. This b.l. stave I have started to show real promise when I first started talking to you guys months ago, but the more I listen to what you have to say or try to read in Bouyer's bible#1 I don't know where to go. Do I follow the grain and make a great looking snake bow, or do I ignore the grain and go the traditional way , I'm depending on your guidance.
Robb
-
ALWAYS FOLLOW THE GRAIN!!!!!
-
ALWAYS FOLLOW THE GRAIN!!!!!
DITTO...It's just natural...
dave
-
Always follow the grain! Pat
-
Your main goal should be to get the string to almost cross the handle. If it does this you'll be OK with the snakiness. Assuming you have enough length and have a centerline drawn down the middle of the grain, try snapping a line from different possible "tips" then cut the stave ends where it will work best. I don't mind straightening humps and valleys some but have more trouble with side to side snakiness. So I go with the flow on it.
-
i got no clue. ??? i want to make a snaky bow eventually though.
-
Even if the tips don't line up withe the handle it's O.K., a little heat bending on the handle cures that, and it migth give some extra snakiness too ;)
Ho yeah,...ALWAYS FOLLOW THE GRAIN !!!
-
Manny said everything I was about to. You can pretty much bend it where you want, Follow The Grain.
-
Follow the vertical grain or crown or the bow may break. Leave the handle full width and the nocks an inch wide and you may not have to heat it to get the string on the handle. There's info on my site. Jawge
http://mysite.verizon.net/georgeandjoni/
-
o.k. i need to ask
what is meant by "follow the crown"
i understand what vertical grain is,self explanitory. just my ignorant curiosity.
thanks
peace,
tim
-
The crown is the high spot on the back of the stave...sort of a ridge that runs the length. It usually follows the grain. Pat
-
You can't cut a straight bow out of a crooked stave, just don't work that way if you want it to stay together. The first seven rules of bow building are all "Follow The Grain" :)
-
Follow the grain! I have cheated before in the handle area (non-bending) when laying out the bow in order to get the string crossing the handle correctly. Like already mentioned, using dry heat and some strategic clamping can straighten out problem area's after the bow is floor tillered. ;)
-
Ok guys I sure appreciate the help your giving me, but if I follow the grain the handle will be about 1 inch below the back of the bow never mind all the other ups and downs it has. That is the best way I can explain it, from tip to tip it will look ordinary.
Robb
-
Huhh ? ??? ???
-
Sounds like you have a piece that has a lot of up and down snake but not much side to side. You need to follow the grain and have one growth ring on the back or you are going to make toothpicks. This bow will be extremely difficult to tiller. Probably the hardest kind of snake to tiller. I would recommend that you practice a little more on a few easy pieces. Justin
-
If it has up-and-down snakiness, you may be able to straighten a lot of it out with heat after you get it chased to one ring. Can you post pics?
-
not yet I haven't done anything to it other than draw it out, as I was afraid of making a major mistake, and I don't want to screw it up. So let me see if I have this right, draw it out , follow the side grain pattern as it does its ups and downs and then try to heat and straighten them out.
Robb ???
-
Yep, the first step would be to get the back down to a single growth ring from end to end, and work from there.
-
Again, your first step is to get it to one continuous growth ring on the back. Without doing that first you can't be sure where the grain is going to be able to draw out your bow. With up and down snakes it is going to be difficult getting to one ring but it is a necessary first step. By doing so it will teach you patience which, IMO, is the most important tool in your bow making kit. If you feel intimidated by this first step, set that stave aside and work on another until you feel confident enough to tackle it. I wish someone had told me this long ago before I screwed up more good wood than I care to admit to. ;) Pat
-
Thanks for all the help, I would be lost if it were not for the help from the guys from P.A. Ive started it and I will let you know how its going. When I figure it out I will include pics.
Robb
-
I may be wrong, but I think Hickory or dogwood, or other white woods are the only ones you can get by with not followiing the grain closely.
-
believe me, with all the help I've been getting from these guys I'm determined not to screw up. I have the grain marked and I am following it very closely. When I'm done it will look weird but different.
Robb
-
good luck man! im in the process of getting myself a large stash of locust now. cant wait to get my hands on it!