Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: bigcountry on July 14, 2008, 07:49:54 pm
-
I have been using a combo of nicholson 49 and cheap cabinet scrapers from woodcraft. Is there any better out there for osage. Looking into the bowyers edge, but thats one expensive tiller tool
-
I made one out of a 7 1/4" circular saw blade - cut it out with a hacksaw and works fine. Also dug out some old hickory kitchen knives, they peel almost transparent shaving's all the way down the limb. Don't use any storebought scrapers :).
-
Use whatever works for you . I use a couple of big ole' bowie knives , held at a right angle for scraping . And I can shave with them too like a drawknife or spokeshave.
Ralph
-
Here is something that works really well, and it is very cheap. Go to a Dollar Tree or Dollar General and buy a pair of stainless steel scissors. They are very sharp and make great scrapers. Simply pop out the rivet holding the two halves together and you have two awesome scrapers for a buck or two. Throw them away when they get dull or sharpen them.
Dan
-
i use a wallpaper scraper blade, fairly flimsy,keeps an edge well,has two edges the scrape long thin shreds. its only about .75" x 4"
ive used two of them so far on 3 hic and 2 ipe bows. kinda thin so they can get warm if you use just the blade,i use the whole scraper that way i dont get cramps in my hands ;D
-
For many years I used an old meat cleaver as a scraper. Now I use a Swedish push knife as a scraper. I'm not a fan of real scrapers. They are not aggressive enough for me and I need a bit more of a handle to hold. Jawge
-
I use nothing but old sawz all blades...just sharpen the back side of them on a belt sander.
-
A drawknife turned up perpendicular to the wood makes a great scraper, too.
-
I am not a big fan of taking a quality knife and scraping it against wood at a 90 degree angle. But funny someone mentioned it, I found a pair of durasharp crappy scirriors and they work pretty good. Thanks for letting me know what everyone uses.
-
I've bought lots of "bow making" tools over the years and I always come back to a #49 and a good scraper for tiller work. The scraper I started with I bought at Lowe's in a set. At this past Classic, Greg gave me a couple of scrapers that they use and that is the only scraper I've used since. ;D
When I started using primarily a scraper for tiller work, it slowed me down enough so my "bows" became real BOWS! ;) Pat
-
i use machineryleveling shims they are so hard its not funny,and hardly ever need sharpening,they come in1/2" 3/4"and 1.1/2"and there cheap you can get them at grainger or any machine shop
-
I am not a big fan of taking a quality knife and scraping it against wood at a 90 degree angle. But funny someone mentioned it
I've been using the same two knives for twenty years , not wore out yet ,One is the bowie I mentioned ,I made it from a L6 saw blade. The other is straight knife a deceased uncle made from a file . Knives are tools like any other, made to be used .
Just my opinion.
Glad you found something that you can use ,and you like.
Ralph
-
my scraper is a brute that made from an industrial hacksaw blade. it's .090" thick, about 2.5" wide, and about 6" long. it's all hardened, which means that rolling an edge has to done with carbide, but this scraper will run a curlfor the entire length of the bow, if you can keep the pressure going! used in concert with my farriers rasp, i can hog off as much wood as i need, or i can remove very light slivers to do a final tiller!
-
i used a drawshave held at an angle for the first probably 2 years, then i switched to my pocket knife (drawshave got dull and decided it wasnt good to keep dulling it up) i just made a scraper from a broken handsaw blade. about 3x6 and about 1/16 thick. keeps the burr pretty nice and its easy to hang on to. my wife just bought me a smooth scraper with handles on it from 3 rivers. havnt got a chance to use it yet.
i guess its good to have a couple of options available to you for different situations.
Phil
-
I have a set of thin cabinet scrapers (the kind in most wood working stores) Take time to roll a nice edge with a burnisher or screwdriver. I also sucked it up and bought the bowyers edge. I have to say it is the best bow tool I bought. I love it for the initial tillering stages, but when I get real close I use my regular scrapers.
-
I use bandsaw blades, scissors, broken pocketknife. I have saved several sawsall blades but havent tried them yet.....Brian
-
Hey Brothers,
Any of you's ever use flint or similar rock as a scraper? I have by accident one time. Try it, they work super-kill. Get you a piece of flint, break it and find an angled edge. You will be amazed!
-
Hey Brothers,
Any of you's ever use flint or similar rock as a scraper? I have by accident one time. Try it, they work super-kill. Get you a piece of flint, break it and find an angled edge. You will be amazed!
Actually I used some obsidian on myfirst bow. I was having trouble scraping smooth and a knapping guy came over and said try this.
-
I've use obsidian to scrape the bark of arrow shafts. Seems to work better than steal.
-
Jamie Leffler made a bow a while back with just a hatchet and a broken yager bottle.
My dad used to finish his cabinets with glass.
Phil
-
Regular cabinet scrapers work well, but if you want something more stout, a Mystik Scraper works very well.
I have a bowyer's edge. Good tool, but I can’t make the thing work without chattering on the grain. It's definitely a tool made by a woodworker because I can’t use it that well. ;D
But I would highly advise a mystik scraper.
-
Regular cabinet scrapers work well, but if you want something more stout, a Mystik Scraper works very well.
I have a bowyer's edge. Good tool, but I can’t make the thing work without chattering on the grain. It's definitely a tool made by a woodworker because I can’t use it that well. ;D
But I would highly advise a mystik scraper.
I agree w/ shamus, I have a lot of different scrapers - and always seem to tend toward my mystik scraper - got it from 3rivers. Its stout and so doesn't heat up - you can really put some pressure to pull some wood off, or angle and pull lightly to take less off. I just wish I could find a better way to get it sharp (how do you sharpen yours shamus? They're so thick I can't use my adj burnisher, and I find it harder to roll a curl). It doesn't seem that forgiving to get an edge curl, but once you do it works beautifully.
-
I am with jawge a meat clever, prefer the cheap thin ones, can put a nice
edge on one....
Brian
-
I have been using the same set of cheap scrapers that I bought from wood craft 2.5 years ago. They are still going strong, Just tillered 2 bows with them this evenning matter o fact. You get the hand of the angle that removes the most wood after awile.
The nice thing about the Mystic scraper is that it is very very comfortable and easy to hold. If you are doing allot of bows it great cause using and holding standrd cabinet scrapers beats your hands up after a few hours of constant use. The mystic you can hold draw knife fashion wich is noce for long sessions.
SJM
-
Shamus, I had trouble with the chattering of the bowyers edge at first. I resharpened it and rolled a shallower burr. Also I have the blade just barely exposed from the shoe. This stopped the chattering.
-
I am still gathering tools my self, but I use a Stanly sure form and a big buck knife and that does OK for me. I get allot of scraping out of the buck knife but it is hard on the hands.